| A miktam of David. 1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. 2 I say to the Lord,
“You are my Lord; apart from you
I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones
in whom is all my delight.”
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods I will not take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and soul rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. |
No one is really sure what miktam means. It is used here and in Psalms 56,57,58,59 and 60. It may be a musical term, but as all 6 of these Psalms are laments it probably means a type of psalm or lament. This Psalm continues the thread started in Psalm 1 comparing the godless man with the blessed man. There are many links back to previous Psalms. Psalm 7 - O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge Psalm 16 - Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. Again a picture of the refuge or stronghold of God is for the blessed man. 3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones
In Psalm 16 we saw how one of the conditions for access to God was to 'honour those who fear the Lord'. Here David is declaring his love for the holy people. He takes delight in them. One of the main requirements for a good pastor or king is to love his people. in whom is all my delight.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. It is in mankind's nature to seek after God - this desire was put their by God himself. In Acts 17:27 Paul explains it like this, "His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him". A common phrase is that people have a God-shaped hole, a deep seated need that people strive to satisfy.  David states his position:- I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods I will not take up their names on my lips. 5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; God is enough. 7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. The word heart here is translated as heart, kidneys, conscience, inmost being or reigns. This links back to the phrase in Psalm 1 on His law he meditates day and night. The blessed man who delights in and meditates on God's law will have it stored up in his heart, his conscience, his inmost being, so at night when he is reviewing the events of the day, relevant portions of that law will come to mind, leading to a pricking of the conscience or a confirming that what you did was right. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. King David had Abishai son of Zeruiah as his right hand man when he went into battle. One of his best and most trusted warriors took the position on his right to defend him and keep him safe during his many battles. In 2 Samuel 21:15-17 David becomes exhausted in battle and Abishai saves his life. In the chapter about David's mighty men, Abishai is held in greater honour than even his top 3 mighty men. 2 Samuel 23:18-19 Another or David's right-hand men was Ahitophel, the king's counselor, the advice Ahitophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. But Abishai had wanted to kill King Saul and needed to be stopped by David 1 Samuel 26:9 and Ahitophel had defected to his son Absalom's side 2 Samuel 15:31. Although they were the best right hand men available, they could leave David shaken and troubled. With God at his right hand, David will not be shaken. 10 because you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. David knows he is going to be with God when he dies, he states it most clearly at the end of Psalm 23, 'I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever'. Here he states you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead. He knew he was going to die, and be buried, but he also knew he was not going to stay dead. The next line seems to contract this thought, by saying God's faithful one will not see decay. But clearly, David would die and be buried and his body would decay. Then you realise that my soul and your faithful one are not talking about the same person. David is prophesying about Jesus Christ when he says 'Your faithful one' not referring to himself. Peter picked up on this in his sermon in Acts 2:22-32 when he states:- 29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Paul also referred to it in his sermon in Acts 13:32-39 :- 35 So it is also stated elsewhere:
“‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’
36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.
38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses.
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Wednesday 29 October 2014
Psalm 16 - Hints of the Messiah
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