Psalm 16 Part One

There’s a scene from a humorous science fiction story I like that goes something like this…  A hyper-intelligent race of beings decided they would, once and for all, find out the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. To do so they designed and built a computer unlike anything ever before conceived.  The computer was known as Great Thought.  Once complete, Great Thought admitted that it could, in fact, calculate the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, but that it would take seven and a half million years.  The race of beings was not deterred – what did seven and half million years matter if THE ULTIMATE answer would at last be known?  At the end of this seven and a half million years, the descendants of the original Great Thought builders approach the computer with an almost reverent anticipation.  Great Thought confirms it has indeed calculated THE answer.  As you might imagine, it’s a tense moment, ripe with expectation… and just when you think you can’t stand the wait any longer, Great Thought announces that THE Answer, to Life, the Universe, and Everything is… 42.

Now as crazy as that story may seem, I think it hints at something that is common to every one of us – answering the question, How do I make sense of life?  It’s something that’s been asked by every generation, with probably more answers than we’d even want to consider.  Some answers are as nonsensical as “42”, but far worse are ideas like the one suggested in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, that life is a tale, told by an idiot - full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

So if answers such as those don’t appeal, how does one go about figuring out this purpose of my existence stuff?  How do I find meaning for my life?  Today we’ve read one answer to that question.  The psalmist finds meaning for life in the God he’s chosen to serve – a God who provides, directs, and inspires.

Psalm 16 is generally attributed to David.  David is a favorite Bible character of many, and we can recount some of the familiar aspects of his story: David, the young shepherd who became a great king; David, the boy who slew a giant with a single stone; David, the line through which was born the Messiah.  But in light of these accomplishments it’s easy to relegate David to hero status – a great man of God but someone to whom I really can’t relate.

So let’s also remember that he was David, who had to flee and go into hiding out of fear for his life, first under the time of King Saul and then later due to an attempted overthrow by his son, Absalom; David, who committed adultery and murder.  Granted, these specifics may still be outside the realm of our personal experience, but now he’s sounding more like the kind of people we know, now he’s even beginning to sound a little bit more like me.  Because don’t we all, at different times in life, have to deal with enemies, or with family strife, and certainly with the consequences of our own sin?  So David isn’t so unlike us after all.  He’s someone we can understand and to whom we can relate.  So let’s take a closer look at what he has to say.

1. GOD PROVIDES (a-refuge, b-relationship, c-sustenance)

First David tells us about the God who provides.  In telling us about the God who provides, David goes even further to tell us what he provides.

(Read Psalm 16 verse 1 - Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.) 

a. Refuge – what comes to mind when you hear that word?  Do you think of safety, comfort or relief, particularly in a time of trouble?  As we’ve already pointed out, David experienced difficult times.  But he knew who provided his protection, and David sought his refuge there.  What does the Bible say about those who trust Him?

Read Psalm 31:19

How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.

Read Psalm 34:7, 8

7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him

Read Psalm 37:3-5

3Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:

Read Psalm 118:8

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

And a promise from the New Testament for those that take refuge in Him

Read II Timothy 4:18

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

God is the answers to your prayers.  He is your refuge.  His answers may not come in the manner that you seek them to, but they will come none the less.  It is in this blessing of refuge, the promise of our God that we are able to find peace in a land where peace can be a difficult commodity to come by.

In the next couple of days, I will add subsequent portions to this study on Psalm 16.  Blessings to each of you this day.  God loves you and so do I.

Pastor Jim