Deep Dive into Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 1.8: Saint Augustin: Expositions on the Book of Psalms - Psalm 5

This exposition of Psalm 5 describes the soul's journey towards God, beginning with a spiritual cry from the heart that is understood by God's omnipresence, not a physical ear. The prayer addresses God as the Trinity, One God in three distinct persons, with the Son specifically called the King.The path to seeing God is hindered by the "night" of sins and iniquity, including malignity, lying, homicide, and craftiness. These acts prevent the soul from sustaining the light of truth, leaving the unrighteous unable to abide before God's eyes. God abominates the man of blood and the crafty, treating them like the disinherited. Lying is particularly condemned as saying "that which is not," the opposite of truth, and is said to slay the soul. God's justice in punishing is distinct from man returning evil for evil; God lets the wicked fall by their own choices and drives them out from His presence, likened to diseased eyes unable to bear light.The desired state is the "morning," when the darkness of sin is past, allowing the soul to see God. This requires "standing" by God, meaning not seeking happiness in earthly pleasures ("lying down"). The goal is to enter God's house, which is the Temple identified with believers, signifying a state of perfection. Progress towards this state involves worshipping in fear, but at perfection, perfect love casts out fear. This state is a reward of eternal exultation and glory, where the just are inhabited by God through His grace and good will.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed