You save an afflicted people, but Your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down. Sermons
I. GOD'S OBSERVATION OF THE PROUD. "His eyes are upon the haughty." 1. He sees them; knows who they are, distinguishes them from others, overlooks none of them. 2. He sees through them, with those piercing eyes of his, that search the hearts of men However they may conceal or disguise their pride before men, they cannot before him. 3. He notices all the exercises and manifestations of their pride. Their self-complacency and self-laudation; their contempt of others, their insolence, their injustice, their oppression of the meek and humble, their self-assertion as towards him, their resistance and unsubmissiveness, etc.; all is open to his view; and he notes all for remembrance exposure, and punishment. If the proud did but realize that the eyes of the Infinite One were upon them, how ridiculous would their pride soon appear to themselves! how unbecoming and contemptible as well as impious! How would the things on which they pride themselves - their strength, intellect, knowledge, wealth, honours, mastery of men, virtues, etc., shrivel into insignificance as they looked upon them with the consciousness that God was looking on! 4. He keeps them ever in sight. So that nothing can escape his view, and they cannot elude him or do anything to the real injury of his servants. II. HIS HUMILIATION OF THEM. At the fight time and in the most effectual way. "Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased" (Luke 18:14). 1. Jehovah sometimes brings down the haughty from the position which fosters or displays their pride. He may deprive them of that on which they pride themselves - their property, mental vigour, physical strength, reputation (by permitting them to fall into some disgraceful sin, or otherwise), power over others. He may bring reverses upon them in the full career of their prosperity or enterprises; snatch from them the coveted prize just as they are about to grasp it; rescue the humble victims of their oppressions. While reducing them to a lower level, he may exalt above them some whom they have despised. In the height of their glory he may strike them suddenly down. Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman, Herod, are illustrations of the humbling which God may administer to the haughty. In every case of impenitent pride terrible humiliation comes at death and judgment. 2. He sometimes brings the proud down in their own esteem - humbles their spirit. This may be by such methods as have just been referred to; and the spirit may be humbled without being really changed. But the happiest humiliation is that which is wrought in the heart by the Word and Spirit of God, aided by such methods or apart from them. The man thus affected comes to see his true position as a creature and a sinner. He discerns and recognizes his entire dependence on God; that whatever he has he has received (1 Corinthians 4:7). He perceives and acknowledges the sin and folly of his pride, humbles himself before God on account of it, casts himself on his mercy, gladly accepts pardon and salvation as a free gift of God's grace in Christ Jesus; and thus receives a better exaltation than ever he had known or imagined before. Happy those haughty ones whom God thus brings down! Then, eschew pride; and "be clothed with humility" (1 Peter 5:5, 6). This grace may best be learned at the cross of Christ. There we see our condition of evil and peril as sinners, our entire dependence for salvation on the mercy of God and the merits of his Son, our equality in respect to sin and salvation with the meanest of those we are tempted to despise. There also we have presented to our contemplation the noblest model of humility and self-humiliation (Philippians 2:5-8). - G.W.
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful. You say that the desert is a desert, because no rain falls upon it; but this is only half the truth. No rain falls upon it because it is a desert. The heated air rushing up from its arid surface disperses the vapours that would descend in rain. Some moisture there must be on the earth, else there cannot be rain from heaven. So in your heart this forgiving disposition must be, else you cannot rejoice in the fulness of God's forgiving grace. The pardon may wait in the sky for you, but it cannot descend to you until that spirit is in you which was also in Christ Jesus.People David, SaulPlaces GathTopics Abase, Afflicted, Bring, Bringest, Causest, Deliver, Fall, Haughty, Humble, Low, Mayest, Poor, Pride, Save, Saviour, Trouble, WiltOutline 1. David's psalm of thanksgiving for God's deliverance and blessingsDictionary of Bible Themes 2 Samuel 22:28 5813 conceit 8609 prayer, as praise and thanksgiving Library David's Hymn of victory'For Thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that, rose up against me hast Thou subdued under me. 41. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42. They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but He answered them not. 43. Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. 44. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, Thou hast … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Mosaic Cosmogony. The First Commandment In the Present Crusade against the Bible and the Faith of Christian Men... A Discourse of Mercifulness The Ark among the Flags Christ's Prophetic Office Samuel Links 2 Samuel 22:28 NIV2 Samuel 22:28 NLT 2 Samuel 22:28 ESV 2 Samuel 22:28 NASB 2 Samuel 22:28 KJV 2 Samuel 22:28 Bible Apps 2 Samuel 22:28 Parallel 2 Samuel 22:28 Biblia Paralela 2 Samuel 22:28 Chinese Bible 2 Samuel 22:28 French Bible 2 Samuel 22:28 German Bible 2 Samuel 22:28 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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