The Hebrew word for “world” or “age” is olam (עוֹלָם), which is derived from a root verb (עָלַם) that means “to conceal” or “to hide.” God “hides” His face from us so that we will seek Him, and that means we must press through ambiguity to earnestly take hold of divine truth. Centuries before the time of the philosopher Plato, King David proclaimed that there was a “divided line” between the realm of the temporal world and realm of the hidden and eternal world. The temporal world is finite, subject to change, yet pointed beyond itself to an eternal world, which was the source of real significance, meaning, and life itself (2 Cor. 4:18). Therefore King David said, בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָיו תָּמִיד/ bakeshu fanav tamid: “Seek His face at all times” (Psalm 105:4). Note that the numerical value for the word “fanav” (i.e., “His face”) is the same as that for the word “olam.” When we truly seek God’s face (i.e., His Presence) we are able to discern the underlying purpose for our lives.
The ancient Greek version of the Torah (i.e., the “Septuagint” or LXX) translates this verse as, “Seek the LORD and be strengthened; seek His face through everything (διὰ παντός).” Unlike Plato, however, who “saw through” the temporal world and regarded it as less than real, King David understood that how we live within the intersection of these two realms reveals our inner character of faith — and therefore our ultimate destiny….