Psalm 119:135

Psalm 119:135

His shining face

In verse 58 0f the Psalm we commented on the apparent impossibility of being able to see the face of God. And yet this intimacy was something that the psalmists, and other writers, craved. The High Priestly blessing, prayed over the people every day, asks that the Lord make His face shine upon them. In verse 58 we discovered that this plea involved more than just being able to see the face of God, which was impossible; I quote, “The Hebrew word for face in the Old Testament can be translated “presence.” Now things start to make more sense! Those Israelites who so regularly abandoned the Lord God were being reminded to seek again the presence of God and the psalmist lets it be known that this is his constant quest. When you think about it, a person’s face reveals a great deal about their character and personality even, maybe, their circumstances or lifestyle. The more we seek the face of God and the more we spend time in His presence, the more like Him we will become.”

The psalmists frequently asked the Lord to NOT hide His face from them, I suspect that this was their way of saying, “Don’t forget us!” It became a figure of speech, so if things were going badly, or a need was not being met, it was because the Lord had hidden His face. Consequently, if it was obvious that the Lord had withdrawn and was keeping His distance, those who depended on Him were driven to despair. 

It seems that the author of Psalm 119 saw a direct correlation between knowing and keeping the Law, and the experience of God’s presence. His request here makes sense. “Teach me Your decrees so that I am always be close to You and thus always see Your face.” Nothing has changed, the Lord always honours the obedient and it is so much easier to stay close to Him if we are keeping His Word. 

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