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GOD A HABITATION FOR HIS PEOPLE
NO one can enter into the spirit of David’s psalms, unless he himself have been sorely persecuted and severely tried. A very great number of the Psalms were written under circumstances of deep affliction; and record either the prayers of David for protection from his enemies, or his thanksgivings for deliverance from them. This psalm was written when David, far advanced in life, was driven from his throne by his son Absalom, and was in the most imminent dan ger of falling by the hands of his blood-thirsty pursuers. But as in early life, when menaced by Saul, he had besought the Lord, saying, “Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me [Note: Psa_31:1-2.];” so now, in nearly the same terms, he repeats the cry: “In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear to me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort [Note: ver. 1–3.].” Now though, through the goodness of God, we are not brought into such imminent perils as David, yet have we occasion to adopt his language, and to seek in God that protection which no created power can afford.
Let us, in discoursing on his words, consider,
1. The sentiment propounded—
Accustomed as we are to hear the language of the Psalms, we pass by, without any particular notice, expressions which, if duly considered, will appear truly wonderful. How extraordinary is the idea, for instance, of making Jehovah, the Creator of heaven and earth, “our habitation!” Contemplate, I pray you,
1. The condescension of God in suffering himself to be so addressed—
[Consider, for a moment, what a habitation is. Whether it be greater or less in point of magnificence or strength, if it be ours, we have access to it as our own; we gain a ready admission to it at all seasons; we expect to find in it all the accommodations which our necessities require: we regard every chamber of it as destined for our use; we shut the door against every unwelcome intruder; and whatever storms may rage without, we lie down to rest in it, in perfect peace and safety. If we superadd the idea of a fortress, we deride the vain attempts of our enemies, and defy all the power that can be brought against us. Now, think of God as revealing himself to us under such an image; and permitting every sinner in the universe, who will but enter in by Christ as the door, to take to himself this mansion as his own. Truly, if God himself had not authorised such a representation of his character, we should have been ready to denounce it as blasphemy. That the Most High God should give even to the vilest of the human race such intimate access unto himself, seems to be perfectly incredible. Even an earthly monarch could not endure such humiliation as this: and yet the God of heaven and earth feels it to be not unworthy of him. Truly, I say again, this condescension far exceeds all that could ever have entered into the mind of man to conceive, if the voice of inspiration itself had not announced it to us. And this is the very view in which David himself speaks of it in another psalm: “Blessed be the Lord, my strength, my goodness, and my fortress; my high tower and deliverer; my shield, and He in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him; or the son of man, that thou makest account of him [Note: Psa_144:1-3.]?”]
2. The comfort which man derives from this view of the Deity—
[Every one, the meanest as well as the greatest of men, knows what is comprehended in the idea of a “habitation.” It requires no stretch of thought to grasp it: the image is familiar to every mind; and presents itself in all its bearings to every one that has felt the blessings of civilized society. But if we suppose a person to be under the pressure of heavy affliction, whether from the persecutions of men or the assaults of devils, what a comfort must it be to him to contemplate the wisdom, the power, the goodness, the mercy, the love, the faithfulness of Almighty God; and to hear him saying, “Come, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the doors about thee, and hide thyself for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast [Note: Isa_26:20.]!” how joyfully will he “hide himself in the secret of this tabernacle;” and, like the manslayer that has got within the city of his refuge, lift up his soul in adoring gratitude to God, and look with exultation on his disappointed foe!
The more we contemplate the sentiment that is here propounded, the more we shall see occasion to admire the condescension of our God, and to congratulate man upon the high privilege which is thus accorded to him.]
But it is not as an abstract sentiment that this truth is declared: it is embodied in a petition that is presented to God himself: and therefore, to view it aright, we must contemplate,
II. The petition urged—
That it is such a petition as every one will do well to offer, will appear, if we mark,
1. The wisdom of it—
[Every man has enemies to encounter; nor can any one encounter them in his own strength. But we have a vantage ground to which we may repair, a fortress that is absolutely impregnable. In our God we have not only a wall, but “a wall of fire;” which, whilst it protects his people, will devour their assailants. With such a habitation open to us, would it not be madness to neglect it? Should we not rather “resort to it continually,” yea, and abide in it, that we may enjoy the safety which is thus provided for us? If, indeed, there were any other means of safety, an option would be left us: but not all the powers of heaven and earth can save us, if we turn our back on God, to rely upon an arm of flesh. God has said, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm: but blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is [Note: Jer_17:5-8.].” To every one, therefore, I would say, Flee to your mountain, that the flames overtake you not; and “look not back in all the plain, lest ye be consumed [Note: Gen_19:17.].”]
2. The piety of it—
[David renounced every other hope but that which he had in God. Nor, indeed, did he wish for any other; because he saw that God was all-sufficient for him. He saw in God a sufficiency of grace to receive him, of power to protect him, of love to supply his every need; and hence it was that he was emboldened to offer the petition which we are now contemplating. In truth, without such news of God, no one would over think of addressing him in such terms as these. There must be a just knowledge of God’s character, with suitable affections towards him, else we could never entertain such a desire as is here expressed: it is this apprehension of his excellency that could alone inspire a wish to make him, even his very bosom, our continual resort. But all who have those views of him will unite in that grateful acknowledgment, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations [Note: Psa_90:1.].”]
Address—
1. Those who have never yet had these views of God—
[Truly, you are greatly to be pitied. For who amongst you can hope to escape all trouble, when it is said that “we are born to trouble as the sparks fly upward?” And whither will you go, when enemies assail you? where will you flee for refuge? or in whom will you find the aid which you will stand in need of? Alas! your state, whatever it may now be, will be terrible beyond expression. You will resemble the host of Pharaoh, who found at last that the God with whom they had presumed to contend was mightier than they. On the other hand, “acquaint yourselves with God, and you shall be at peace,” both now and in the eternal world.]
2. Those who have resorted to him under this character—
[Hear what the Psalmist says concerning you: “Because thou hast made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no evil befall thee [Note: Psa_91:9-10.].” Truly, “his name is a strong tower, to which you may run at all times, and be safe [Note: Pro_18:10.]:” and whatever your circumstances may be, “he will be to you as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land [Note: Isa_32:2.].” Enjoy, then, the exalted privilege which is here vouchsafed unto you. And let there not be a day, or an hour, wherein you do not resort to God under this endearing character, dwelling in him, abiding in him, and finding in him all that your necessities can require.]