SALVATION OF HIS FACE

Ps.42:5 – Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

This Psalm is David’s cry to the Lord during his time of exile as a result of the betrayal of his son Absalon. The shocking truth of this Psalm is what has caused David his distress, all he cries out about is being isolated from the tabernacle, the place of corporate worship and the place of God’s manifest presence. In this verse we catch a prophetic glimpse of the true answer to David’s prayer. The answer wouldn’t be complete when he was restored to the temple, it would finally be answered at the appearance of Jesus the Messiah. We see this in the last part of today’s verse, “the help of His countenance”. Help is the word yeshua and countenance is the word paniym. Check out Dick Mills definition of these words.

Yesuah – help – something saved, deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity: — deliverance, health, help(-ing), salvation, save, saving (health), welfare.

p̱âniym – the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively);

This is quite a prophetic word, yeshua refers to Jesus, and paniym speaks of the face of God. David’s cry for help is a cry for the appearance of Jesus Himself. Here is how Spurgeon describes this verse.

“Salvations come from the propitious face of God, and he will yet lift up his countenance upon us. Note well that the main hope and chief desire of David rest in the smile of God. His face is what he seeks and hopes to see, and this will recover his low spirits, this will put to scorn his laughing enemies, this will restore to him all the joys of those holy and happy days around which memory lingers. This is grand cheer. This verse, like the singing of Paul and Silas, looses chains and shakes prison walls. He who can use such heroic language in his gloomy hours will surely conquer. In the garden of hope grow the laurels for future victories, the roses of coming joy, the lilies of approaching peace.”

If you have tasted the glory of His presence, like David, you will call out for the manifest glory found in corporate worship. That is the place of blessing in this age. At the bottom of all of this is what we are really crying for, the appearance of Jesus Himself when we will experience the help found looking upon the face of God.