Bible Commentaries
Psalms 16

Verses 1-11

PSALM 16

Christ identifying Himself with the godly in Israel, expressing the life of faith before God.

Psalm 16 is a prophetic description of the Lord Jesus in His lowly path through this world. He is viewed not in His divine equality with God, though ever true, but in the place of perfect dependence as the servant of Jehovah. It presents the inward life of faith before God, rather than the outer life seen before men. It is a life that has God for its object, so that it is a life lived to God, as well as before God.

(v. 1) Christ takes a place as Man, and expresses His perfect dependence and confidence in God. “Preserve me, O God,” is the language of dependence: “In thee do I put my trust,” is the expression of confidence.

(v. 2) Christ not only takes the place of Man, but He takes the place of the Servant. He can say to Jehovah, “Thou art my Lord.” His goodness - His perfect obedience as the Servant - was not in order to give Him a place before God, or in order to secure benefits for Himself, but for the benefit of the saints. He became a Servant to serve others in love.

(v. 3) Christ, in His lowliness, not only takes the place of Servant, but, in grace, He becomes the associate of the godly remnant - the excellent of the earth - in whom He finds His delight.

(v. 4) Christ, though in grace the companion of the godly, was absolutely faithful to God. He would not hear of any god but Jehovah. In perfect faithfulness to Jehovah, He refused all that can be called “another god.” He was the separate Man.

(vv. 5-6) Christ in His pathway through this world was not only separate from all that can come between God and man, but His heart was satisfied with Jehovah. The Lord was His portion; and while passing on to the earthly inheritance that God had purposed for Him, He tasted, in the cup, the joy of the inheritance by the way. In the sense of the favour of the Lord, He could say, “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places.”

(v. 7) Christ, in the path that leads to the inheritance, could bless Jehovah for His counsel. Instructed by the counsel of Jehovah, His own inmost thoughts gave Him light and instruction.

(v. 8) Guided by the counsel of Jehovah, and with Jehovah always before Him, He ever found in God His support.

(vv. 9-10) Thus supported, Christ could rejoice even in view of death, and pass through that dark valley with unclouded hope, knowing that His soul would not be left in Hades, nor His body suffered to see corruption ( Act_2:25-28 ).

(v. 11) Christ saw the path of life beyond death, in resurrection, that leads to the right hand of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures for evermore ( Heb_12:2 ).