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Hide not thy face - from me - As my face is towards thee wheresoever I am, so let thy face be turned towards me. In a Persian MS. poem entitled Shah we Gudda, "The King and the Beggar," I have found a remarkable couplet, most strangely and artificially involved, which expresses exactly the same sentiment one meaning of which is: -
Our face is towards Thee in all our ways;
Thy face is towards us in all our intentions.
Something similar, though not the same sentiment is in Hafiz, lib. i., gaz. v., cap. 2: -
How can we with the disciples turn our face towards the kaaba,
When our spiritual instructer turns his face to wards the wine-cellar?
I shall subjoin a higher authority than either: -
Ὁτι οφθαλμοι Κυριου επι δικαιους,π
Και ωτα αυτου εις δεησις αυτων·Προσωπον δε Κυριου επι ποιουντας κακα .
For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; And his ears to their supplication: And the face of the Lord is upon the workers of evil.
Hide not thy face far from me - Compare the notes at Psalm 4:6. To “hide the face” is to turn it away with displeasure, as if we would not look on one who has offended us. The favor of God is often expressed by “lifting the light of his countenance” upon anyone - looking complacently or “pleasedly” upon him. The reverse of this is expressed by hiding the face, or by turning it away. The word “far” introduced by the translators does not aid the sense of the passage.
Put not thy servant away in anger - Do not turn me off, or put me away in displeasure. We turn one away, or do not admit him into our presence, with whom we are displeased. The psalmist prayed that he might have free access to God as a Friend.
Thou hast been my help - In days that are past. This he urges as a reason why God should still befriend him. The fact that He had shown mercy to him, that He had treated him as a friend, is urged as a reason why He should now hear his prayers, and show him mercy.
Leave me not - Do not abandon me. This is still a proper ground of pleading with God. We may refer to all His former mercies toward us; we may make mention of those mercies as a reason why He should now interpose and save us. We may, so to speak, “remind” him of His former favors and friendship, and may plead with Him that He will complete what He has begun, and that, having once admitted us to His favor, He will never leave or forsake us.
Then let us take up our work just where we find it, without one word of repining, imagining nothing can come but that strength will come proportionate to the trial. Our children are in the hands of God. Our faith must awaken to grasp the promises and we not repine, we not be mournful, for then we dishonor God. We must encourage a cheerful, hopeful frame of mind. Our present peace must not be disturbed by anticipated trials, for God will never leave nor forsake one soul who trusts in Him. God is better unto us than our fears. If we would encourage a diligent remembrance and recital of our mercies, counting up instances in which God has wrought for us, has been better to us than our fears, in which He has interposed His power and His grace when sorely perplexed, sustained us when falling, comforted us when sorrowing, we would see that it is unbelief to distrust God or be filled with anxiety. Let mercies be remembered and enjoyed daily. We must live by faith daily.... Rejoice in God always. Today praise God for His grace, and continue to praise Him every day.—Letter 11a, February 19, 1884, to Elder and Mrs. Uriah Smith. TDG 58.4
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