At the times in my life, when I have been agonizing over being slandered…I have gone to the following verses (and others listed in the references at the end of the post), that I might feel safe from the emotional harm and maliciousness.
Telling my problems, fears and concerns to the Lord at such times and reading His word usually enables me to get through the day (instead of remaining in bed, diverting myself with TV…).
At such times, I read psalms such as the following 31, 55, 32, 38 and many other scriptures, depending upon where cross references take me.
The following two verses, however, contain a concept that I haven’t yet sufficiently understood, the idea of hiding in God.
Psalm 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Psalm 32:7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
Having awakened this morning feeling defensive and beaten down, very mindful of Christian relationships wherein I have experienced slander…I prayed for the Lord’s help to cast this burden upon Him because it has been a recurring problem for more than a decade. It seems that I am not able to forgive, no matter how much I have prayed and tried to put this burden on Him.
I don’t have this problem so much with worldly people; but with Christians, my own expectations that they be different from worldlings, set me up to experience more grief.
After praying, I began my reading with Psalm 55, as the part of wanting to flee away to a safe place, and the verse about rolling this burden upon Him, cause me to feel that I am not alone in having been harmed by brethren; and I am not alone in seeking to be freed of all that goes with that burden.
I went on to read Psalm 31, then I started looking in commentaries for more understanding of the concept of hiding in the Lord; and His hiding me from the persecution, from the malicious tongues.
I only looked at two commentaries: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible (on E-sword electronic Bible); and Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, 1834 (also free with E-sword); the latter is great for cross references on any verse – it gives far more than the average study Bible.
Albert Barnes [emboldening and square brackets are mine]:
“Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence – See the notes at Psa_27:5. The phrase “secret of thy presence” means thy “secret presence.” The Hebrew is: “the secret of thy face;” and the idea is, that He would hide them, or withdraw them from public view, or from the view of their enemies, into the very place where He Himself dwelt, so that they would be before Him and near Him; so that His eye would be upon them, and that they would be certain of His protection. The language here is the same as in Psa_27:5, except that the word “face” or “presence” is used here instead of the word “tabernacle.” The idea is the same.
From the pride of man – The Hebrew word here rendered “pride” – רכס rôkes – means properly “league” or “conspiracy;” then, “snares” or “plots.” It occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures, though the corresponding verb – רכס râkas – occurs twice, meaning to “bind on” or “to,” Exo_28:28; Exo_39:21. The word here means “league” or “conspiracy,” and the idea is, that when the wicked form a conspiracy, or enter into a league against the righteous, God will take them, as it were, into His own immediate presence, and will protect them.
Thou shalt keep them secretly – Thou wilt “hide” them as with Thyself.
In a pavilion – In Thy tent, or dwelling-place. See the notes at Psa_27:5.
From the strife of tongues – Slander; reproach; calumny. This does not mean the strife of tongues among themselves, or their contentions with each other, but the united clamors of the whole against Himself. God would guard the righteous from their reproaches, or their efforts to ruin them by slander. Compare Psa_37:5-6.”
Albert Barnes: Psalm 32:7
“Thou art my hiding-place – See Psa_9:9, note; Psa_27:5, note. The idea is that he would be safe under the protection of God. The general allusion is to concealment from an enemy, but the immediate reference is to sin, and the consequences of sin. By fleeing to God he would be secure against all the evils which sin brings upon human beings.
Thou shalt preserve me from trouble – Particularly the trouble which comes from guilt; sadness and sorrow in the remembrance of sin; apprehension of the wrath of God in the world to come; the consequences of guilt in that unseen and eternal world.
Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance – With songs expressive of deliverance or salvation. It is not merely one song or a single expression of gratitude; in his pathway to another world he will be attended with songs and rejoicings; he will seem to be surrounded with songs He himself will sing. Others, redeemed like him, will sing, and will seem to chant praises because He is redeemed and forgiven. All nature will seem to rejoice over his redemption. Nature is full of songs. The birds of the air; the wind; the running stream; the ocean; the seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter; hills, valleys, groves – all, to one redeemed, seem to be full of songs. The feeling that we are pardoned fills the universe with melody, and makes the heaven and the earth seem to us to be glad. The Christian is a happy man; and he himself being happy, all around him sympathizes with him in his joy.”
My thoughts on these concepts:
Specifically, how does one enter into this hiding place of God’s?
Inherent in the commentary is the necessity to be in God’s word or prayer. I have experienced such an entrance by reciting scripture when I was preoccupied with troubles. I was often able to let go of them and focus on learning about God from His word.
The problem is that it seems that I have to rediscover that each time trouble harasses me.
Although today, I sought no other diversion to escape the emotional pain, I turned to prayer and God’s word.
References from TSK:
“Psalm 31:20 hide: Psa_27:5, Psa_32:7, Psa_64:2, Psa_91:1-4
from: Psa_10:2, Psa_36:11, Psa_40:4, Psa_86:14, Psa_124:5, Psa_140:5; Exo_18:11; Jas_4:6
the strife: Psa_64:2-4, Psa_140:3; Job_5:21; Rom_13:13; 2Co_12:20; Gal_5:20; 1Ti_6:4; Jas_3:5-6, Jas_3:14-16
Psalm 32: 7 my: Psa_9:9, Psa_27:5, Psa_31:20, Psa_119:114, Psa_143:9; Jer_36:26; Col_3:3
compass: Psa_32:10, Psa_5:12, Psa_18:5
songs: Psa_40:3, Psa_98:1; Exo_15:1-3; Jdg_5:1; 2Sa_22:1; Rev_7:10, Rev_15:2-3″