Protected by God

 Psalm 16; I Peter 1: 3-9

Psalm 16 is written by a refugee who finds himself in a land that chooses to worship another god. The Psalmist however takes refuge in the Lord asking God to protect him from these others. He delights in the noble holy ones in the land who worship the true God. The terms used in verses 5 and 6 such as portion, lot, and boundary lines reflect what will be distributed in the promised land. In verses 8 and 9 he talks about God being at his right hand keeping him from being moved. Due to this his heart is glad and rejoices and his body rests secure.

This Psalmist is confident that God will not give him up to death instead God shows him the path of life where there is joy and pleasures forevermore. This use of “forevermore” brings up the concept of eternal life. Thus, the Psalmist feels protected by God.

The apostle Peter in one of his sermons to the Jewish people in Acts 2 quotes verses 8 and 9 of this Psalm his audience is familiar with. In I Peter, Peter is writing to several groups of exiles. He tells them in verse 5 that they are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation. He tells them in earlier verses that God has given them a new birth into a living hope – through the resurrection of Jesus.

He tells them about an imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance kept in heaven for them. This inheritance goes along with the theme of a promised land brought out by the Psalmist. Peter talks about the various trials they encounter where their faith is being tested to prove its genuineness.

He defines faith as loving and believing God when we don’t see God now. So, what is the outcome of what many may call blind faith? It is the salvation of your souls. Like the Psalmist talks about fullness of joy – Peter talks about rejoicing with an indescribable and glorious joy. This salvation is not only from sin but from the death the Psalmist asked to be kept from. Our promised land is life eternal with God. Let us rejoice in our inheritance.

 

 

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