Psalm 16:11 - Fullness of Joy in God's Presence.
Psalm 16:11 - Fullness of Joy in God's Presence.
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your
presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures
forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 (TEV) You will show me the path that leads to life;
your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever.
Psalm 16:11 (NLT) You will show me the way of life, granting me
the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you
forever.
WORD STUDY
Fulness of joy. Enough and more than enough to satisfy God's
child (Eph. 3:20). [SDA Bible Commentary]
At thy right hand. Or, "in Thy right [hand]." God's hand is
full, ready to bestow eternal pleasures upon His child. This store of
pleasure will never be exhausted. It is coeternal with the Infinite (1
Cor. 2:9). [SDA Bible Commentary]
CONTEXT
This psalm is often called a Messianic psalm because it is
quoted in the New Testament as referring to the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Both Peter and Paul quoted from this psalm when speaking of
Christ's bodily resurrection (Acts 2:25-28, 31; Acts 13:35-37). [Life
Application SB re vv. 8-11]
This passage is one of the few in the Old Testament dealing with
resurrection. It refers to the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:22-32), and that
is what gives us our hope (1 Pet. 1:3). [Chapter by Chapter Bible
Commentary by Warren Wiersbe re vv. 9-11]
This psalm is a beautiful expression of the soul's choice of
God, its delight in Him, its repudiation of other gods, its comfort
in the lot that God assigns, and its calm assurance of His help now
and forever. [SDA Bible Commentary]
COMMENTARY APPLICATIONS
Joy comes from being in God's presence. David's heart was
glad--he had found the secret to joy. True joy is far deeper than
happiness; we can feel joy in spite of our deepest troubles. Happiness is
temporary because it is based on external circumstances, but joy is
lasting because it is based on God's presence within us. As we
contemplate his daily presence, we will find contentment. As we understand
the future he has for us, we will experience joy. Don't base your
life on circumstances, but on God. [Life Application SB re v. 11]
John Wesley set very high standards of holiness for his
followers. He encouraged them to ask themselves challenging questions, such
as, Have I prayed with fervor? Have I contrived ways to avoid
self-denial? He taught his followers to pray, "Let me abstain from all
pleasures that don't prepare me for taking pleasure in thee."
That doesn't mean he was a killjoy. When people accused him
of being sour, he replied that he was convinced "true religion or
holiness cannot be without cheerfulness. True religion has nothing sour,
austere, unsociable, or unfriendly in it."
Wesley countered critics with questions: "Are you for having
as much cheerfulness as you can? So am I. Do you try to keep alive
your taste for innocent pleasures? So do I." He insisted that he
enjoyed "every pleasure that leads to my taking pleasure in [God]."
Wesley denounced the idea that knowledge of our sinfulness
makes us miserable. He insisted that dealing head-on with our
tendencies toward "pride, self-will and peevishness" enables one to
experience "peace and joy in the Holy Ghost."
Wesley wrote prayers for daily use, including these:
"I know you are the end for which I was created, and I can
expect no happiness but in thee."
"Let us take pleasure in your service and abound in your
work, and in your love and praise evermore."
Father and Provider of all blessings, cleanse me and bring
your holiness of joy and fulfillment into my life. Help me to seek
you fervently and to enjoy all pleasures in your company. [The One
Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
Sherwood Wirt tells us that the French poet Paul Claudel once
remarked, after listening to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, "Now I know that
at the heart of the universe is joy."
That's a hopeful and optimistic perspective, but it seems to
be contradicted by the vast emptiness of outer space and the
agonies of humankind. To echo Einstein's question, Is the universe
friendly?
In response, Wirt turns to the Scriptures where, amid the
Bible's rugged realism, he finds repeated affirmations of joy. The
psalmist speaks of "God my exceeding joy" (Psalm 43:4, KJV). Isaiah
urges, "Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth!" (Isaiah 49:13 NKJV).
Jesus promised his disciples joy, and Peter writes of "inexpressible
and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8 NIV).
The psalms are songs full of rejoicing and calls to rejoice.
Woody observes that the words gladness, joyousness, delight, and
jubilation appear 108 times. In the Psalms we find the full range of human
experience, including despair and desperation. Yet the theme throughout is
the call to "shout for joy ... all the earth, burst into jubilant song
with music" (Psalm 98:4, NIV).
Wirt turns to the word celebrate to capture the meaning for
our times. "Let the heavens celebrate, and let the earth be glad."
He calls for an injection of a spirit of jubilation. "The gospel is
a message of grace and deliverance from sin by the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, a call to repentance, commitment, and new life
in the Spirit. It is a life not only victorious, but filled with
the joy of heaven."
What is at the heart of the universe? The Bible affirms that
"God is love" (1 John 4:8, 16 NLT) and that he lives in glory and
joy. In our tragic, sinful world, that's often hard to comprehend.
Sherwood Win points us to the Good News: "The church has been
given a joyful message, the greatest news that ever came to the human
race."
Father in heaven, your salvation and joy are far beyond my
comprehension. Infuse my mind and spirit, I pray, with the rejoicing and
celebration that comes from you. Purify me, Lord, and draw me into your joy.
[The One Year Book of Encouragement by Harold Myra]
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