Morning Help
“God shall help... right early” (“when the morning appeareth,” Margin). — PsA.xlvi. 5.
APHIS Psalm dates from later days than those of David’s, though it has much of his heroic courage and splendid diction. It belongs to the days of Hezekiah, and may even have been composed by that splendid inspired genius, Isaiah, whose hymns and odes were almost as priceless a heritage to his people as his great evangelic prophecies have been to the church.
// was a dark time indeed. — The holy city was without an ally; destitute of the fortifications and equipment which were the boast of the mightier cites of the great world; notably deficient in the possession of a river, which should engirdle it with its bioad streams, intercepting the invader, or providing a never-ending supply of water for the imprisoned citizens; and ever nearer drew the terrible Assyrian, who boasted that “he had gathered the riches of all the earth, and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.” Then the inspired uttered those clarion notes which told that God was their refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble; and declared. that those who dwelt beneath His protection must not fear. “God will help.”
He will help because He is bound by His covenant, — He has entered into covenant with our Surety, Jesus, that He will succor to the uttermost ioo “jflbornfnd 1belp*’’
of omnipotence every soul of man who becomes one with Him by a living faith. Inasmuch as the Father does to one of the least of His, He does it to His Son. And if God were to fail to help one of those who belong to Christ, though he were the weakest or meanest of His members, the failure would be to the Son Himself. But this, of course is unthinkable; and so by the very ties of the Divine love and unity, God is bound to help all that claim His succor in the name of Jesus.
He will help, because He is bound by considerations of his oivu honor. — What mirth it would make in the place prepared for the devil and his angels, if it were known that the Almighty could not, help one of those who fled to him for deliverance! David bitterly complained once that there was danger of his foes saying, ‘feat not” ioi
“There is no help for him in God;” and used this as an argument why God should make no tarrying. And if the servant cares so much for the honor of the King, surely there are state reasons why it should not be tarnished by even an appearance of neglect. That was a true answer of a dying saint, when one suggested that perhaps, after all, God might desert her, and she replied, “He can if He will; but in that case He will lose more than I shall. For His own name’s sake He is bound to help.”
He will help because He is bound by his own promise — How often does the page of scripture testify to His willingness to help, as it glistens with His promises: “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will help thee!” “Fear not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee: yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” If only we are reconciled to God, and are living in His purpose, to do His will; then, though we are confronted with unlooked-for opposition, with mountains of obstruction whilst in the prosecution of His plans, we may unhesitatingly count on Divine help, and reckon on God’s faithfulness. We need not look to the hills for help; but beyond them, to the God of Jacob. “Our help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.”
Is there a soul to whom these words may come who does not need help? The body is weakened by disease — you need help to be patient; the nerves are so weary and so overstrung — you need help to be gentle; the heart is so u%ovb, 10elp me,” 103
sick with waiting for one who does not come — and you need help just to exist from moment to moment; the anxieties of providing for the innocent nestlings who so implicitly trust you are so urgent, that you need help not to take advantage of some unholy suggestion constantly pressed on you; help for resisting temptation, for bearing faithful witness to the truth, for being always sweet and strong and good, for prosecuting the path which dips down into the valley of shadow, for laying the darling Isaac on the altar, for taking up the cross and following the Crucified. We all need help like this — “Grace to help in time of need.” But we cannot be disappointed of obtaining it: “God shall help.” The very straitness of circumstances hedging thee round like the gathering hosts of Senacherib around Jerusalem; the absolute failure of all human succor; the mysterious silence of God — all io4 “/looming 1foelp*M
these things have been contrived to lead thee to give Him His right place, and to take up thine own; and then to utter the one intense cry, which carries the promise of the answer at its heart, “Lord, help me!” And He will ride on the heavens to thy help, and draw thee out of the deep waters by His outstretched arm: “God shall help thee.”
The hour when God zvill help — “And that right early.” This fixes the period of the advent of help. The margin renders it, “When the morning appeareth.” There was doubtless a prophetic reference in these words to the fact that the destruction of the beleaguering hosts would take place as night began to yield to the silvery touch of dawn. “When they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.”
But there is surely something further, which touches the life of God’s people in all ages. The help seems to tarry. The day wears away, and yet the Divine deliverance comes not. The last night has come; to-morrow will witness the final assault of the foe and the destruction of the last fabric of hope. The weary hours pass sadly; and, lo, it is the fourth watch, that in which the grey dawn of the dreaded hour steals up into the sky. Is there no use in prayer? Has God forgotten to be giacious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Is His mercy clean gone forever? No; at that very moment the Divine helper is come.
The delay has been long enough to test faith and hope; but not too long to make interposition useless. See! the legions of ministering spirits speed from their long lines of waiting expectancy, and fill the air with shouts of deliverance. God Himself rides upon a cherub, and draws nigh to rescue the beloved and much-tired soul. The enemy gives back. The prey is torn from the jaws of the mighty. Another illustration is given of olden words: “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky;” “God shall help, and that right early.”
Let it, however, not be forgotten that, as Israel could not detect the Divine protection that engirdled them so it may not be always possible to realize or feel that the Divine help has come. But this should not surprise us; it is God’s way to test our faith in Himself. If we have once claimed His all-sufficient succor, we must believe that we have the petitions we have made, and that the help of God has come into our lives. Claim it, and go on living in the faith that you have it; and you will find that it has verily come, though its footfall has awoke no echo, and its soft wings have startled no wave of vibrating response on the still air.