35. You know the words, Hear, O Israel,
the Lord thy God is One; would that you knew them aright! As
you interpret them, I seek in vain for their sense. It is said in
the Psalms, God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee Ps. xlv. 7
(xliv. 8).. Impress upon the reader’s
mind the distinction between the Anointer and the Anointed;
discriminate between the Thee and the Thy: make it
clear to Whom and of Whom the words are spoken. For this definite
confession is the conclusion of the preceding passage, which runs thus;
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the sceptre of Thy kingdom
is a right sceptre. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated
iniquity. And then he continues, Therefore God, Thy God,
hath anointed Thee. Thus the God of the eternal kingdom, in
reward for His love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity, is
anointed by His God. Surely some broad difference is drawn, some
gap too wide for our mental span, between these names? No; the
distinction of Persons is indicated by Thee and Thy, but
nothing suggests a difference of nature. Thy points to the
Author, Thee to Him Who is the Author’s offspring.
For He is God from God, as these same words of the prophet declare,
God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee. And His own words bear
witness that there is no God anterior to God the Un-originate; Be ye
My witnesses, and I am witness, saith the Lord God, and My Servant Whom
I have chosen, that ye may know and believe and understand that I am,
and before Me there is no other God, nor shall be after Me Is. xliii. 10.. Thus the majesty of Him that has
no beginning is declared, and the glory of Him that is from the
Unoriginate is safeguarded; for God, Thy God, hath anointed
Thee. That word Thy declares His birth, yet does not
contradict His nature His human nature
also; cf. next §, and Book xi. § 18.; Thy God
means that the Son was born from Him to share the Godhead. But
the fact that the Father is God is no obstacle to the Son’s being
God also, for God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee. Mention is
made both of Father and of Son; the one title of God conveys the
assurance that in character and majesty They are One.