13. Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity
For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left. Deuteronomy 32:36
To ungodly men the time of their fall is fatal; there is no rising again for them. They mount higher and higher upon the ladder of riches; but at last they can climb no higher, their feet slide, and all is over. This calamity hasteneth on. "To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste" (verse 35).
But it is not so with three characters of whom we will now speak: they are judged in this world that they may not be condemned hereafter (1 Cor. 11:32). Of each of them it may be said, "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down" (Ps. 37:24).
I. THE LORD'S OWN CHURCH.
1. A church may be sorely tried, "power gone, none left."
- By persecution the faithful may be cut off (Ps. 107:39).
- By removals, death, poverty, a church may be depleted to a painful extent (Isa. 1:8-9).
- Through the lack of a faithful ministry, there may be no increase; and those who remain may grow feeble and dispirited.
- By general falling off of hearers, members, etc., a church may besorely distressed. Various circumstances may scatter a people, such as internal dissension, pestilent heresy, and lack of spiritual life. Where there is no spiritual food hungry souls find no home (Job 15:23).
2. But it may then cry to God.
- If indeed his people, the covenant stands, and he will judge them.
- If still his servants, the bond holds on his side, and he will repent himself for them.
- His eye is ever upon them, and their eye should be up to him.
3. He will return and revive his own church. He who killed will make alive (verse 39). He pities his children when he sees them broken down under their sorrows.
4. Meanwhile the trial is permitted:
- To find out his servants and drive out hypocrites (Isa. 33:14).
- To test the faith of sincere saints, and to strengthen it.
- To manifest his own grace by supporting them under the trying times, and by visiting them with future blessing.
- To secure to himself the glory when the happier days are granted.
II. THE TRIED BELIEVER.
1. His power may be gone. Personally he becomes helpless. Bodily health fails, prudence is baffled, skill is taken away, courage sinks, even spiritual force departs (Lam. 3:17-18).
2. His earthly help may fail. "There is none shut up or left)' A man without a friend moves the compassion of God.
3. He may be assailed by doubts and fears, and hardly know what to do with himself (Job 3:23-26). In all this there may be chastisement for sin. It is so described in the context.
4. His hope lies in the compassion of God: he has no pleasure in putting his people to grief. "He will turn again, he will have compassion" (Mic. 7:19). Such sharp trials may be sent because:
- Nothing less would cure the evil hidden within (Isa. 27:9).
- Nothing less might suffice to bring the whole heart to God alone.
- Nothing less might affect the believer's future life (Isa. 38:16).
- Nothing less might complete his experience, enlarge his acquaintance with the Word, and perfect his testimony for God.
III. THE CONVINCED SINNER.
He is cleaned out of all that wherein he prided himself.
1. His self-righteousness is gone. He has no boasting of the past, or self-trust for the future (Job 9:30-31).
2. His ability to perform acceptable works is gone. "Their power is gone." "Dead in trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1 ).
3. His secret hopes which were shut up are now all dead and buried.
4. His proud romantic dreams are gone (Isa. 29:8).
5. His worldly delights, his bold defiance, his unbelief, his big talk, his carelessness, his vain confidence, are all gone.
6. Nothing is left but the pity of God (Ps. 103:13).
- When the tide has ebbed out to the very uttermost, it turns.
- The Prodigal had spent all before he returned.
- Empty-handed sinners are welcome to the fullness of Christ.
- Since the Lord repents of the sorrows of the desponding, they may well take heed and repent of their sins.
Notes in Aid
The Church in New Park Street was sadly reduced in numbers, and from the position of its meeting-house there seemed no prospect before it, but ultimate dissolution; but there were a few in its midst who never ceased to pray for a gracious revival. The congregation became smaller and smaller, but they hoped on, hoped ever. Let it never be forgotten that when they were at their worst the Lord remembered them, and gave to them such a tide of prosperity that they have had no mourning, or doubting, but more than thirty years of continued rejoicing:
Man's extremity is God's opportunity.
Extremities are a warrant for importunities.
A man at his wit's end is not at his faiths end.
Matthew Henry
Grandly did the old Scottish believer, of whom Dr. Brown tells us in his Horce Subsecivee, respond to the challenge of her pastor, regarding the ground of her faith. "Janet" said the minister, "what would you say if after all he has done for you, God should let you drop into hell?" "E'en's [even as] he likes," answered Janet. "If he does, he'll lose mair than I'll do," meaning that he would lose his honor for truth and goodness. Therefore, the Lord cannot leave his people in the hour of their need.
"Every praying Christian will find that there is no Gethsemane without its angel"
He brings his people into a wilderness, but it is that he may speak comfortably to them; he casts them into a fiery furnace, but it is that they may have more of his company. — T. Brooks
A person who could not swim had fallen into the water. A man who could swim sprang in to save him. Instead, however, of at once taking hold of the struggling man, he kept at some distance from him until he had ceased struggling; he then laid hold of him, and pulled him ashore. Upon the people on the pier asking him why he did not at once take hold of the drowning person, he replied, "I could not attempt to save a man so long as he could try to save himself" The Lord acts thus towards sinners: they must cease from themselves, and then he will display the power of his grace upon them.
So long as a sinner has a mouldy crust of his own he will not feed upon heavenly manna. They say that half a loaf is better than no bread; but this is not true, for on half a loaf men lead a starvation existence, but when they have no bread they fly to Jesus for the food which came down from heaven. As long as a soul has a farthing to bless itself with, it will foolishly refuse the free forgiveness of its debts, but absolute penury drives it to the true riches:
'Tis perfect poverty alone
That sets the soul at large;
While we can call one mite our own
We get no full discharge.
Charles Hadden Spurgeon
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13．人的絕境，神的機會
Man’s Extremity, God’s Opportunity
「耶和華必為祂的百姓伸冤，為祂的僕人後悔；因祂見他們的勢力消失，無論困住的、自由的，都沒有了。」
——申命記 32:36
對不敬虔的人來說，他們敗落的時候就是致命的時刻；再沒有重新站起來的可能。他們在財富的梯子上越爬越高，終有一天再也爬不上去，腳下一滑，一切就結束了。這樣的災難正迅速逼近——
「伸冤在我；我必報應。他們失腳的時候，必快來到；因他們遭災的日子近了，那要臨在他們身上的事，必速速來到。」（35 節）
但以下我們要提到的三種人，情況卻不一樣：他們今生受審，是為了不在將來受定罪（林前 11:32）。關於他們每一個人，都可以說：「他雖失腳，也不至全然跌倒」（詩 37:24）。
一、主自己的教會
1. 教會可能遭受極大的試煉——「勢力消失，無人存留」
- 因逼迫，忠心的信徒可能被剪除（詩 107:39）。
- 因遷移、死亡、貧困，教會人數可能銳減到令人痛心的地步（賽 1:8–9）。
- 因缺乏忠心的牧職事奉，沒有增長，留下來的人也可能軟弱、灰心。
- 因聽眾、會友普遍流失，教會陷入極大的困境；內部紛爭、致命的異端、屬靈生命的缺乏，都可能使群羊四散。沒有屬靈糧食的地方，飢渴的靈魂找不到歸宿（伯 15:23）。
2. 然而此時，教會可以向神呼求
- 若真是祂的百姓，聖約仍然有效，祂必為他們施行審判與伸冤。
- 若仍是祂的僕人，這關係在祂那一方並未斷絕，祂必為他們後悔。
- 祂的眼目常看顧他們，而他們的眼目也當仰望祂。
3. 祂必回轉，使自己的教會復興
那使人死的，也必使人活（39 節）。當祂看見自己的兒女在憂傷中被壓碎，祂就憐憫他們。
4. 同時，這些試煉是被允許的，為了：
- 顯明誰是真正的僕人，並驅逐假冒為善的人（賽 33:14）。
- 試驗真信徒的信心，並使其更加堅固。
- 顯明祂自己的恩典——在艱難中扶持他們，並在日後賜下祝福。
- 當更美好的日子臨到時，使一切榮耀單單歸給祂自己。
二、受試煉的信徒
1. 他的力量可能完全耗盡
他在個人層面變得毫無能力：身體健康衰敗，智慧無法應付，技巧被奪去，勇氣消沉，甚至屬靈力量也似乎離開了（哀 3:17–18）。
2. 他在地上的幫助也可能斷絕
「無論困住的、自由的，都沒有了。」一個失去所有朋友的人，最容易引動神的憐憫。
3. 他可能被疑惑與恐懼攻擊，幾乎不知如何自處（伯 3:23–26）
在這一切之中，也可能包含對罪的管教；上下文正是如此描述的。
4. 他的盼望在於神的憐憫
神並不喜歡使祂的百姓憂傷：「祂必再轉過來，憐憫我們」（彌 7:19）。如此嚴厲的試煉之所以臨到，可能因為：
- 若非如此，隱藏在裡面的罪惡無法被治癒（賽 27:9）。
- 若非如此，人的心無法完全歸向神。
- 若非如此，信徒未來的生命無法被塑造（賽 38:16）。
- 若非如此，他的經歷無法完全，對神話語的認識無法擴展，為神作的見證也無法成熟。
三、被光照的罪人
他一切所誇耀的，都被徹底清空。
- 自義沒有了——他既不能誇過去，也不能信靠將來（伯 9:30–31）。
- 行善得悅納的能力沒有了——「他們的勢力消失。」他發現自己「死在過犯罪惡之中」（弗 2:1）。
- 那些暗暗寄望的出路，全都關閉、埋葬了。
- 驕傲而浪漫的幻想消失了（賽 29:8）。
- 屬世的享樂、狂妄的挑戰、不信、誇口、漫不經心與虛妄的自信，全都不復存在。
- 所剩下的，只有神的憐憫（詩 103:13）。
當潮水退到最低點時，就必開始回漲。
浪子是在「花盡了一切」之後才回頭的。
兩手空空的罪人，正是最歡迎來領受基督豐盛恩典的人。
既然主會為沮喪者的痛苦轉意後悔，他們也就當留心，為自己的罪悔改。
補充筆記
新公園街教會（New Park Street Church）曾一度人數銳減，聚會地點又不利，似乎只有走向解散一途；然而其中仍有少數人不住為復興禱告。會眾愈來愈少，他們卻仍然盼望、繼續盼望。永遠不要忘記，正是在最困頓的時刻，主記念了他們，並賜下極大的復興，使他們三十多年來不再憂傷、不再疑惑，只有不斷的喜樂。
人的絕境，就是神的機會。
極端的處境，是迫切祈求的憑據。
一個走投無路的人，並非走到信心的盡頭。
——馬太‧亨利
布朗博士在《閒暇札記》中記載一位蘇格蘭老信徒的故事：牧師問她信心的根基是什麼，並挑戰她說：「珍妮，如果神在為你做了這一切之後，仍讓你下地獄，你怎麼辦？」她回答：「那就照祂的意思吧；若真如此，祂失去的比我更多。」意思是：神會失去祂信實與良善的榮耀。因此，主絕不會在百姓最需要的時刻離棄他們。
「每一個禱告的基督徒都會發現：沒有一個客西馬尼，是沒有天使的。」
神把祂的百姓帶進曠野，為的是對他們說安慰的話；祂把他們投入火窯，為的是讓他們更多經歷祂的同在。
——湯瑪斯‧布魯克斯
有一個不會游泳的人掉進水裡，一位會游泳的人跳下去救他，卻沒有立刻抓住他，而是等他停止掙扎後才把他拉上岸。有人問他為什麼不立刻施救，他回答說：「只要一個人還想救自己，我就救不了他。」主對罪人也是如此：人必須先停止靠自己，神的恩典才會顯出能力。
只要罪人還有一塊發霉的餅，他就不會吃天上降下來的嗎哪。人說「半個餅總比沒有好」，其實不然；靠半個餅只能苟延殘喘，直到一無所有，人才會飛奔向耶穌，尋求那從天而來的生命糧。只要靈魂還有一文錢可自誇，就會愚昧地拒絕白白的赦免；徹底的貧乏，才會把人帶向真正的豐富：
唯有完全的貧窮，
才能使靈魂得自由；
只要仍稱一文為己有，
就得不到完全的釋放。
——查爾斯．哈登．司布真（Charles Haddon Spurgeon） |