Sirach 51:1-16: a reflection

1I will give thanks to you, O Lord, O King, and will praise you, O God my Savior. I give thanks to your name, 2for you have been my protector and helper, and delivered my body out of destruction, and out of the snare of a slanderous tongue, from lips that fabricate lies. You were my helper before those who stood by, 3and delivered me, according to the abundance of your mercy and of your name, from the gnashings of teeth ready to devour, out of the hand of those seeking my life, out of the many afflictions I endured, 4from the choking of a fire on every side, and out of the midst of fire that I hadn’t kindled, 5out of the depth of the belly of Hades, from an unclean tongue, and from lying words— 6the slander of an unrighteous tongue to the king. My soul drew near to death. My life was near to Hades. 7They surrounded me on every side. There was no one to help me. I was looking for human help, and there was none. 8Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, and your working which has been from everlasting, how you deliver those who wait for you, and save them out of the hand of their enemies. 9I lifted up my prayer from the earth, and prayed for deliverance from death. 10I called upon the Lord, the Father of my Lord, that he would not forsake me in the days of affliction, in the time when there was no help against the proud. 11I will praise your name continually. I will sing praise with thanksgiving. My prayer was heard. 12You saved me from destruction and delivered me from the evil time. Therefore I will give thanks and praise to you, and bless the name of the Lord. 13When I was yet young, before I went abroad, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. 14Before the temple I asked for her. I will seek her out even to the end. 15From the first flower to the ripening grape my heart delighted in her. My foot walked in uprightness. From my youth I followed her steps. 16I inclined my ear a little, and received her, and found for myself much instruction.

In a psalm of thanksgiving, the sage recalls a time of great danger, when there was no human help, and how he remembered God's mercy, called on him, and was heard and delivered. There was no one to help me, the sage says; I was looking for human help, and there was none. Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, how you deliver those who wait for you. Surrounded by danger, slandered, his life near death, the sage found no human help anywhere. But in that extremity, he remembered God's mercy and his long history of delivering those who wait for him; he lifted up his prayer and called on the Lord; and his prayer was heard, and he was delivered. When human help failed, God did not. This shows remembering God's mercy and calling on him when there is no human help. When there is no human help, remember God's mercy and call on him. God delivers those who wait for him when human help fails. Turn to God in the extremity where no human help is found. Remember God's mercy, call on him, and give thanks when he delivers.

Notice what the sage did when human help failed. He was in great danger, surrounded, slandered, his life near death; and he looked for human help and found none. There was no one to help him. In that extremity, with no human help anywhere, he did not simply despair. He remembered God's mercy, and God's long history of delivering those who wait for him; he lifted up his prayer from the earth and called on the Lord, asking not to be forsaken in the day of affliction. And God heard: his prayer was heard, and he was saved from destruction, delivered from the evil time. When human help failed, God did not fail him. This holds encouragement for our own extremities. There are times when we look for human help and find none, when we are in trouble and no one can or will help us, when human resources fail entirely. In such times, we can do as the sage did: remember God's mercy, and his history of delivering those who wait for him; lift up our prayer and call on him; and trust that he hears. When every human help fails, God remains; and he delivers those who wait for him and call on him. We do well, when there is no human help, to remember God's mercy and call on him, trusting that he hears and delivers, and to give him thanks when he does. When there is no human help, remember God's mercy and call on him. God delivers those who wait for him, even when human help fails. Turn to God in the extremity where no one else can help. Give God thanks when he hears and delivers you.

That is worth taking to heart, for when there is no human help, we can remember God's mercy and call on him, who delivers those who wait for him, as the sage did in his extremity. We can despair when human help fails entirely; but the sage, finding no human help, remembered God's mercy, called on him, and was heard and delivered. God does not fail. When you find no human help in your trouble, do not despair; remember God's mercy, call on him, and trust that he hears and delivers those who wait for him. When there is no human help in your trouble, remember God's mercy and call on him, trusting that he hears and delivers those who wait for him, as in a psalm of thanksgiving the sage recalled a time of great danger when there was no human help, and how he remembered God's mercy, called on him, and was heard and delivered, saying there was no one to help him and he looked for human help and found none, but then remembered God's mercy and how he delivers those who wait for him; for surrounded by danger, slandered, and near death, the sage found no human help anywhere, but in that extremity remembered God's mercy and his long history of delivering those who wait for him, lifted up his prayer and called on the Lord, and his prayer was heard and he was delivered, so that when human help failed God did not, which holds encouragement for our own extremities, since there are times when we look for human help and find none, when we are in trouble and no one can or will help us and human resources fail entirely, and in such times we can do as the sage did, remembering God's mercy and his history of delivering those who wait for him, lifting up our prayer and calling on him, and trusting that he hears, since when every human help fails God remains and delivers those who wait for him and call on him, so that we do well, when there is no human help, to remember God's mercy and call on him.

Lord, in a psalm of thanksgiving, the sage recalls a time of great danger, when there was no human help, and how he remembered your mercy, called on you, and was heard and delivered. There was no one to help me, the sage says; I was looking for human help, and there was none. Then I remembered your mercy, O Lord, how you deliver those who wait for you. Surrounded by danger, slandered, his life near death, the sage found no human help anywhere. But in that extremity, he remembered your mercy and your long history of delivering those who wait for you; he lifted up his prayer and called on you; and his prayer was heard, and he was delivered. When human help failed, you did not. Show me what the sage did when human help failed. He was in great danger, surrounded, slandered, his life near death; and he looked for human help and found none. In that extremity, with no human help anywhere, he did not simply despair. He remembered your mercy, and your long history of delivering those who wait for you; he lifted up his prayer and called on you, asking not to be forsaken in the day of affliction. And you heard: his prayer was heard, and he was saved from destruction. When human help failed, you did not fail him. This holds encouragement for my own extremities. There are times when I look for human help and find none, when I am in trouble and no one can or will help me, when human resources fail entirely. In such times, I can do as the sage did: remember your mercy, and your history of delivering those who wait for you; lift up my prayer and call on you; and trust that you hear. When every human help fails, you remain; and you deliver those who wait for you and call on you. Take that to my heart. When I find no human help in my trouble, keep me from despair; help me remember your mercy, Lord, call on you, and trust that you hear and deliver those who wait for you, and give you thanks when you do.