Psalm 89:19 Then you spoke in vision to your holy one, and said, I have laid help on one that is mighty… This declaration, besides its main theme, teaches us much concerning God's exaltations of men. As: 1. Wherefore God exalts men. It certainly is not to gratify mere selfish ambition. Those who climb up to high places from such motives are certainly not set there by God, and will soon have to climb down again. All history teaches the short-lived power of mere selfish ambition. But one motive we may regard as moving the Divine mind would be his love for the exalted one. Now, there is no greater joy that ever comes to a good man than that of being the means of great good. to others. It is a pure delight, and of intense kind. The love of God would, therefore, bestow such delight on his chosen ones. His chief motive, however, is the good of others. What would have become of Israel but for David? Saul's rule was but another name for shipwreck of the state. David saved it from such ruin. And the good of others, the people at large, is the motive of all God's exaltations; other ends may be proposed and secured, but this is assuredly the chief. The possession of power is, therefore, a tremendous responsibility, and happy are the peoples whose rulers ever remember and practically recognize this. And it is true of all power whatsoever, whether little or great. "No man liveth to himself." 2. Such exaltation generally means great suffering. He who is the supreme illustration of the truth of our text was "made perfect through suffering." And it is ever so. What a terrible discipline David went through ere he attained the throne! Moses too, and Paul, and God's heroes generally. Let us, then, remember wherefore suffering is sent to any of us - that it is for our uplifting; let us take care not to hinder this purpose. 3. How God exalts - by choosing those whom he exalts not by, but out of, the people. The people can rarely be trusted. Go over the list of mankind's greatest helpers and saviours, right up to our Saviour himself. Would the people have chosen them? They would far more likely have crucified them, as they did the greatest of them all. The vox populi is the vox Dei only when it endorses the previous choice of God. For men have seen that God has chosen for them, and they willingly accept his choice. But the main theme of our text concerns: 4. Whom God chooses - from "out of the people." Now, consider in this statement - I. ITS TRUTH. See this: 1. In the history of David. (Psalm 78:70, 71.) 2. In well nigh all deliverers of the people, from Moses downwards, from Gideon to Garibaldi - they have been ever "chosen out of the people." 3. In Christ our Lord. He was indeed thus chosen. His royal descent from David availed him not, for the glory of that race had utterly disappeared. Hence he was altogether of the people - by birth; associates; social rank; habits; education; by his teaching, which was not at all "as the scribes," but understood and welcomed by "the common people;" by his life of poverty; by his death; all the way along, from "the bare manger to the bitter cross," he was one of the people. It was a slave's death that he died. "He was rich, yet for our sakes," etc. II. THE REASONS OF THIS CHOICE. 1. "The people" were the mass of mankind, who needed to be saved. 2. One from themselves would better understand them. 3. More readily sympathize. 4. God is wont to choose the foolish things of this world (1 Corinthians 1:27). 5. Christ's sharing the people's lot assured them of the love of God, and so led them to turn to him, which is salvation. They learned so that "God is love." III. ITS LESSONS. They are such as these: 1. The approachableness of God. Christ has shown us that he keeps no state to frighten us from his presence. Everybody came to him, and may come to God. 2. The indispensable condition of rendering real help. (See Mark 10:43-45.) We must go down among those whom we would bless. 3. How little worth are the great things of the world! Power, wealth, rank - God chose none of them. 4. Christ knows all about me; for he, too, was one of the people. I need not keep away. 5. Adore him. Does he not deserve it? O thou ever-blessed Lord! 6. Help in the exaltation. For his throne, the throne of his exaltation and which he delights in, is made of human hearts. Enthrone him, then, in your heart. "Take my heart, it is thine own; It shall be thy royal throne." S.C. Parallel Verses KJV: Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. |
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