Ver. 9.-God affeicted in the affeictions of his people. It is questioned by some whether God can really feel pain. Doubtless, the inner essence of the Divine nature is so far removed from us, a.nd so inscrutable by us, that answers must be given with extreme hesitation to any questions which touch that inner essence. And in using words of God, which derive their whole meaning from our consciousness of feelings which we experience in ourselves, we must beware of supposing that the terms which we employ a.re used uni vocally of God a.nd of men. They are, at best, used analogously. Still, as Delitzsch says," the question whether God can feel pain seems to be answered by the Scriptures in the affirmative." Pity, and compassion, e.nd indignation, a.nd auger are ascribed to God in Scripture, a.nd all of them are pains. God's "soul" is said to have been "grieved for the misery of Israel" (Judg. x. 16). There is nothing derogatory to the Divine greatness in the mere fact of God feeling pain; and certainly the fact is of a uature to raise our conception of the Divine goodness, God seems to be afflicted in the afflictions of his people-- L wREN THEY SUFFER AT THE RANDS OF WICKED MEN. It was the cruel oppres- sion of the Israelites in Egypt which first called forth the compassion and sympathy of God for his people, and caused him to draw near to them, and to enter into a closer relationship. "The children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage; and God heard their groan- ing" (Exod. ii 23, 24). "And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people . . . a.nd have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their 5orrows" (Exod. iii. 7). It was, again, the" sore distress" which Israel suffered at the hands of the children of Ammon that caused " the Lord's soul to be grieved" in the days of the J udO'es, and induced him to raise up Jephthah as a deliverer (J udg. x. 9, 16; :xi. 1). The opp~ession of Babylon wrought similarly, and by s~irring God's indignation and compassion induced him to save his people and execute Judgment upon Babylon by means of Cyrus (eh. xlii. 22-25, etc.). II. WHEN THEY suFFEB AT THE HANDS OF GoD HIMSELF. God" has no pleasure in the death of him that dieth." When he is forced to punish, it is with reluctance and regret that he punishes. Witness his long pleadings with his people before he coDBents to let judgment go forth against them, his long forbearance, his long endurance of their perversity. "All the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed a.t Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on. his people, and on his dwelling-place; but they mocked the messengers of God, and ?esp1s~d his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose agamst his people, until there was no remedy" (2 Chron. x.xxvi. 14-16). As the "fathers of our fleah, which correct us " (Heb. xii. 9), grieve to do ao, su1fering often more than thoee ou, Lxm, 1-19.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 4.47
they chasten suffer, so the heavenly Father is himself afflicted as be afflicts; bis "heart is turned within him, his repe:itings are kindled together" (Hos. xi. 8). Vers.15-19.-The rig!,t of God's people to address him with complaint and expostu- lation. No doubt the ordinary attitude of God's people towards their Maker and Huler should ho one of the most profound resignation and submission to his will. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. xviii. 25). Yet on occasions it is allowed them to '' speak with him as a man speaketh with his friend" (Exod. xxxiii. 11), to plead, expostulate, complain; even, in a certain sense, to reproach. Job pleaded with God at great length, and God was not angered, but" accepted" him (Job xiii. 9), and testified in his favour that he had" spoken right" (Job xiii. 8). In the Psalms David pleads, complains, expostulates. "Why standest thou afar off, 0 Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?" (Ps. x. 1). "How long wilt thou forget me, 0 Lord"? For ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?" (Ps. xiii. 1, 2). "Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions . . . . Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me . . . . For they speak not peace: but they devise deceitful matters. . .. This thou hast seen, 0 Lord : keep not silence : 0 Lord, be not far from me. Stir up thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord" (Ps. xxxv. 17-23). "Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way ; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all· the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, 0 Lord ? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? . . . Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake" (Ps. xliv.18-26). Such expostulations as these do not anger God, but, on the contrary, are pleasing and acceptable. They show earnestness, confidence, faith, a trust in his goodness, a. conviction that he will surely show himself on the side of truth and righteousness. They are within the limits of the " liberty wherewith Christ has made us free" (Gal. v. 1). Caution, however, must be used, lest liberty degenerate into licence-lest complaint and expostulation pass into" murmuring." After all, God best knows what is best for us, and will assuredly do what is best for us. \Ve are safe in his hands. In his own good time he will give us all that we need. Let us not be impatient, or imagine ourselves wiser than he. If he delays to give us that which we desire, we may be sure tha.t there is a reason for the delay. In quietness and confidence should be our strength.