Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps12.5

Text File | 1993-03-21 | 7KB | 130 lines

                           EXPOSITION.

        In due season the Lord will hear his elect ones, who cry
day and night unto him, and though he bear long with their
oppressors, yet will he avenge them speedily. Observe that the
mere oppression of saints, however silently they bear it, is in
itself a cry to God: Moses was heard at the Red Sea, though he
said nothing; and Hagar's affliction was heard despite her
silence. Jesus feels with his people, and their smarts are mighty
orators with him. By-and-by, however, _they_ begin to sigh and
express their misery, and then relief comes post-haste. Nothing
moves a father like the cries of his children ; he bestirs
himself, wakes up his manhood, overthrows the enemy, and sets his
beloved in safety. A _puff_ is too much for the child to bear,
and the foe is so haughty, that he laughs the little one to
scorn; but the Father comes, and then it is the child's turn to
laugh, when he is set above the rage of his tormentor. What
virtue is there in a poor man's sighs, that they should move the
Almighty God to arise from his throne. The needy did not dare to
speak, and could only sigh in secret, but the Lord heard, and
could rest no longer, but girded on his sword for the battle. It
is a fair day when our soul brings God into her quarrel, for when
his bare arm is seen, Philistia shall rue the day. The darkest
hours of the Church's night are those which precede the break of
day. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. Jesus will come to
deliver just when his needy ones shall sigh, as if all hope had
gone for ever. O Lord, set thy _now_ near at hand, and rise up
speedily to our help. Should the afflicted reader be able to lay
hold upon the promise of this verse, let him gratefully fetch a
fullness of comfort from it. Gurnal says, "As one may draw out the
wine of a whole hogshead at one tap, so may a poor soul derive
the comfort of the whole covenant to himself through one promise,
if he be able to apply it." He who promises to set us in safety,
means thereby preservation on earth, and eternal salvation in
heaven.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 5.--"_For the oppression of the poor_," etc. When
oppressors and persecutors do snuff and puff at the people of
God, when they defy them, and scorn them, and think that they can
with a blast of their breath blow them away, then God will arise
to judgment, as the Chaldee has it; at that very nick of time
when all seems to be lost, and when the poor, oppressed, and
afflicted people of God can do nothing but sigh and weep, and
weep and sigh, then the Lord will arise and ease them of their
oppressions, and make their day of extremity a glorious
opportunity to work for his own glory and his people's good. #Mt
22:6,7|. "And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them
spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he
was wroth: and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city."--^Thomas Brooks.

        Verse 5.--Fear ye, whosoever ye be, that do wrong the
poor; you have power and wealth, and the favour of the judges,
but they have the strongest weapons of all, sighings and
groanings, which fetch help from heaven for them. These weapons
dig down houses, throw up foundations, overthrow whole
nations.--^Chrysostom.

        Verse 5.--"_For the sighing of the needy, now will I
arise, saith the Lord_." God is pleased to take notice of _every
grace_, even the least and lowest, and every gracious inclination
in any of his servants. _To fear his name_ is no great matter,
yet these have a promise. _To think on his name_ less, yet set
down in a "book of remembrance." God sets down how many good
thoughts a poor soul hath had. As evil thoughts in wicked men are
taken notice of--they are the first fruits of the evil heart (#Mt
15:19|)--so good thoughts are they which lie uppermost, and best
discover a good heart. A _desire_ is a small matter, especially
of the poor man, yet God regards the desire of the poor, and
calls a good desire the greatest kindness; "The desire of a man
is his kindness." A _tear_ makes no great noise, yet hath a
voice, "God hath heard the voice of my weeping." It is no
pleasant water, yet God bottles it up. A _groan_ is a poor thing,
yet is the best part of a prayer sometimes (#Ro 8:26|); a _sigh_
is less, yet _God is awakened and raised up by it_. #Ps 12:5|. A
_look_ is less than all these, yet this is regarded (#Jon 2:4|);
_breathing_ is less, yet (#La 3:56|), the church could speak of
no more; _panting_ is less than breathing, when one is spent for
lack of breath, yet this is all the godly can sometimes boast of.
#Ps 42:1|. The description of a godly man is ofttimes made from
his least _quod sic_. Blessed are the _poor_, the _meek_, they
that _mourn_, and they who _hunger_ and _thirst_. Never did
Hannah pray better than when she could get out never a word, but
cried, "Hard, hard heart." Nor did the publican, than when he
smote his breast and cried, "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner."
Nor Mary Magdalene, than when she came behind Christ, sat down,
wept, but kept silence. How sweet is music upon the _waters_! How
fruitful are the lowest valleys! Mourning hearts are most
musical, lowest most fruitful. The good shepherd ever takes most
care of his weak lambs and feeble sheep. The father makes most of
the least, and the mother looks most after the sick child. How
comfortable is that of our-Saviour, "It is not the will of your
Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should
perish!" And that heaven is not to be entered but by such as are
like the little child.--^John Sheffield, 1654.

        Verse 5.--"_The oppression of the poor_." Insolent and
cruel oppressing of the poor is a sin that brings desolating and
destroying judgments upon a people. God sent ten wasting
judgments one after another upon Pharaoh, his people, and land,
to revenge the cruel oppression of his poor people. "Rob not the
poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the
gate: for the Lord will plead their cause." #Pr 22:22,23|. To rob
and oppress the rich is a great sin; but to rob and oppress the
poor is a greater; but to rob and oppress the poor because he is
poor, and wants money to buy justice, is the top of all
inhumanity and impiety. To oppress any one is sin; but to oppress
the oppressed is the height of sin. Poverty, and want, and
misery, should be motives to pity; but oppressors make them the
whetstones of their cruelty and severity, and therefore the Lord
will plead the cause of his poor oppressed people against their
oppressors without fee or fear; yea, he will plead their cause
with pestilence, blood, and fire. Gog was a great oppressor of
the poor (#Eze 38:8-14|), and God pleads against him with
pestilence, blood, and fire (verse #Eze 38:22|); "and I will
plead against him, with pestilence and with blood; and I will
rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that
are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and
brimstone."--^Thomas Brooks.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 5.--The Lord aroused--How! Why! What to do! When!

        Last clause.--Peculiar danger of believers from those who
despise them and their special safety. Good practical topic.