On Begging
…the Lord appear(s) in His glory. His Zion is to be built up, and therefore her King puts on the robes of His splendor. The imagery sets forth the Lord as a great monarch, superintending with great pomp and state the building of a sumptuous palace…Trumpets are sounding, banners are displayed, princes and nobles glitter in their array, and the King appears in His glory!
But who is this whose mournful wail disturbs the harmony? Whence comes this ragged mendicant who bows before the Prince? Surely he will be dragged away by the soldiery, or cast into prison by the warders, for daring to pollute so grand a ceremonial by such wretched presumption! Were there not streets, and lanes, and dark corners enough for beggars? Why need he thrust himself in where his rags are so much out of place?
But see, the King hears him, the sound of the trumpet has not drowned the voice of the destitute. His Majesty listens to him while he asks an alms, and in matchless compassion pities all his groans. Who is this King but Jehovah? Of Him only it is said, ‘He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.’
The verse is enhanced in its beauty by its connection, even as a fair jewel receives an added beauty from the lovely neck upon which it sparkles. Let us read the verse again in this soft silver light. ‘When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.’ It is clear that the heart of the Lord delights in the cries of needy souls, and nothing can prevent His hearing them. No occupation is so sublime as to distract the Lord’s attention from the prayer of the humblest of His mourners. The songs of seraphs, the symphonies of angels, the ceaseless chorales of the redeemed, are not more sweet in the ears of the all-merciful Jehovah than the faint breathings of poor dying wretches who confess themselves condemned by His justice, and, therefore, appeal to His lovingkindness and tender mercy.
. . .
The spiritual pauper is, in our text, described as destitute, and you may only take the word in its extreme sense — the spiritually poor man is not only positively but utterly, thoroughly, terribly destitute…The poverty which is upon him is one which he cannot endure, or for a moment rest under; it is a heavy yoke to him, he sighs and cries under it. His is hungering and thirsting after righteousness. He knows there is something better than the state into which he has fallen, and he pines for it; he knows that if he doesn’t escape from his present condition, he will fall into woes infinitely worse, and he trembles at the grim prospect of it, and therefore he sighs and cries before God in bitterness of spirit. ‘Have mercy upon Thy poor destitute creature! Have mercy upon Thine undeserving servant!’
. . .
…He has taken to begging, and it is a very fitting occupation for him, indeed there is nothing else he can do…Ho, spiritual paupers, this day, even this day, is a day of grace; a warrant has come from the King’s court that you may ask and it shall be given to you, you may seek and you shall find, you may knock and it shall be opened unto you. Yea, every day is a free-grace day, a festival for prayer; long as you live and are in necessity, you have the King’s permit to open your mouth wide and He will fill it; you have His royal authority that you may come to His mercy-seat and ask in every time of need right boldly for whatsoever you want.
. . .
Let me further remind every spiritually destitute man here that he may pray with confidence, because begging has been the source of all the riches of the saints. Some of them are rolling in heavenly wealth, for all things are theirs. Their mouths are satisfied with good things, and their hearts are filled with gladness. You may see their riches, for the joy of their countenances, and the bliss of their daily work are visible to all. Do you not envy them, for they feed on Christ every day, and have the bread of heaven always on their tables, and the water of life always flowing at their feet? Do you know how they became so rich? I will whisper it in your ear. :) They gained all they have by begging.
- ‘Good News for the Destitute’ - The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Vol. 19 pg. 625-631 (C.H. Spurgeon)
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But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
— Luke 18:13 (ESV)
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Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
— Matthew 5:3 (ESV)
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He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
— Psalm 102:17 (KJV)
O, beloved.
I know how you always want to be strong — how there are times when you feel your tears or struggles reveal your weakness; how you desire to be Great-Faith, and at times, grow discouraged. But beloved? Do you see what good news this is? What grace and mercy He delights to impart when you, we are in this sorry state?
We think — ‘Surely our King must be most pleased when we are worshipping or rejoicing or doing something ‘big’ and ‘great’ for Him?! Surely He desires His subjects to come before Him in majesty — strong, clean, robed, pure?! Surely who I am, right at this very moment, Little Faith, isn’t ‘good enough’ for the God of all the universe, who created All from nothing?! The Holy One Himself?!’
But no, beloved! Don’t you see? The ‘greatest’ thing we could ever be in the eyes of our gracious King is a beggar! In our rags! In our stench! In our dreary state of sin! This, this is how we are to come to Him! And He, in His tender mercy, stops, and hears us. He has compassion on us, beloved — just as we are!
But neither does He leave us in the streets — hungry, thirsty, dirty, bruised, unkempt. Nay! He tenderly lifts us up, out of the gutter! He washes us in warm water, with pleasantly scented soap! He tends our wounds! He dresses us in a clean garment! He brings us into His home and prepares a feast for us, a safe place to rest! He delights to give to us abundantly, beloved! {in awe}
And what does He require from us? Only this: that we recognize our own poverty, our need for help, and that we ask Him, beloved. And not just ask, but that we beg Him! Beg Him to cleanse us and clothe us and lift us and comfort us and feed us! Beg Him for mercy! Beg Him to sustain us through all our many days apart from Him here!
And beg Him not just for the ‘bare necessities,’ beloved! What child goes around begging his father for toothpaste or a pencil or a pair of shoes?! No! Children beg for extravagant things, beloved! Things their father thinks are superfluous or too expensive, perhaps, but things that they genuinely, desperately want! And can a father always give such gifts to his children? No. Sometimes he says, ‘No!’ Or perhaps he needs more time to ‘save up’ for such a costly present! Or is waiting for just the right occasion to surprise the child! But beloved? What delight there is when a father can provide above and beyond, and a gift that is just what his child asked for?! Not just a bike, but the yellow one, with the streamers on the handlebars, and the white basket with a daisy on the front?!
And so, beloved — we beg!!! We grovel and bow low, prostrating our bodies, our spirits, our hearts, our minds before the King of All, in the hope that, we too, might One Day be able to say, Together - ‘O beloved! Just look at all of the riches He has chosen to bestow upon us! We have gained them all by our begging! What a good God we serve! He has bent low to hear us, and He has given us our every desire!’
May it be so, I beg you, Father.
Amen.