Psalms 102:2

Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. HIDE NOT THY FACE FROM ME - (; .) So the Father on Calvary hid His face from the Son of David. IN THE DAY WHEN I AM IN TROUBLE; INCLINE THINE EAR UNTO ME. So the punctuation ought to be; to answer to in the day when I call answer me speedily-literally, 'hasten, answer me' (). David puts into the mouth of his suffering seed language already employed by himself in his own trouble. God's having already answered this cry (as he hints by using the same words) is an encouragement to all whom David instructs, to cherish hope if they cast themselves on God in the same way....

2_Hide not thy face from me in the day of my affliction _The prayer, that God would not hide his face, is far from being superfluous. As the people had been languishing in captivity for the space of nearly seventy years, it might seem that God had for ever turned away his favor from them. But they are, notwithstanding, commanded, in their extreme affliction, to have recourse to prayer as their only remedy. They affirm that they cry _in the day of their affliction, _not as hypocrites are accustomed to do, who utter their complaints in a tumultuous manner, but because they feel that they are then called upon by God to cry to him. _Make haste, answer me _Having elsewhere spoken more fully of these forms of expression, it may suffice, at present, briefly to observe, that when God permits us to lay open before him our infirmities without reserve, and patiently bears with our foolishness, he d...

1-11 The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but here, is often elsewhere, the Holy Ghost has put words into our mouths. Here is a prayer put into the hands of the afflicted; let them present it to God. Even good men may be almost overwhelmed with afflictions. It is our duty and interest to pray; and it is comfort to an afflicted spirit to unburden itself, by a humble representation of its griefs. We must say, Blessed be the name of the Lord, who both gives and takes away. The psalmist looked upon himself as a dying man; My days are like a shadow....

HIDE NOT THY FACE FROM ME - The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, “Do not turn away thy face from me.” The sense is essentially the same. The prayer is, that God would not refuse to look graciously upon him; that he would turn his attention to him; that he would regard his supplications. See the notes at Psalms 10:1; compare Psalms 13:1; Psalms 27:9; Job 13:24; Job 34:29; Deuteronomy 31:17. In the day

EXPOSITION THE "title" of this psalm is altogether peculiar, being "a Prayer for the afflicted, when he faints, and pours out his complaint before Jehovah." This is clearly a general direction for the use of the psalm by afflicted persons, either universally, or, at any rate, when in circumstances resembling those of the writer. The writer appears to have belonged to the period of the Captivity, and probably to the later portion of it (Psalms 102:13). It has been conjectured that he is Daniel; but there are no sufficient grounds for assigning the composition to any special individual. It is the voice of a representative sufferer in Babylon, mourning over his own afflictions and those of his nation. The psalm consists of three main portions: first, a complaint, prefaced by an appeal to God for aid (verses 1-11); secondly, a confident expression of an

HIDE NOT THY FACE FROM ME IN THE DAY WHEN I AM IN TROUBLE,.... Thy Shechinah, as the Targum: when God hides his face at any time from his people, it is a trouble to them, and very grievous; but especially when they are in any other trouble besides; it is very afflicting, indeed, when to their outward trouble this is added, which was Job's case, Job 23:1, incline thine ear unto me; condescend, in great grace and goodness, to stoop and bow thine ear, and listen to the voice of my supplication: in the day when I call, answer me speedily; good men are always for speedy answers of prayer; they would have them the day, the hour, the moment they are calling upon God: sometimes answers are returned as soon, Isaiah 65:24, the case of the psalmist was very distressing, and, as he thought at least, required haste,

Kindly notice the title of this Psalm: «Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.» I call your attention to it in order to remind you what charges there are in the life of a believer. Here, in the 102 nd Psalm, the afflicted saint is pouring out his complaint; and then, in the 103 rd, the rejoicing believer is blessing the Lord in a jubilant song of grateful praise. Such are a true Christian's ups and downs, nights and days, and I can see how the 103 rd Psalm blossoms out of the 102 nd. When the afflicted believer can pour out his complaint before the Lord, it will not be long before he will be able to cry, «Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name.» If you carry your complaint in your own bosom, or tell it to some earthly friend, you will probably continue to have cause to complain; but if you pour ou...

Psalms 102 Christ the King in His Humiliation _ 1. In the place of humiliation and dependence (Psalms 102:1)_ 2. His enemies (Psalms 102:8) 3. The set time for Zion (Psalms 102:12) 4. The blessings which follow (Psalms 102:17) 5. The God-man in His work (Psalms 102:23) That this Psalm is a prophecy concerning the sufferings of Christ, His humiliation and death, and the gracious results which flow from

CII. The title, which is unique in the Psalter, describes the contents of Psalms 102:1 very well. So far the Ps. is the prayer of a man in extreme affliction. The same may be said of Psalms 102:23 and Psalms 102:24 a. But the theme which occupies the rest of the Ps. is quite different and indeed contrary. The poet turns to the eternal life of Yahweh. He has already built up Zion: His glory has appeared: not only the Jews but other peoples and kingdoms are to serve Yahweh. We may try to evade this difficulty by treating the perfect verbs as futures of prophetic certainty. Thus in Psalms 102:16 the translation would be Yahweh sh

PSALMS 102 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE The Prayer of a Humbled One brings a Threefold Answer of Peace. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 102:1-11, A Humbled One's Complaint. Stanza II., Psalms 102:12-17, The FIRST CONCLUSION, Adapting the psalm to the Close of the Captivity in Babylon. Stanza III., Psalms 102:18-22, The SECOND CONCLUSION, Adapting the psalm to a Future Generation. Stanza IV., Psalms 102:23-28, The Original Conclusion now placed at the Close of the Composite Psalm. (Lm.) PrayerBy