Psalm 17:15
15 as for me let me see your face in righteousness; I am satisfied to see your appearance when I awake BYNV
The literal translation of the second part of the verse: I will be satisfied in awakening in your likeness
In this verse there is no separation between thoughts. There is a lot of debate over exactly what David was saying. If we keep it focus that David writing in a poetic style that has often to do with death we can look at the verse and see that David was speaking first in his alive state and then in his death state.
The word awakening is QUTS in Hebrew it refers to awakening from sleep or death. David’s thought about the afterlife is in keeping with his poetic style.
Speaking in his alive state he says let me see your face in righteousness. Then in his afterlife state he is saying, I am satisfied to see your appearance when I awaken from death, so that would be in reference to when we all resurrect after we have died.
Exploring the alive statement a little deeper we find that the word for face is PANI in Hebrew PANI is often rendered as Yahuah‘s presence.
The word see is sometimes translated to behold. It has two possible root words. CHAZAH meaning to see or to perceive which would have then indicated David was actually seeing Yahuah’s face in his alive state but that is not likely.
So, if you go to the second possible root word ’ACHAZ which means to seize, or grab hold of. We can more correctly render PANI’ (face) as presence. Now we have the understanding that makes a little more sense. David is seizing or holding onto the presence of Yahuah in his alive state.
With this understanding we can meditate on “as for me while I live on earth, I will hold onto the presence of Yahuah”.
The second part of the verse is where we believe David is speaking about his afterlife. He says I will be satisfied to see your appearance when I awake.
Digging into the word satisfied we find the Hebrew word SAVA which is also the word for seven and seven represents completion.
David is proclaiming he will be complete Having experience Yahuah's presence in his alive state and when awakened from his death state seeing Yahuah face-to-face.
When you ponder this scripture, you can’t expand it to think about it this light.
I will embrace Yahuah’s presence from the depths and fullness of my heart as I live and knowing when my allotted days are done, I will rest and awaken to see Yahuah face to face and I will be complete.
I believe it is the heart of the father that we embrace his presence while we live so that we will see him face-to-face for eternity.
Margaret St. Peter
Author: 4 Steps through the Narrow Gate, and The Appointed Times,
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