‘A Michtam of David.'
The word michtam has been related to the Akkadian katamu, ‘to cover'. Some therefore see it as a prayer for, or with an assurance of, protection. It is a part of the Davidic collection, with special reference to the house of David.
During his inspired building up of the psalm he ascends to greater and greater heights of being lost in YHWH, until in the end he recognises that those who had been made ‘holy' (separated to God, devout, faithful) like him could not possibly face corruption. To suggest that one so made holy by God could be laid in the grave and left there to rot was beyond his comprehension and acceptance. Their future had to be in the presence of God. It was by no means fully thought out. It was a flight of the soul. But it contained within it the seed thought that would blossom out into the resurrection of God's Holy One, the Greater David. He foresaw more than he knew. For what was true for David would be even more true for the great Seed of David.
In Acts 2:25 Peter says of this psalm that the one who spoke through it was David, and he added that he spoke as a prophet, for through it he foresaw not only his own certainty of life with God in some form beyond the grave, but in seed form to an even greater resurrection and certainty of life for his Greater Son.
After an opening call on God as his refuge and stronghold in Psalms 16:1 the Psalm can be divided up into four central thoughts, indicated by the mention of YHWH.:
· He has said to YHWH, ‘You are my Lord' (2-4).
· YHWH maintains his lot and destiny (5-6).
· YHWH has given him counsel (7).
· ‘I have set YHWH always before me' (8-11).
In these four ideas lies the fullness of the Christian life, recognition of His Lordship, recognising that our ways are in His hands, receiving our counsel and wisdom from God, and setting God always before our faces.
He Looks To God As His Refuge (Psalms 16:1 b).
‘Preserve me, O God, for in you do I take refuge.
The michtam opens with a plea for protection. The psalmist commits himself to God and prays that God (El) will preserve him in all circumstances, because he sees God as a safe refuge in Whom he can find shelter. It is a prayer based on the confidence of what God is to him, not because of some particular situation of urgency that requires assistance, but as an overall basis of life. We too should seek to take such refuge in God daily in a similar way. It is the right situation to be in for a man of faith.