Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Acts 13:35-37 Therefore He also says in another Psalm: "You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption." For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption.
PSALM OF DAVID ... SON OF DAVID
The psalm Paul is quoting here is the 16th Psalm, a psalm of David. David was a Jewish king from the tribe of Judah who reigned over the Jews about 1000 years before Christ. Besides being a king for 40 years, David was a poet and a prophet. That is, he was someone to whom God the Holy Spirit gave words to speak to the people. Since it was God the Holy Spirit who spoke through David, he was given the ability to foretell events hundreds of years in advance of their occurrence.
When David wrote this 16th Psalm, perhaps his readers thought he was speaking about himself. But Paul in his sermon in the Jewish synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia points out that David could not have been speaking about himself. "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption." King David died as do we all, and his body was buried. His body was buried and began to decompose and decay, just like everyone else's.
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by His death and resurrection. Therefore He is without doubt the promised Son of David, ruling over His people forever. Jesus is without doubt the promised Messiah. His body did not decay in Joseph's garden tomb. His body escaped from that tomb, and Jesus in that resurrected body appeared to His disciples and changed their deep sadness into stupendous joy. Their joy is ours, dear Christ believers! Jesus is risen! That means our sins are forgiven, our bodies will be raised, and heaven awaits us!
Christian, dry your flowing tears, Chase your unbelieving fears;
Look on His deserted grave, Doubt no more His pow’r to save.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 203:3)
