DISCOURSE: 1190
GOD’S CONDESCENSION AND GRACE
Amos 5:8-9. The Lord is his name; that strengtheneth the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress.
IN our public addresses, we feel peculiar satisfaction in entering upon subjects which admit of no dispute, and on which all considerate persons are agreed. That we ought to seek after God, is universally admitted: and as that is the one duty inculcated in the passage before us, the whole scope of our present discourse will be to recommend the performance of it. In the preceding context, Jehovah, speaking to the whole house of Israel says, “Seek ye me, and ye shall live.” Immediately afterwards, the prophet himself enforces the exhortation, and adds, “Seek ye the Lord, and ye shall live; lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it..…Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion..…the Lord of Hosts is his name; that strengthened the spoiled against the strong, so that the spoiled shall come against the fortress:” that is, ‘Seek Him, who, being the Creator and Governor of all things, possesseth all power to avenge himself upon you for your neglect of him, or to give success to your feeble endeavours.’
To enforce yet further the prophet’s admonition, I will set before you,
I. The character of Jehovah, as here portrayed—
Let us notice,
1. His condescension—
[There is no person so low or so despised among men, but God will condescend to look upon him with tender compassion. Human beings can scarcely be conceived in a more degraded situation than the Hebrews in Egypt were: yet of them God says, “I have seen their affliction; I have heard their cry; I know their sorrows [Note: Exodus 3:7.].” And at a subsequent period, when they were reduced to the utmost distress by the Ammonites, we are told, “His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel [Note: Judges 10:16.].” The same compassion does he exercise towards his oppressed people in every age. So “afflicted is he in all their afflictions [Note: Isaiah 63:9.],” that “the touching of them is like touching the apple of his eye [Note: Zechariah 2:8.]; and he will interpose for them, however low they be: “he will raise up the poor out of the dust, and lift up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit a throne of glory [Note: 1 Samuel 2:8.].” Notwithstanding “he is the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,” and “humbleth himself when he beholds the things that are in heaven;” yet will he “look upon him that is poor and of a contrite spirit [Note: Genesis 17:1.],” yea, and “dwell with him too, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
But that which we are more particularly to notice, is,]
2. His power—
[As he is Almighty in himself, so is he “the strength of his people [Note: Psalms 29:11.];” even “the saving strength of his anointed [Note: Psalms 28:8.].” “He is a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall [Note: Isaiah 25:4.]:” nor does he ever interpose for his people with greater pleasure than when he sees them reduced to the lowest possible state of want and misery [Note: Deuteronomy 32:36.].
Perhaps the particular occurrence referred to by the prophet may be that of the victories granted to Joash over the triumphant and oppressive Syrians. Hazael, king of Syria had so reduced the power of Israel, that “he had left to king Jehoahaz only fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen.” To Joash, the son and successor of Jehoahaz, God promised deliverance from Syria: and if Joash had expressed that zeal in his country’s cause, and that confidence in God, which became him, his victories over Syria would have been complete. As it was, we are told that “he took out of the hand of Benhadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which Hazael had taken from Jehoahaz by war; that three times did he beat Benhadad, and recovered the cities of Israel [Note: 2 Kings 13:7; 2 Kings 13:17-19; 2 Kings 13:25.].” To this event, I say, the prophet is supposed more particularly to allude. But, in the history of Israel, such instances were without number. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt, the destruction of Jericho by the sound of rams’ horns, and of Midian by the lamps and pitchers of Gideon, clearly shew, that God can save equally by many or by few, and that those who trust in him shall never be confounded.
If, on the other hand, we suppose this exercise of God’s power to be mentioned with a view to awe the Israelites into submission, it may well be interpreted in that view. The whole nation, both of Israel and Judah, placed an undue reliance on their relation to God, and could not conceive that their enemies should ever be suffered finally to prevail against them. A remarkable instance of this occurred in the days of Zedekiah, king of Judah. The Chaldeans besieged him in Jerusalem: but, on Pharaoh’s coming from Egypt to succour him, the Chaldeans raised the siege. This departure of the Chaldean army raised the confidence of Zedekiah, that he had no just ground for fear. But Jeremiah was commanded to tell him, that the Egyptian army should soon return to their own land; that the Chaldeans should immediately resume the siege; and that, “though he had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans, so that there remained none but wounded men amongst them, yet should they, the wounded soldiers, rise up every man in his tent, and burn Jerusalem with fire [Note: Jeremiah 37:5-10.].”
This latter interpretation of the words seems countenanced by the menace which has been before mentioned; where the prophet says, “Seek ye the Lord, lest he break forth like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, and there be none to quench it in Beth-el.”]
According to this twofold view of the character of Jehovah, we must state,
II.
The ends for which it is adduced—
And,
1. As a warning to those who seek him not—
[To every creature under heaven must we declare, that “God is very greatly to be feared:” “Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord: thou art great, and thy name is great in might: who would not fear thee, O God of nations [Note: Jeremiah 10:6-7.]?” If he is “able to save, he is able also to destroy.” In whatever fortresses any be entrenched, “their refuges of lies shall be swept away, and the flood of Divine vengeanee shall overflow their hiding-place [Note: Isaiah 28:15; Isaiah 28:17.].” They may in their own conceit “make a covenant with death and hell;” but “their covenant with death shall be disannulled, and their agreement with hell shall not stand: when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, they shall be trodden down by it [Note: Isaiah 28:18.].” What is said in relation to Moab may be spoken in reference to all who cast off the fear of God; “they shall be trodden down by him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill: and he shall spread forth his hands, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim; and he shall bring down their pride, together with the spoils of their hands: and the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall he bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust [Note: The image of a swimmer advancing himself, whilst with his hands he irresistibly sweeps away the waters, beautifully illustrates God’s advancing his own glory in the destruction of all his enemies.].”
To those, then, who are living without God in the world, I would suggest this awful consideration: God is “of great power and of terrible majesty;” and when he riseth up, who then can resist him [Note: Job 31:14.]? or who can stand in his sight when he is angry [Note: Deuteronomy 4:24.]? Verily, “He is a consuming fire [Note: Psalms 76:7.].” Who then would set briers and thorns against him in battle? He would go through them, and burn them up together. “Seek ye, then, his face:” seek him as he is revealed to you in the Gospel of his Son: seek him as reconciled to you by the blood of the cross: seek him also speedily, and with your whole hearts: for I must declare to you, that “there is no escape to those who neglect his great salvation [Note: Hebrews 2:3.];” and that, “though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished [Note: Proverbs 11:21.].”]
2. As an encouragement to those who desire his favour—
[Many are ready to despond on account of their own weakness, and of the power of their enemies. But if God be our strength and our salvation, whom need we fear? “If he be for us, who, with any prospect of success, can be against us?” Hear how he chides the indulgence of a desponding thought: “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no searching of his understanding? He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint [Note: Isaiah 40:27-31.].” Let not any one then shrink back from the contest, how weak soever he himself may be, or however potent his enemies. Aided by God, “a worm shall thresh the mountains [Note: Isaiah 41:14-15.]:” and the weakest creature in the universe may say with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me [Note: Philippians 4:13.].” In truth, a sense of weakness, so far from being any ground of discouragement, is rather a ground of hope; because “God will perfect his own strength in our weakness.” We are told that God bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust.” But whom does he employ in this work? The strong and mighty? No: it is added, “The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy [Note: Isaiah 26:5-6.].” Whoever then ye be, go forward. Though seas of difficulty be before you, I say to you, as God did to Moses, “Wherefore criest thou unto me? Say unto the children of Israel, that they go forward [Note: Exodus 14:15.].” Do you doubt whether success shall attend your efforts? Look at the example of David: see his triumphs, and his acknowledgments [Note: 2 Samuel 22:2-20. This whole passage should be cited. See also ver. 30–41.] — — — and doubt not, but that if you seek God, and confide in him as David did, like him you shall be more than conquerors, through Him that loveth you.]