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PSALM 27 VERSE 9 COMMENTARY
Written and edited by Glenn Pease
 9 Do not hide your face from me,
 
do not turn your servant away in anger;
 
you have been my helper.
 
Do not reject me or forsake me,
 
O God my Savior.
 
A. Do not hide your face from me
 
1. This is a paradox, for the first part is about the praise of a man doing very well,but the second part is about one who is fearful in doing very ill. Ambivalence iswhen opposite emotions are experienced at the same time. One can be fearful andfaithful, courageous and cowardly, joyful and sad all in the same few moments. Ourcapacity for feeling opposites is great, and we can honestly praise and complain inthe same prayer. It can be a good day and a bad day on the same day. Emotions canchange like the speed of light, that is why they are not reliable guides. All thevariables of life are in the emotions.1B. It does not seem to be any great feat for an invisible God to hide from mortalman, but not being seen is not the issue here, for God is not seen even when he is in afriendly and loving relationship with believers. David is not worried that God isgoing to go off and hide and he will not be able to find him because God knows somany good hiding places that man can never locate. Playing hide and seek with Godwould be absurd, and totally unfair, for he has the entire universe as options, andbeside that, he is hidden even if he is right beside you, plus he always knows whereyou are, for you cannot hide from his omniscient eye. So literal hiding is not theissue here. God hiding his face means that he is no longer looking on you with hisfavor, and when this happens there is bad news on the way. It is equivalent to being
 
rejected and forsaken by God. David is fearful of being abandoned, and this is oneof the greatest fears of any child, as well as any child of God. Look at a few textsthat deal with God hiding his face, and you will get the point.2. Texts that show the negatives when God hides his face.Deuteronomy 31:17 On that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; Iwill hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. Many disasters anddifficulties will come upon them, and on that day they will ask, 'Have not thesedisasters come upon us because our God is not with us?'Deuteronomy 31:18 And I will certainly hide my face on that day because of all theirwickedness in turning to other gods.Deuteronomy 32:20 "I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what theirend will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.Job 13:24 Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?
 
Psalm 13:1 [ For the director of music. A psalm of David. ] How long, O LORD ?Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?Psalm 44:24 Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?Psalm 69:17 Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I amin trouble.Psalm 88:14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
 
Micah 3:4 Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At thattime he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins havehidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.Isaiah 64:7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you havehidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.
 
3. It is obvious that when God hides his face it means he is angry at those fromwhom he is hidden. When he is sending judgment he is hiding his face. He is nolonger being kind and merciful when he hides his face. He is no longercommunicating and giving guidance, but is expressing his anger. In contrast, whenGod seeks to bless people he does not hide his face any longer, but shines on themlike the noon day sun with favor and good news. Ezekiel 39:29 I will no longer hidemy face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares theSovereign LORD." In Num. 6:22-27 we read, "The LORD said to Moses, 23 "TellAaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:24 " ' "The LORD bless youand keep you;25 the LORD make his face shine upon youand be gracious to you;26 the LORD turn his face toward youand give you peace." '27 "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
 
Psalm 4:6, " 6 Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.Psalm 31:16, "Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.
 
Psalm 67:1, "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine uponus, Selah
 
Psalm 80:3 Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.Psalm 80:7 Restore us, O God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we maybe saved.Psalm 80:19Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, thatwe may be saved.
 
4. Spurgeon wrote, "A smile from the Lord is the greatest of comforts, his frown theworst of ills. Put not thy servant away in anger. Other servants had been put away
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