Micah 2:7 O you that are named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings?… 1. Amongst the numerous instances in which Christians conduct themselves as if they imagined that the Spirit of the Lord is straitened, notice the following. (1) Their conduct is of this description, when they expect little or no benefit from the Word of God and the ordinances of His worship. (2) When they shrink from the discharge of necessary duty. (3) When they are unduly afraid of their enemies. (4) When they sink under the pressure of adversity. (5) When they limit the operations of the Spirit to particular periods of time, or to any particular denomination of professed Christians. 2. The unreasonableness of such conduct. It is at once sinful and selfish, unreasonable and absurd. Consider — (1) That the Spirit of Jehovah is a Spirit of unbounded intelligence and power. Dependent and limited creatures may soon become straitened. (2) He is a Spirit of infinite goodness and love. (3) He is a Spirit sent forth by the Father and the Son. (4) The Scriptures contain rich promises of the continued agency of the Holy Spirit. (5) The gracious and mighty works which have already been effected by the Spirit of Jehovah. Let us all be impressed with a sense of the necessity and importance of the Spirit's agency. It deeply concerns us to inquire whether or not it is our privilege to have the Spirit dwelling and operating in us. (D. Fraser, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? are these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly? |
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