The Lord's hidden ones.
"Those whom thou hast set apart and guarded as thine own peculiar possession." Those whom thou hast undertaken in a special manner to protect. "Those whom God holds in the hollow of his hand; those to whom he is a wall of fire round about them, that none may do them hurt; those to whom he says, 'He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye.'" Confidence in the hiding of God is a familiar spirit to the saints of God. "Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of thy wings" (Psalms 17:8); "In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion; in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me" (Psalms 27:5); "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" (Psalms 31:20); "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Psalms 91:1); "Your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). This idea—that they are the Lord's hidden ones—ought to be still cherished by God's people as a source of abiding restfulness.
I. THEY ARE "HIDDEN" IN RELATION TO OUTWARD FOES. This is the point presented in the text. It is illustrated historically. There is still a sense in which the Christian may be said to have outward foes. Agents of the evil one are ever at work resisting godly living and serving. It may be said that sometimes the foes reach the "hidden ones" and injure them; but from the high standing ground of faith we can see this distinction. When God permits a seeming foe to reach his "hidden ones," it ceases to be a foe; it becomes God's angel on a ministry of blessing. That foe's work turns out to be a part of the Lord's "hiding."
II. THEY ARE "HIDDEN" IN RELATION TO AFFLICTIVE CIRCUMSTANCES. We might think they should be hidden from all troubles and sufferings; hidden so that no afflictions should reach them. But this would be quite to misapprehend the Lord's hidings. He hides in sorrow, not from sorrow. And that hiding is altogether the more important and precious. God's hiding of a man who is placed in afflictive circumstances is the sweet marvel of Divine love. Illustrated by God's hiding of suffering Job.
III. THEY ARE "HIDDEN" IN RELATION TO PERSONAL FRAILTIES. The Lord's people carry into his "secret place" frailties of disposition and character. These may become evil forces, influencing Christian conduct and relations. So from the "unworthy self" God hides his people. Life gains a high sense of security when we can worthily realize the "Lord's hidings."—R.T.