Psalm 16
This psalm gives beautifully the details of the Lord's life here on this earth as the dependent Man. There are two special characteristics of the divine life in man on the earth, and these two are always dependence and obedience; and the divine life in man was, I need not say, always shown perfectly in the Lord Jesus when He walked this earth, and always with these two characteristics, dependence and obedience.
What I seek for your souls and for mine, beloved friends, is, that what was seen perfectly in Christ may be wrought in us more and more from day to day. It is very precious and profitable to turn back and see how the Lord addressed Himself to the journey through this desert scene which you and I have also to travel through. The psalm does not speak of the circumstances of the way. You and I are very apt to be occupied with the circumstances. Here you only have the perfection of God to meet every circumstance, no matter what. Each verse of the psalm has a peculiar thought in it, and the thought of the first verse is, I believe, dependence—trust.
Dependence. "Preserve Me, 0 God; for in Thee do I put My trust." There is no self-reliance here, but the very opposite—firm reliance on Jehovah, looking to Him to be preserved. And do you think that soul ever falls who thus puts his trust in God? Never! The soul that fears to fall, and therefore trusts God, is the soul that is preserved. When there is ever maintained in the heart this fear to fall, there is this dependence on God which keeps the heart. The keynote of this psalm is dependence. The saint of God in this scene is like a piece of ivy which has attached itself to an oak tree around which it grows. You never saw an ivy plant unsupported. Inch by inch as the ivy grows, it strikes its feelers into the oak tree whose roots are deep in the ground. It speaks most eloquently, and says this, I cannot grow a single inch without a support. This verse does not mean merely trusting the Lord for salvation at first, but is the habitual expression of the soul; and if there is this trust, if God is everything to you and to me (He was to Christ), if the soul is brought to this sweet reliance on God, what is the next step?
Subjection. Verse 2 gives the thought of subserviency—subjection. "0 My soul, Thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art My Lord: My goodness extendeth not to Thee." How could this apply to Christ? You say, Was He not God? Was He not equal with the Father? Yes, He was; but that is not the way in which this psalm speaks of Him; here it is not as God, but as man in dependence on God He is speaking. He was God and He became a man; He left His first estate to glorify God, and to die for you and me. The highest perfection of the creature is to keep his first estate. The first man sought to exalt himself, and he fell; the second Man humbled Himself, and God exalted Him. Adam left his first estate and became an apostate; take care that we are not like him; take care that we do not apostatize from the truth God has given us. We are in danger of it.
If Christ has become a man, then what does He say? He said to Jehovah, "Thou art My LORD: My goodness extendeth not to Thee." It is Christ as a man on earth who thus speaks. When He takes the place of a subject servant upon earth, He says, "My goodness extendeth not to Thee."
He is a man upon earth, servant to Jehovah. This is the reason of His answer to the young ruler in Mark 10:1818And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. (Mark 10:18), who calls Him "Good Master." If he only sees Him as a man, then, "There is none good but One, that is, God." He says to Jehovah, "My goodness extendeth not to Thee." To the saints He says, "In them is all My delight." This, therefore, leads to
Fellowship. Verse 3 is fellowship in a wonderful way. "But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all My delight. Were there some on earth in whom Jehovah delighted? With them, says Christ, is all My delight; I will go with such. In Matt. 13:1313Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew 13:13) I believe you find the historical answer to this expression of the Lord Jesus. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade Him saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness, Then he suffered Him." "Thus it becometh us!" Wondrous grace! Christ here the true Shepherd, sees the path the sheep have taken, and He says, I will go with them. He knows very well what Jehovah thinks of the action of this separated remnant in which Jehovah delighted, and He goes with them in their action. They were baptized, confessing their sins. He had no sins, I need not say, to confess; but they were taking a step morally pleasing to God, and He says, I must go with them. The same divine life in Christ which was working in the truly godly of them took Him into full association with them. With those who rightly feel what the claims of God are, and who respond to these claims, with such it is His delight to associate. He takes His place with those whose action is morally pleasing to God; He identifies Himself with them. Gracious Master! Is it not lovely? And the grace of the Master is what is to be acting in you and Me. Grace flings itself into all the exercises of heart of the saints of God, in true sympathy with them. Next comes
Fidelity, or separation to God. This we have in verse 4, that fidelity which comes out perfectly in the life of Christ. "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 mass of the nation was practically in idolatry. He has flung Himself in with those whose actions were right toward Jehovah; but then He says, I will not go with those who have another god. He judges what is suitable to God, and only with that will He have any fellowship. The hidden springs of His soul are for God; and, beloved, we may imitate Christ in this faithfulness, this fidelity. How little do we know of it! Fidelity is like the dog who will not follow anyone but the master. What a blessed expression this fourth verse is of Christ's fidelity to God! The Lord give us to know in our souls what this practical faithfulness to God is!
The Portion. Verse five gives us the portion of the soul: "The LORD is the portion of Mine inheritance and of My cup: Thou maintainest My lot." What is your portion? His was Jehovah; ours is the Father and the Son. Three things are in the portion—the inheritance, the cup, and the lot. What have you got amid all the sorrows of this life? You have God, the living God, and He your Father. God is the portion, God Himself. We have the Lord in this verse speaking as a true priest. and there is never true worship till you get to this. Why do you say a true priest? You ask. Because He is exactly like the priest in Numb. 18:2020And the Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. (Numbers 18:20): "And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel."
No, no inheritance. The priest says, I shall have no inheritance here. What has he got? God! Is this enough? Is this portion sufficient? It was for Christ. He says, I have a goodly heritage, I have God. Would you like to alter your circumstances? No, says the true priest. I have God. In everlasting glory you will be satisfied with God, God only, God always. Is He enough for you by the way? This true saint says, "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance."
And what have you by the way? A cup. A cup is a small thing. I have a cup for the desert, an inheritance forever. The inheritance gives the idea of a permanent portion—the cup, of what you have by the way. "The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" You may tell me I do not know what is in your cup. True, but whose hand has raised that cup to the lips? whose hand has mixed every drop of it for you?
When the saint is in true dependence on God, he takes everything from God direct; it is not the circumstance that his heart dwells on, but God who has permitted the circumstance. Nature puts the circumstances between the heart and God; faith puts God between circumstances and the heart—has God in between itself and everything that may come. "Thou maintainest My lot," He says—not that He alters it, He maintains it. Whatever comes, Christ says, it comes from the perfect love of Him in whom I have perfect confidence. His was a pathway of sorrow from first to last, a cup brimful of sorrow from beginning to end. Outwardly the history of the Lord Jesus was a dismal one, without a true companion down here. Truly said one -
"Thy path, uncheered by earthly smiles, Led only to the cross."
He was born in one man's manger, buried in another man's tomb! betrayed by this one, denied by that one, misunderstood by all. Think of it. What a history outwardly! Did you ever know one so dismal? But what is His estimate of it?
Satisfaction. We get His estimate of it in verse 6, which speaks to us of satisfaction. "The lines are fallen unto Me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." The pleasant places He fell into were the company of God every moment of His history down here. "I have a goodly heritage," He says. It is the soul divinely satisfied with God Himself. Is it so with us? Are we always satisfied? Is there not often something in our circumstances, in our lot, we would like to alter? Does the desert path seem dark and dreary, the way difficult? Is not He overhead? Does He not rule? Oh, to be satisfied, satisfied with God, with God Himself! "My peace I give unto you." That was the "pleasant" lines, the "goodly heritage," the peace He had in communion with God. His satisfaction and delight in God were perfect all the way along.
Worship and Counsel. Verse 7 gives us worship and counsel. "I will bless the LORD, who hath given Me counsel: My reins also instruct Me in the night seasons." It is the true priest finding His portion in Jehovah, and therefore thanking Him. We have the Lord in Matt. 11 saying when everything around looked most dreary, "I thank Thee, 0 Father," and, "Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight." And again, in John 11:4141Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (John 11:41), "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always." Again, In Isa. 50 we have Him saying, "The Lord GOD hath given Me the tongue of the learned [the instructed], that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned [the instructed]. The Lord Goo hath opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back." vv. 4, 5. If you have the Lord always before your heart, there will be this blessed worshipful spirit maintained, and then He will counsel you, too. You get it in Psalm 73 as well—"Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel."
Again, in Psalm 32:88I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8) we have the Lord saying, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go." That is, He says, I have a way for you to go along this dark scene, and I will counsel you in that way. In a desert place, where self-will has come in, and where we are certain to go wrong unless in dependence on God, God says, There is a way, My way for you, and I will counsel you in it. "My reins also instruct thee in the night seasons." What is that? Well, I believe there is a sense of what suits the Lord; there are the instincts of the divine life of the Christian; God by His Spirit working and giving the believer on earth the sense of what suits Him. "He that is spiritual judgeth [discerneth] all things" (1 Cor. 2:1515But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Corinthians 2:15)).
Devotedness and Confidence. Verse 8 shows us devotedness. "I have set the LORD always before Me: because He is at My right hand, I shall not be moved." If we wrote our own path what would we say? I have set the Lord sometimes before me, and the sometimes fewer than the other times. Sometimes we set each other before us; oftener we set ourselves. He says, "I have set the LORD always before Me." He has nothing before His mind but the Lord, Jehovah. There was His devotedness. "Lo, I come to do Thy will," He says; and again, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:3434Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. (John 4:34)). And there is confidence. "Because He is at My right hand, I shall not be moved." Think of this. And does not God delight to put Himself at the right hand of the soul that simply trusts in Him? God says, If you put Me always before you, I shall bring Myself very near; I will put Myself at your right hand. If you set Me always before you, I will bring Myself as near as I can. What does God put Himself at your right hand for? That you may put your right hand into His right hand, and be upheld by Him. "Thy right hand hath holden me up" (Psalm 18:3535Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. (Psalm 18:35)). "Thou hast holden me by my right hand" (Psalm 73:2323Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. (Psalm 73:23)).
What can God only do to the man who sets Jehovah at His right hand? Jehovah's answer to the dependent Man is this: "Sit Thou at My right hand." You have Him putting Jehovah at His right hand down here; that gives confidence; and to the Man who says, "I have set the Loan always before Me," Jehovah answers, I will set that Man at My right hand in glory. The thought of the right hand coming in here brings out the end of the pathway of the blessed Lord Jesus. How does He reach that glory? Through death; and thus we get the lovely connection of Psalm 110 with Psalm 16 in Peter's sermon of Acts 2:25-3625For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 29Men 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. 30Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with 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; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:25‑36).
Joy. Now we have verse 6 which gives us joy in view of all that was before Him. "Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoiceth: My flesh also shall rest in hope.' "Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2).
Assurance. In verse 10 we have the assurance in view of death. "For Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption." The Holy One is that which He was intrinsically and practically. He can go even into death in full assurance, and so can the believer also. Christ, of course, saw no corruption. 1 Cor. 15 gives the other side for the believer. "When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption." He was so holy that if He got into death as the end of a pathway of grace and obedience, the only thing God could possibly do was to take Him out of death and set Him in glory.
Association with God in glory. Verse 11 gives us the close of the pathway. "Thou wilt show Me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." It is God Himself who is the fullness of His joy. Pleasures in what way? Well, I think in association with Him. He has had God down here; and when at His right hand, there are eternal associations with Him there.
This psalm gives to us in a blessed way the divine life coming out in a man down here on this earth. First dependence, then thorough subservience or subjection, then fellowship, fidelity, God the portion of the soul, satisfaction; then worship and counsel, devotedness and confidence, joy, assurance in view of death, and finally association with God in glory.
The Lord keep us walking more in the footprints of the blessed Master, for His own name and glory's sake.