DON’T HIDE YOUR FACE

DON’T HIDE YOUR FACE

51:11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

William Cowper knew about depression and suicidal tendencies. He had major bouts with suicidal thoughts and actually tried to hang himself which led to his conversion. You may have never heard of Cowper but you probably know his songs . He was pastored by John Newton (author of Amazing Grace) and is known best for his song There is a Fountain Filled with Blood. Cowper knew about conversion and forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness and God’s grace was a theme of his songs and his ministry. Here is a quote from Cowper on his comments on Psalm 51, David’s great psalm of repentance.

“Cast me not away from thy presence. David lamented before that sin had slain him, and made him like a dead man, wanting a heart or quickening spirit; and now he fears lest, as the dead are abhorred by the living, so the Lord should cast him as a dead and abominable thing out of his presence. Whereof we learn this is one of the just punishments of sin; it procures the casting out of a man from the face of God; and it may let us see how dear bought are the pleasures of sin when a man to enjoy the face of the creature deprives himself of the comfortable face of the Creator; as David here, for the carnal love of the face of Bathsheba, puts himself in danger to be cast out forever from the presence of the Lord his God. If a man could remember this in all Satan’s temptations, what it is that the deceiver offers, and what it is again that he seeks, he would be loath to buy the perishing pleasures of sin upon such a price as Satan selleth them, but would answer him as the apostle did Simon Magus, “Thy money, with thyself, go into perdition;” thy gain, thy glory, thy pleasure, and whatever thou wouldst give me to offend the Lord my God, go with thyself into perdition, for what canst thou offer me comparable to that which thou wouldst steal from me?”

Cowper had some interesting insight in this passage, he said David had exchanged a few moments enjoying the face of Bathsheba at the risk of losing his access to the face of God. That is the tragic consequence that is involved with our sinful behavior, the one thing we can’t afford to lose we sacrifice for the fleeting joys of carnal pleasure. This famous song is David’s song of repentance. David cried, “Do not cast me away from your presence…” The word presence in David’s prayer is the hebrew word for face. David was praying,”Lord, don’t turn your face away from me”. David knew the pleasures found in the presence of God, he was painfully aware of the tragedy of losing that joy in his life. David’s repentance has been a model prayer for God’s children for the last 3000 years, maybe you should pray this prayer today.