Be perfect as only He is perfect

Keep me, O God, for I take refuge in You.
O my soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord;
I have no good without You.”
As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
The pains of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.
I will bless Yahweh who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
I have set Yahweh continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not forsake my soul to Sheol;
You will not give Your Holy One over to see corruption.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16

Introduction

You may recognize the tenth verse of this Psalm, a mikhtam of David, from Paul’s speech in Pisidian Antioch from Acts 13. While speaking to the Jews of the region, Paul gave them the gospel and filled it with scriptural references. This, he applied to the resurrection, arguing that while David composed the Psalm, it could not ultimately be about him since David did, indeed die. But Christ lives, and His body was not left to rot in the grave.

This Psalm is a powerful testimony to how God speaks of Christ to the people of Israel long before His first advent. The arrival of Jesus was something the people should have been expecting, and yet Paul tells the people that, “those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning Him.” What great danger there is in hearing the Word of God but failing to recognize it. What tragedy we face when we read God’s message for us and fail to do what it says, which is to repent and believe.

The Messianic Psalm

Something which is important to remember about Christ’s ministry is that He did not come to mystify people with great displays of power. He did not come to strike fear into the hearts of men by demonstrating His authority over creation. Instead, He took on a lowly status as one born in a barn to a family of modest means. Even though all glory belonged to Him, He humbled Himself and became a man (Philippians 2:7). That is why the temptation in the wilderness is such a powerful moment in His ministry: He had the authority to command stones to become bread, raise Himself upon angels, and take the nations for Himself. But that was not the point.

In order to properly represent mankind, He had to become like us. His entire life’s ministry was one of reliance on the Father, just as we see in this Psalm. Continually throughout His ministry, Jesus looked to the Father for instruction and counsel. He set the Father continually before Him, doing the will of the Father on earth. He followed the will of the Father even into death, where He was not left and forsaken to Sheol. His body was not subject to corruption, and He rose again and will reign at the Father’s right hand until all His enemies are made a footstool beneath His feet (1 Corinthians 15:25).

Congregational music

Something that is always interesting to me about Messianic Psalms is that while they tell us something about our Savior, they were intended to be sung by the people en masse. These are congregational hymns meant to remind us of who we are and who God is. In this case, the Psalm paints a picture of what a godly person is and does. And while only Christ fulfilled it perfectly, it presents an image of how we are to be perfect like He is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

We ought to seek the Lord for refuge, regard Him as our righteousness, and follow after His instruction. As Jesus relied on the Father, so should we. Let us be reminded that our only good is from the Lord, and that without Him we are left to our evil. Romans 1:24 reminds us of this when Paul says that the wrath of God is revealed by His turning us over to our passions.

Pray that the Lord lead you by your right hand, instructing and counseling you into righteousness. Walk in the path of life, following after the only righteous One and believing in Him for the sake of your salvation. Be filled with the joy that produces a peace surpassing all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

May the Lord bless you and conform you into the image of His Son.