Psalm 16, NIV

A miktam of David.

16 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”

3 As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

4 The sorrows of those will increase who run after

other gods. I will not pour out their libations of

blood or take up their names on my lips.

5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.

7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

8 I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,

10 because you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Verses 1-2: A Recognition of our Need

· We need the Lord’s continual protection. We need Him because we are nothing apart from Him.

· v.1 is basically a summary of the entire Psalm.

Verses 3-4: A Recognition of our Companions

· David knows that he is not alone also because he has the righteous friends in Israel. They are his delight.

· There are also those who run after other gods. David confesses that he will not turn to these gods.

Verses 5-6: A Recognition of our Calling

· David knows that his path was chosen by the Lord and he knows he is secure in that purpose.

· He knows of the promise the Lord has given him.

Verses 7-8: A Recognition of our Focus

· David kept his “eyes on the ball”

· He knows that Lord is “at his right hand”. This is a metaphor for saying the “Lord’s got my back.”

Verses 9-11: A Recognition of our Future

· David knew his future was secure because God is God. He will fulfill what He has promised.

· David did not have to worry about even death because God promised a place in the “bosom of Abraham”

There is, however, another way to view this Psalm.

This is a prophetic psalm. Since the text does not expressly say “I am prophecy”, how do we know it is (for that matter, how do we know anything labeled “prophecy” is, in fact, “prophetic”?)?

For that matter, does the fact that it is prophetic mean it had no application for David and the Israelites of his day?

First, in this instance, many of the verses and ideas simply do not fit David as being the object of the 1st person pronoun “I” or “me”.

Second, these verses, while not fitting David, make complete sense when viewed through the lens of Jesus Christ.

Third, the prophecy is true. The ultimate hallmark of any prophetic utterance is the fact that is 100% true. I marvel at how many news “shows” and magazines tout the latest “big” psychic as having a 30-40% correct rate. Bottom line, if they are true prophets, they will NEVER be wrong. The prophecies of Scripture (of those that have been fulfilled) have come true 100% just as they were predicted. Now there’s something to write about!

Verses 8-11

Prophetic Scripture (Acts 2:25-28)