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“Psalm Summaries, Psalms 16-20”
Categories: Bulletin Articles
Psalm 16 describes how meaningful God is to David. He has no protection apart from God. He loves those who seek God and rejects idolaters. God, rather than some patch of dirt in Palestine, is his true inheritance. God gives him wisdom. Finally, in 16:8-11, David trusts in God to stand beside him, protect him from death, and give him eternal joy. This section of the psalm is quoted in Acts 2:26-28, where Peter by inspiration applies it to Jesus. It is a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection, that even though He died, He would not undergo corruption or be abandoned to Sheol.
Psalm 17 is a plea from David to God for justice. In 17:3-5, David engages in spiritual self-analysis. He insists that his words and actions have been righteous. Next, he expresses his confidence that because God is filled with steadfast love, He will hear him. Because of this, he asks God to preserve him from wicked people. They are going to attack David like lions, and only God can defeat them. David concludes the psalm by contrasting his hope with the hope of the wicked. They look for fulfillment in this life, in riches and children, but David’s hope is to awaken to see the face of God. This reveals David’s belief that God would raise him from the dead.
Psalm 18, which also appears in 2 Samuel 22, expresses David’s joy at God delivering him from Saul. Our praise song “I Will Call Upon the Lord” is taken from 18:3, 46. 18:4-5 describes David’s peril. Vs. 6-15 poetically describes the passion and power of God’s reaction. In 18:16-24, David presents the good things that God’s deliverance accomplished. Vs. 25-30 relates this to the goodness of God’s nature. 16:31-45 goes into greater detail about God’s goodness to David and severity to David’s enemies. The Psalm concludes in vs. 46-50 with another expression of praise.
Psalm 19 is about two main ways of coming to know God. The first is through the physical creation. Vs. 1-6 point out that even though the sun, the moon, and the stars don’t actually talk, when we look up at them, they declare the glory of the One who created them. 19:7-11 discusses the other great way God reveals Himself, which is through His word. Here, David examines the perfection and goodness of God’s law. The lyrics of the hymn “The Law of the Lord” are nothing more than this section of Scripture. Vs. 12-14 describes David’s reaction to these things. He asks God to examine his spirit and keep him from evil.
Psalm 20 asks God’s blessing on the king of Israel. Presumably, David wrote this either about Saul or about himself. In either case, it asks God to protect the king, receive his sacrifices, and bless his plans. 20:6-7 explains the reason for this confidence. It is that God hears His anointed. As a result, unlike the kings of the surrounding nations, who trust in chariots and horses, Israel’s king can trust in God.
