DELIVERANCE by A. H. Darrow

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Apr 26, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 17.

DELIVERANCE.

By A. H. Darrow

BY A. H. DARROW. *

IN the twenty-second chapter of the book of Deuteronomy, we read that, “If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor’s wife; so thou shalt put away evil from among you. But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die; but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death; for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter, for he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.” Verses 23-27.

It is the same way with the virgin daughter of Zion, betrothed to the Prince of Peace who is soon to become the de facto King of Israel. When she is assaulted by an emissary of Satan who would seduce her from her allegiance to her rightful Lord and Master, she has but to remember that “the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” Prov. 18:10.

Then, with her heart full of this divine consolation, she will cry out and say: “I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Ps. 18:1, 2.

There is no danger that the Lord will not be nigh to His betrothed, that the “Rose of Sharon, and the Lily of the valleys” will not be near to His “sister,” His “spouse,” His “dove,” and His “undefiled” (Cant. 2:1; 5:1, 2), whether she be in the city or in the country; because He said to her before He went away, “I will not leave you comfortless,” and, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” John 14:18; Matt. 28:20.

What is true in this respect of the church as a whole, is also true of every individual Christian. “All are but parts of one stupendous whole,” composing the church or body of Christ; “and since no man ever yet hated his own flesh,” it is certain that the Lord “nourisheth and cherisheth” every part of His own body, or every individual member of that body, which is the church, spouse, or betrothed bride of Christ. Eph. 5:29.

The Saviour Himself says of wives and husbands that “He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female,” and “for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they [which before were two separate persons] twain shall be one flesh.” Matt. 19:3, 5. “He that loveth his wife loveth himself,” says the apostle (Eph. 5:28), which shows that a husband and wife are considered as one person.

Now, if men ought “to love their wives as their own bodies,” and if every real Christian is a member “of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (verse 30), then how is it possible that He will not hear our cry, when we call unto Him for help? If any part of your body itches or hurts, do you not feel it? If any portion of your skin or flesh or nerves is in distress, are you insensible of the fact? If not, how can you doubt the plain fact, that “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry?” Ps. 34:15.

Every converted person can truly say: “This poor man [or woman] cried, and the Lord heard him [or her], and saved him [or her] out of all his [or her] troubles.” Ps. 34:6. Then, if He did that at first, when we were immersed and soaked and saturated in sin, why not believe that, even now, “the righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles?” Is it because we are not very anxious to be delivered? Is it because our souls pant after sinful pleasures, instead of panting after God? Ps. 42:1. Since God “hath shewed us light,” let us “bind the sacrifice with cords, unto the horns of the altar,” and receive the blessing. Ps. 118:27.

Prescott, Ariz.