The 3 Cs of Walking with God: Psalm 16

The 3 Cs of Walking with God

Psalm 16

 

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

 

Purpose: In this Psalm we shall see the three C’s of our relationship to God so that we walk with God today.

• We need to have COMMITMENT to God (v.1-4)
• We need to find CONTENTMENT in God (v.5-7)
• We need to have CONFIDENCE in God (v.8-11)

 

 

Introductory matters

• Hebrew verse 1 of Psalm 16 indicates that this is written by David: “A Mikhtam of David.”
• The author is clearly identified: “of David”
• What is a “Mikhtam?”
  • According to William Barrick: “One of the more likely explanations was found in the old Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) 250 years before Christ: “inscription.”[1]
  • Jeremiah 2:22 uses a related word (nikhtam) is translated “stain” to express that something is indelible.  Thus this is writing that is meant to be preserved.[2]
• Psalm 15 sets up God’s holy requirement to worship in God’s presence and Psalm 16 now shows us we need to trust in God and what trusting in God looks like.

 

 

We need to have COMMITMENT to God (1-4)

Passage: “Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.” (1-4)

Proof

1. General principle stated: “Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You” (v.1)
   1. This is a prayer to God
   2. Note in light of what is to follow that in talking about finding refuge in God it entails trusting in God and being committed to Him.
   3. What does trusting in God and being committed to Him looks like? Psalm 16:1-4 gives us 4 S’s that describe our commitment to God.
2. A commitment to God means submitting to God as your Lord (Master): “I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord.” (v.2)
   1. David here says that Yahweh (translated as LORD) is “my Lord.”
   2. “Lord” refers to the sovereignty and authority of God.[3]
   3. Notice David personalized this by saying “my” in “my Lord.”
3. A commitment to God means relying on the sufficiency of God’s goodness rather than one’s own goodness: “I have no good besides You.” (v.2)
4. A commitment to God means finding satisfaction in the people of God: “As for the saints who are in the earth, They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.” (v.3)
   1. Some think “saints” might refer to angels but the phrase “in the earth” makes this unlikely and it is better to see this as talking about humans who are God’s people.[4]
   2. Here is the principle that if delight in God you will delight in God’s people.[5]
5. A commitment to God means practicing separation from the enemies of God: “The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.” (v.4)
   1. It begins first with statement about the consequences of those who choose other false god(s): “The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied” (4a)
      1. “will be multiplied” uses the same language as the first line of Genesis 3:16= “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain [a]in childbirth.” It thus reminds us the consequence of sinning.
      2. The specific consequence here of following a false god is increase “”
   2. David describes two ways in which he will not fellowship with God’s enemies:
      1. “I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood” (4b)= Perhaps referring to not participating in their religious rites to false god(s).
      2. “Nor will I take their names upon my lips” (4c)= Not giving esteem attention to those who are to be enemies of God.

Practice

1. Are you committed to God?
2. Does your commitment to God show in your life with:
   1. A commitment to submit to God as your Lord (Master)?
   2. A commitment to rely on the sufficiency of God’s goodness rather than one’s own goodness?
   3. A commitment to find satisfaction in the people of God?
   4. A commitment to practicing separation from the enemies of God?

 

 

We need to find CONTENTMENT in God (5-7)

Passage: “5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night” (5-7)

Proof

1. Be content with God more than His gift of things: “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.” (v.5)
   1. Most people look forward to receiving inheritance; yet David says “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance”
   2. Notice the verse says “The Lord is…my cup” and it is as if David is saying God is his food and drink.[6]
   3. In the last line David is content and thankful for God’s support.
2. Be content with God directing your life: “ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me” (v.6)
   1. David is content with God giving him “pleasant places.”
   2. The reference to measuring “lines” and “heritage” is often used to in connection with dividing up the land of Canaan among the tribes of Israel.[7]
   3. David is thankful for good property from God; still though don’t forget the previous verse that God has to be these things and more than these things!
3. How? Be content with God’s Word: “I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night” (v.7)
   1. “counseled” when we speak of God giving it is associated elsewhere in the Psalms with Scripture:
      1. Psalm 1:2 sees the “words of God” as the same as “counsel of the Most High”[8]
      2. Psalm 119:24 sees the “testimonies” as the same as “my counselors”[9]
   2. “my mind instructs me in the night” literally in the Hebrew is “even in the night times my kidneys instruct me” and kidneys refer to one’s deepest thoughts and conscience.[10]

Practice

1. If God is like your food and drink, do you then find strength and refreshment from God?
2. Are you content with God more than His gift of things?
3. Be content with God guiding your life! It will be different than others and there’s no room for envy!
4. Do you read God’s Word to find contentment in God?

 

 

We need to find CONFIDENCE in God (8-11)

Passage: “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (8-11)

Proof

1. This passage describes so much confidence in God (“I will not be shaken” in v.9) that one then experience joy in the Lord (“my heart is glad” in v.9; “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” in v.11)
2. This means confidence in God even for salvation as verse 10 states “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol”
3. Yet what is the basis for David’s confidence in God to even save him from hell/Sheol? Verse 10b states “Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay”
4. Notice v.10b talks about someone different than the rest of the Psalm.[11]
   1. Rest of the Psalm is about David in the first person:
      1. “my inheritance” (5)
      2. “my cup” (5)
      3. “my lot.” (5)
      4. “me”(8)
      5. “my right hand”(8)
      6. “my heart”(9)
      7. “My flesh”(9)
   2. But here is a third person description: “Your Holy One” (10b)
5. Who is God’s “Holy One” (v.10b)?
   1. Process of elimination: It can’t David because David did die and his body underwent decay.
   2. In the New Testament Peter identify Psalm 16:10 is talking about Jesus in Acts 2:24-32![12]
   3. In the New Testament Paul identify Psalm 16:10 is talking about Jesus in Acts 13:34-37![13]
6. We can have confidence in God even with salvation because of God’s promise even to Jesus!

Practice

1. Struggle to trust and have confidence in God? Look to Jesus!
2. Study God’s promise to Jesus! Study it to boost your confidence in God and His word!

 

 

 

[1] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_016.pdf.

[2] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_016.pdf.

[3] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_016.pdf.

[4] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 57.

[5] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 57.

[6] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 59.

[7] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 60.

[8] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 59.

[9] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 60.

[10] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 60.

[11] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 65.

[12] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 63.

[13] Dale Ralph Davis, Slogging Along in the Paths of the Righteous: Psalms 13-24, (Ross-shire, Scotland: Christian Focus), 63.

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