Man's Extremity, God's Opportunity

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon

Deuteronomy 32:36

For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he sees that their power is gone…

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 (ver. 35). It is not so with three characters of whom we will now consider: they are judged in this world that they may not be condemned hereafter (1 Corinthians 11:32; Psalm 37:24).

I. THE LORD'S OWN CHURCH.

1. A Church may be sorely tried — "power gone, none left."

(1)  By persecution.

(2)  By removals, death, poverty.

(3)  By the lack of a faithful ministry.

(4)  By general falling off of members. Various circumstances may scatter a people — internal dissension, pestilent heresy, lack of spiritual life.

2. But it may then cry to God.

(1)  If indeed His people, the covenant stands, and He will judge them.

(2)  If still His servants, the bond holds on His side, and He will repent Himself for them.

(3)  His eye is ever upon them, and their eye should be up to Him.

3. He will return and revive His own Church (ver. 39).

4. Meanwhile the trial is permitted —

(1)  To find out His servants and drive out hypocrites (Isaiah 33:14).

(2)  To test the faith of sincere saints, and to strengthen it.

(3)  To manifest His own grace by supporting them under the trying times, and by visiting them with future blessing.

(4)  To secure to Himself the glory when the happier days are granted.

II. THE TRIED BELIEVER.

1. His power may be gone. Bodily health fails, prudence is baffled, skill is taken away, courage sinks, even spiritual force departs (Samuel 3:17, 18).

2. His earthly help may fail. 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).

4. His hope lies in the compassion of God: He has no pleasure in putting His people to grief (Micah 7:19).

5. Such sharp trials may be sent because —

(1)  Nothing less would cure the evil hidden within.

(2)  Nothing less might suffice to bring the whole heart to God alone.

(3)  Nothing less might affect the believer's future life.

(4)  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.

2. His ability to perform acceptable works is gone.

3. His secret hopes which were shut up are now all dead and buried.

4. His proud romantic dreams are gone.

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. 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 fulness of Christ.

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