Psalm 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings have you ordained strength because of your enemies… This Psalm sings of the grandeur of God as seen in creation. Our subject is His power displayed in human weakness. I. THERE IS A CONFLICT. Our text speaks of enemies. We know who they are — the seed of the serpent. We know how it began, and it goes on, on the enemy's part, in the same fashion. God uses weapons, mainly, of a moral and spiritual sort. He has used, and He can and will, when needful, use others. II. IN THIS CONFLICT THE WEAPONS ARE VERY SINGULAR. "Out of the mouth of babes," etc. Bring hither that sweet babe. See that little mouth — it challenges a kiss: and note with joy that God may use that little mouth as His conquering weapon against the devil. I have seen many an ancient cannon upon which were moulded in bronze the words, "The last argument of kings." Yes, but the gracious arguments of the King of kings are sent home by a human mouth, and that of a little child. How Satan must be angered that his craft is not met by craft. Already the testimony of feeble men has been used as the great power of God. How are these weapons used? These strangely soft, yet sharp, feeble, yet mighty weapons — how are they used? 1. They smite by prayer. Children pray and they are heard. 2. By praise, which louvers the pride of His adversaries, while they cry "Hosannah!" and sing the praise of Jesus' name. 3. And by testimony. We never know what one child's mouth can do. Christ is the Word, but these mouths supply the voices by which it is sounded forth. The Hebrew reads, "hast Thou founded strength," as if the very foundation of the Church's strength lay in the mouths that God moves to speak. III. THE WARRIORS IN THIS WARFARE ARE VERY SPECIAL. "Babes and sucklings" (Matthew 11:25; 1 Corinthians 1:1). Such are those who proclaim Christ in the world. Our Lord would get little honour from our race if all children's voices were hushed, and all childlike spirits with them. Scribes and Pharisees never cry "Hosannah!" they are so busy binding on their phylacteries, washing their hands, and devouring widows' houses. The first to cry "Hosannah!" are the children, and the next are those who are like them. Some say, "To shout and sing is children's work"; so it is, and it is ours because we are children too. Now, note IV. That THE QUALIFICATION OF THESE WARRIORS LIES IN THEIR WEAK SIDE. If it lay on the strong side, we should react, "Out of the mouth of men of middle age, in the prime of life; of wise old men, who have had long experience, God ordaineth strength." But no, it is "Out of the mouths of babes," etc. Thus the Lord puts the adversary to a perpetual reproach. He puts a child against His giant foe, and overcomes him. Our power to serve God lies on our weak side. He uses not our greatness, but our littleness. You know what the learned men say is the weak part of some of us — they put it something like this: "We regret the preacher's total inability to keep abreast of the times; his incapacity for modern thought; and his want of affection for the higher culture." That is our weakness. Yes, and our strength, and therefore we glory in it. "I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." If all God's servants will come to this, they will do far more good than by the so-called "culture," which is nothing but the science of growing more weeds than usual I have desired to be a little child again, and wished that I had never heard of the existence of a quibbler. We hear now-a-days much of "great thinkers"; we prefer to be great believers. When the Church gets back to her simple faith in Jesus, she shall be qualified for victory. She shall vanquish the world. When she has thrown aside the wooden sword of carnal reason and has taken up the true Jerusalem blade of faith in God. Then because of all this, let me plead — V. FOR A LOVING REVERENCE FOR CHILDHOOD. It seems to me that in the Lord's battle there is always a babe in the forefront. The child found in the ark of bulrushes crushes the power of Pharaoh; the boy David, Goliath; and the still loftier story of the battle of the Lamb opens in like manner, "Unto us a Child is born," etc. Never doubt the possibility of children's conversions. Never despise them. Do not say, "Oh, they are only a parcel of boys and girls!" What if they are? May they not be a better parcel than some of you? If we could get the simple trustfulness of childhood back again, it would be a great gain. Let us not undervalue the praises or the service of children. That is a sweet vein. "And Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child. In the victory of the Church it is written, A little child shall lead them." This city of ours is better evangelised by our Sunday schools than by all the rest of us put together. Little Mary and Tommy come back from school, and they find that father is hardly dressed; he has not been to a place of worship, but reading the Sunday paper; he don't want any of your singing and preaching. But the children begin to sing, and when dinner is over, they talk about What teacher said, and perhaps say something about the sermon. And so the father gets more singing and preaching than he bargained for. When they go to bed, they clasp their little hands and pray for their father, and he is obliged to hear them. Thus he gets praying as well as singing. The children are missionaries. They enter where others cannot. Tommy and Mary can't be shut out. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. |
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