David comes into the presence of the Lord-as the representative of his kingdom.  His watchful eye has seen the tracks and his listening ear has heard the steps of strange feet.  They are the feet of the surrounding idolatrous nations.  He calls them strange children, for such they are; because in language, manners and dress they give proof that they are not of Judah and Jerusalem, but of Sodom and Egypt.  More than this, these strange children are enemies.  They would break up the self-denying worship of the true God and rob the sanctuary of all its sacred garniture.  They would corrupt the morals, debase the manners, and deprave the tastes of the young.  “Their mouth speaketh vanity.”  They boast of their liberty.  Their sinful indulgences are not restrained by law.  They are free to do whatever the lust of the flesh and the eye may incline them to do.  “Their right hand is the right hand of falsehood.”  This figure is very strong.  The right hand in this place is figuratively put for knowledge, wisdom, power, and whatever else they may vainly boast of having.  But they are destitute of all these.  They have no knowledge of that which is good, because they desire it not.  They have no wisdom, because they have never lifted their minds and hearts to the high plane of desire to do justice and judgment.  They have no power save that which is of the natural man; and that power, unless properly restrained, is always to be feared.  No wonder that he says of these idolatrous, licentious people that “their right hand is the right hand of falsehood.”

But how is the Lord to rid him of and deliver him from the hand of these strange children?  By causing fire to fall from heaven and consume them?  By causing a flood of water to drown them?  Or by making the earth to open her jaws and devour them?  No, no; in none of these ways; for in such destruction of enemies there is no trial of the faith of his people.  Brethren, do you know that it is, has been and to the end of time will be the pleasure of our heavenly Father to try the faith of his children?  This cannot be done independent of means.  Do you know that a tree standing in a stormy place takes deeper root than one that grows up in a calm, sheltered spot?  Do you know that a child shielded from every trial, and kept out of the reach of all temptation, will grow up with a very weak moral development?  The back that is never made to bear a load will forever stay weak.  The hand and arm unused to toil will lack strength and skill.  God does not want a kingdom made up of imbeciles.  He wants a people strong in faith, who can make a good fight, “the good fight of faith; lay hold of eternal life;” and if needs be “take the kingdom of heaven by violence,” the violence that resists the devil and makes him leave tracks which point away from where his people stand.  The track always tells which way the fox has gone.

This strength of faith, Brethren, is included in David’s prayer for his people, and he puts it in this shape:  “That our sons may be as plants [olive trees; see Psalm 128:4] grown up in their youth.”  We all know that plants, including trees, make their best growth and yield their best results in the open air, where they are exposed to the sun, wind, rain, storm and drouth.  And it is there they can receive the tillage they need.