Psalm 16

Psalm 16 together with a few notes and cross references.  I'm amazed to think that God Himself is my Counsellor.  He is the One who shows us the Path of Life.  None of us manufacture this.  We are either going to travel this path or we are going to do what we think is best.  What a high view of the godly David has in verse 3. Fellow Christian brothers and sisters are far more in Christ Jesus than by themselves!

So,  here's David's poem in red.

1 Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge,and in You do I put my trust  and hide myself.

What does it mean to take refuge in God? Here’s a picture of security

Deuteronomy 33:12 About Benjamin he said:“Let the beloved of theLord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long,and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders

RESTING SECURE:  Where do we find our security?  Most of us don’t live our lives in constant fear of our lives.  There are parts of the world where lawlessness, devastating earthquakes, natural disasters, riots, terrorism and shootings dominate.

What is our security in the happy times and in our most unstable and threatening moments, when we are defenceless and vulnerable? 

2 I say to the Lord, You are my Lord; I have no good beside or beyond You.

You are my highest good.  In the opening verses the psalmist denies any association with other gods.  Jesus is Lord!
God is supreme. God is the King of David’s heart and life.  King David has a king who rules over him.  We all struggle with the desire to be lord of our lives.  God has the right to be supreme.

 3 As for the godly (the saints) who are in the land, they are the excellent, the noble, and the glorious, in whom is all my delight.

Do we enjoy or endure God’s people?  Do we notice and honour our Christian family’s qualities?  Do we see them as God sees us, that is as He sees His excellent, noble and glorious Son?

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who choose another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer or take their names upon my lips.

A strong refusal to worship other gods.He is bound exclusively to Yahweh.David is clear about his commitment to Yahweh alone.  He refused to worship other gods.Many Israelites turned away from God and turned to other deities thinking they were more effective than Yahweh.

• Joshua 23:7-8

17 Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them.8 But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

• Joshua 23:15-16

15 But just as all the good things the Lord your God has promised you have come to you, so he will bring on you all the evil things he has threatened, until the Lordyour God has destroyed youfrom this good land he has given you. 16 If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good  land he has given you.”

• Joshua 24:16-24

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsakethe Lord to serve other gods!17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signsbefore our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.18 And the Lord drove outbefore us all the nations,including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.”

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve theLord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”

21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign godsthat are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve theLord our God and obey him.”

Verse 5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 

Rather than only focusing on the physical land, the psalmist talks about God as his portion and his cup.

Verse 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.

These thoughts have to do with the land Canaan, promised to Abraham. They are boundaries assigned by God and to David these were pleasant and delightful.  David is rejoicing in his land, his portion, his inheritance.  He has the blessing of land in mind.
Question: Those in exile:  Could they quote Psalm 16:6 with joy?  The path of life can be walked even in an alien land - think of Daniel.  This path of life can also be walked in

a time of suffering. Take the lament of Psalm 137  “How can we sing the songs of the Lord in a foreign land?”  This verse acknowledges that wherever we live, whatever our circumstance - wherever we find  the presence of Yahweh, there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.

7 I will bless the Lord, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.

Wonderful thing to have God give us counsel!!  To be instructed by a heart counselled by God. God Himself is David’s counsellor and teacher - and ours!

8 I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

 He is the guide in front of me.  He leads me in a secure path, a place of support and protection.  This is my confidence!

At God’s right hand -  that is where we find our support and protection This is also the place where Christ intercedes for His. 

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety,

10 For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one [Holy One] to see corruption.

The Holy One has reference to Jesus.  

God delivers the psalmist from death and made the way of life clear to him. 

11 You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and pastor experienced the overpowering presence of God while in prison, waiting for his execution.  We can experience God’s presence in our worst turmoil, in a car accident, at a death-bed, even our own death-bed. Yahweh is our portion, inheritance and security.

Do all our struggles disappear in God’s presence?.  No, but He shows us the path to life and in God’s presence we discover eternal fullness of pleasure, a deep joy and security even in pain. We can live life confidently in the awareness and reality of God’s presence now and forevermore.