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We may therefore boldly say,â"The Lord is my helper," &c. "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. Yet no excuses are to be allowed to set aside or modify this Divine injunction, "Be content with such things as ye have." Hebrews 13 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary by Albert Barnes, a dedicated student of the Bible, continues to be very popular even today. Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us. Commentary on Hebrews 13:1-6. Sixth, fellowship with God. To rightly understand this epistle one needs a thorough knowledge of … sometimes with, and sometimes without means. It was in a time of sore distress that David expressed his confidence in the Lord, at a time when it appeared that his enemies were ready to swallow him up; but contrasting the omnipotency of Jehovah from the feebleness of the creature, his heart was emboldened. These men being enemies do much against them, or at least attempt to do much; for wicked men together with the devil... 3. sin and misery; out of the hands of all their enemies; out of all the Lord is my helper; He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes" ( 1 Samuel 2:7, 8). ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not fear.’ The One Who is sovereign over all is my sustenance and my provision. If I have formed the habit of meditating daily upon God's fatherly careâand surely I am constantly surrounded by proofs and tokens thereofâthen I shall be less apt to chafe and fret when His providences cross my will. he is able to help, and does help, when none else can; he has Yet notwithstanding both the sinfulness and injuriousness of discontent, many raise various objections to excuse the same. Are not Christians now under the same everlasting Covenant of Grace as were the O.T. This is because I read about it years ago in Readers Digest (as I recall), under the caption, “Keeping the Faith.” The story is apparently true, told by a Roman … So that we boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear: what shall man do unto me? A deep and fixed sense of His un-searchable wisdom is well calculated to allay our fears and compose our minds when everything appears to be going wrong with our circumstances. .’. For shame, live like a child of God, an heir of Heaven, and let the world know, that thy hopes and happiness are in a better world; that thou art denied those acorns which thy Father giveth to His hogs, yet thou hast the children's bread, and expectest thine inheritance when thou comest to age" (G. Swinnock, 1650). truth of this assertion; every believer can set up an Ebenezer, And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" ( Psalm 106:14, 15). 13… The continued presence of God with us ensures the continued supply of every need. A deep and fixed sense of His benevolence greatly tends to quieten the heart when outward circumstances are trying to us. Hebrews 13 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is written by one of the most influential men of the modern Christianity movement. 6. 6:24). Looking to help your church and family stay connected to the Word while social distancing? Oh, why then shouldest thou be so sad, when thine eternal happiness is so safe? that they can do; the utmost of which is to kill the body; the In this citing of David's language, Christians are again taught the suitability of O.T. Thus the apostle's argument is clear and convincing: "Let your conversation be without covetousness; be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is the unabridged version prepared by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown God's presence, God's providence, God's protection, are here assured us. The "for He hath said" is more forcible than "for God hath said:" it is the character of the One with whom we have to do that is here held up to our view. a. Walking in the way of God's commands is a real antidote to discontent: "Great peace have they which love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them" ( Psalm 119:165). "Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker.... Shall the clay say to Him that fashioneth it, What maketh Thou?" Pink's Commentary on John and Hebrews, E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament, Haldane's Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans and Hebrews. Remember that the contented man is the only one who enjoys what he has. Others point to the altogether unexpectedness of their trouble, that it came upon them when they were quite unprepared, and that it is therefore more than flesh and blood can endure. Note carefully the change from "we may boldly say" to "the Lord is my Helper:" general privileges are to be appropriated by us in particular. If we live under an habitual sense of our unworthiness, it will greatly reconcile us to deprivations. ÐÑ. No matter how much they have, they are ever lusting after more. ( Romans 8:31). The sequel is very solemn: she had children, and died in childbirth: see Genesis 35:16-18. Once I settled on the title, “Keeping the Faith,” a story quickly came to mind. What will man do to me ? Are not the needs of believers the same in one age as another? This precious promise of God belongs as truly to me now as it did to Joshua of old. In real prayer we submit our understandings to the Divine Wisdom of Solomon, our wills to His good pleasure. But, my dear reader, the corruption of our nature and its proneness to sin is no excuse for, but rather an aggravation of it, showing how much our hearts are opposed unto God. 2. their afflictions, and "out" of all the dangers they are exposed O to rest in His love. To murmur at our lot is to take issue with God's sovereignty, quarrelling as it does with His providence, and therefore, is a being guilty of high treason against the King of the universe. Has He not assured me that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose" ( Romans 8:28)? If due regard be paid to these inestimable blessings, the heart will be kept in peace. (11-20) Commentary on Hebrews 6:1-8 (Read Hebrews 6… He can give joy in sorrow, life in death" (Thomas Manton). When tempted to complain at your lot, meditate upon Him who when here had not where to lay His head, who was constantly misunderstood by friends and hated by innumerable enemies. ground of this fearlessness in believers are the infinite power, What has just been affirmed is so obvious that it should require no further proof or illustration; but inasmuch as it is being repudiated in some influential quarters today, we will labor the point a little. What more then can I ask? "Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and His doctrine be not blasphemed", "The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. This rejects Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the L ORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. The ungodly are total strangers to real contentment. Remember that complaining never relieves a single woe or lightens a single burden; it is therefore most irrational. Hebrews 13:6. Article Images Copyright © 2021 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Greek. Their practice of partitioning the Scriptures and their contention that what God said under one dispensation does not apply to those living in another, is here exposed as nothing less than an effort of Satan to rob God's people of a part of their rightful and needful portion. But the Christian should daily expect afflictions in this world, at least so far as not to be unprovided for or think it strange he should be exercised by them ( 1 Peter 4:12). ", "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off", "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me", "So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.". Every Christian cordially assents to the truth "He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities" ( Psalm 103:10), then why complain if God withholds from us what He grants to others? We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. But to be dissatisfied with our lot and complain at our portion is to exercise the very opposite spirit, indicating an unwillingness to be at God's disposal, and leaning to our own understanding as though we knew better than He what was most conducive to our present and future well being. Here is an enforcement of what has just gone before, a reason for the duties enjoined, a motive supplied for the performance of them. Let your conversation be without covetousness. What man—More properly, a direct question: What can man do? The fact that the Holy Spirit moved the apostle to apply unto Christians this promise made to Joshua, supplies clear proof that our modern dispensationalists wrongly divide the Word of Truth. The believer is weak and unstable in himself, and constantly in need of assistance, but the Lord is ever ready to take his part and render all needed aid. As another has said, "Now if one creature can and ought to be governed by another that is more wise than himselfâas the client by his learned counsel, the patient by his skillful physicianâmuch more should we be satisfied with the unerring dispositions of God." Consequently, Christians are exhorted to keep their lives “free from the love of money” and … O ye of little faith! For example, Rachel was in a most discontented frame when she said to Jacob "Give me children, else I die" ( Genesis 30:1). Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Fear, when not controlled, gives evidence that a person does not believe that God is telling the truth and that He cannot be trusted to have one's best interests at heart. God will not see thee utterly perish. However, much of its content was of special relevance to Jewish believers, in the early Church, who found difficulty in letting go of the long religious history of Judaism, which was deeply rooted in Mosaic Law - in exchange for Christ's post-cross doctrine. Such greed amounts to accusing God of incompetence as a provider of one’s most basic needs and, therefore, is incompatible with commitment to God himself (cf. Let us be bold. death, and no account of the world, and the men of it: he helps language unto their own case, and the permissibility of appropriating the same unto themselves: "we may boldly say" just what the Psalmist did! "The Lord is my Helper" implies, as W. Gouge pointed out, "a willing readiness and a ready willingness to afford us all needed succor." Those whom He forsakes not, He helpsâboth inwardly and outwardly. Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project Amid the various concluding exhortations in Hebrews 13, two have a special relevance for work. 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