#246 Never, No Never, No Never

Here is a divine word, directly from God’s own mouth: “For himself has said.” (See Revised Version.)

Here is a promise which has been frequently made “He has said”: This promise occurs again and again.

Here are some of the fat things full of marrow. The sentence is as full of meaning as it is free from verbiage.

Here is the essence of meat, the quintessence of medicine.

May the Holy Spirit show us the treasure hid in this matchless sentence!

I. VIEW THE WORDS AS A QUOTATION.

The Holy Spirit led Paul to quote from the Scriptures, though he could have spoken fresh words.

Thus he put honor on the Old Testament.

Thus he taught that words spoken to ancient saints belong to us.

Our apostle quotes the sense, not the exact words, and thus he teaches us that the spirit of a text is the main thing.

We find the words which Paul has quoted—

In Genesis 28:15, “I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken to you of.” Spoken to Jacob when quitting home, and thus to young saints setting out in life.

In Deuteronomy 31:8, “He will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you.” To Joshua, and so to those who have lost a leader, and are about to take the lead themselves, and to enter upon great wars and fightings, in which courage will be tried.

In 1 Chronicles 28:20, “He will not fail you, nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work.” To Solomon, and thus to those who have a weighty charge upon them, requiring much wisdom. We build a spiritual temple.

In Isaiah 41:10, ‘Fear you not; for I am with you.” To Israel, and so to the Lord’s tried and afflicted people.

II. VIEW THEM AS A HOUSEHOLD WORD FROM GOD.

They are peculiarly a saying of God: “He has said.” This has been said, not so much by inspiration as by God himself.
They are remarkably forcible from having five negatives in them in the Greek.
They relate to God himself and his people. “I” … “you.”
They ensure his presence and his help. He would not be with us, and be inactive.
They guarantee the greatest good. God with us means all good.
They avert a dreadful evil which we deserve and might justly fear; namely, to be deserted of God.
They are such as he only could utter and make true. Nobody else can be with us effectually in agony, in death, in judgment.
They provide for all troubles, losses, desertions, weaknesses, difficulties, places, seasons, dangers, etc., in time and eternity.
They are substantiated by the divine love, immutability, and faithfulness.
They are further confirmed by our observation of the divine proceeding to others and to ourselves.

III. VIEW THEM AS A MOTIVE FOR CONTENTMENT. “Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have.”

These most gracious words—

Lead us to live above visible things when we have stores in hand.

Lead us to present satisfaction however low our stores may be.

Lead us to see provision for all future emergencies.

Lead us into a security more satisfactory, sure, ennobling, and divine, than all the wealth of the Indies could bestow.

Lead us to reckon discontent a kind of blasphemy of God.

Since God is always with us, what can we want besides?

IV. VIEW THEM AS A REASON FOR COURAGE. “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Our Helper is greater than our foes. “Jehovah is my helper.”
Our foes are entirely in his hand. “I will not fear what man shall do.”
If permitted to afflict us, God will sustain us under their malice.
- What a blessed deliverance from fretting and from fearing have we in these few words!

Let us not be slow to follow the line of things which the Spirit evidently points out to us.

Notes On "Nots"

Lord, the apostle dissuades the Hebrews from covetousness with this argument, because God said, “I will not leave you, nor forsake you.” Yet I find not that God ever gave this promise to all the Jews; but he spoke it only to Joshua, when first made commander against the Canaanites: yet this (without violence to the analogy of faith) the apostle applies to all good men in general. Is it so, that we are heirs apparent to all promises made to your servants in Scripture? Are the charters of grace granted to them good to me also? Then will I say with Jacob, “I have enough.” But because I cannot entitle myself to your promises to them except I imitate their piety to you, grant I may take as much care in following the one as comfort in the other.—Thomas Fuller.

Our friend, Dr. William Graham, of Bonn, has lately departed this life, and we are told that on his death bed one said to him, “He has said, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you,’ ” to which the good man replied, with his dying breath, “Not a doubt of it! Not a doubt of it!”—C. H. S., in the Sword and the Trowel, 1884.

It is right to be contented with what we have, never with what we are.—Mackintosh.

I have read, says Brooks, of a company of poor Christians who were banished into some remote part; and one standing by, seeing them pass along, said that it was a very sad condition these poor people were in, to be thus hurried from the society of men, and made companions with the beasts of the field. “True,” said another, “it were a sad condition indeed if they were carried to a place where they should not find their God. But let them be of good cheer, God goes along with them, and will exhibit the comforts of his presence wherever they go.”

A heathen sage said to one of his friends, “Do not complain of your misfortunes, as long as Caesar is your friend!” What shall we say to those whom the Prince of the kings of the earth calls his sons and his brethren? “I will never leave you, nor forsake you!” Ought not these words to cast all fear and care forever to the ground? He who possesses him, to whom all things belong, possesses all things.

F. W. Krummacher.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose

I will not, I will not desert to his foes; That soul though all Hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

—George Keith.