9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure.
10 For thou dost not give me up to Sheol, or let thy godly one see the Pit.
The Old Testament people of God didn’t have a developed theology of resurrection. There was an understanding that when a person died they descended to ‘Sheol’ (Hebrew) or ‘Hades’ (Greek), a place for the dead. Gradually they understood Sheol to have two sides, one for the righteous who were somehow comforted by God, and the other for those who were not; theirs was a place of darkness and suffering. As we pray with the Psalmist in Psalm 16, we see that he believed the Lord would not abandon him to the ‘Pit’, the dark side of Sheol for the unrighteous dead.
In this Psalm we can hear the voice of Jesus as David prays prophetically. He prays in faith, knowing His Father (the Lord) will not abandon him after death. Jesus always knew His road would lead to the cross. Whenever the knowledge of such impending suffering would overwhelm Him, He took comfort in the Lord’s leading. Ultimately, He knew the “path of life”, lead to “fullness of joy” and “pleasures for evermore” (v. 11).
To where does you heart run when you’re overwhelmed with the pain and struggles of this life? As Christians we can take comfort in knowing our Father will not abandon us to the Pit. We too can know the promises of God are of joy and peace for evermore. St. Peter reminds us that in this life we will have times of trial and testing, but if we will “cast our anxieties on Him”, we can be assured He cares for us, “And after you have suffered a little while, The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.” (1 Ptr. 5:7,10)
So today, no matter where the day takes you, let you heart be glad, let your soul rejoice, and know that your body will dwell secure (v 9), for there is no good apart from God (v 2). Let you heart run to the promise of resurrection.
Shalom,
Pastor Brad
image credit: alittleperspective.com