Studies in Psalms 16:1-11 – “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”

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Psa 16:1-11 “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”

Psa 16:1 Michtam of David. Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
Psa 16:2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
Psa 16:3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
Psa 16:4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Psa 16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
Psa 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
Psa 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Psa 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

God’s children are preserved through the fire as explained in type and shadow in Daniel 3:27 and spoken of in our first verse of Psalm 16. This reminds us that it is only possible to put our trust in Him after we’ve been brought to our wits’ end (Psa 107:27-28) having been dragged through the mental and physical anguish which He allows to bring upon us for our good so we can learn to be comfortable in that fire. To be comfortable in the fire is just another way of saying we trust in the living God and have received His peace that passes all understanding.

Dan 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power [Mal 3:6], nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses [1Co 10:13].

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons

1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
1Ti 4:11 These things command and teach.

2Co 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
2Co 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead [Php 3:10, Eph 2:6]:
2Co 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Last week’s study can also be found at the homepage of ‘His Branch’ and leads to the link below, which is a good intro into this week’s study entitled “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore”.
Psalm 15 – Who Among Us Shall Dwell With Everlasting Burnings?

In this week’s study we will look at the blessed relationship God’s people have with our stedfast and loving Saviour who never leaves or forsakes us as He works all things out in our lives. He works God’s Will in Christ’s one body (the head operates the body) fulfilling a glorious purpose that we are promised will culminate in the finishing of our faith. Our hope is in this process of salvation to which we’ve been called, going on to a perfection that He has purposed for our sakes so we can then bring the rest of creation to see and understand, along with us, that “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Deu 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Psa 16:1 Michtam of David. PreserveH8104 me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

The positive side of a hedge in our life can be seen with the word “preserve”H8104. The first three entries of this word in the book of Genesis reveal something very important about how God calls us into a relationship of helping “preserve” each other through the fire, as we bless each other at the right hand of God with those things which God accomplishes through the body of Christ (Col 1:27). God’s right hand is in fact the life of Christ in us, our hope of glory, our hope of being able to bear each other’s burden and “preserving” each other as the salt of the world should do (Gal 6:2, Mat 5:13).

H8104 ש†מׁר†shamar†shaw-mar’

A primitive root; properly tohedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect,attend to, etc.: – beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep (-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch (-man).

The goal of our existence is explained right from Genesis 2:15 to be fruitful and multiply by being able “to dress it and to keep it”, which is what happens when we “replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” of Genesis 1:28. All these nephesh-breathing beasts that we gain dominion over represent the process of driving beasts out of the land of our lives within through Christ’s strong hand which gives us the victory little by little (Exo 23:30).

This preserving symbolizes our love for each other and for humanity, along with our strong desire to be involved in the process of preserving that which God has given us to care for – each other. We learn from this parable in Luke chapter 20 that in order to become one with Christ and our Father, we need to first see ourselves as being the ones who rejected the servants to the husbandmand, all the prophets from Abel to Zacharias, including Christ as this parable tells us in verse 14 (Luk 20:9-18, Mat 23:35).

As we mentioned in last week’s study, the very first ‘seeking of an occasion against the flesh of mankind’ that God purposed was when Adam and Eve were tempted in the garden by the serpent (Gen 3:1-24) and was an occasion against the flesh of mankind that was predestined to happen just as surely as God’s people were foreknown and “predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:28-30, Jas 1:18).

So these three verses from the book of Genesis are very telling when we look at this word ‘keep’ which is the word ‘preserve’ – H8104:

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keepH8104 it.

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keepH8104 the way of the tree of life.

Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeperH8104?

We’re told “to keepH8104 the way of the tree of life”, which is the same as saying “dress it and keepH8104 it”, and we fail miserably at keeping the garden and are driven out by God. Only after we come to see that we can’t keep that which is entrusted to us, only after we waste our inheritance, do we then in God’s perfect timing come to our senses and little by little become our brother’s keeperH8104, which Cain in us has no desire to be. We also become those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book by the grace and faith of Christ because “the time is at hand” (Rev 1:3).

Luk 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age,even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

If we are going to be preserved in this age, we have to be brought to acknowledge that we are guilty of all the blood of the prophets (Mat 23:36) and that judgment is upon us (1Pe 4:17) as we enter back into a right relationship with our Father and Christ by entering into the garden once again but this time through the fiery sword which is used to keepH8104 the way of the tree of life.

Psa 16:2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
Psa 16:3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

There is ‘no good within us’ is one way of looking at this verse, and it is “the saints in the earth” who are our delight because of Christ in us who reflects God’s goodness. We delight in the knowledge that God gives us to share and grow together even as we see God engraving on our hearts a new poem, a new creation, which is new because of Christ doing this excellent/mightyH117 work (Psa 93:4) in the earth “MichtamH4387 of David”.

Luk 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Psa 93:4 The LORD on high is mightierH117 than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mightyH117 waves of the sea.

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

In the final analysis, the flesh and blood heart (symbolic of our own works, our own ‘engravings’ Mat 7:22) will not inherit the kingdom of God; but the spiritual fruit that is borne out of the mind of Christ that is being formed within Christ’s body is the new heart and mind that the world will come to see as “the excellent, in whom is all my delight” (Psa 16:3).

Mal 3:18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Psa 16:4 Their sorrowsH6094 shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.

There is a connection with the thought that our “sorrows”H6094 or the “idols” or “wounds” of our heart must be initially engraved there, like the mark of the beast or Cain’s mark (Gen 4:15, Rev 13:18).

Jer 2:22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap,yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

Whenever we come to acknowledge this mark, it is very hard on us and debilitating (Gen 4:13) because we don’t initially see it as being the needful and necessary first step of going from darkness to light that God will eventually require of every generation from Abel to Zechariah .

It is only after we are given to see and to acknowledge that only God can be greater than our conscience and cleanse us from all these “offerings of blood” or works in our flesh that we won’t “take up their names into my lips” (1Jn 3:20).

We are not of this world, we don’t take up Paul or Apollos “into my lips”, not even Christ who we don’t know after the flesh (1Co 3:4, 2Co 5:16). Rather, we acknowledge the purpose behind the increase that God gives to the body of Christ as something that is solely unfolding for the edification of the whole body and that this drink offering is pure and peaceable and comes down from heaven, meaning from hearts that are being changed, that are new and have the earnest of the spirit of God now, which makes it possible for us to care for one another in the spirit.

Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

2Co 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Psa 16:5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

If we are Christ’s, then we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise. The literal meaning of heir is “someone who has been appointed to receive an inheritance” (https://www.gotquestions.org/heir-Bible.html).

This subject of an heir in the bible has always been a touchy one with the flesh of men, because someone is and someone is not, and that just does not sound good to the flesh of man (Joh 8:37-41, Mat 22:14).

The lesson that is hidden from everyone who wants their inheritance in the earth is that when our hearts are set on physical inheritance, or the riches of this world, then that’s where God has our hearts, and we will ‘find our life’ at the expense of receiving the greatest possible reward by ‘losing our life’ (Mat 5:12, Mar 10:30).

If we understand that we are Christ’s inheritance, even right now in the spirit, we will be wanting to lay up treasure in heaven and not build bigger barns or be striving for acquisition in this world (Mat 6:19-20, Luk 12:15). And if we happen to have such wealth, of which also comes as a gift from God, we will with the mind of Christ be of one accord. We are the saints, written from the beginning, taking care of our body (Act 2:44-46, Eph 5:29).

When the scripture says “thou maintainest my lot”, we know now that God does this through the saints and via the miracles that He allows to happen in each of our lives, so that we know that His love for us is stedfast.

And it must be noted that the “cup” of verse 5 comes after “their drink” of verse 4 for good reason. We do “drink the cup”, and we are maintained and preserved through the strengthening we receive from each other, in all admonition, encouragement, prayer and deed. That is “my lot” that we share (1Co 10:16).

1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

These verses cited above show clearly that our communion is the blood and body of Christ.

1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Psa 16:6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasantplaces; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

There is only one truly “goodly heritage”, and it is obtained and understood as being primarily a spiritual inheritance in Christ, in His body, in the church, in His flesh and bones. Verse 31 of chapter 10 of Mark explains to us what this inheritance is all about and how it is being formed in our hearts today even as we help each other endure until the end, even through the persecutions (2Ti 3:12) and all that God has called us to endure until the end.

Mar 10:29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s,
Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
Mar 10:31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Psa 16:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

The counsel that God gives us is so precious, and is in perfect and due season, as we have seen over and over in the body of Christ. It is God revealing His sovereignty and singleness of mind that is being formed within the body of Christ.

He will accomplish that which he has started in us through Christ, and He tells us to be confident of this very thing. He even instructs us in the night seasons. Can anyone resist God as He works with us in the day and in the night, with the light and with the dark, which are the same unto him?

Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Psa 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Psa 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb [the church Jerusalem above – Gal 4:26].

Psa 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

If Christ is at our right hand, then he is set before us, and nothing will separate us from the love of God. God’s elect are granted the grace and the faith that we need to not forsake the assembling of the body of Christ because that is our spiritual womb and the place where He has covered us, and is maturing us so that we can grow unto maturity and one day be used to judge all those books of men and angels whose works proceeded forth from dead men (Heb 10:25, Mal 3:16, Rev 20:12, 1Co 6:2-3, Mat 7:22).

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Rom 8:33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psa 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall restH7931 in hope.
Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

We are that holy seed, and part of that Holy One, Jesus Christ. We have every reason to rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice: two times mentioned as a witness that we rejoice because of the certain hope that we have within us and just read about in Romans 8:31-39.

He does not let our souls stay in the earth even today, because we are baptized into His death and raised into heavenly places where our flesh, yes, even our flesh in troublesome times can “rest in hope”; in a hope that is not seen but is within nevertheless.

Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

That “rest”H7931 which most assuredly is our “hope” and refuge and safety is better translated “dwell” or “abide”. That is the promise which is given to us who read hear and keep all these things (Rev 1:3).

Psa 132:14 This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

Psa 4:8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Psa 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

If ever there was a verse in the bible that should make us smile and rejoice, it’s this one.

God tells us he is going to show us the path of life, Jesus Christ, and when we see Christ in each other, we are learning to see that “fullness of joy”, an hundredfold inheritance which is Christ in each of us.

Being able to share this life of Christ today, and knowing that our names are written in heaven and that there is a continual path of joy and peace that we do now and will forever share together, is just another way of saying “at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
1Th 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
1Th 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

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