What does "darkness will hide me" reveal about human attempts to escape God? Setting the Verse in Its Context Psalm 139:11 — “If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light become night around me,’” What the Phrase Shows About Us • We instinctively look for cover when we feel exposed or guilty. • Like Adam and Eve hiding among the trees (Genesis 3:8), we assume that removing ourselves from sight will remove us from accountability. • Darkness symbolizes secrecy; the psalmist voices a common human fantasy—if no one sees, the deed is safe. What the Phrase Shows About God • Psalm 139:12 immediately answers: “Even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines like the day, for darkness is as light to You.” • God’s omnipresence renders location-based hiding impossible (Jeremiah 23:24; Job 34:21-22). • God’s omniscience renders secrecy-based hiding impossible (Hebrews 4:13). Futility of Concealment—A Brief Survey 1. Physical hiding fails – Jonah fled “from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3) yet met Him in the storm. 2. Moral hiding fails – “For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come into the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20). Jesus ties darkness to self-deception, not divine blindness. 3. Intellectual hiding fails – “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Denial does not erase reality. Why We Try to Hide • Guilt: Sin carries shame; covering it feels easier than confessing it. • Fear: We dread judgment and consequences. • Pride: Admitting wrong—or need—wounds our self-image. God’s Answer to Our Hiding • Exposure with grace: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). • Invitation into light: “Whoever practices the truth comes into the Light” (John 3:21). • Assurance of steadfast love: “Where can I flee from Your presence? … Your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:7,10). Living in the Light • Cultivate transparency before God through regular confession. • Invite Scripture to search you (Psalm 139:23-24). • Walk in fellowship with believers; mutual accountability dispels darkness (1 John 1:7). • Replace secrecy with service—use the time once spent hiding to advance what delights God. Key Takeaways • “Darkness will hide me” is a lie that humans tell themselves; God’s sight pierces every shadow. • Hiding attempts reveal our need for forgiveness, not our cleverness. • Because God already sees, the safest place is not the darkness but His light, where mercy meets honesty. |
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