The passages cited above are a selection of many such, for indeed the whole revelation of God from Genesis to

Revelation could be summed up under 1 Corinthians 2:13. This being the case, we leave Ecclesiastes to his probing

and searching, and turn to the testimony of others who were inspired in their utterances and whose findings were not

so much the result of searching, but of receiving illumination from above. In all this we by no means impugn the

book of Ecclesiastes; the record of the mistakes of Abraham, of Moses, of Aaron, of Israel and of David are all

`given by inspiration of God and profitable'. We turn therefore to the positive teaching of Psalm 17:

`As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness' (Psa.

`The eye is not satisfied with seeing'. The negative condition.

`I will behold ... I shall be satisfied'. The positive condition.

Before we look at the terms employed in Psalm 17:15 we should pay attention to the introductory words `As for

me', for they indicate an intended contrast, and we shall not appreciate the fulness of the Psalmist's hope here, if we

do not know with what he is making comparison. In verse 14 we have a description of those whose hopes are based

upon other grounds than that of the Psalmist.

They are men of this world.

They have their portion in this life.

Their belly is filled.

They are full of children.

They leave their substance to their babes.

It is in contrast with these things that the Psalmist says `As for me'. The word translated `men' is somewhat

rare, for whereas the word adam is so translated about 400 times, ish about 900 times and enosh about 450 times, the

word translated `men' in Psalm 17:14 is the Hebrew methim and occurs only fourteen times. It is a cognate of the

word that means `loins' and suggests physical strength. Such `are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they

speak proudly' (Psa. 17:10). The Psalmist had prayed:

`Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not' (Psa. 17:5).

These `men' have their `portion' in this life. A reference to Psalm 73 will provide a fuller commentary upon this

word than we can supply. Let us turn to this Psalm of Asaph and see how he came to his conclusion. The words

`truly', `verily' and `surely' are all the same in the original, and could be represented (not translated) by our

colloquial `after all', thus:

After all, God is good to Israel (Psa. 73:1)

But as for me - a record of his misgivings

(Psa. 73:2-12)

After all, I have cleansed my heart in vain (Psa. 73:13)

Until I went into the sanctuary (Psa. 73:17)

After all, Thou didst set them in slippery places (Psa. 73:18)

I was foolish

Whom have I in heaven ?

God is ... my portion for ever (Psa. 73:22-26).

Here also, in this Psalm, the writer says:

`My steps had well nigh slipped' (Psa. 73:2).

Here also of these men of this world it is said:

`Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish' (Psa. 73:7),

and yet after the sanctuary experience we read Asaph acknowledging:

`My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever' (Psa. 73:26).