Psalms 17:15 - Homiletics

True satisfaction.

"As for me … thy likeness." "I shall be satisfied." This is a great and bold thing to say. It implies one of two things—either a low standard of satisfaction, a poor measure of what it takes to satisfy a human soul; or else a prospect beyond this world. If only a question of lower wants—"What shall I eat … drink? wherewithal be clothed? what wages shall I earn? what holidays and amusements secure?"—then if your desires be temperate, you may easily say," I shall be satisfied." But if it be a question of your soul, life, whole being, with all high, deep, partially developed capacities for happiness and blessedness,—then it is not in this world that satisfaction is possible. Earth might be bankrupt, and yet leave your soul, your inner immortal self, starving ( Matthew 16:26 ).

I. THE SATISFACTION DESIRED AND EXPECTED —ardently desired and confidently expected. To behold God's face in righteousness; to awake from the dream of life, from the sleep of death, to the reality of his presence, the sight of his unveiled glory. We are met here by one of those apparent contradictions in Scripture, which are always rich in deep meaning and instruction. On one hand, it is declared that to see God is impossible. He is "the King immortal, invisible" ( 1 Timothy 1:17 ; 1 Timothy 6:16 ). "God is a Spirit," the Infinite Spirit; and how can spirit become visible to sense? On the other hand, our Saviour promises that "the pure in heart shall see God." Of Moses it was said, "The similitude [or 'form,' 'image,'—the same word as in the text] of the Lord shall he behold" ( Numbers 12:8 ). Isaiah tells us how, in vision, he beheld the Lord on his throne ( Isaiah 6:1-13 .). Ezekiel, Daniel, and St. John had similar visions. Visions, it is true; but visions that stood for that infinitely glorious reality of which the Lord said to Moses, "There shall be no man see me, and live" ( Exodus 33:20 ). The explanation of this seeming contradiction is found in John 1:18 . All those glorious manifestations, as well as the occasions on which a Divine angel appeared, as to Abraham, Jacob, Joshua, etc; who is identified with the Lord , we understand to have been manifestations of the Son of God, the everlasting Word, crowned and completed by the Incarnation ( John 1:14 ). He is "the Image of the invisible God" ( Colossians 1:15 ; Hebrews 1:3 ). Thus this desire and expectation have for us as Christians a clearness and force they could not have for the holiest of the ancient believers. Even in the days of his flesh, the Lord could say, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." How much more in his glory! The Lord God and the Lamb are the light of the heavenly city. This does not exclude other manifestations of God as Spirit to our spirits; like that of which Christ speaks ( John 14:23 ). Some have thought there is a dead faculty in our nature, by which we should have direct intuition of God; be naturally conscious of his presence, as we are of space and time. If so, this dead or sleeping sense, partially quickened by faith, shall awake; we shall know , consciously, what now we believe , that "in him we live, and move, and have our being." Meantime, this is enough for faith to lay hold on, to rest in—we shall see Jesus our Lord in his glory. "To depart," is, for the Christian, "to be with Christ;" "Absent from the body, at home with the Lord." We shall "see him as he is;" "the Fulness of the Godhead bodily" dwelling in the immortal temple of glorified humanity. And in him we shall see the Father, and come to the Father. Our fellowship will be "with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Ambition cannot rise higher than this. Thought cannot soar beyond this. Faith, hope, love, cannot desire more than this.

"Then shall I see and hear and know

All I desired or wish'd below."

Divines have been wont to call this "the beatific vision," q.d. the happy-making sight of God. But note that whatever be the forms of inconceivable glory in which God reveals himself to his children, the true satisfaction is in the knowledge of God himself ( 1 Corinthians 13:12 ). As we look into the face and eyes of a friend to read his soul—thought, feeling, inner self—so the knowledge of God of which Christ says, "This is life eternal" ( John 17:3 ), is of his character, holiness, truth, wisdom, infinite love to us.

II. THE GLORIOUS FULNESS AND PERFECTION OF THIS SATISFACTION .

1 . The end of the conflict between faith and doubt. How many a soul has echoed Job's cry ( Job 23:3 , Job 23:8-10 )! The life of faith is a wholesome discipline ( John 20:29 ; 1 Peter 1:8 ). But who could bear to think that it would last for ever?

2 . The consciousness of perfect reconciliation to God. No shadow of fear , any more than of doubt.

3 . The experience of complete likeness to our Saviour ( Colossians 3:10 ). This is the point of 1 John 3:2 .

4 . The perfect rest of the soul. Hope is compared to the "anchor of the soul" ( Hebrews 6:19 ). But the ship is still tossed on the surges ( Hebrews 4:9 ).

5 . The elevation of our being and life to the highest pitch of love , knowledge , and joy.

CONCLUSION . Turn this expectation and desire into a question, a heart-trying test— Shall I be thus satisfied ? Is my keenest desire tuned to this note? Will this satisfy me?—this and nothing else? The presence of Christ, perfect likeness to him, and eternal fellowship with him; to behold, without a veil, the glory of God in the face of Jesus; to know God? Believe it, no other heaven is promised or possible. If you-life be not tending this way, you are misdirecting, misspending it.