PSALM 16

1. The obedient One (Psalm 16:1-3)

2. The path He went (Psalm 16:4-8)

3. Death and resurrection (Psalm 16:9-11)

In the nine Psalms which compose this section Christ is marvellously revealed. We notice an interesting progress in the messianic message of this section, culminating in the manifestation of the King, the Lord of Glory in Psalm 24:1-10. In the Sixteenth Psalm we behold Christ in His obedience on earth. See also Paul’s testimony in Acts 13:35.

Psalm 16:1-3. Here we hear Him speak, it is not David who speaks of himself. This we learn from Acts 2:25, when Peter quoted this Psalm and states that David spoke concerning Him (Christ). As the all obedient One, in humiliation He lived the life of faith and dependence on God. He took the place of lowliness in which He said to Jehovah, “Thou art my Lord.” And this humiliation was for the saints and the excellent, His own people in whom is all His delight.

Psalm 16:4-8. In that path the Lord was His portion and His cup, He was His All, nor did He want anything beside Him. “Thou maintainest my lot.” Thus He could say “the lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly inheritance.” And so He walked in obedience, learning obedience though He was the Son, with the Lord always set before Him.

Psalm 16:9-11. These last three verses show that He went into death, the death of the cross as seen in Psalm 22:1-31, with the assurance that His soul should not be left in sheol and that His body should not see corruption. It is the promise of resurrection and after that glory, the way of life through death into the presence of God, to the right hand of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore. It is a beautiful prophecy of Him who walked on earth in obedience, devoted to God, dying the sinner’s death, His resurrection and His presence in glory. We shall find these precious prophecies concerning Himself more fully revealed in this section.