Psalms 143:9 - Homilies By R. Tuck

Fleeing from God: fleeing to God.

Literally, "Unto thee have I hidden myself;" or, "my sorrow."

I. WHAT IS REVEALED BY THE MOOD OF MIND THAT FLEES FROM GOD . That mood is suggested by the experience of Adam, who hid himself from the presence of the Lord, when the holy voice was heard in the garden, when the evening breeze was felt.

1. A mood of dissatisfaction with self is revealed. There is a good sense in which a man may be at peace with himself—satisfied with himself; feeling no abrupt division between his doing and his sense of right doing. In that state the man loves the thought of God, and cherishes the sense of his nearness. God is kin with him. If a man is dissatisfied with himself, not sure of his own rightness, that man will get away from God, put away the thought of him.

2. A mood of fear is revealed. A man knows how much he is dependent on God, and how closely he is related to God; if he wants to get away from God, he must have some reason to fear what those Divine relations must involve. The fear is based on either

II. WHAT IS REVEALED BY THE MOOD OF MIND THAT FLEES TO GOD .

1. A right apprehension of God. Wholly consistent with reverent thought of God is a restful confidence in him. No man apprehends God aright who only knows him as good ; he must know that he is good to him . His knowing this is seen in his fleeing to hide in him.

2. A right apprehension of self. This involves cherished assurance of dependence, and absence of all desire to be other than dependent. Only to the dependent soul can God ever reveal himself.

3. A full confidence of safety in the defense of God. That full confidence involves the assurance of safety from perilous self as well as from treacherous foes.—R.T.