Psalm 67:15
it's time to delegate
When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon. (Psalm 67:15 DR)
After leading the people of Israel out of Egypt, Moses was faced with a dilemma as he was in charge of judging disputes, which quickly ballooned beyond his ability to manage, as he was sitting in the judge’s seat from dawn to dusk. His father-in-law came to visit and saw this spectacle and told Moses he was crazy:
The thing thou dost is not good. Thou are spent with foolish labour, both thou and this people that is with thee: the business is above thy strength, thou alone canst not bear it. (Exodus 18:17-18 DR)
His wise solution was to have Moses delegate authority so that his deputies could handle the lesser cases over set groups of people, saving the hardest and greatest matters for him so that he could focus on his specific task:
Be thou to the people in those things that pertain to God, to bring their words to him: And to shew the people the ceremonies and the manner of worshipping, and the way wherein they ought to walk, and the work that they ought to do. (Exodus 18:19-20 DR)
A similar scenario occurs in the early days of the Church after Pentecost. It will be remembered that over 3000 people converted that day, and it was customary in the earliest days for the believers to share their goods and to have distribution of food for widows and other such unfortunates. However, it wasn’t long until problems arose:
And in those days, the number of the disciples increasing, there arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews, for that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (Acts 6:1 DR)
It’s not certain how many people were involved in this dispute, but the apostles deemed it a mater sufficient to delegate to others, which is the beginning of the diaconate:
Then the twelve calling together the multitude of the disciples, said: It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (Acts 6:2-3 DR)
This principle of delegating authority is replete throughout the Scriptures, as this sampling of instances demonstrates. And while God is not bound by any limitation and need not delegate out of necessity, He does so by appointing those anointed and consecrated to speaks and act in His name.
The Psalmist draws on this idea in this passage, for having described the Church as both the inheritance of the Lord and the silvered and gilded dove of virtue, he now describes her governance. He states that the Lord appoints kings over her for the purpose of whiting them with snow, an image of purification and the remission of sins. This appointment is an anointing and a delegation of authority:
“They shall be whited with snow in Selmon;” then many people will be converted, and the darkness of their sins having been changed into the brightness of virtue, they shall be made more white than the snow on mount Selmon, the type of the Church. (St. Robert Bellarmine, A Commentary on the Book of the Psalms, 67, 14-16.)
St. Augustine makes a similar remark:
For what other reason is there to distinguish kings over Her, save for the work of the Ministry, for the edification of the Body of Christ: when she is indeed Herself the Body of Christ? But they are called kings from ruling: and what more than the lusts of the flesh, that sin may not reign in their mortal body to obey the desires thereof, that they yield not their members instruments of iniquity unto sin, but yield themselves to God, as though from the dead living, and their members instruments of righteousness to God? (St. Augustine, Exposition on the Psalms, 67, 18.)
We thus have in this passage a prefiguration of the sacraments of Holy Orders, Baptism and Penance, as the Lord appoints “kings” (that is, bishops and priests) to govern the Church (Holy Orders) in order that her members may be purified from sins (Baptism and Penance). Following His resurrection our Lord appeared to the apostles and gave them the authority to forgive sins:
Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23 DR)
And immediately prior to His ascension He gives them the commission to preach the Gospel and baptize and teach:
All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20 DR)
The stacking of these two passages together makes it clear that in the same manner that Jesus was sent from the Father, so the apostles were sent by Him, meaning that the authority He possessed was delegated to his ministers on earth, as the Psalmist foresees in the kings appointed over the Church.
For this animation I used Trapcode Mir to create this fun mountain landscape. I added some lighting and color correction for effect, but it’s pretty straightforward.
Enjoy.
When he that is in heaven appointeth kings over her, they shall be whited with snow in Selmon.
(Psalm 67:15 DR)
View a higher quality version of this gif here: