Psa 16:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | In Psalm 14, God does not see anyone who does good. In Psalm 15, the question arises whether there is anyone who can dwell with God, someone who meets the conditions for it, that is, someone who does good. In Psalm 16 we see that there is Someone. We also see that there are the saints, the God-fearing who are on earth, that is the faithful remnant of Israel in the end time. These saints are connected with the true David, the Messiah. Each saint possesses His features. Psalm 16 describes the individual believer who lives in fellowship with God. That is perfectly the case with that one Man: Christ. That this psalm is specifically about Him, we can see from what both Peter and Paul say in a speech which is recorded in the book of Acts. Peter speaks of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and therefore quotes from this psalm as an explanation ( ). He does not make an application of the psalm to the Lord Jesus, as if it were about someone else, but says emphatically “David says of Him” ( ), meaning that he is speaking of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, the psalm is not primarily about David, but about the Lord Jesus ( ). Paul similarly refers to this psalm when he speaks of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus ( ). This psalm, therefore, connects beautifully as the third messianic psalm to the previous two messianic psalms, Psalm 2 and Psalm 8. Psalm 2 speaks of the birth of the Lord Jesus ( ). Psalm 8 speaks of His humiliation and death ( ). Psalm 16 speaks of His resurrection. Psalm 16 has two topics: faith trust ( ) and experience of faith and its blessing ( ). In terms of content, it corresponds to Psalm 23, for that psalm too is about faith trust. Through suffering, the inner trust in God is revealed. In Psalm 17 we see that through the same suffering the outward attitude toward people is revealed. The psalm is not called “a psalm” but “a Mikhtam” ( ). This expression occurs here for the first time and further in Psalms 56-60, six times in all. It is the translation of the Hebrew word miktam . Some say its meaning is derived from a word for “gold”, which has led to the translation “a golden gem”, as in the Dutch translation we use. Also this psalm is “of David”. Since David speaks here as a prophet ( ), we hear the Lord Jesus speaking in Him during His life on earth. The first word of the psalm is a prayer to God for preservation ( ). The pleading ground for this is that the poet takes refuge in Him. This is in perfection and always true of the Lord Jesus ( ), Whom we see and hear speaking through David as Man on earth. On earth He called upon God’s preservation. Every believer may do the same by imitating Him. As Man, the Lord Jesus has had to deal with all the temptations that a human being may have to face. Thus He has suffered hunger and thirst and has been weary. The Lord Jesus has always been the eternal God. That has not changed at His coming to earth. God cannot cease to be God. The Son became Man in order to be able to lead people to salvation, to be the Guide of those whom He redeemed through His work. As Man, He is equal to us, “[yet] without sin” ( ). He knows from experience what it means to go through a hostile world. As Man, this has led Him to a constant prayer for preservation. His only refuge on earth is His God. In this He is an impressive example for us and for all His own in all times. He shows how someone is truly man, man as intended by God. This prayer for preservation will also be the prayer of the believing remnant in the midst of wicked people in the great tribulation.

‏ Psalms 16:1-2

Introduction

In Psalm 14, God does not see anyone who does good. In Psalm 15, the question arises whether there is anyone who can dwell with God, someone who meets the conditions for it, that is, someone who does good. In Psalm 16 we see that there is Someone. We also see that there are the saints, the God-fearing who are on earth, that is the faithful remnant of Israel in the end time. These saints are connected with the true David, the Messiah. Each saint possesses His features.

Psalm 16 describes the individual believer who lives in fellowship with God. That is perfectly the case with that one Man: Christ. That this psalm is specifically about Him, we can see from what both Peter and Paul say in a speech which is recorded in the book of Acts.

Peter speaks of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus and therefore quotes from this psalm as an explanation (Acts 2:25-31). He does not make an application of the psalm to the Lord Jesus, as if it were about someone else, but says emphatically “David says of Him” (Acts 2:25), meaning that he is speaking of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, the psalm is not primarily about David, but about the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:30-31). Paul similarly refers to this psalm when he speaks of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 13:35-37).

This psalm, therefore, connects beautifully as the third messianic psalm to the previous two messianic psalms, Psalm 2 and Psalm 8. Psalm 2 speaks of the birth of the Lord Jesus (Psa 2:7). Psalm 8 speaks of His humiliation and death (Psa 8:5b-6). Psalm 16 speaks of His resurrection.

Psalm 16 has two topics: faith trust (Psa 16:1-4 ; 7-8) and experience of faith and its blessing (Psa 16:5-6 ; 9-11). In terms of content, it corresponds to Psalm 23, for that psalm too is about faith trust. Through suffering, the inner trust in God is revealed. In Psalm 17 we see that through the same suffering the outward attitude toward people is revealed.

Prayer for Preservation

The psalm is not called “a psalm” but “a Mikhtam” (Psa 16:1a). This expression occurs here for the first time and further in Psalms 56-60, six times in all. It is the translation of the Hebrew word miktam. Some say its meaning is derived from a word for “gold”, which has led to the translation “a golden gem”, as in the Dutch translation we use.

Also this psalm is “of David”. Since David speaks here as a prophet (Acts 2:29-31), we hear the Lord Jesus speaking in Him during His life on earth.

The first word of the psalm is a prayer to God for preservation (Psa 16:1b). The pleading ground for this is that the poet takes refuge in Him. This is in perfection and always true of the Lord Jesus (Heb 2:13a), Whom we see and hear speaking through David as Man on earth. On earth He called upon God’s preservation. Every believer may do the same by imitating Him. As Man, the Lord Jesus has had to deal with all the temptations that a human being may have to face. Thus He has suffered hunger and thirst and has been weary.

The Lord Jesus has always been the eternal God. That has not changed at His coming to earth. God cannot cease to be God. The Son became Man in order to be able to lead people to salvation, to be the Guide of those whom He redeemed through His work.

As Man, He is equal to us, “[yet] without sin” (Heb 4:15). He knows from experience what it means to go through a hostile world. As Man, this has led Him to a constant prayer for preservation. His only refuge on earth is His God. In this He is an impressive example for us and for all His own in all times. He shows how someone is truly man, man as intended by God.

This prayer for preservation will also be the prayer of the believing remnant in the midst of wicked people in the great tribulation.

You Are My Lord

In Psa 16:2, David continues to speak of his relationship with his God. As mentioned, David is first and foremost a type of Christ. As Man, Christ confesses the LORD (Yahweh) as the Lord (Adonai), that is Sovereign Lord or Commander. He shows that as Man He subjected Himself to the Lord (Adonai) and became the obedient Servant (Phil 2:6-8). He did everything that God said to Him. This submission He expressed once, at His coming into the world (Heb 10:5-7), and this determined His entire path on earth.

This is also the feature of the believing remnant in the future. They want nothing but to do the will of God. It is also the feature of everyone who comes to repentance in our time, the time of the church on earth. We see this in Paul, who immediately after his conversion asks: “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10).

The meaning of the second line of Psa 16:2 is: ”I have nothing in this world that I possess but You. There is nothing that gives me happiness but You alone.” What David says is again fully true of the Lord Jesus and is also the confession of the believing remnant. The Lord Jesus says here that the Father is everything to Him. His life on earth has been marked by His relationship with His Father. He has done everything with and for Him.

God expects of all the redeemed that they confess this with their hearts, both with regard to Him and to the Lord Jesus. The Son must “have first place in everything” (Col 1:18). He is entitled to our “first love” (Rev 2:4), which is our total love.

The sentence, begun in Psa 16:2, adds something in Psa 16:3. The Lord Jesus says in Psa 16:2 that He has no good beside God. In Psa 16:3 He adds that He finds all His delight in “the saints who are in the earth”. After His love for God, follows inextricably His love for the believers (cf. Pro 8:31b).

“The saints” are not the holy angels, for they are in heaven. Angels are sometimes called “holy angels”, but they are nowhere called “saints”. Nor are they the saints of the church, for the church belongs to heaven according to its position and is already in heaven in Christ (Eph 1:3).

“The saints” are the faithful remnant of Israel, God’s earthly people. Upon them are the eyes of the LORD (Psa 101:6). They consecrate themselves to God and sanctify themselves for Him, following Christ, Who does the same. These saints are also called “the majestic ones” or better, “the glorious ones”. The “saints” are the “glorious ones” because they are connected to the Glorious One, Christ. For us, God sees us in the glory of Christ which we have received from and in Him (Jn 17:22; cf. Eph 1:6).

Christ is united with these saints. With them He occupies the same position before God, as it is written: “For both He who sanctifies [that is Christ] and those who are sanctified [that is the saints, the believers] are all from one” (Heb 2:11). Of the saints Christ says here: “In whom is all my delight.” We see this expressed in a remarkable way when He lets Himself be baptized by John the baptist. By letting Himself be baptized, He makes Himself one with His own (cf. Pro 8:31b).

In being baptized, Christ joins those who, “as they confessed their sins”, were baptized by John (Mt 3:5-6 ; 13-16).That He does join them, but at the same time is far above them, is evident from what the Father says to all present immediately after His baptism: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Mt 3:17). The Father makes it clear that in the midst of them He is the unique Son of God. He has no sins to confess, for He is the Sinless One.

We see here the illustration of what God’s Word says to us New Testament believers about loving God and loving those who belong to Him. Those who say they love God will also love God’s people. Those two aspects are inseparable in the new nature of the believer (1Jn 5:1-2). You are lying if you say you love God, while you hate your brother.