Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 6823
Delivered on Sunday Morning, April 1, 1866, by C. H. Spurgeon, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
“Your gentleness has made me great.” Psalm 18:35.
THERE are several interpretations of this text. A moment will suffice to give them to you. The word is capable of being translated, “Your goodness has made me great.” David saw much of benevolence in God’s action towards him and he gratefully ascribed all his greatness not to his own goodness, but to the goodness of God. “Your Providence” is another reading, which is, indeed, nothing more than goodness in action. Goodness is Providence in embryo— Providence is goodness fully developed. Goodness is the bud of which Providence is the flower—or goodness is the seed of which Providence is the harvest.
Some render it, “Your help,” which is but another word for Providence. Providence is the firm ally of the saints, aiding them in the service of their Lord. Some learned annotators tell us that the text means, “Your humility has made me great.” “Your condescension” may, perhaps, serve as a comprehensive reading, combining the ideas which we have already mentioned, as well as that of humility. It is God’s making Himself little, which is the cause of our being made great.
We are so little that if God should manifest His greatness without condescension, we should be trampled under His feet. But God, who must stoop to view the skies and bow to see what angels do, bends His eyes yet lower and looks to the lowly and contrite, and makes them great. While these are the translations which have been given to the adopted text of the original, we find that there are other readings. For instance, the Septuagint, which reads, “Your discipline”—Your fatherly correction—“has made me great.” The Chaldee paraphrase reads, “Your word has increased me.” Still the idea is the same.
David ascribes all his own greatness to the condescending goodness and graciousness of his Father in Heaven. I trust we all feel that this sentiment is echoed in our hearts and we also confess that whatever of goodness or greatness God may have put upon us, we must cast our crowns at His feet, and cry, “Your gentleness has made me great.” We intend, this morning, to keep to the authorized version: “Your gentleness has made me great.” And in handling the text we shall have three points.
First the text suggests historical illustrations from the life of David. Secondly it awakens personal gratitude. And thirdly it declares gracious privilege—we are made great.
I. The life of David is exceedingly full of illustrations of the truth which he here uttered—“Your gentleness has made me great.” We will briefly review it up to the time of his becoming king. David, as the youngest of the family, contrary to the general rule, appears to have been despised by his parents so that when Samuel came to keep the feast they sent for all their sons except David who was left in the fields keeping the sheep. I should suppose, judging from the conduct of his brothers to him in the valley of Elah, that they held him in very small esteem.
Probably their habits were very different from his. They could not enter into the holier ways of the shepherd songster, nor could he enjoy their ruder and less seemly exercises. He was the despised one of the family, a reproach unto his mother’s children. Nevertheless the Lord had chosen him in preference to all the rest, for the gentleness of God delighted in David the shepherd boy.
What a balm must that Divine love have been to his wounded spirit! How often, sitting alone with his flocks, must he have sang to his harp, “When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up”! The gracious gentleness of his God to him must have encouraged his broken spirit when he felt the roughness of his father and the scorn of his brothers. His early life was peculiarly a season of hallowed rest and consecrated enjoyment of the gentleness of the Lord.
His first entrance upon public life was greatly marked by the sternness of those who should have discerned his worth and treated him with love. His father sent him to the army, not as a soldier, though never was there a more valiant man than this youngest son of Jesse. But he was employed as a mere burden-bearer. “Take now for your brothers an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to your brothers. And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand.”
He was a mere porter and messenger to his more honored brothers. When he began to enquire concerning the giant—“Who is this that defies the armies of the living God?” His brothers asked in a most snarling and contemptuous way, “With whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? Because of the pride and naughtiness of your heart to see the battle are you come.” Very different was the gentle communing of his heavenly Father!