246. Never, No Never, No Never.

He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. - Hebrews 13:5.

HERE is a divine word, directly from God's own mouth: "For himself hath said." (See Revised Version.)

Here is a promise which has been frequently made: "He hath 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 thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." Spoken to Jacob when quitting home, and thus to young saints setting out in life.

· In Deuteronomy 31:8,"He will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee." 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 rightings, in which courage will be tried.

· In 1 Chronicles 28:20, "He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast 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 thou not; for I am with thee." To Israel, and so to the Lord's tried and afflicted people.

II. VIEW THEM AS A HOUSEHOLD WORD FROM GOD.

1. They are peculiarly a saying of God: "He hath said." This has been said, not so much by inspiration as by God himself.

2. They are remarkably forcible from having five negatives in them in the Greek.

3. They relate to God himself and his people. "I"..."thee."

4. They ensure his presence and his help. He would not be with us, and be inactive.

5. They guarantee the greatest good. God with us means all good.

6. They avert a dreadful evil which we deserve and might justly fear; namely, to be deserted of God.

7. They are such as he only could utter and make true. Nobody else can be with us effectually in agony, in death, in judgment.

8. They provide for all troubles, losses, desertions, weaknesses, difficulties, places, seasons, dangers, etc., in time and eternity.

9. They are substantiated by the divine love, immutability, and faithfulness.

10.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 ye 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."

1. Our Helper is greater than our foes. "Jehovah is my helper."

2. Our foes are entirely in his hand. "I will not fear what man shall do."

3. 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.