When a Prayer of David’s Was a Fulfillment for Jesus
“22 ”Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—
23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
25 For David says concerning him,
” ’I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ ”
There are a lot of reasons why the things the Bible says are true. We can appeal to archaeological evidence, the vast number of manuscripts, and the reaction throughout the world as these events played out.
When Peter tries to tell everybody that Jesus rose from the dead, he doesn’t use any of these examples. First, he almost assumes that people have heard that Jesus has been walking around after his death. Second, he views the current events happening as a fulfillment of the scripture.
The coolest part about this is that the scripture he quotes is the scripture they are celebrating during Pentecost. Along with the giving of the law, Jewish people celebrated king David’s kingship and remembered his death on this day.
So if King David died and is still dead, but Jesus died and he’s alive again, the scripture must be talking about Jesus and not David.
Finally, look at how attractive Peter turns this conversation. He tells the people what they did, simple and clear, and they know they did it. They remember Passover 50 days ago when they yelled “Crucify!” like a crazy mob.
But then He talks about how much joy Jesus is experiencing. Peter is quoting Psalm 16, which is worth praying through today:
Psalm 16
A miktam of David.
1 Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
–
You can get the Daily Bible Readings to your inbox via email every day by subscribing on our home page. Join the discussion online on Facebook or Twitter.