Psalms 27:10

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.

Perishable good measured against the unchangeable portion

Change is earth’s perpetual motto. It is grown on her ever-varying seasons; it gives material for her daily history; and it marks with chequered and subtle lines the biographies of her happiest sons. It were an unprofitable question to inquire how far, apart from religious considerations, man is the better for this law of change. He loves it not. He would be content with a much smaller amount of earthly comforts could they but be made permanent and secure for him. But this security never can be given, and even where it is given to the largest extent possible to human circumstances, men are restless and discontented still, always desiring something other than it is. But as this desire of change tells us that we are not as our Creator made us, so the existence of change tells us that this world is not our home. In heaven we shall require no change, and it will furnish none. There will be progression, but not change. The soul may be nearing ira approaches to the blessedness and purity of its Author, without ever finding the terminus of its own perfection, or feeling that it can expand no more. But here the soul is subject to change. Now it soars aloft on hope’s joyous pinion; now falls, with its broken wing, into the pit of despair. And who of all men knew the vicissitudes of life more than the author of this psalm? But David had learned when earthly joys failed him to set his heart on heavenly ones. Let us, then, consider--

I. the precarious tenure in which we hold every earthly blessing. Health, life, possessions, intellect, home affections--what security have we that any of these things will last? Do we not know how easily they may, any or all of them, be broken in upon and lost?

II. the sufficiency of the Christian’s portion when all other blessings fail. God seems to say, “I must remind them that this is not their home: I must cause that cherished object to forsake them, in order that My infinite mercy may take them up.” But we may be certain that the Christian’s portion is sufficient because:

1. Of the comprehensiveness of the Divine assurances.

2. Of the perfections of the Divine character.

3. The intercession of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Daniel Moore, M. A.)

Forsaken by man, favoured by God

I. that David’s father and mother, and so his nearest and dearest friends, might leave and forsake HIM.

1. Through fear of Saul.

2. By Divine disposition, for the trial of David’s faith and patience. Uses--

1. For instruction.

(1) It shows most plainly how vain and uncertain the help of man is in time of need (Psalms 60:11; Psalms 62:9). The mutability of his affection. The instability of his condition.

(2) See in David what may be the case of God’s own dear children, even to be forsaken of their nearest and dearest earthly friends in time of distress (Psalms 68:9; Psalms 68:20; 2 Timothy 4:16).

2. For admonition.

(1) That, seeing father and mother may forsake us, we put not our trust in men, be they never so near or dear unto us (Psalms 146:3).

(2) That we be not dismayed when our friends do fail us (Matthew 10:24).

II. that when David’s nearest and dearest friends forsook him, then the lord would gather him up.

1. David stood rightly and truly in covenant with God, and so was interested in God’s special providence.

2. David trusted in God (Psalms 7:1; Psalms 125:1; Psalms 91:1, etc.).

3. David was holy in life and conversation, which gave him good assurance of special preservation (Psalms 18:17; Psalms 18:23).

Uses--

1. For instruction.

(1) The stability of God’s love towards those that are truly His (Hebrews 13:5; John 13:1).

(2) The happiness of the godly.

2. For admonition. It serves effectually to move every one that desires this comfortable state both to get and preserve those graces in his soul, and also to testify that behaviour in life which entitled David to it.

3. For comfort. The godly, in times of distress, must call to mind this property in God, to be more firm and faithful to those that are His than natural parents are to their dearest children. (T. Pierson.)

God our succour when others fail

1. The love of our heavenly Father towards all men, but especially His children by adoption and grace, is infinitely beyond the love of earthly parents towards their children.

(1) They may prove unnatural; their bowels may be crusted up against the fruit of their own bowels. But the Lord cannot but love His people. He can as well cease to be, as to love.

(2) Their love may be alienated by needless jealousies, or false suggestions, and so lost. But His love is durable; He loveth His own unto the end. He knoweth the singleness of their hearts, and will receive no accusation against them. They, alas, are negligent enough; unthankful, undutiful children: nay, stubborn and rebellious. But as David’s heart longed after Absalom, because he was his son, though a very ungracious one: so His bowels yearn after those that are no ways worthy to be called His sons. Forgiving all their by-past miscarriages upon their true repentance; receiving them with gladness, though they have squandered away all their portion with riotous living, if they return to Him in any time with humble, obedient, and perfect hearts; and in the meantime using very many admonitions, entreaties, and other artifices to win them to repentance; and forbearing them with much patience; that they may have space enough to repent in. And if upon such indulgences and insinuations they shall come in; He will not only welcome them with kind embraces, but do His part also to hold them in, when they are even ready to fly out again, and were it not for that hold, would in all likelihood so do.

(3) Parents’ affections may be so strongly biassed another way, that in the pursuit of other delights they may either forget or disregard their children. But no such thing can befall our heavenly Father, who taketh pleasure in His people and in their prosperity,

2. Fathers and mothers, through human ignorance, cannot perfectly understand the griefs of their children, nor infallibly know how to remedy them if they did. But God, who dwelleth in light, nay, who is light, knoweth the inmost recesses, the darkest thoughts and secrets of all men’s hearts, better than themselves do lie perfectly understandeth all their wants, and what supplies are fittest in their respective conditions. His blessings are our daily food, His corrections our physic.

3. Whereas our earthly parents have a limited and very narrow power, and cannot therefore do their children the good they would; our heavenly Father’s power is infinite: not hindered by any resistance, or retarded by any impediments; not disabled by any casualties, occurrences, or straitness of time.

4. Our fathers and mothers, where are they? And do prophets, or Princes, or any sort of men live for ever? They all pass like a shadow, wither as grass, and are driven away as the grasshopper. When they must go, they cannot help themselves: and when they are gone, they cannot help us. They are mortal men; lie the immortal God: they are dying men; He the living God. Life is one of His prerogatives royal. And therefore, when our fathers and mothers, and friends forsake us, because either their love faileth, or their skill faileth, or their power faileth, or their life faileth: our heavenly Father, who wanteth neither love, nor wisdom, nor power, nor life, but is infinite in all; we may rest assured in every way accomplished to succour us at all assays, and to take us up. And that He will engage all these for our relief, if we will but cast ourselves wholly upon Him; we have His gracious promise to fill up the measure of our assurance. (Bp. Sanderson.)

God’s care over the forsaken

On the topmost stone of the Royal Exchange in the centre of London is carved a large grasshopper. That figure is a sermon in stone upon this text. Some four hundred years ago a woman was passing along a country lane some miles from London, and placed a baby boy under a hedge, carefully wrapped up in a shawl. Soon after a boy passed by on his way home from school, and his attention was attracted to a grasshopper that crossed his path. Stooping down to find it, he saw the baby fast asleep. He joyfully took it home to his mother, who adopted the little stranger. The forsaken child thus providentially saved became one of London’s greatest merchants, and after years of prosperity he built the Royal Exchange.