Psalms 107:23-24. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters ; these see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
The Jews were never given to navigation. To "go down to the sea in ships," seemed a very extraordinary thing to them; they looked upon it as a going down, as it were, into a dreadful abyss. We, who are more accustomed to going to sea than they were, talk of "the high seas;" but they spoke of going "down to the sea." They never went to sea except on business. King Solomon had no pleasure yacht. There was never one of that ancient race who cared to trust himself upon the sea except as a matter of sheer necessity, and those who did so were looked upon with wonder by their land-loving friends. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord;"-that is, his greatest works, both in the sea and on it. They know what storms are, and they see what omnipotence can do, and they come back to tell of the wonders of God upon the mighty deep. This verse may be read spiritually as well as literally. God calls some of his servants, as it were, to go down to the sea in ships. They are tried with poverty, with personal sickness, with temptation, with inward conflicts, with fierce persecutions; and God never calls them to these trials out of mere caprice, there is always a reason for it. They go down to the sea in ships to "do business in great waters." There is something to be gained from their trials, and something to be learned from them. They "do business in great waters;" and "these see the works of the Lord." Others hear about them, and believe what they are told concerning them; but these see them. They see what God has done in their case,-how he sustains, how he delivers, how he sanctifies trial, and overrules it for his own glory, and his people’s good: "These see the works of the Lord." And they also see the wonders of the economy of grace. They are made to experience the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths, of that love which; passeth knowledge; they see "his wonders in the deep." You and I need not desire to have trouble, as though we put out to sea for our own pleasure; but, if God calls us to sail upon a sea of troubles, if he sends us there upon his business, we may depend upon it that he means that business to end to our profit and his own glory.
Psalms 107:23-24. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters ; these see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
The Jews were never given to navigation. To "go down to the sea in ships," seemed a very extraordinary thing to them; they looked upon it as a going down, as it were, into a dreadful abyss. We, who are more accustomed to going to sea than they were, talk of "the high seas;" but they spoke of going "down to the sea." They never went to sea except on business. King Solomon had no pleasure yacht. There was never one of that ancient race who cared to trust himself upon the sea except as a matter of sheer necessity, and those who did so were looked upon with wonder by their land-loving friends. "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord;"-that is, his greatest works, both in the sea and on it. They know what storms are, and they see what omnipotence can do, and they come back to tell of the wonders of God upon the mighty deep. This verse may be read spiritually as well as literally. God calls some of his servants, as it were, to go down to the sea in ships. They are tried with poverty, with personal sickness, with temptation, with inward conflicts, with fierce persecutions; and God never calls them to these trials out of mere caprice, there is always a reason for it. They go down to the sea in ships to "do business in great waters." There is something to be gained from their trials, and something to be learned from them. They "do business in great waters;" and "these see the works of the Lord." Others hear about them, and believe what they are told concerning them; but these see them. They see what God has done in their case,-how he sustains, how he delivers, how he sanctifies trial, and overrules it for his own glory, and his people’s good: "These see the works of the Lord." And they also see the wonders of the economy of grace. They are made to experience the heights and depths, the lengths and breadths, of that love which; passeth knowledge; they see "his wonders in the deep." You and I need not desire to have trouble, as though we put out to sea for our own pleasure; but, if God calls us to sail upon a sea of troubles, if he sends us there upon his business, we may depend upon it that he means that business to end to our profit and his own glory.