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A Miktam of David
1Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.
2I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
3As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
4The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.
5LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8I have set the LORD always before me.
Because He is at my right hand,
I shall not be shaken.
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10because You will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
11You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
As with so many passages of the Bible, this one yields multiple levels of interpretation. In its most straightforward reading, Psalm 16 is a prayer of David. Also, as always, this psalm has great applicational value for us. In addition, Peter and Paul tell us in the New Testament that this is a Messianic Psalm, meaning, it concerns Christ the Messiah. This should not surprise us. The Old Testament is full of Christ.
In our study, we will explore all three levels of interpretation. The theme of this psalm is what it means to take refuge in God (v. 1-2), including taking up His cause (vv. 3-4), accepting His provision (vv. 5-6), listening to His counsel (vv. 7-8), and ultimately, being rewarded with life eternal (vv. 9-11).
By the way, this psalm is inscribed as "A Miktam of David". The word "miktam" has been variously interpreted by different commentators as "golden song", "song of right", "pillar inscription", "secret (or mysterious) song", etc. I think that we can safely say that we do not know what the term means.
1Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.
2I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from You I have no good thing."
David begins the psalm with a prayer for God's preservation: "Keep me safe, O God." The dangers of this world are many, and varied. There are external dangers: evil; natural calamities; sickness; etc. There are also spiritual dangers: temptation; attacks from the enemy; etc. We all need God's sheltering hand to protect us. As we have seen in the psalms, David constantly prays for God's protection. One benefit of calamity and imminent danger is that it keeps us close to God, seeking Him, leaning on Him.
We have mentioned that this is a Messianic psalm, but it seems (at first glance) that this first verse would not apply to Christ. However, Christ, when He lived on earth, did pray (in fact, He prayed fervently) for God's protection. The writer of Hebrews tells us: "During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverent submission" (Hebrews 5:7). Christ prayed to His Father concerning the imminent danger that He faced: His death. He was not praying for safety from the mere death of His body, but rather from the death of His soul. Christ knew that He would take on the sin of the world: a scary prospect. Just think of having to bear the great, multitudinous sins of the world. How could the bearer of such sin escape death?
David prayed constantly, Christ prayed greatly, how can any man, then, live without prayer? I often wonder how people who do not know God face their fears and endure affliction without the aid of prayer. I do not know how I would endure without God's help, and the comfort I receive when I pray to Him. Many unbelievers say, "Oh, religion is just a crutch." No, religion is not a crutch, nor is God a mere crutch; rather, God is much more: He is the solid rock on which I stand. I would be nothing, go nowhere without Him.
David states the reason that God should keep him safe. He says: "...for in You I take refuge." In other words, David expects God protection because of his own faith. Faith begets protection; our trust in God is our "refuge". We are to lean on God for protection; indeed, we are often told, even commanded to trust in Him: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Prov. 3:5); "Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal" (Isa. 26:4); "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge" (Ps. 62:8); etc. It should be second-nature for us to run to God for refuge in times of imminent trouble.
David goes on: "I said to the LORD, `You are my Lord...'" There are two different words used here that are both translated "Lord" in English. They are distinguished in English in most versions of the Bible by the use of different type styles. The first word, "LORD" (denoted by the use of SMALL CAPS), is actually God's name (it is sometimes translated "Jehovah" or "Yahweh"). The second word, "Lord" (using regular lower case letters), is literally the title "lord" in English (meaning "master"). So, David sees God not only as protector, but also (especially) as Lord. And so should we. We should all say often to God (and believe in our hearts): "You are my Lord."
In the Messianic reading of this psalm, we often see Christ on earth saying to His Father (in effect), "You are my Lord," through His obedience and submission to His Father's will. Christ said: "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of Him who sent me" (John 6:38). And Christ did not just say this, He also lived it: in His resistance to temptation, in His ministry to the people, in His death on the cross for our sins.
David continues: "[A]part from You I have no good thing." God is the author of all that is good. As James tells us: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (James 1:17). Without God, there would be no peace, no beauty, no love, no joy. We can have all of these things if we take refuge in Him, and recognize Him as Lord of all.
3As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.
4The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.
One result of taking refuge in God, trusting in Him for all things, and recognizing Him as Lord of all, is that you begin to see things as God sees them. You begin to love what He loves, and hate what He hates. As you come into a stronger relationship with God, you will most likely find your attitudes and opinions changing, as you are "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Rom. 8:29).
Here, David loves what God loves: "As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight." We should love "the saints". Unfortunately, we often dwell on each other's shortcomings. Also, we often love or despise others based on worldly values. "Dost thou love Christ in a cottage as well as in a court? Dost thou love a poor as well as a rich Christian? Dost thou love grace in rags as much as grace in robes? Is it their honour or their holiness which thou dost admire?"[Footnote #6] We must learn to look at each other with God's eyes. Certainly, if God can love the saints, whom He has so much against in their sin, we can also love them. Christ, of course, demonstrated His "delight" in the saints: He died for them.
David also hates what God hates. He hates the idolatry in the land, and will not tolerate it. He says: "I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips." By "libations", David was referring to drink offerings of blood that are part of idolatrous rituals. It is surprising to many of us that people would do such things in the worship of a false god. We think, "Hmm. Drinking blood for an idol. That's ridiculous." However, look around you. Look at what people do for idols. Look what people do for money. Look at what people do for fame. Look at what people do for power. Men go to great lengths for their false gods.
Note that David's separation from idolatry was complete. He would not practice false religion, nor even speak of it. His separation was in life and in lip.
David had previously pointed out: "The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods." Here, David contrasts the "good things" that God's people have, with the "sorrows" that the idol worshippers have. The path away from the True God brings ever-increasing sorrows. "They that multiply gods multiply griefs to themselves; for whosoever thinks one god too little, will find two too many, and yet hundreds not enough."[Footnote #7] Idols hold, but never satisfy.
5LORD, You have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Another result of taking refuge in God is to realize that God provides for us and blesses us according to His perfect will. We are to be satisfied with His level of providence for us, and not begrudge the fact that others have more. David realizes that it is God who has decided his lot in life. David states: "LORD, You have assigned me my portion and my cup." And if God has "assigned" our portion in life, it is more than sufficient for our needs. David recognizes the stability of his lot in life due to the fact that God has assigned it. He says: "You have made my lot secure."
It is very important that we be satisfied with what God has given us here on earth. I have found in my life, that the times that I am the most stressed out and miserable, are the times that I am desiring something more than God has meant for me. We would have much more joy, if we would learn to be content with the "portion" God has assigned to us. Paul learned this, so much so that he could rejoice in a Roman prison. He said: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want" (Phil. 4:11-12). Such contentedness brings power to our lives, as Paul went on to say: "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13).
As we develop this contentedness, we also learn to notice and appreciate the constant blessings of God upon our lives. As David noticed: "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places." God blesses in such natural ways, so natural (at times) that we do not even recognize the hand of God. We say (incorrectly), "Well, I sure got lucky!" We should all learn to say (instead), "Well, I was certainly blessed by God!"
Experience and recognition of God's blessing here on earth engenders faith in the blessings we will experience in heaven. David realized that, since here on earth "the boundary lines" fall pleasantly for him, certainly he will "have a delightful inheritance." Our sin keeps God from blessing us as much as He would like; but in heaven, in our glorified bodies, there will be no holding God back!
7I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8I have set the LORD always before me.
Because He is at my right hand,
I shall not be shaken.
Another result of taking refuge in God is praising Him. Praise, as well as prayer, is due God. We must not just look for refuge, but must also look to praise Him. David here praises God for the unceasing "counsel" he receives from Him. God, through His Spirit, is indeed constantly counseling us. We must learn to listen! David especially appreciates the instruction he receives "at night". We have lost (for the most part), in modern culture, the meditational value of nighttime. Our creature comforts have been a disadvantage to us in this respect: our televisions, radios, even electric lights, all keep us from meditating at night. In David's day, I'm sure that there was very little to do at night but look up at the stars and listen to the Spirit of God "instruct". We would do well to regain the pastime of meditation and reflection at night. "What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? For want of meditation... Constant thoughts are operative, and musing makes the fire burn. Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing."[Footnote #8]
Again, we would do well to meditate upon (and act upon for that matter) the counsel of God. How could we go wrong with the Creator of the universe as our counsellor? Sadly, we are very inconsistent in our heeding of God's counsel. We pick and choose when to listen to the Lord's instruction. Usually, we wait until we are in dire straits before we begin to heed the counsel of God. We should be as David and say: "I have set the LORD always before me." Emphasize: "always", that is, consistently and in all things.
A great reason to "always set the LORD before [us]" is that He is looking out for us. As David points out: "He is at my right hand." The "right hand" is the position of defender (see Ps. 73:23; 109:31; 110:5; 121:5), and the Lord is always defending those who take refuge in Him. "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). Our reward for "always" setting the Lord before us, is that we "shall not be shaken."
9Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10because You will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
11You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
The final result of taking refuge in the Lord is our eternal reward. David begins this section with praise: "Therefore" (since the Lord is always before him) "my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices." Then, David speaks of his future blessing: "[M]y body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay." Peter, in the book of Acts, informs us that these verses have their primary fulfillment in Christ: "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 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. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay" (Acts 2:29-31).
David's prophecy here is amazing. Over a thousand years before the event, David prophesied the following: the Messiah (God's "Holy One", as David refers to Him) would be a man; He would die; He would rise again. David also (by implication) is prophesying that the Messiah would be sinless, for only one who is sinless (a "Holy One") would not be under the curse of death. And so, Jesus did rise from the dead; He was not abandoned to the grave; His body did not see decay.
David goes on to say to God: "You have made known to me the path of life." Our "path of life" is tied to the fact that God's "Holy One" would not see decay, that He would rise from the dead. David was greatly blessed by God. God showed David the way to salvation through Christ, a thousand years before Christ died for us. David, through the Spirit of God, tied the "path of life" to the fact that the "Holy One" (Jesus Christ) died and rose from the dead. David, in these few verses, has succinctly and eloquently expressed the gospel, the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
The "path of life" is a path to an eternal, abundant life. David describes: "You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." Who could ask for more? "For quality there is in heaven joy and pleasures; for quantity, a fulness, a torrent whereat they drink without let or loathing; for constancy, it is at God's right hand, who is stronger than all, neither can any take us out of his hand; it is a constant happiness without intermission: and for perpetuity it is for evermore. Heaven's joys are without measure, mixture, or end."[Footnote #9]
So Heavenly Father, we thank You for the joy that You have prepared for us in Your Kingdom, the eternal pleasures at Your right hand. We thank You for providing a way through Your Son for experiencing this joy. Continue to be with us here on earth. Continue to cause the boundary lines to fall in pleasant places. Help us, by Your Spirit, to be content with the lot you have set aside for us. In the name of Your Son, who lives, Amen.
(Our study in the Psalms will continue in the next issue)
6. George Swinnock, A Christian Man's Calling, from The Works of George Swinnock, Vol. I, pg. 185.
7. Matthew Henry, cited in Spurgeon, A Treasury of David, pg. 194.
8. Thomas Manton, cited in A Puritan Golden Treasury, ed. by I.D.E Thomas, pg. 184.
9. John Trapp, cited in Spurgeon, A Treasury of David, Vol. I; pg. 197.
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