The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 117

the psalmist, "All men are liars." If we cannot repose confidence in others, can wa trust in ourselves? Our consciousness of sin and utter failure forbids this (vers. 8, 9,; Jer. xvii. 9). Thus we are utterly shut up to God. A military man, suffering from some obscure disease of the mind, was in the habit of promenading in a certain track on the ramparts, after sunset. ·when he walked eastward, and had nothing but the dark sky to look on, extreme dejection oppressed his clouded mind. But no sooner did he turn towards the west, where_his ~yes_ caught the brightness left by the sun that had set, than hope and peace revived m his heart. There are times when, if we look anywhere but towards God, our Sun, we may feel ready to despond or despair. Then we know what it is to be shut up to God. "But as for me, I will look unto the Lord." That look implies hope: "I will wait;" and faith: "My God will hear me." When we thus look, wait, trust, our thoughts may express themselves in thefollowiag thoughts about God, and our " meditation of him shall be sweet." I. How MUCH WE HAVE IN Gon. 1. His name, Jehovah, describes his nature. He is the eternal, unchangeable, faithful, covenant-keeping God. He reveal~d himself by that new name when he came as the Redeemer of his distressed people. And thil'I Jehovah is "my God." Martin Luther remarks, "There is a great deal of divinity in the pronouns." The theology taught in the term "my God" is worth more than all the lectures ever given on "the attributes." 2. The figures employed for God remind us of the treasure we have in him. Look, for example, at a single group of figures in the sixty-second psalm. There God is described as "my Rock," on which I can safely rest and securely build; as "my high Tower" (Hevised Version); "my strong Habitation., whereunto I may continually resort" (Ps. lxxi. 3):; and therefore as" my Refuge," where I may be safe from the sword of the avenger of blood, or from any other fue. The city of Metz prided itself in the name" La Pucelle," the virgin-fortress; but in October, 1870, its fair fame was tarnished by its fall, and its inhabitants were at the mercy of their foes. But no such disaster can ever overtake those who can say of the Lord, " He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; in him will I trust." IL How MUCH WE MAY EXPECT FROM Gon. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Among the blessings we may expect are the two crowning mercies which the prophet claims by faith. 1. Answers to prayer; which will be definite, appropriate, decisive (" My God will hear me"), such as God's servants of old received; e.g. Jacob (Gen. xxxii.), Moses (Numb. xiv.13-20), Asa (2 Chron. xiv" 11, 12), Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx.). These prayers will bring: 2. Deliverance; for "my God" is "the God of my salvation." Thus in the midst of dangers from without or from within we can say, with the psalmist, " I shall not be greatly moved" (Ps. !xii. 2). Like the rocking-stones on the Cornish coast, we may at times be slightly shaken but not "greatly moved;" moved, but not removed. Like the magnet, we may oscillate for a time, and be slightly affected by changing conditions, but never greatly moved from our purpose of witnessing faithfully for God and his truth. Yet our confidence in regard to our stability is not in ourselves, but in our God, in" the love of God which is in Christ J esue our Lord." III. How WORTHY HE IS OF UNLIMITED CONFIDENCE. "I will look';" "I will wait;" "My soul, wait thou only upon God;" "Trust in him at all times." "It is com- paratively easy," says Dr. Edward Payson, "to wait upon God, but to wait upon him only-to feel, so far as our strength, happiness, and usefulness are concerned, as if all creatures and second causes were annihilated, and we were alone in the universe with Gou, is, I suspect, a difficult and rare attainment." 'l'his is the unlimited confidence to which we aspire. 'l'hen we may not only wait upon God, but wait/or God, leaving the time and method of our deliverance to him (Ps. xxxvii. 7-9; cxxx. 5, 6). Then we shall not only be shut up to God, but shut in with God (Ps. xci. 1). With God on our side we are in the majority. "How many do you count me for?" asked au ancient commander of an officer who was alarmed at the disparity of the forces they could array against the foe. " I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." "Be thou my God, and the whole world is mine; Whilst thou art Sovereign, I'm secure ; I shall be rich till thou art poor; For all I fear and all I wish, heaven, Earth, aud hell are thine." E.S.P.  THE BOOK OF MICAH. [ea vn. 1-20.