The God of Blessings

Psalm 16

When you come to the Psalms you realize you are reading a very different style of literature in the Bible.

The Psalms are a collection of poems, hymns, and prayers from God’s people. So, we don’t really think of them as providing us with theological principles to live by.

However, the Psalms are intense and personal. They allow us to pull back the curtain and witness the raw emotion of God’s people.

They are a record of saints from the past, doing their very best to live for God. In many ways coming to the Psalms should feel like a family reunion to us. We are able to identify with the feelings and expressions of the writers.

In them, we have the privilege of being present when fellow believers are crying out to God for help, praising Him for mercy, and thanking Him for His provisions.

We get to see God’s people failing miserably, seeking retribution, and questioning why God allows certain people to prosper.

Reading Psalms is like staring into a mirror, because we are confronted by the very same questions and problems we face today.

Therefore, The Psalms become one of the best sources for practical application in the Bible.

Psalm 16 is about the joy and blessings of a relationship with God. David is so satisfied and confident in God, it effects his entire worldview.

His love for the Lord influences the way he lives, the way he thinks, and what he believes.

It fills him with confidence because He believes with his whole heart his relationship with God will never end, not even in death.

Psalm 16 KJV 1900

Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: My goodness extendeth not to thee; But to the saints that are in the earth, And to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take up their names into my lips. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: My reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

In our passage this morning we see a David so full of joy because of his relationship with God.

it changed his approach to life and to death. And really that same thing should be true for you and me.

David’s faith brought him satisfaction in life, and that is something we are all searching for.

We are going to look at this Psalm in two part. In Vs. 1-6 we see David’s Commitment to Faithfulness. And in Vs. 7-11 we see David’s confidence in the future.

The final verses in this Psalm (8-11) are prophecy applied to Jesus in the book of Acts, by both Peter and Paul.

But first, we must apply them to David, and when we do, we see he is very bold in his faith and trust in the Lord.

What I want you to understand is this Psalm is not theoretical, it’s practical.

This Psalm is the relationship goal we should all have with God. It should challenge us and inspire us to a deeper devotion to Christ.

The first thing I want you to see in this Psalm is David’s commitment to Faithfulness, Vs. 1-6.

He begins with a prayer. Vs. 1, “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”

This opening verse teaches us a lot about David’s relationship with God, because of the name he uses for God.

He calls God, “El,” The God most High, which is a common name for God, but it means the mighty or strong One.

He says, “Preserve me, O EL.” What do we do when we preserve something? We keep it, we sustain it and hold on to it to make it last.

So, David is asking that the almighty, most High God of the universe to make him last.

But why would God do that? because David puts his trust in Him. The word “trust” here is literally means “refuge. Which is used throughout the OT, to describe a place of safety and security.”

What is interesting, is I don’t believe this prayer is coming at a difficult time in David’s life. Some scholars argue he is asking God to preserve him because his life is in danger.

But that’s not what we see from the rest of the Psalm. In fact, we see just the opposite. there is no reason for despair, because David is happy, satisfied and content with his life.

So, he is asking God to preserve him just to prolong his deep devotion and commitment to God. He is so full of joy he wants this relationship to last.

Notice his surrender. Vs. 2, “O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: My goodness extendeth not to thee;”

He uses two more names for God in Vs. 2. The first word “Lord” is translated as “Jehovah.”

This the personal name for God. This is the name God gave Moses at the burning bush.

Exodus 3:13–14 NASB95

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”

That is translated as Jehovah the covenant, personal name for God, given to the children of Israel.

So, it is appropriate that David would say, “my goodness extendeth not to thee.”

In other words I have nothing good to offer you and I have nothing good in my life besides you.

The third name for God in Vs. 2 translated as Lord is “Adonai,” which means Master.

David is willingly surrendering his life and recognizes God as his personal master. Jehovah is my Adonai.

This is the equivalent to us saying, Jesus is my Lord and Savior.

The question is; can you say with David, “Apart from you I have no good thing in my life.” All of your life is centered on God?

Because what David was saying is all of my chips are in God’s basket. God is in 1st place in my life and it wasn’t even close. can you say that today?

Can you say that nothing is as important to you as the Lord. If the whole earth passed away, it would be okay, if he still had God.

David attributed everything positive in his life to the Lord and realized that without the Lord, even the best things of life are useless.

Jesus said, Matthew 16:26 ““For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” The answer is nothing. We have nothing to give to God. He has given everything to us.

If you have come to know Jesus as your Lord, nothing else in life can mean as much to you as Him.

Think about the vows people make in a marriage. They promise to prioritize each other above all else. Then when life becomes demanding there are choices they have to make to keep their commitment.

Well the same thing is true in our relationship with God. Being committed to Christ means choosing Him everyday, above everything else, to making sure nothing overshadows that commitment.

Notice the effect David’s commitment had on his relationships Vs. 3-4.

Psalm 16 KJV 1900

But to the saints that are in the earth, And to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: Their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, Nor take up their names into my lips.

What we see here are the results of David’s faith and commitment to God.

Because God is first in his life, it is going to determine who he associates with.

It is important we recognize that David wasn’t going to become a monk. He wasn’t moving into solitary confinement.

But rather his joy and delight was going to be found in the company of God’s people.

Notice the word “excellent” some translations say “majestic ones.”

The point is; David wanted to be with other people who were living for God. People who felt the same call on their life.

David identified with God’s people in his heart. He felt connected to them. He shared their values and he says, “that’s who I want to be with.”

My dad used to say, “you never have to learn to love God’s people.” What he meant was, whenever you meet another Christian, anywhere in the world, you should feel a natural sense of connection, because you share a common bond that is beyond this world. You share Jesus Christ.

In fact, that’s why you are here today. You are expressing the same thing David is expressing. You delight in the Lord and you delight in the fellowship of God’s people.

By contrast, David goes on to say, “I am going to separate myself from idolaters.

In Vs. 4 he says, “those who do not honor God but chase after false God’s are going to suffer immensely. Their sorrow will overwhelm them.

David realized the outcome of their life was going to result in disaster, and he was determined not to let that happen in his life.

David refused to identify with them. He refused to be apart of their false worship. He wasn’t even going to talk about it. He says, “I will not take their names on my lips.”

Do you see how his faithfulness to God determined his relationships with others. He put his time and energy into God people, and separated himself from those who opposed God.

It is important that we understand, I am not talking about reaching out to people who are lost. We want to share the gospel.

But, we don’t cast our lot with them. We don’t want to associate with their sin.

Many times as Christians, especially for new believers, we find out the people who we were once close to, have different values we don’t share anymore, and if we are going to live for God, it might be difficult, but we have to move on, and let those relationships go. Because bad company corrupts good morals.

2 Corinthians 6:14 “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” The answer is none!!

Not only did David’s faithfulness and commitment to God effect his relationships with others, but it effected the contentment of his heart.

Vs. 5-6, “The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; Yea, I have a goodly heritage.”

He is satisfied and feels complete with what he has in life. He is happy with what God has given him. He says, “Lord you are what I will receive and that’s enough for me.”

When he says, “the Lord is the portion of my inheritance.” He is using Hebrew language to describe the physical inheritance given to the Israelites in the promise land.

In the book of Joshua, they divided up the promise land among each tribe of Israel, and the section of land they received was their inheritance from the Lord. It was their lines or boundaries.

So, what David is saying here is, “the Lord, Himself is my inheritance.” The boundaries He has given me are good.

These two verses teach us about David’s complete devotion to God. He is satisfied and his heart is content.

He is not searching for anything from the world to satisfy him. He has found everything he needs in the Lord. (Is that true in your life?)

The great Puritan Pastor, David Clarkson describes finding your satisfaction in Christ, he wrote;

“Lord, however you treat me in this world, whatever you deny me, Lord, deny me not Christ. I can be happy without riches and abundance, like Job and Lazarus were.

I can be happy even if I am reviled and reproached, as was Christ and his disciples. I can be happy and comfortable in prison, as were Paul and Silas.

But I cannot be happy without the righteousness of Christ. All the riches and honors on earth will leave me miserable if I am without this.”

The point is; God is most glorified by our lives when; we find our joy, contentment, and satisfaction in Him.

I cannot leave the first part of this Psalm without encouraging you to make a commitment to faithfulness the way that David did.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make Christ the priority of your life. And out of the joy in your heart, serve Him and live for Him.

David’s confidence in God’s Blessing Vs. 7-11.

As David goes through the rest of the Psalm you see his confidence grow because he knew that God was going to bless him.

In the first part of the Psalm we seen David’s commitment to Faithfulness and now we see his confidence in God’s blessing.

Notice his confidence in the future, Vs. 7-8

Psalm 16 KJV 1900

I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: My reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the Lord always before me: Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

David is completely confident in his future, but notice his confidence isn’t based on his circumstances or anything in the world. But it is based on his relationship with God.

He says, God is the one who councils me. God is the one who directs my path even as I meditate on Him at night.

Why? because I continually set Him before me, He is my right hand. In other words, He is my strength and power. Therefore, I will not be moved!!

The whole earth might crumble and fall apart around me but I will stand tall because God is with me!!

This reminds me of Psalm 23 when David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me.”

The presence of God can give us peace in overwhelming circumstances.

I am reminded of Jesus calming the storm. The disciples were in the boat, terrified they were going to perish, but Jesus was with them. He stood up and He commanded the winds and the waves to stop. He said, “peace, be still.”

He teaches us that no matter what storms we face in life we can have peace because He is with us.

That’s the confidence we see from David. He knew that no matter what he faced God was with him and he would not be moved.

This is not theoretical, this is practical. If you find yourself becoming stressed out and overwhelmed by what you are going through, take a moment and pray. Remember the presence of God is with you and let the peace of God change the atmosphere of your heart.

It may not change the circumstances, but it will change attitude and your perspective on what you are going through.

The point is; God is good, and if God is good what do we have to fear. Why would we live in pessimism.

The Apostle Paul would say in Romans, “If God be for us who can be against us and no weapon formed against us can prosper.”

So, David’s confidence should challenge us to grow in our own spiritual maturity. It should challenge us, to put God first and to stand on our faith and not be moved.

Notice Vs. 9, David’s soul is rejoicing. He says, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope.”

The word, “therefore” points us to the conclusion of the matter. David says, He is at my right hand I will not be shaken, “Therefore.”

Implying that because of the power and presence of God in his life, is why he was so full of joy.

The reality of who God is and David’s relationship with Him is what allowed him to live with this hope. He is expressing confidence in God and spiritual maturity in life.

The same thing is true for us. Our relationship with God should shape the way that we think, what we believe and how we behave.. We should be growing in confidence and spiritual maturity.

If you are not, let it begin today.

Notice how David’s confidence even effected his view of death Vs 10 says,

Psalm 16 KJV 1900

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

David believed that even death could not separate him from God.

I want you to recognize just how bold this statement is; 1000 years before Christ and the resurrection, David believed he would live forever.

He believed that God was so good that even death could not separate Him from God. This is an Old Testament expectation of eternal life.

But it is even more amazing than that. This is prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The New Testament makes it clear in Acts Chapter 2, when Peter is preaching to those who crucified Christ. He says this,

Acts 2:24–28 NASB95

“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. “For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. ‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’

In Verse 25 Peter says, “This is what David said of Christ.”

1000 years before Christ, David, so full of confidence that he was moved by the Holy Spirit to speak of the ultimate resurrection of the Savior.

Psalm 16 is a direct prophecy of the resurrection of Christ. Paul to speaks of this as prophecy.

Acts 13:34–35 NASB95

“As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ “Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’

Conclusion

In Psalm 16 David is gives us a powerful example of spiritual maturity. We see it, in his commitment to God and his confidence in the future. He gives us a practical application of the resurrection of Jesus.

He believed that God was so good, and so faithful that not even death could separate Him from His people.

We know the same God today that David knew, but now we have even more assurance than David had when he wrote these words.

We look back on the resurrection. We have the words of Jesus to His disciples in John 14:19 ““because I live, you will live also.”

We have the promise of God that those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

So, we should be able to say with even greater confidence than David Vs. 11 of Psalm 16:11

Psalm 16:11 NASB95

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.

We can have confidence that when God leads us through life, He will also lead us through death.