It is to be desired that the readers of these hymn devotions will begin to see
emerge a great principle of the classical hymns – that they are inspired both
in lyrics and music. Observe how tacky and meaningless most modern ‘gospel’
songs appear when compared to these jewels of doctrinal and biblical truth.
“How Firm a Foundation” was written and published by John Rippon
in 1787. It has been a blessing to the worshippers of God of almost every
denomination ever since. It was the hymn sung at the last worship service
attended by both Lee and Jackson on the Sunday morning of Jackson’s being
mortally wounded following his stunning victory at Chancellorsville; and it was
forever after, if not before, the favorite hymn of General Robert E. Lee. There
are two equally popular tunes to which the hymn is sung: Lyons (or
Foundation), and St. Denio.
How Firm a Foundation
How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his
excellent word!
What more can he say than to you
he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus
have fled?
"Fear not, I am with thee; O
be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still
give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee,
and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous,
omnipotent hand.
"When through the deep
waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee
overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy
troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest
distress.
"When through fiery trials
thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall
be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I
only design
thy dross to consume, and thy
gold to refine.
"The soul that on Jesus hath
leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to
its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall
endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never
forsake."
“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in his
excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said, to you that for
refuge to Jesus have fled?” What is the Foundation Stone of your Faith? Is
it not that Rock of Salvation that followed the Children of Israel in the
Wilderness? “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried
stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not
make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) Do we not all partake in that
same glorious Communion of the Lord at His Table? “And did all drink the
same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:
and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor 10:4) We partake of His Blood for
Drink and His Body (the Word) for Bread. “In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John
1:1) To which Man
do you suppose Isaiah has reference: “And a man shall be as an hiding
place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry
place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” (Isaiah
32:2) The Lord
Jesus Christ is our Hiding Place and the Ark of our Salvation not unlike the
Ark of Noah’s day. We flee to Him for refuge.
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed! For I am thy God, and will
still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.” The Voice of the Lord
is a Voice you can trust to accomplish whatsoever He promises. The message of
the Lord, and even His Angels, has always been first, “Fear not! It is I!” But you may ask, “Aren’t
we supposed to fear the Lord?” True, especially when we are estranged from Him,
but when we draw nigh to Him as a child to its Father, our fear is not mortal,
but mild in reverence of His Holy Person. He gives us strength to weather the
gales of the sea, and to stand upon the solid ground of His Word. He is always
at the ready to pull us from the swirling waters when our faith fails us.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall
not thee overflow; for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify
to thee thy deepest distress.” Remember how the Lord parted the
waters of the Red Sea and His people crossed on dry ground? Do you believe He
expired all of His powers with that singular miracle? He parted the Waters at
Jordan Banks as well. Walking beneath the towering waters of the Red Sea took
faith even if the path was dry. The Children of Israel passed over for two
reasons:
1. They feared the armies of
Pharoah more than the waters of the Sea;
2. They trusted in that strong
outstretched Hand of God as much as they feared Pharoah.
God
may often use love and fear to compel us to His will. Has He not promised to be
with us always? “ . . lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matt
28:20)
This hymn is not foretelling some new work of the Lord in caring for us, but
demonstrating the care the Lord has, and has always demonstrated, for His Elect
people. “When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace, all
sufficient, shall be thy supply; the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.” We are precious
metal in the eyes of the Lord, more worth than gold. But even gold and silver
needs refinement, and the Lord refines us in the boiling vessel of life. He
will not remove the fiery trials from our way, but He will be our Shield and
Protector through those fiery trials. He allows us to pass through in order for
us to become better refined and strengthened. He scoops the dross from the
surface of our natures and gradually purifies us until He can observe His own
image in the polished surface of our metal.
"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will
not desert to its foes; that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake." We have a sure security
in the Lord. I remember singing this hymn in our little country church in
Tennessee. I could not understand how the Lord would defend me from all dangers
even while I faced them daily. But He did! I was never consumed or destroyed
though many close encounters have occurred over my life. “. . . for he
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb 13:5-6) As you read this devotion, and in your usual habits of the
day, I believe the Lord stands right beside for He is “a friend that
sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs
18:24)
