The Works of Christ and the Spirit in Creation

He strove against their incurable diseases; after all those things the Savior came appropriately, healing every disease and every weakness, even to raise up their corruption and death. For this reason the Savior shone forth the truth in the times of Augustus, when the time was fulfilled so that the things of human salvation happened accordingly.

Concerning this the present word says: 'It is a time to have mercy on Zion, O Lord, and You, rising on Your own, will have mercy on her' (Ps 102). Thanksgiving was necessary to follow the preceding prophecy. This too is arranged through this song: the mercy of God and the critical justice are glorified, that through mercy He will rescue the people from the wrongdoers; the removal of corruption, and the grace preserved for successors, and the kingdom of heaven that will pass over all things.

It is not that the heaven surrounds the whole thing and covers it, but it roofs the earth spread out around it, being covered from above by waters in a permanent and firm standing (Ps 103). It is evident, then, that the 'Extending' and 'Roofing' and 'Making' is instead the 'one who extended' and 'one who roofed' and 'one who made.' So it is also with the 'Forming' spirit of man within him; the forming having occurred by God once for the earth, and the results from it happen forever, just as it is said, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working' (John 5:17). And 'I am the Being' would also contribute to this, as the works are not non-existent but are becoming, having the nature of the becoming, and therefore their being is understood in the becoming and is not actually existing like the maker. This is permeated through the Holy Trinity being creative.

Regarding the wonderful thing, it says of the founding of God's power: the earth, the heaviest of elements, was placed beneath the waters immovable for an age, is not perhaps supported by the abyss that lies beneath, nor is it settling, but is covering the abyss in the manner of garments, so that the seat may be unutterable and of God's power, not of the nature of elements (Ps 103). The earth gives these things, springs of water gushing from the beginning by the power of God (Ps 103), and says that many things are driven into disappearance by the fear of God, which is stated more clearly in the seventy-third Psalm: 'You burst the springs and...'

Rivers, you dried up other rivers. He marvels also at the position of the mountains, having been raised unchangeably over the plains and not being dragged down by the descending mist to cover the underlying things, according to the Erusi: 'Cover us, O mountains' (Ps 103:13).

He calls the air of the high heavens the work of God, just as it is over one house of the whole world. And he calls the rain the work of the Son, from which the earth bears fruit in abundance (Ps 103:17). And he calls the lifting up of the waters from the sea the work of the Son (Ps 103:17b).

And concerning the wild donkey it is said through Jeremiah: 'Even the wild donkey in the heavens has known its times' (Ps 103:26b). And regarding his calming, it is said that God calms him, that is, to set his cunning to nothing. For God laughs at everything that opposes him, because it is placed in vanity and childishness because it is easily burned, just as it is said concerning the Egyptians: 'How many follies I have performed against the Egyptians' (Ps 103:27-28).

[Others will take the provided text regarding the food provided to the animals. For when this is present, it is abundant and rejoices; but when it is absent, it is pressed and poured out by the lack of necessities (Ps 103:29-30).]

This is the work of Christ, who also says that resurrection is to be, and life, and he promised to raise up all; and when he was present, he gave life to whom he wished, so that what is said is: of the Father in the beginning, of the Son in the working-out, and of the Spirit in the participation, being a partaker of him and as if being brought through the Son into the life of all, according to: 'He will give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit who dwells in you' (Ps 103:31). The Spirit is indeed life-giving, through which he works life, and God-making, through which he gives participation and the human spirit is of the same name according to its formation by him (Ps 103:32).

Eternal is the glory of him who preserves his works forever; and since the glory is eternal, the things being glorified are eternal (Ps 103:33). The magnitude of the glory is shown by the awe of the creation, and the subjection is signaled by the awe. Thus the psalm says that the sea is made subject by being terrified (Ps 103:34). For what fears, submits; and the subjection of the earth is the trembling of the oversight of God, and the smoking of the mountains, as if they were burning, which was seen bodily on Sinai (Ps 103:33-34). This is the gain of life; for this it is worthy to live; therefore death is terrible, the one silencing the...

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