Psalm 16 - Refuge and Rest

Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I said to the Lord, You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing.

As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods.

I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips.

Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup.

You have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.

Surely I have delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord who counsels me.

Even at night my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me.

Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices.

My body also will rest secure.

Because you will not abandon me to the grave.

Nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

You have made known to me the path of life.

You will fill me with joy in your presence.

With eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Let's pray.

Let's pray.

You are my Lord.

Apart from you, I have no good thing.

Father, our prayer this morning is that we all here would be able to say

that apart from you, without you, we have no good thing.

So please bring us to that place where we are resting in you as our eternal refuge.

Teach us this morning by your Holy Spirit.

Speak to us in such a way that we turn away from all our other places of refuge.

And turn alone to you.

Help us.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Well, in 2014, Muhammad al-Hajj Ali escaped the terrors of Syria

with his two sisters, brother and parents.

Muhammad fled to the city of London.

Being granted asylum, he settled down to begin a new life.

Tragically, Muhammad was the first named victim of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster

just the other week.

His friend commented,

He survived the war in Syria,

only to die in a tower block in London.

This is horrible after all he has been through,

and a place of safety

leads to death.

Let those words sink in.

This is horrible.

After all he has been through,

and a place of safety

leads to death.

It makes us wonder,

is there anywhere we can find

true refuge?

You see, we all look for safety and security.

In fact, our whole lives are focused on trying to build or create a bubble

or this place of protection around us.

We install security systems.

We buy cars with the latest braking technology.

We go on special diets and fitness regimes.

We go to health and safety classes.

We strive to build a place of protection

around our fragile lives.

But the experience of life keeps reminding us

that not one of us is safe in this world.

Accidents do happen.

Sickness strikes.

Wars rage on.

Tower blocks do go on fire.

And if we manage somehow to escape all of those things,

we do eventually die.

So is there anywhere we can find refuge?

Well, Psalm 16 that we read together just now

shows us how and where we can find refuge.

Look at verse 1.

And don't forget the little heading.

A miktam.

I don't know what that is,

nor does anybody else apparently,

when you read the commentaries.

It could be a musical term.

Who knows?

It's a miktam.

More importantly, it's David.

King David.

Who wrote it.

And listen to what he said.

Verse 1.

Keep me safe, O God.

For in you I take refuge.

This Psalm is showing us that refuge is not found in a place.

It's not a physical location.

Not in a place,

but in a person.

In you, O God,

I take refuge.

The Psalms, if you were to go through them,

speak often about God being a refuge.

We started this this morning.

Psalm 46.

God is our refuge and strength

an ever-present help in trouble.

Or what about Psalm 61, verse 3.

Psalms 61:3

You have been my refuge.

A strong tower

against the foe.

Or Psalm 91.

I will say of the Lord,

He is my refuge

and my fortress,

my God in whom I trust.

Refuge,

shelter,

protection

is not found in a place,

not found in a building like this,

but in a person.

God is our tower.

So let's see how we can know

and experience God as a refuge.

We're going to look at two big ideas

from this Psalm.

First,

God is our refuge

in life.

Verses 2 to 8.

If God is our refuge,

what does that actually look like?

What is it that constructs

the shelter

in which we can say

God is our refuge

that we run to?

Well, three things.

God is all sufficient

in life.

Look at verse 2.

I said to the Lord,

You are my Lord.

You are my boss.

You are my master.

Apart from you,

I have no good thing.

Or without you,

I have no good thing.

Nothing else satisfies

and provides

like God.

You see,

we can own a house

and a car.

We can have a job.

We can have good health.

We can have friends.

We can have family.

We can have all of these things.

And all of these things

are good things

that God has given to us

for our enjoyment.

And in some sense,

they provide us

and give to us refuge.

These are the things

we look to,

the people we turn to

when we need safety

and security.

But all of these things,

none of them,

are guaranteed to last.

They are all

false

refuge.

In fact,

they can all disappear

in the passing of a day.

A letter of redundancy

from our boss,

unexpected news

from our doctor,

a freak accident.

Everything can be taken

just like that.

You see,

look at verse 4.

The sorrows

of those

will increase

who run after

other gods.

Now,

we might worship

pagan gods

or have little temples

built up

in our back garden,

but we've all got

our little gods,

haven't we?

Gods that we look to

for our refuge.

It might be

the security of a job.

I've got my job.

I've got a good income.

I'm safe.

Or I'm married.

I've got a wonderful

wife or husband.

They're good to me.

Or I've got great health.

Never been to the doctor.

Never had a night

in hospital.

But none of those things

are guaranteed.

They are all

a false

refuge.

Verse 4.

For the sorrows

of those

will increase

who run after

other gods.

So if we look

for our refuge

in other things

or look for our rest

from other people,

well,

ultimately,

he's saying,

you will experience

sorrow.

They'll not

satisfy.

They will not be

the shelter

that we need.

You see,

if we are to

no true refuge,

we are to run away

from our false

refuge

and run to,

literally repent,

turn away from

and turn to

the all-sufficient

God.

Verse 2.

Who is

my Lord?

Apart from you

I have no

good

thing.

Now,

part of God's

sufficiency,

part of God's

provision and

care

is experienced

through his

people.

So look at

verse 3.

Remember,

David is writing,

he says,

as for the saints

who are in the

land,

they are the

glorious ones

in whom

is all my

delight.

David was a

king and he

enjoyed all the

privileges and

the status of

being a great

king,

access to so

much.

But look who

he looks to.

It's the saints,

God's people,

he delights in.

The people

are his

support and

strength.

He says it's

good to be

with them.

And that's

what God

has done

for us.

He has

provided a

shelter for

his people,

the church,

not just a

physical building.

When we talk

of church,

we're thinking

of God's

people,

people who

trust in

him.

And through

his church,

through his

people,

God provides

rest for the

broken.

him.

That doesn't

mean to say

church takes

the place

of God.

No, the

community of

God's people

is the

means by

which God

brings refuge.

So if you've

come here this

morning and

you're seeking

that refuge and

you're looking

for that rest,

well it could

be coming from

the person you're

sitting beside,

through the

words that they

speak to you.

Now I know

we let each

other down,

we're not

perfect people.

And I know

that I have

let down

many of you.

But amidst

all our

flaws and

failures of

saying the

wrong thing

and doing

the wrong

thing,

God in

his goodness

works through

people like

you and me

to speak

words of

encouragement

as we

point each

other towards

God who

is our

refuge.

God works

through his

people to

bring refuge

and care

and comfort

to one

another.

So can

you say

in verse

two,

you are

my Lord,

apart from

you I

have no

good thing.

Can you

say that?

That God

is sufficient,

that God

is enough

and he is

my refuge?

refuge.

Well,

another way

in which

God

provides refuge,

not only is

he sufficient

in providing

and giving

to us,

he is

sovereign

over our

life.

To be

sovereign means

that he's

in charge,

he rules

over everything.

David,

of course,

the writer

of this

psalm,

was a

king.

He ruled

over a

people,

over a

nation.

But he

looks beyond

himself to

the ultimate

king,

the ultimate

sovereign.

Look at

verse five.

He says

of God,

Lord,

you have

assigned

me my

portion

and my

cup.

Whatever

I have,

everything

that we

have,

our health

and strength,

right down

to our

places of

work,

everything

comes

from

God.

He

supplies,

he

sustains,

in fact,

our whole

life,

is in

the hands

of God.

Look at

verse six.

The

boundary

lines have

fallen for

me in

pleasant

places.

Surely

I have a

delightful

inheritance.

Let's

think about

that,

the boundary

lines falling

in pleasant

places.

We've

got to

think back

in here a

little bit

in our

history to

when God

had rescued

his people

out of

Egypt and

brought them

into the

promised

land.

Remember

when God

did that

great act

and he

gave

orders,

he gave

instructions

about where

each group,

each tribe

should live.

Boundary

markers were

laid out and

said,

this family

is to live

here,

this is your

boundary,

this family

is to live

here,

this is your

boundary.

And so as

David looks

back over the

course of his

life,

he can see

that God

has ordered

and directed

his life,

he is where

he is because

God has

them there.

And this

God is

sovereign over

your life.

He sets

boundaries,

boundary lines

for your

life.

Have you ever

thought about

where you're

living right

now?

You live here

in Carragalline,

okay, but the

house where you

live, the

place where you

work, the

person you're

married to if

you're married,

all of these

things have

all been set

part of God's

boundary lines.

Nothing takes

God by surprise.

Nothing happens

in our life

without God's

permission.

Our life is

not a random

set of chances

in which I've

just kind of

got to figure

my way out

and do my

best.

God is

over my

life.

And knowing

that the

God who

created the

universe in

which we

live has

set a

boundary

around our

life means

that in

God I

have a

refuge.

And that's

what David

is looking

to here.

He says

the boundary

lines have

fallen for

me.

I can

trust this

God.

He has

my life

in his

hands.

He directs

and orders

your life.

He alone

permits and

allows what

is in

your life.

God.

So we

rest in

the knowledge

that God

is over

everything.

He is

sovereign.

But he's

not just

sufficient.

He's not

just a

sovereign over

our life.

He is a

God who

stands with

us through

life.

Look down

at verse

eight.

He says

I have

set the

Lord always

before me.

So his

focus, his

attention is

on God.

Because he

is at my

right hand,

I will not

be shaken.

Now to

have someone

at your

right hand

is to have

someone who

stands with

you.

It's like

an armed

soldier in

battle.

he stands

alongside you,

covering you,

covering your

back, protecting

you, looking

out for you.

Or to

have someone

at your

right hand

in court

is to have

someone who

speaks up

for you,

pleading your

cause.

Or others

talk of it in

this way as

if you were

going on a

journey, to

have someone

at your

right hand

as you go

on your

journey is

someone who

will be a

companion to

you, a

loyal friend

who walks

with you,

doesn't give

up, supports

you.

They're on

your side, they

stand with

you, not

against you.

And David

is looking to

God and

saying, you're

my right

hand.

You stand

alongside me.

Well, in

what sense

does God

stand alongside

us?

How does

he kind of

speak up for

us and how

does he

support us?

God

do you

know?

Well, I

think the

clue for

us comes

in verse

seven, the

preceding

verse.

Look what

it says in

verse seven.

He says, I

will praise

the Lord

who counsels

me, even

at night my

heart instructs

me.

So, you

see, it's

through the

counsel and

the instruction

of God that

he stands

with us.

Do you

remember

Psalm 1 we

looked at the

other week?

Have a look

back there,

just flick

back to the

beginning of

the Psalms,

Psalm 1.

Remember

these opening

words?

Blessed, so

blessed we were

thinking there

about a

blessed person

is a happy,

contented person.

So the

contented or

happy person

does not walk

in the counsel

of the wicked.

So they're not

listening to

what the wicked

have to say.

They don't

stand in the

way of sinners

or they don't

sit in the

seat of mockers.

They're not

looking to them

for advice

or for

instruction.

Instead,

verse two,

his delight

is in the

law or the

word of the

Lord.

And on his

law or on

his word he

meditates

day and

night.

So you

see, it's

through the

word that

God draws

alongside us

and counsels

us and

instructs us.

God's word

is like a

refuge.

So the

Bible that

we're using

here this

morning, that

we're speaking

from, this

in a sense is

our refuge.

It's how God

speaks to us.

It's how he

counsels us,

how he

instructs us.

He's at our

right hand as we

listen to him.

He is speaking

those words to

us, giving

us that sense

of refuge,

speaking comfort,

speaking assurance,

speaking help.

So first,

in life,

God is our

refuge.

He's all

sufficient.

He's sovereign

over your life

and he stands

with us as we

walk through

life.

But he's not

just our

refuge in

life.

Here's the

second big

idea.

He is our

refuge in

death.

You see,

even when

death

threatens us,

God is our

refuge.

There's three

promises here

we're going to

look at.

Here's the

first one.

The promise

of physical

protection.

Look at

verse 9.

It starts,

therefore,

my heart is

glad.

Therefore,

why is he

saying therefore?

Because God

is a refuge

in life.

He's sufficient.

He's sovereign.

He stands

with us.

Therefore,

my heart is

glad and my

tongue rejoices.

My body,

that is my

physical body,

as we are

sitting right

now,

my body

will rest

secure.

How can we

be so sure

that we'll just

rest secure?

Look at

verse 10.

Because,

he says,

you will not

abandon me

to the grave.

You'll not

abandon me

to the grave,

nor will you

let your

holy one

see decay.

What an

incredible promise.

God is saying

to David,

you're not

going to die.

you're not

going to

decay.

Whoever

or whatever

is threatening

David's life,

we're not

told,

but something

is threatening

his life,

he has

absolute

confidence

and total

assurance

that God

is going

to preserve

his life.

Sickness

isn't going

to kill

him.

People

aren't going

to kill

him.

David

is somehow

going to

escape

death.

you will

not let,

or look

at verse

10,

you will

not abandon

me to the

grave.

He's going

to be

protected.

God is

his refuge,

keeping him

safe and

secure.

Now,

isn't that

the kind

of refuge

you and

I want

as we go

about our

day-to-day

lives?

One who

will keep

us and

preserve us

even when

life is

threatened.

Do you

think that's

possible?

Well,

hold that

thought in

your mind

and we'll

come back

to it.

Because

that's not

all that

is promised.

There is

the promise

of

lasting

pleasures.

Verse 11,

at the

very end

of the

psalm,

he says,

you've

made known

to me

the path

of life,

you will

fill me

with joy

in your

presence,

with

eternal

pleasures

at your

right hand.

hand.

David has

this total

confidence

that God

will be

his

eternal

refuge,

not just

a shelter

through

life,

not just

preservation

when life

is being

threatened,

but a

refuge

forever.

Do you

see what

it said

at the

end of

verse 11?

With

eternal

pleasures

at your

right hand.

God

was at

his right

hand

through

life,

life,

and God

is going

to be

his right

hand

for all

eternity.

You see,

at the

very beginning,

David cried

out in

verse 1,

keep me

safe,

O God,

for in

you I

take refuge.

And now

with absolute

assurance at

the very

end,

he can

say to

God that

not even

death

itself

has the

power

to destroy

or break

down the

shelter

that God

has over

David.

David's

life is

eternally

safe and

secure.

He will

have

eternal

pleasures.

Now

just think

about that.

Is that

actually

true?

Is that

possible?

How could

David be

so sure

his life

was safe?

Because in

some sense

his life

in the

world is

no different

to you

where he

faced

dangers

and

struggles

and

people

got

sick

and

how

could

he

be

so

sure

his

life

was

safe?

Well,

there's a

third

promise.

The

promise

of the

prophet.

Remember,

David

was God's

king.

And God

also had

prophets.

Prophets

were people

who spoke

on behalf

of God

to the

people.

And

Nathan

was one

prophet

who spoke

to

King

David.

And we're

going to

have a

look at

what this

prophet

spoke to

King

David.

So go

back to

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

which I

think is on

page 311.

If you're

using a

church

Bible,

that's the

red-covered

one.

It's on

page

311.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 7 · chapter mention

chapter 7

we'll pick

it up

verse 12.

So

MBC

students

should all

be familiar.

Get your

hermeneutical

hats on

and do

your

interpretation

here.

So

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 7:12

chapter 7

verse 12.

So

Nathan

the prophet

is speaking

to

David,

King

David.

and here's

what the

prophet

says.

Verse 12.

Nathan's

speaking to

David.

When your

days are

over and

you rest

with your

fathers.

Now,

hang on a

minute.

David's just

been saying

in the

psalm,

I'm not

going to

see the

grave,

I'm going

to be

protected

in death.

And now

somebody's

coming along

saying,

well no

actually David,

when your

days are

over and

you rest

with your

fathers,

you are

going to

die,

you are

going to

go to

the

grave.

So

what's

going on?

Well let's

read verse

12 again.

When your

days are

over and

you rest

with your

fathers,

I will

raise up

your

offspring to

succeed you,

who will

come from

your own

body,

and I

will establish

his

kingdom.

He is

the one

who will

build a

house for

my name,

and I

will establish

the throne

of his

kingdom

forever.

So,

you see,

David knew

he was

going to

physically

die.

The

prophet had

told him,

you know,

you are

going to

die,

David.

He would

be placed

in the

grave,

he would

decompose

and decay

like everybody

else,

his body

would rot

and be

eaten like

worms or

whatever else,

he would

die.

But David

also knew

that God

promised

through the

prophet Nathan

that there

was an

eternal

king to

come.

One of

David's

descendants

whose

kingdom

and throne

would

never

ever

end.

Look at

verse 16

of 2

Samuel 7.

Your house

and your

kingdom

shall endure

forever

before me.

Your throne

shall be

established

forever.

Now go

back to

Psalm 16.

An

eternal

king,

one of

David's

descendants

would come

who would

defeat

death or

somehow

destroy

death and

therefore he

would reign

forever,

he would

live

forever.

And

because of

this promise,

because of

this death

defeating

king that

was coming,

David could

say in

Psalm 16

Psalms 16:10

verse 10,

you will

not abandon

me to

the grave,

nor will

you let

your

holy one

see decay.

So he's

no longer

talking about

himself,

he's talking

about your

holy one,

one to

come.

So David

knew that

his life,

his future

destiny was

wrapped up in

God's holy

one to

come,

a promised

king who

was going

to come,

an eternal

king.

And because

this king

would reign

and live

forever,

it meant

that David

would also

live forever.

David's

refuge is in

God who

promised,

a death

defeating,

death

destroying

king.

Well you

say,

well that's

great for

David that

he had this

king who

was going

to come

and live

forever

and somehow

be able to

deal with

David's

death,

but what

about you

and me?

Because you

and I are

going to

die,

what's

going to

happen

to us?

Well,

have a

look at

Acts 2,

which is

on page

1094.

Acts 2.

Acts 2.

24.

You see,

the Bible

is not

just a

random

set of

books or

stories just

kind of

collected and

shoved in

together between

two covers.

It's one

big story

and every

story connects

to the

greatest story,

the story of

Jesus.

So look at

what Acts 2

has to tell

us.

Acts 2,

Acts 2:24

verse 24.

And the

person here

speaking is

Peter,

one of

Jesus'

disciples.

And he's

preaching.

He's telling

the people

about the

resurrection of

Jesus Christ

from the

dead,

that Jesus

died and

he rose

again.

And look

what it

says in

verse 24.

He says,

Acts 2,

Acts 2:24

verse 24,

God raised

Jesus from

the dead,

freeing him

from the

agony of

death because

it was

impossible for

death to

keep its

hold on

him.

So Jesus

died but

death couldn't

hold its

grip on

Jesus.

God brought

Jesus back

to life

again.

That's what

Peter is

talking about.

Then Peter

starts quoting

Psalm 16.

Look at

verse 25.

David said

about him.

Jesus, I

saw the Lord

always before

me.

Because he

is at my

right hand,

I will not

be shaken.

Therefore

my heart is

glad and

my tongue

rejoices.

My body

will also

live in

hope because

you will

not abandon

me to the

grave nor

will you let

your Holy

One see

decay.

You have

made known

to me the

path of

life.

You will

fill me

with joy

in your

presence.

And now

Peter starts

commenting or

explaining this

Psalm.

Look at

verse 29.

He says

brothers,

brothers and

sisters,

I can tell

you confidently

that the

patriarch David,

King David,

died and

was buried in

his tomb.

It's here to

this day.

So go check

it out.

Go down the

road.

You can dig

it up.

You'll find

his bones.

David died.

He's dead.

But,

verse 30,

David was

a prophet.

So as he

wrote,

he was

speaking

prophetically

and knew

that God

had promised

him on

oath that

he would

place one

of his

descendants on

his throne.

Seeing what

was ahead,

looking into

the distance,

not quite

knowing everything

what it would

be like,

but looking

ahead,

David spoke

of the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ,

that he

was not

abandoned to

the grave,

nor did

his body

see

decay.

God has

raised this

Jesus to

life,

and we

are all

witnesses

of that

fact.

You see,

Jesus Christ

is the

promise,

death-defeating,

death-destroying,

eternal

king.

Jesus did

die,

but he

was not

abandoned

to the

grave.

He did

not see

decay.

Three days

later,

we read

that he

rose from

the dead,

becoming an

eternal refuge

for all

who would

trust in

him.

You see,

the world

we live

in is

not a

safe place.

Our

places of

protection,

the little

bubbles that

we create

around us,

cannot

withstand the

onslaught

of death.

One day,

death is

going to

confront us,

and whatever

little protection

we have

around us,

it ain't

going to

work.

Sooner or

later,

every single

one of us

in this

room will

die.

But,

if like

David,

our faith

is in

Christ,

because as

he wrote,

he was

looking forward

to God's

promise,

that there

would come

a king

who would

defeat death

and destroy

death.

So if

our faith

is like

David in

Christ,

then as

we look

back to

Christ and

to his

resurrection,

then Jesus

becomes our

refuge in

death.

You see,

our whole

life is

wrapped up

in the

eternal

destiny of

Jesus.

If Jesus

rose from

the grave,

we too

will rise

from the

grave.

Yes,

we will

physically

die,

but he

will come

back and

he will

restore us

to life

in his

eternal

kingdom.

So in

that sense,

death is

not the

end.

And we

can say

with David,

with absolute

confidence and

total assurance,

Psalm 16

Psalms 16:10

verses 10

and 11,

you will

not abandon

me to the

grave.

You will

not let

your Holy

One see

decay,

for you

have made

known to

me the

paths of

life.

You will

fill me

with joy

in your

presence,

with

eternal

pleasures

at your

right hand.

what a

promise,

refuge,

shelter,

protection

for all

eternity.

No more

evil,

no more

suffering,

no more

burning down

towers,

no more

wars,

no more

death.

And that

is all

found not

in a

place,

but in

a person,

the person

of Jesus

Christ who

conquered

death and

lives

forever

more.

So my

question to

us all,

to myself

included,

is where

is your

refuge?

Where do