I Will Look Upon Your Face in Righteousness: How Can I Envy Though My Enemies Have All Their Desire

I was reading Psalm 17:15 and verse 15 specifically stood out to me. “As for me, I will look upon Your face in righteousness, I will be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” In the context on the previous verses, “Arise, O YHWH, confront him, bring him low; Deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword and from men with Your hand, O YHWH, from men of this world whose portion is in this life and whose belly You fill with Your treasure; They are satisfied with children, they leave their abundance to their babes,” 15 is powerful. It is as if David is saying, “How can I envy, even though my enemies have all their desire? Yes, Lord, give my enemies all that this world can offer, if You will. It does not concern me. I have something far greater, far better, far more everlasting. I shall look upon Your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake, You who are my only good. [Ps. 16:2]”

It really reminded me of Ro. 8:28-30, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these He predestined… He also justified… He also glorified.” It also made me think of 1 Jn. 3:2, “… And when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” and Ps. 23: 5-6, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil, My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Yes, Lord, whom shall we envy? You have given us all the real good there is, Your very self, that we shall see Christ just as He is – look upon Your face in righteousness – and that we shall be like Him, be conformed to His image – be satisfied with Your likeness when we awake. Yes, to live is Christ, to die is gain. There is no good anywhere but You, for You are the only good, a good more real than the ground upon which we stand or the air we breathe. Truly, whom have we in Heaven but You and earth has nothing we desire besides You (see Ps. 73:23-28). You have given us the glory in the abode of which seraphim can not tread. Yes, whom shall we ever envy, when You have given us such promises, promises as priceless and infinite as Christ, for they were made in Him and to Him and all their substance and worth is the glory streaming from His wounds. Yes, with such promises, already being poured out over our heads with far more awaiting us in glory, how can we ever envy anyone, even if we should rot in a dungeon while our enemies should live in palaces and luxuries?

But As for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name, for it is good… [Ps. 52:8-9, NASB] I shall look upon Your face in righteousness, I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake!

What better, more, or other could we ask! What better has even Almighty God, El-Shaddai Elyon, to give? Let sinners have all this world – its thrones and palaces, its gardens and lounges, its gold and its islands – all it could ever have to offer. However low my position, however high my oppressor, I don’t think I could ever envy him in light of this. Let him have all that earth affords. As for me, I shall look upon YOUR FACE in righteousness; I will be satisfied in Your likeness when I awake. Oh, is this not everything and more! Yes, indeed, words, not even ten thousand, can improve on this statement. Mine is, and always shall be, the best of portions, the one thing I have desired, that I shall seek, to gaze forever upon the face of God in Christ, my righteousness, the One God Himself delights to adore. Just one glimpse of God in Christ, it would be praise so faint as to be blasphemy to say to be worth incomparably and infinitely more than all the best of earth times ten thousand.