Psalms 27:9

Hide not Thy face far from me.

Hide not Thy face from me

1. The surpassing worth and excellence of God’s special favour, whereof he would not be deprived (Psalms 30:5; Psalms 63:3).

2. He knew the displeasure of God was a most heavy and grievous thing, which no creature is able to bear (Psalms 76:7).

3. He knew his own guilt of sin, both original (Psalms 51:5) and actual (Psalms 51:3).

4. He was not ignorant of God’s sovereignty over all, whereby He may, even for trial of grace, hide His face, and seem angry with His dearest servants. Uses--

1. For instruction.

(1) See in David what the godly think of the want of God’s favour: that it is a most grievous and bitter thing; as if a father should put away a child in anger, leave him and forsake him.

(2) See here that the true child of God may, for a time, want the feeling of God’s special favour, and remain under the sense of His displeasure (Psalms 38:1).

(3) See that prayer is a blessed and sanctified means whereby the child of God may comfortably wait for the blessing of God’s favour.

2. For admonition.

(1) That we examine ourselves, how our hearts esteem the want of feeling God’s special love and favour in Christ.

(2) Learn not to be dismayed for the temporary hiding of God’s face or sustaining of His anger. (T. Pierson.)

Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me.--

A mighty plea

In times of distress it is not well always to have a choice of helpers. For while we are selecting, our danger may have overtaken us. While the fox was considering which way to run, the hounds had seized him; while the sick man was selecting the physician, his disease carried him off. It is well to be shut up to one help, if that help is all we need; as the old proverb hath it: “Hobson’s choice, that or none.” Now, this is the believer’s condition. And it is well in going to God to have a good plea, such as is provided for us here: “Thou hast been my help.” A soul in sore distress is in no fit condition to puzzle itself over deep, dark reasonings; it wants a child’s plea, just as Dr. Guthrie, when dying, wanted “bairns’ hymns.” It is told of a famous Hebrew scholar, Dr. John Duncan of Edinburgh, that he was easily imposed upon; but the imposition never moved him, and he was willing to submit to it for the chance of doing good. He said, “I find they know how to get round me; they say, ‘You helped me before ‘; and I never can resist that: it teaches me how to pray.” And do we not like to help our old pensioners? and they know we do. Now, in our text we have:

I. experience gratefully telling her tale. How many of us can and must say, “O God, Thou hast been my help”? Go over the history of David, and see how often he had cause to say this.

II. necessity pleading experience. She pleads, “It is consistent with Thy holiness; it is within Thy power; it is fitting to Thy wisdom; or else all that Thou hast done will be thrown away. Thou art the unchanging God, and to Thy love I appeal.” It is the plea of a child to a father, “Father, thou hast always fed me: wilt thou let me starve?”

III. experience instructing faith. To trust, because God has been your help for so long; and so constantly and so singularly; and with glory to Himself. (C. H Spurgeon.)