III. When does the Lord forsake his people
III. When does the Lord forsake his people
The answer is, When they forsake him: and as surely as they forsake him, he will forsake them.
Now, in what sense may God be said to forsake his people? There is a sense in which he never does. He promised Joshua, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. That promise appears to be made, not only to Joshua, but to every believer; for you find it quoted (Hebrews 13:6) as a general promise belonging to all the saints, and made use of to encourage the believing Hebrews to be content with such things as they had, nor to fear any enemy; but be confident the Lord would be their helper. This therefore, is a common promise, common to all believers; every one may claim it, and take their share in it.
There is therefore a sense in which he will never forsake his people, Thou, Lord, hast never forsaken them that seek thee (Psalm 9:10). When they are in distress, and make application to him, he will regard them. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst; I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. The Lord will not forsake the work of his hands; but will perfect that which concerneth them; will fulfill the pleasure of his goodness in them, and the work of faith with power upon them. He will carry on the work with power, until the day of Christ. He will not forsake his own people; and the reason is, because they are his inheritance. A man does not choose to forsake his own inheritance. Did you ever know an instance of it? Now God’s people are his inheritance, and he will never forsake them, so as that they shall he lost. They may seem, in their own apprehensions, to be forsaken of him. They may say, with the church, The Lord hath forsaken me. But what answer does the Lord give? Can a woman forget her sucking child; that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? she may, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. The Lord’s people may think they are forsaken, when they are not. Indeed, they may be forsaken so far, as that God may hide his face from them, or withdraw his gracious presence; as it was with Christ; for what befell the Head, it may reasonably be supposed may befall the members. My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me ? God does, for a short time forsake his people. For a small moment, have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee (Isaiah 54:7). And in the following chapter it is said, Thou shalt be no more termed forsaken. No more, suggests that they had been forsaken, and were termed so; but they shall not again be termed forsaken. Now this is to be understood of God hiding his face from his people. But when does he this? when they forsake him and his laws. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, then will I visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail (Psalm 89:30, etc). So that you see, God’s forsaking his people, upon their forsaking him, is consistent with the continuance of his love to them; and their continuance in his covenant. This forsaking therefore respects sensible communion with him, which he is pleased to except them from, by way of rebuke for their iniquities for their iniquities separate between them and their God, and cause him to hide his face from them. He forsakes them when they forsake his word, worship, and ordinances. The apostle writing to the Hebrews says, Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some professors is. This is too much the manner now.
Well then, if you forsake the Lord (for to forsake the assembling of yourselves together, is to forsake him), he will forsake you. To forsake him, is to forsake the throne of his grace; to restrain prayer before God; and if you continue therein, he will forsake you. You never knew a man, I dare say, in the whole circle of your acquaintance, that ever forsook the word of God and prayer, but that he was left of God, (though a child of his) and manifestly appeared to be in a declining state. This is a well known case, if men forsake the Lord, in either of these senses, he is sure to forsake them, until he hath brought them to a sense of their evil. I will go and return to my place, until they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earl y (Hosea 5:15). This forsaking of God is a very great evil, which the people of God fall into through the infirmity of the flesh, the power of unbelief, the temptation of Satan and often times through being immersed in the things of this world. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked. What then? He forsook the God that made him, and lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation. This is a great evil. God is provoked at it, and will shew his displeasure. He resents it by hiding his face from them. If he forsake him, he will forsake you.
You see then, if you are desirous of enjoying the presence of God, what is to be done. You must be with him. You must keep close to him, to the throne of his grace, to his people, to his sanctuary, and the ordinances of it. If you depart from these, you are not to expect the presence of God. I am speaking of the sensible communion, which cannot be expected—Again: What great encouragement here is to seek the Lord. If ye seek him he will be found of you. He is to be found, great as he is. He will shew himself to you, if ye seek him. You may be assured of it: he hath promised it. In the next place, What care should we take not to offend him, or cause him to hide his face from us! so careful you see the church was, when enjoying the most intimate communion with her Lord: when his left hand was under her head, and when with his right hand he embraced her, that she said, I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please (Song of Solomon 2:7). O how careful should we be of offending that God, who indulges us in such a manner, as to grant us his gracious presence, which is the greatest favour that can he enjoyed in this world.
Lastly, We should pray for grace and strength to keep close unto him. Our deceitful hearts are apt to start aside from him. Through the corruption of them, the temptations of Satan, and the snares of the world, we are too much carried away; and are ready to depart from God at all times. How earnest then should we be in plying the throne of grace for strength to keep chose to him; to walk humbly before him, and a constant dependence upon him.