“Precious outcomes”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, April 21, 2023
Psalm 16 (Forward, p. 82) CEV p. 562
David, the future king of Israel, knew what it was like to be in grave difficulty and danger, to be set ‘between a rock and hard place’, as it were, with seemingly no easy way out or solution. In his prolonged exile at the hand of King Saul and Saul’s relentless, seemingly never-ending pursuit of him, David was probably tempted at times to give up on God, or, at very least to give up completely. After all, it was God, or at least God through the prophet Samuel, that took him from safety and relative obscurity to anoint him as king back in the beginning (see 1 Samuel 16:1-13). And, even without that, there were voices, human voices round about him (see 1 Samuel 26:19b) that had urged him to ‘take up’ with other gods.
In today’s psalm, however, David dismisses all such options, all such choices. He firmly pledges himself to seek God and God alone, for his safety and security (verse 1), for his needs (verse 2), for the object of his worship (verse 4) and for his purpose in life (verse 5). Even with his friends and associates he chooses only those who honour and worship God (verse 3).
Far be it for me to suggest that David made these choices solely for ‘what he got out of it,’ but nevertheless there are some benefits, some precious outcomes, that come his way because he has chosen God as his chief goal in life:
-safety, security (verses 1,5,9);
-blessings: “every good thing I have is a gift from you” (verse 2);
-happiness (verse 3);
-a pleasant life now and a future that is secure (verse 6);
-guidance and direction for life (verses 7-8,11);
-peace, joy and a freedom from fear (verses 8-9,11);
But the most incredible blessing, the most precious outcome, was something that King David never experienced, but the One who was notable for having always honoured God and choosing God above all else, namely Jesus Christ, certainly did. This unique and unsurpassed blessing is spelled out in verses 10-11:
“I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay. You have shown me the path and you make me glad by being near me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.”
No wonder various New Testament writers chose these verses (see Acts 2:29-31; 13:34-36) to point out the absolute uniqueness of Christ, for, as everyone there knew fully well, David’s body did see decay (or corruption) and even to that day people could point out where his body lay.
And no wonder that the designers of various burial rites (see the BAS pp. 587 596 and the BCP 2019 p. 260) choose these verses to describe our state in death if we choose to align ourselves with Christ Jesus. Such is just one of the precious outcomes if we choose Jesus over all else. Amen.
Forward notes: “My body also shall rest in hope” (verse 9a).
“It is not the case that every body rests in hope. As I write this, Holocaust survivors from Ukraine are fleeing to try to survive yet another war. We Christians believe in community, just as the Trinity is community. Therefore, until everybody rests in hope, we have work yet to do. Unhoused people who live in tents, under overpasses, in cardboard boxes may not rest well in hope. The threat of no-knock warrants does not allow many to rest in hope, and to those who say that if the people hadn’t done anything wrong, they could rest securely, I counter that race matters in how people are treated. Full stop.
“I come from a background of privilege. Although I am of mixed descent, including Cherokee, I present as a white woman and therefore am accorded white privilege. I rest in hope and security much easier than my darker-skinned brothers and sisters.
“It is our prayer to rest in hope in God’s love, but we must serve the marginalized as did Jesus, so that all may finally rest in hope.”
Moving Forward: “What work is before you in your community so that all can rest in hope?
A concluding note: Just one word. It is perhaps unfortunate that the translation quoted in the Forward meditation renders this verse as ‘resting
in hope’, which seems to obscure its meaning somewhat. The Contemporary English Version (CEV) translates it as ‘I can safely rest’, which I think gives it a truer sense of what is being described.