 |  |
The Companion Bible gives a structure of this passage which is useful:
A |
Jehovah at My right hand (Life).
B
| Rest in hope. Positive (Death).
B
| Not left in Sheol. Negative (Resurrection).
A |
I at His right hand (Ascension).
In the Psalm that follows, namely the seventeenth, there is a vivid contrast between
the men of this world, and the believer, in relation to this question of the hope of
resurrection. David speaks of:
". . . . . men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou
fillest with Thy hid treasure. They are full of children, and leave the rest of their
substance to their babes" (Psa. 17: 14),
in contrast with those whose hope goes beyond to the day of resurrection. The word
"world" here is the Hebrew word heled which speaks of transitoriness, as in Ps. 39: 5
and 89: 47:
"Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing
before Thee."
"Remember how short my time is."
This second reference is followed by the question:
"What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?
Shall He deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?",
showing that resurrection is in view once more.
The argument of David may be exhibited somewhat as follows:
A |
Portion in this life. Transitory.
B
| Belly filled. Their treasure.
B
| With children. Satisfied.
A |
Portion in this life. Left to babes.
The reader will doubtless acknowledge that the meaning of this section of the Psalm is
not too obvious, but light comes when we discover that the word "full" is the Hebrew
saba and the word "satisfied" in verse 15 is the Hebrew sabea which is but another form
of the same word. Thus we can now take our exhibition of the argument a stage further:
(1)
Men of the world--Satisfied with position, here.
(2)
As for me--Satisfied with Thy likeness, there.
From earliest times, and among pagan, philosopher and believer, the desire for
immortality is embedded in the nature of man. If he is an unbeliever, he will be attracted
by the specious doctrines that are propounded as substitutes for the gift of immortality at