David said about him: “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 also will rest in hope, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”
Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
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Peter quotes David here from Psalm 16:8-11 to connect with these Jews and Jewish converts. David was known and revered by the Jews as very close to God … God called him his friend. And David describes, in part, his relationship with God: The Lord is always before him. This is a reference to the presence of God going before him and making a way or a path forward. It reminds me of this passage where God also went before the Isrealites, as they were leaving Egypt: “After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.” (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭22‬)

Just like the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, God went before David in a real and tangible way, because his heart was pure before him. Clearly not perfect, but he repented of his sin and followed God and the Holy Spirit purified his heart. God can also purify our hearts of sin if we decide to lay down all our idols at his feet and surrender our hearts to him.

David recognizes the stronghold of power that resides with a man surrendered to God and his will — “Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” This confidence in God’s protection as his child is REAL! It is our identity in Jesus, if we accept his sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins and follow him. And it brings many benefits: joy, gladness, and a hope so abundant and massive that we can rest in it. The hope of God is an oasis for the soul, it revives us, energizes us, and allows us to be filled up with the good gifts he has waiting for us to receive.

Finally, David knew God. This means God communed and dwelled with him. He understood the heart of God. And this heart-level knowledge resulted in God revealing to him the true and right paths of real life.

The last point Peter makes here, is that their beloved hero of the Jewish faith, David, prophesied of the one who was to sit on his throne, the coming Messiah (Psalm 16:10, Psalm 110). He longed for this day.

And today, we live in the time after Jesus came to earth, died, and was buried. After he rose from the grave. After he has paid off our sins, the righteous died for the unrighteous to make a way for us to dwell with God. And he now reigns at the right hand of God.

We can experience all that David describes here. We can know God on a heart-level. We can trust him with our life paths. We can be glad and rejoice that he is our God and we are his people, and we fall under his care, love, provision, and protection!

Lord, thank you so much for loving me. I don’t deserve it, but you loved me enough to send Jesus to rescue me from my life of sin. I embrace the new life of freedom I have found believing in Jesus with my whole heart. Help me to daily remind myself of the great position I have as your child, the great love you have for me, and my access to your power and saving grace!