Psalm 16:

A Miktam of David. [1] Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. [2] I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” [3] As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. [4] The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. [5] The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. [6] The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. [7] I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. [8] I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. [9] Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. [10] For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. [11] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (ESV)

Introduction:

As you have heard already this morning, today marks the 4 year anniversary of Sovereign Hope Church. Well, actually June 1st does, but after 2 anniversary picnics in the hot Fresno sun, we decided that we actually started 1 month earlier. Many of you have been with us for several years and can attest that God, indeed, has done great things for us. If you are visiting with us for the first time today, you have come at the most fortuitous time. Not just because it’s our anniversary, and you are invited to join us at our picnic (which is always fun), but because we have decided to take this Sunday to proclaim to and remind the church of the mission and vision of Sovereign Hope Church. So, if you are wondering what this church is really about, you could not have come on a better Sunday. The MISSION of Sovereign Hope Church is to spread a passion for God in Christ for the joy of all peoples. To quote our about us page “Sovereign Hope Church was born from a desire to begin a loving community absorbed with all God is for us in Christ. We wanted to build an environment in which God was the most exciting subject for discussion, creativity, and expression.” Beloved, everything we do as a church has the goal of spreading a passion for God in Christ for the joy of all peoples. The VISION behind our mission is to be GOD-CENTERED and JOY-DRIVEN. What do we mean by that? WE ARE GOD-CENTERED We believe that the chief purpose of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him. This means that God is our life and he deserves the supreme position in our hearts and minds (Col. 1:15-18). We also we believe the primary character of the Bible is God and thus the first objective in studying scripture is to know God. We are God-Centered. WE ARE ALSO JOY-DRIVEN When calling the disciples in John 15 to abide in His words and bear fruit, Christ Jesus says, in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” God is not just out to save us from our sins and His wrath, or just to get us to heaven. He wants to give us everlasting joy. The goal of abiding in Christ is to have fullness of joy.  And the scriptures consistently reveal that true joy is found in God.  Because of this, we believe that the Word of God describes all of Christian life as the pursuit of greater joy in God. We do not want God to be a means to our happiness in other things, but rather that knowing and loving Him will increasingly become our greatest treasure. Now, there is a necessary caveat to give before we move on and it is one that I have personally been reminding myself of the past few weeks.  Being God-Centered and Joy-Driven does not mean that life is always full of happiness and ease.  We still dwell in a broken and fallen world.  We still long for the day of the redemption of our bodies.  In fact, the apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:24-25 that we were saved in that very hope and true believers wait for it with patience. There are times when life is difficult.  There are even promised sufferings in this present world. There are pains that bring us to the depths of sorrow at times. There are moments when we feel like happiness and joy are the furthest thing from our feelings. What being God-Centered and Joy-Driven means, is that in every moment of life, high or low, we recognize that true joy is found in God alone.  We are driven by wanting joy, and because He has promised us abundant joy, we fight to find that joy in Him. That is the vision of this church. But I am not here to simply inform you of what our vision is.  The elders of Sovereign Hope Church want this church to be characterized by this fight. We want you to know that there is joy to be found in God and we want to encourage you week after week, month after month, and year after year to be decisively God-Centered and Joy-Driven.  The goal of the sermon this morning, then, is to set your heart upon this vision for yourself. Not because we have come up with it, and think is sounds good, but because we believe the word of God beckons you to it.  There are many scriptures we could look at for this sermon, but we are going to examine Psalm 16 because it has been particularly helpful for me this year ever since we memorized verse 11 together in January.  Do you remember what it says? Say it with me if you do, “You make known to me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forever more.” As I have meditated on all of this Psalm, I have found it constantly wooing my heart to this vision. And what better place to look than the pen of the man who is called “a man after God’s own heart?” My prayer for you is that examining this Psalm together will beckon your heart as well to be God-Centered and Joy-Driven. Look at, Psalm 16 with me, “A Miktam of David.” Pause here. So you are not distracted for the rest of the sermon wondering what a Miktam is, let me set your mind at ease….we don’t exactly know. Ok, that should help….While we aren’t sure exactly what it is, here are a few thoughts. One source says, “A Miktam (pronounced mich-tawm’) is found only in the Psalms. Six psalms to be exact: 16, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60. Some Bible Scholars translate the Hebrew word to mean golden – as in golden psalms. Others believe the word means precious, a tablet inscription, or a ‘stelograph’ – the art of writing or inscribing characters on pillars. The root of the word means to stamp or engrave, and hence it is regarded as denoting a composition so precious as to be worthy to be engraven on a durable tablet for preservation; or, as others render, ‘a psalm precious as stamped gold’” Of these Psalms, Charles Spurgeon says, “We have not met with the term Michtam before, but if spared to write upon Psalms 56, 57, 58, 59, and 60, we shall see it again, and shall observe that like the present these psalms, although they begin with prayer, and imply trouble, abound in holy confidence and close with songs of assurance as to ultimate safety and joy.” Beloved, these Miktam’s of David are truly wonderful because we see the heart of the man who knows our God intimately. As we observe Psalm 16 this morning, I am sure we will agree with Mr. Spurgeon. I want to observe 4 things together from this Psalm that I believe will reveal that David was God-Centered and Joy-driven. The Request of His Plea The Reasoning of His Perspective The Resolve of His Practice and The Revelation of His Prize

Observe with me the Request of His Plea (verse 1):

Notice how David starts his plea in verse 1, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I take refuge.” David’s plea is emphatically God-Centered.  He says, “Preserve me” or “Keep me.” and directs his plea specifically to God. David uses several different terms for God in this Psalm and starts with the term ‘el (pronounced “ael”) which means mighty one, Jehovah, or the almighty.  He calls on Jehovah, The Mighty One, to keep watch over him, to guard him, to hem him in on every side. This is because, verse 1, “for in You I take refuge.” David’s hopes are not in anything this world has to offer.  His trust is not in man-made things. It is in the mighty one of Israel (Isa. 1:24). It is in Jehovah. And his plea is to be kept or preserved by God. But what exactly does he want to be kept/preserved for or from? We can’t say for certain. It could be to preserve his life physically from enemies.  He will actually conclude in verse 9 that “his flesh also dwells secure.” But, his request could be for preservation from some specific danger. But I would suggest that as we continue to look at this Psalm, we will see that his plea is not just to be preserved from danger but to be kept or guarded in the sweet fellowship of God. I say this because of verse 11, which is the thesis statement of this psalm, “in your presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more.” David wants God and he wants joy.  He knows His heart will only be glad and rejoice in God and so His plea a God-Centered, Joy-Driven prayer and proclamation. Is this not how the pleas of those who know the Lord and their own weakness go? We wake up and say “HELP!” I feel this very plea when I first open my eyes every morning. “I need you God or else I will not do well today.” Those who know God and themselves pray this way precisely because they know God IS a refuge for them. And nothing else will satisfy their hearts. Oh beloved, once we taste and see that the Lord is good our heart will be filled with a desire for more of Him. “As we turn our eyes upon Jesus. As we look full in His wonderful face. The things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” The request of David’s plea is God-Centered and Joy-Driven and leads to our second observation.

Second, observe the Reasoning of His Perspective (verses 2-9):

Notice the shift in verse 2 of his prayer, he moves from a request of God to a statement about what he says to God in verse 2, “I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” This will actually be the consistent pattern of this Psalm. David oscillates between talking to God and making statements about what he says and does. Possibly for his own heart or for those who would read this Psalm. Look closer at this first statement with me. Most of your bibles should have the first Lord here capitalized.  That is because this is YAHWEH.  It is the proper name of God.  So, David addresses Yahweh, the I am. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And then he switches in the next use of Lord to the term Adonay which is one of submissive reverence.  Yahweh is his master, His Lord, and David is subservient to Him.  This is because, as he reasons in verse 2,  “I have no good apart from you.” David recognizes that he has no good apart from God. He has no pleasant thing, nothing truly pleasurable outside of God. Do you see how David is reasoning in his perspective about where joy is found? He continues this in verses 3-4, “As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.” His reasoning turns next to consider the people of the earth. If God is what is good and the only good David has is in God, then the saints on the earth, the holy ones, those who seek to know and follow God;  they are great, glorious, and excellent. And those who run after other gods multiply their sorrows. Notice how the reasoning of his perspective brings him to see that his joy is found also in the fellowship of the saints.  They are the ones who refresh his soul because they point Him to God. Let me ask us, can we say the same thing?  Is our delight, our pleasure, found in the company of the saints? Or in the company of those chasing other gods? Do we enjoy the fellowship of those who reject Christ or treat Him flippantly more than the fellowship of the saints who adore Christ? The word of God is beckoning us this morning to reason about what is driving our pursuit of joy. Is it God? Or is it the world? And David’s reasoning doesn’t stop there. He turns next to consider his true position in life. Look at the end of verse 5 through the beginning verse 6, “you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” We are going to dig into this further in a moment but notice his perspective. David switches back to speaking to God and says, “you hold my lot.”The term here is a lot used in making decisions or a portion assigned by casting lots. You are the mighty one and you determine what happens to me. So, as he continues to reason here, he says “the lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.” He is speaking of border lines here, boundaries.  So, He is saying my position is good because it has been given to me by God. His perspective is God-centered and Joy-driven. Now look at how his reasoning concludes in verses 7-9, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.” You see what He is saying in all of this, “God, my counsel has come from you. You have shown me where joy and pleasure truly is. You are my good! Your people are my delight! You surround my life! Keep me in You!” The reasoning of David’s perspective moves him to realize that the Lord’s presence is what satisfies and being with Yahweh is where true joy is found.  This leads us directly to our 3rd observation and how joy in God drives him to live.

Third, observe the Resolve of His Practice verses (2a, 4-5a, 7-8a, 9a):

First Look at verse 2 again, “I say to the Lord, you are my lord.”  It may seem simple and obvious but pause to take note of the fact that David prays to Yahweh. He speaks directly to The Lord, the I am.  This term Yahweh would actually become too sacred for the Jews to even mention because they feared addressing God in the wrong way. David was resolved to fellowship with God so he spoke to Yahweh. Are you resolved in this way to approach the throne of God boldly?  Do you speak with Him daily?  After reasoning in his mind and gaining the proper perspective, David is then resolved to be with the Lord because he wants joy. So he prays to Yahweh, confessing his submissive reverence. Let’s continue to observe the resolve of his practice in verses 4 again, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and cup.”  Because he knows that sorrows multiply for those who pursue other gods, he refuses to go after them.  He won’t pour out offerings to them. And not only will he not pour out their offerings but he won’t even take their names on His lips. He would not even take the time of saying their name. As I meditated on this verse is caused me to ask myself, How close am I willing to get to sin? Am I this resolved to gain the Lord? Am I striving in this way for true joy? I encourage you to ask the same thing. Notice, next, how his resolve strengthens. Look at what he says at the beginning of verses 5 again, “The Lord is my chosen portion and cup.” Now, there is an important note to make here. In verses 5 and 6, David uses geographical language.  When he says portion, lines, and inheritance,  he is referencing land allotments and more than likely the inheritance promised to the tribes of Israel. Now, this is what is interesting, when he says “The Lord is my chosen portion,” he is probably referencing about the inheritance of the Levites given in Numbers 18:20.  Listen to what the Lord says, “And the LORD said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel.” If you are unaware, the Levites were assigned specific religious and political duties for Israel but as we see they received no land allotment, no physical inheritance.  Oh, but they got something far better….They got God as their inheritance! He was their portion. So, David says, “Yahweh is my chosen portion.”  And he also says, verses 5, “The Lord is…my cup” which is probably referring to the cup of choice wine the king would receive which makes the heart merry.  The choicest of all the grapes.  The sweetest of all the wine. David refuses to chase the false promises of joy in false gods, he chooses Yahweh precisely because He wants joy. He wants God. And notice what he does then in verses 7, “I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” The nights in the psalms represent times spent alone with God in prayer and meditation.  If you remember our Lord also got away in the evening to be alone with The Father. So David kneels down in adoration, praises God for his counsel, meditates on God’s word and prays for more counsel. Not that his heart guided him mysteriously. This is why he says in verse 8 “I have set the LORD always before me;” He was emphatically God-centered in his practice.  He was resolved to be with the Lord, so he set Yahweh before him in every waking hour. Now, notice again the result of this in verse 9, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;”  Because he was resolved in his practice of praying to God, refusing to follow other gods, and seeking Yahweh at all times, his “heart was made glad” and his “whole being leaps for joy.” David was resolved to chase his joy in God.This then brings us swiftly and beautiful to our final observation.

Finally, observe the Revelation of His Prize (verses 2-3, 5a, 6b, 7-8a, & 11):

I honestly don’t have much about this observation. Simply look with me again at the consistent refrain of this psalm and hear it sing to your heart,

[1] Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. [2] I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” [3] As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. [4] The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. [5] The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. [6] The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. [7] I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. [8] I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. [9] Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. [10] For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. [11] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Did you see David’s prize? Look again at verses 5-6 & 11 together with me and think back on what we have already observed. As we read these verses again, keep in mind that the same Hebrew word used in verse 6, translated as pleasant places, is used verse 11 as pleasures.  “[5] The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. [6] The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance…you make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” What does this mean other that God was David’s prize?! God was his inheritance! David chooses the portion of the Levites.  He chooses God as his delight. And he proclaims that His allotment is indeed pleasurable and beautiful because his inheritance is Yahweh Himself. Beloved, God has answered his plea and spoken to His heart.  He has made known the path of life. God has provided counsel to for David to follow hard after Him. And God has revealed that He is the ultimate prize!

Conclusion:

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Ben, you missed a verse, what about verse 10?” And if you have studied the book of Acts at all, you have to be wondering “How could you skip verse 10?” Oh….Oh…don’t you worry…I didn’t miss it. I just wanted to save the most beautiful portion of this psalm for the end in order to lead us perfectly to the Lord’s table! Look at verse 10, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” David’s plea, perspective, practice, and prize leads him to the conclusion of verse 10.  “You will not abandon my soul to death. You will not let my flesh see corruption.” But, wait a minute. David has been dead and buried for a long time right? How could he say this? Maybe he was just out of his mind and thought he was going to live forever? Turn with me to Acts chapter 2. This is the chapter detailing first moment that the gospel was proclaimed at Pentecost. Christ has been crucified and resurrected. All the Jews have come to Jerusalem for the passover. The disciples are huddled in an upper room praying and the promised Holy Spirit comes down.  They begin then to speak in tongues about the gospel so that everyone could hear in their own language. Peter says these words in Acts 2:25-32, & 36 “[25] For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; [26] therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. [27] For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. [28] You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ [29] “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (Pay attention to verse 30) [30] Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, [31] he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. [32] This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses…[36] Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Ah, we see now. David, in psalm 16:10 was prophesying about Christ. Christ saw no corruption. Christ was raised from the dead. Move over now to Acts 13:32-39 and look at what Paul says about David’s prophecy,  [32] And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, [33] this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ [34] And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ [35] Therefore he says also in another psalm, “‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ [36] For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, [37] but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. [38] Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, [39] and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” Do you see the wonderful truth today? Christ Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross 2000 years ago but he did not see corruption. He was raised from the dead, validating his work on the cross. Showing that He has made a way for sins to be forgiven. And validating what he said of Himself in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This morning, the word of God has proclaimed to you the path of life and where true joy is found.  God has beckoned you to see that there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever more with Him. And now He is saying that the way there, the path of life, is by trusting in Christ Jesus, the one who did not see corruption. Christ Jesus who died, who was risen, and who will come again. This is why the gospel is good news.  William Tyndale says,

“Evangelion, that we call the gospel, is a Greek word, and it signifies good, merry, glad, joyful tidings that make a man’s heart glad, make him sing, dance, leap for joy!”

Does your heart leap for joy at the sound of the gospel? God has made a way to be reconciled to Him. And it doesn’t stop there.  Sam and I were talking about this recently and he put it beautifully, “Why would David celebrate Messiah’s resurrection if it wouldn’t result in David’s being brought into God’s presence where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forever?” David must know that the resurrection of Christ brought something to him as well.  And it does, as we saw on Easter Sunday a few weeks ago from Romans 8:11, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” What assurance of the fullness joy and pleasures forevermore we have! As the bread and juice are being passed and we approach the table of communion, if you have trusted in Christ this morning, trifle no longer with the fleeting pleasures of this world. Ask God to keep you in Him. Reason with your heart about where true joy is found. Resolve to be God-Centered and Joy-Driven. And reveal to the world the magnificent prize that awaits those who trust in Christ. If you have not trusted in Christ yet. See Him for who He is and run to Him. Hear your creator revealing to you this morning what brings true joy. Confess your sins. Trust in the sufficiency of Christ’s blood shed on the cross to purchase the forgiveness of sins. And delight yourself in Him. Take this bread and juice in your hand this morning for the first time (representations of Christ’s body broken and blood shed to ransom His people), proclaim your trust in Him, and rejoice that you are promised everlasting joy because you are promised His eternal presence. Then reveal to others your newfound prize.  We are baptizing today at our picnic and I would be delighted to jump in the water with you! Don’t delay! Today is the day of salvation! Today is the day when you can find everlasting joy! Let’s do this now in remembrance of Him.