Psalm 3:8
getting a new set of teeth
For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners. (Psalm 3:8 DR)
As we face temptations in this life, it can feel like a never-ending battle. And to be fair—it certainly is. However, what becomes dispiriting is when it seems like a hopeless or even pointless battle. For if we faced suffering and temptation and trials for no reason, it would be a pointless endeavor.
However, these things are allowed for our good and our sanctification; it is through perseverance that we come to sanctification as we cooperate with God’s grace. The more we resist temptation and sin, the more its power over us is weakened and finally broken.
The Psalmist prophetically speaks of this in a two-fold sense, for in the first prophetic sense this passage refers to our Lord’s victory over sin and death through His glorious resurrection. The sting of death is sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56), its “bite” as it were. But now that its teeth are broken, it is like the proverbial dog who has a big bark but no bite. For those who are united to Christ death no longer has this sting.
But in the mystical sense (which is enabled by Christ’s resurrection) this breaking of the teeth of sinners is the Psalmist’s reference to defeat of sin and temptation. Without God’s grace we are unable to overcome temptation and sin, but united to our Lord we are empowered unto sanctification. The teeth which formerly lead us into error and death and tore us asunder now are replaced by the Church’s “teeth” which tear us away from error:
To these teeth are opposed the Church's teeth, by whose authority believers are cut off from the error of the Gentiles and various opinions, and are translated into that fellowship which is the body of Christ. (St. Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms, 3, 7)
The sufferings and trials that we face are thus enabled to become a means of our sanctification, and what the devil means for evil God turns to the greatest good:
Of these teeth too of the Church it is said, “Your teeth are as a flock of shorn sheep, coming up from the bath, whereof every one bears twins, and there is not one barren among them.” These are they who prescribe rightly, and as they prescribe, live; who do what is written, “Let your works shine before men, that they may bless your Father which is in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16] For moved by their authority, they believe God who speaks and works through these men; and separated from the world, to which they were once conformed, they pass over into the members of the Church. And rightly therefore are they, through whom such things are done, called teeth like to shorn sheep; for they have laid aside the burdens of earthly cares, and coming up from the bath, from the washing away of the filth of the world by the Sacrament of Baptism, every one bears twins. For they fulfil the two commandments, of which it is said, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets;” [Matthew 22:40] loving God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and their neighbour as themselves. “There is not one barren among them,” for much fruit they render unto God. (ibid.)
For this animation I wanted to have some fun with this tooth character. I created the shapes and rigged it up using Joysticks and Sliders, which lets you create head-turning rigs in After Effects without a whole lot of effort. The rest was just getting some nice poses and looping the animation.
Enjoy.
For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.
(Psalm 3:8 DR)
View a higher quality version of this gif here: