How Firm A Foundation
The exact origin and author of How Firm a Foundation remains a mystery. First included in John Rippon’s book A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors in 1787, it has remained a popular hymn ever since. It has been sung at funerals of U.S. Presidents and even played a pivotal role in uniting the American army during the Spanish-American War. In its nearly 250 years of existence, it has been included in over 2,100 hymnals.
In How Firm A Foundation, we find five promises of God in five stanzas, all set to a beautiful, simple, easy-to-sing, and memorable tune. These promises take us on a journey from the sufficiency of God’s word through His presence, comfort, and protection to His never leaving us. And oh, what a beautiful journey through scripture it is.
The hymn begins with the sufficiency of God’s word. Matthew records Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Matt 7:24-25 ESV).
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.
In the second stanza, we find a near-direct quote of the words of Isaiah. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isa 41:10 ESV).
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
for I will be near thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
From Isaiah, we find these words: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isa 43:2 ESV). Here, Isaiah reminds Israel of the Exodus and how God brought them through trials, comforting them along the way, not once but many times.
Paul writes to the Corinthian church: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction…” (2 Cor 1:3-4 ESV).
Think of all that Israel went through: four hundred years of slavery, followed by 40 years in the desert, followed by centuries of war. Yet God was with them. They strayed, but He did not. They pushed Him aside, but He remained near. So it is with us, too.
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.
Isaiah once again reminds Israel of God’s promise and protection: “When you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isa 43:2 ESV). The hymn writer takes another cue from Isaiah as he lays out this beautiful promise of God’s protection. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood fast, refusing to bow to a pagan king, God protected them in the fiery furnace.
The Psalmist writes, “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore” (Ps 121:7-8 ESV).
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake.
Toward the end of the book, the writer of Hebrews instructs us and reminds us of the words God spoke to Joshua: “…I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5 ESV). God has shown us throughout Scripture that if we rest in Him and keep Him as our God rather than anything or anyone else, He will not leave us. Just as Moses instructed Israel while handing leadership over to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deut 31:6 ESV).
Our challenge as believers is to remain focused on Jesus. Just as staying focused on the horizon helps us deal with the rise and fall of the boat on the waves, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus keeps us steady through the waves of life. It is harder than it looks. When learning to water ski many moons ago, I quickly learned that I needed to keep my eyes on the boat rather than the wake. The wake is always threatening but never overtakes unless I give in to its threat. This temporal life is always threatening us with doom. But Jesus is the assurance of life everlasting.
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