notes

Main point summary

My confidence is in God! Thus I trust you in all the affairs of life (i.e. worship, material goods, earthly inheritance), AND I trust you for everything beyond this life (i.e. resurrection life to come).

Arc

editing

OT

Psalms 16:1-11

esv

mine

Preserve me, O God,

Keep and preserve me, God

for in you I i take refuge.

because I am looking only to you for safety.

ground

I say to the Lord ,

I say to the Yahweh,

“You are my Lord;

"I recognize that you are the mighty one, worthy of my allegiance;

j I have no good apart from you.”

you are my only source of well-being."

progression

ideaexplanation

As for k the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. 1

Therefore, even though God's chosen ones, who also know you as the Covenant keeping God, and even the leaders of Israel who I consider as precious -

The sorrows of those who run after 1 another god shall multiply;

though they know better, they desire other gods, only to have their troubles multiply.

concessive

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

In contrast, I will not participate in their drink offerings of blood poured out to idols,

or l take their names on my lips.

nor will I make vows in their names.

negativepositive

inference

The Lord is m my chosen portion

Yahweh is my inheritance,

and my n cup;

series

you hold my o lot.

p The lines have fallen for me

in pleasant places;

locative

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord

who q gives me counsel;

in r the night also

my s heart instructs me. 1

temporal

t I have u set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my v right hand,

I shall not be w shaken.

actionpurpose

Therefore my heart is glad,

and my x whole being 1 rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul

to y Sheol,

z or let your a holy one see b corruption. 1

You make known to me c the path of life;

in your presence

there is d fullness of joy;

at your right hand

are e pleasures forevermore.

discourse

Notes

Verse 1 states the theme of this Psalm, namely David's confidence in God, and the rest of the Psalm expands further upon the various ways and different areas of life that David sees God meeting all his needs. Verses 2-6 focuses primarily on the issues pertaining to day to day life in the present. David's confidence in his God is the basis for his fidelity in worship (v2-4). Even though others are running after other gods, David's rock solid confidence in God is what allows him to never fall for the trap of thinking that other gods will better supply his needs. Also, as David rightly comes to the conclusion that God ultimately is his inheritance and that God "holds his lot" (v5), this then becomes the basis for his evaluation on his earthly inheritance: it's good! It's good because the God that he trusts has given it to him, and David knows that his God is incapable of giving anything less. In verses 7-11, the focus shifts to matters beyond this life. The counsel and instruction of the Lord in verses 7-8 provide the basis for David's confidence of resurrection in verses 9-11. In contemplating death and the grave, he rejoices. He knows that his future, even beyond the grave, is secure. What lays ahead is the "path of life", and it will take David into the very presence of God, to his right hand! And there he will experience joy and pleasure forever and ever. Such was the confidence of David, and this was the confidence of our Lord Jesus Christ. This messianic Psalm is quoted twice in the book of Acts, and both times it is in reference to Jesus. In other words, though David is the initial referent of Psalm 16, this psalm also looked forward to an ultimate Davidic figure that would perfectly embody and demonstrate this attitude that is expressed in the Psalm. Jesus was that person. And literally, his soul was not abandoned to Sheol, and it was impossible for him to suffer corruption, for after his death, he was raised the third day. And literally, he was taken into God's presence, and to this day, he sits at God's right hand. Jesus lived out and fulfilled this Psalm. What does this mean for us? As those living on this side of the resurrection, the challenge for us is to live out the Psalm in our lives. Trust God in our day to day life. Trust God with all that comes after this life. Why? Jesus has done the same, and he is the firstfruits of the harvest to follow. Our present circumstances and our future is just as secure.