PSALM 16

PSALM 16

David between the Personification 
of Wisdom and Prophesy 
Vatican Museums 

This psalm is somewhat unique. It is quoted twice by the apostles. St. Peter uses the vv. 8-11 for a description of resurrection during his first sermon at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:25-28). Later St. Paul addressing a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia going into a teaching of resurrection as the corner stone of life, faith, and conduct (Acts 13:35). Both instances record a joyful reception of the message (cp. Acts 2:40-41 and 13:42).

 

There is an interesting word that can be addressed here. While New Testament text saved for us the term “Holy One” as a description of a person who will not see the corruption or the pit, the Hebrew text literally says the righteous one. Thou the saints are mentioned in v. 2 of the psalm, it is the righteous one who is preserved on the path through the doors of death. This does not change the meaning of the psalm but unites with the other passages of the Bible. One of these passages can be found in the Book of Habakkuk – the famous statement later used by St. Paul in the letter to Romans (1:17). It is the righteous who shall live by faith. Live forever as he is not going to see a complete separation from the Creator of life but a transformation of resurrection.

Seeing this in the light of the gift of righteousness one should not be surprised that after mentioning Sheol and the pit David returns to the theme of path[s] (cp. 16:5-6). This [final] path will lead to the fulness of joy and pleasures forevermore (16:11). Pleasure forevermore can be found in His presence, in the presence of Lord of life, the One who leads His righteous one to the paths of [eternal] life.       

In order of the verses – you need to return to v. 4. Torah speaks of the drink offering in Numbers 15, introducing three sets of sacrifices depending on the [size of the] animal – lamb (vv. 4-5), ram (vv. 6-7), or bull (vv. 8-10). In every case it specifically states that wine should be used for the rite. Yet, here in psalm 16 we find a drink offering of blood. This makes you wander – whose blood is it? The simplest answer is a sacrificial animal. But we need to consider the fact that the word blood first appears in the story of Cain and Abel (Gen. 4). Knowing the regular trajectory of another gods’ sacrificial systems, we shouldn’t be surprised that at one point it will lead to human sacrifices. 2 Kings 3 tells the story of how Moabites ultimately rebel against the LORD. The story ends with the king sacrificing his own son on the wall of a city. I don’t think that David at this point talks about Moabites (they didn’t digress into this level of idolatry yet), but the words are clear – he is not going to participate in this type of worship and is not going to acknowledge the names of these “deities.”

The only blood acceptable for the perfect sacrifice is the blood of the Messiah. Jesus refers to the pouring of His blood during the Last Supper instituting the sacrament of the Altar (Luke 22:20). Letter to Hebrews also builds on the fact of His own blood being poured once and for all (Heb. 9:24-26). That’s why we call upon Him, saying “O Lord open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise” (Ps. 51:15).