Welcome back to another Wednesday Bible study. We are in the book of Psalms this year. Today we are looking at the sixteenth Psalm. If you have not already done so, I hope that you will take the time to read the eleven verses found in this chapter. Pray and ask Holy Spirit to teach you what He wants you to know about this passage and He will do it. Ask for fresh revelation of God's Word so you can hear and obey what the Scriptures say. Leave your Bibles open and grab something to take notes if you want. I will be sharing what God has given me today.
Psalm 16, Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58, Psalm 59, and Psalm 60 are all classified as Michtam. What is a Michtam? I looked at the website Got Questions to learn more. Here is a part of what they shared on their website.
Some scholars see the word michtam as meaning “golden,” a definition that would similarly assign great value to a song so labeled. A michtam could be “a psalm as precious as stamped gold”; if so, today’s top-selling songs that are “certified gold” could be considered “michtams” of a sort.
Sounds like these are very special psalms. We are going to examine each of the eleven verses in today's passage.
Verse 1
David establishes relationship in this first verse. He can ask God to preserve, save, protect, or guard him because he is in relationship with Him. He knows the nature of God is to protect and shield those He loves. David is asking for this security now.
Do you need a safeguard today from what you are facing? Are you in relationship with God? Simply pray this verse back to God and watch Him work in your life.
Verses 2-3
David continues this prayer. My Bible translates the phrase "extendeth not to Thee" as meaning "is nothing apart from Thee." So David is actually saying, "O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness is nothing apart from Thee. David recognizes that God is good and apart from Him there is no good in us.
Verse three is connected to verse two. David is saying the people of God, (the saints), in the earth bring him joy. He is delighted in the excellent people. There are so many people compromising in today's society and it is a welcome change to hear about people who are sold out because of God's love and mercy evident in their lives.
Verse 4
David says that pain and suffering will be multiplied to those who run after idols that have no power. They offer drink offerings of innocent blood shed to these false gods. David takes a stance against this counterfeit worship and says he will not offer these sacrifices up and he refuses to even mention the names of these false deities.
How do you respond to those who chase after fortune, fame, power, popularity, and bow at the altar of sacrilege? Will you say it is their life, let them live it? Will you separate yourself from the detestable practices and only serve the One and True God, Yahweh?
Verse 5
God is David's part of his inheritance. God is the substance in David's cup. Blessings pour into his life because his eyes are on God, the Creator. It says, "Thou maintainest my lot" which literally means God upholds his abundance. Do we think of God like this?
Verse 6
David is bragging on God. He says that his boundaries are in pleasant places. He has a wonderful inheritance. We, who are children of the Most High God, can say the very same things. He has put your soul in a pleasant place and you inherit eternal life. What a beautiful picture of God's love and provision.
Verse 7
David blesses the LORD GOD for wise counsel, sound advice, and sage wisdom, even in the nighttime, to instruct him on what to do and where to go. Do you need God's wisdom? Ask God and He will give it to you according to James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally , and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Ask Him right now and He will give it to you.
Verse 8
This verse may be the biggest key to this whole chapter. Have you continually put the LORD before you? Is He always on your mind? Are you praying and communicating with God throughout your day? Or is He only on your mind at church? We must make room for Him in our day at the start of the day and then throughout the day. When we have pockets of time to think we must have our minds stayed upon God.
David says God is at his right hand. That is a powerful place to be. Is God your right hand Man? Is He your Advisor, Mentor, Counselor, Redeemer, Protector, Helper, and Healer? God should be so close to us that we can sense Him regardless if we are happy or sad, mad or glad, discouraged or encouraged.
Because David keeps God in the forefront of His mind, and He's so close to Him that it feels like He is right beside him, David proclaims, "I shall not be moved." David lost a wife, his son (because of his own sin), had heartache over his children who acted all kinds of crazy, and was betrayed by friends. He is saying because of the relationship he had with God it caused him to not be shaken when his world was falling apart. Remember he was drawing closer to God while shepherding sheep. It was before he was known as a giant slayer, a battle warrior, a king of Israel. Will you draw close to God even if it means not getting more likes, follows, or comments? Will you seek God when no one is watching and you won't get a pat on the back? These times of being isolated and hidden is the best time to grow deep roots into God and let Him grow you into the man or woman of God He wants you to be.
Verse 9
Because David has stability in God when the world around is sinking sand, he has a reason to be excited. He says this is the reason my heart feels such joy and gladness. He says his innermost being rejoices in God who has redeemed him. He says his entire body will rest in hope. Can you say that you are stable in God's provision and grace? Or, would you say you are shaken when the winds and storms come? Does your vessel get wrecked by the crashing waves of unforeseen circumstances? Or do you run to the refuge of God and allow Him to protect and preserve you?
Verse 10
David says to God, "You won't leave me in the place of death. You will not suffer the Holy One to see corruption." You see God did not leave Jesus in the tomb. If David could look down the corridors of time to see that, it had to be a great source of encouragement to him. Today we know how the story ends and we know that God did exactly that, resurrected Jesus from the dead, and He promises we won't die either if we trust in Him.
Acts 2:29-36 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with him an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, He would raise up Christ to sit on His throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Verse 11
Last verse, David acknowledges God as guiding him through this life. (Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.) In the presence of God is joy full and complete. You will never ever feel more joy in anything else. There is freedom and love and joy and one hundred percent absence of fear in the presence of God. He ends with declaring that pleasures forevermore, no end to the blessings, is at God's right hand. Have you experienced that kind of joy and fulfillment? It was not just for David. That is not just an Old Testament thing. It is a beautiful glimpse into the relationship David had with God.
If you have a real relationship with God aside from church events and services, you will experience these things in your life too. You can add a big, "ME, TOO!!" to this psalm. It is absolutely possible to have these things in the year 2022 (or whenever you read this). God is the same. He does not change (Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day, and for ever.) and He wants to offer us the same blessings and benefits. Have you taken Him up on the offer? If not, let today be your day. If you have, then you know exactly what I am talking about.
I hope you have been encouraged with today's study. It has been so beneficial to me. I love the way the LORD teaches me right along with all of you. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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