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Psalms 16:1-11 (ANIV)
1 [A miktam [1] of David.]

Keep me safe, O God,
for in you I take refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 As for the saints who are in the land,
they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. [2]
4 The sorrows of those will increase
who run after other gods.
I will not pour out their libations of blood
or take up their names on my lips.

5 Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made 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 have set the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I shall 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 grave, [3]
nor will you let your Holy One [4] see decay.
11 You have made known [5] to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

[1]
Title: Probably a literary or musical term.

[2]
Or, As the pagan priests who are in the land / and the nobles in whom all delight, I said:

[3]
Hebrew, Sheol.

[4]
Or, your faithful one.

[5]
Or, You will make known.

DRAWING NOTES:

TIME OF DAY:
Unspecified in Bible Text. It could be either sunrise or sunset.

LIGHTING NOTES:
Strong sunlight from the rising (or setting!) sun illuminates this scene, with shadows falling towards the viewer.

CHARACTERS PRESENT:
A small figure walking down a coastal path towards the sun.

RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
There are four versions of this scene:
Amber Versions
01) (Previous page) Psalm 16 – You have made known to me the path of life (Amber version, with hedge).
In this version the foreground includes a dark, prickly hedge and a yellow/brown, ochre, amber hue infuses the scene.

02) (Previous page) Psalm 16 – You have made known to me the path of life (Amber version, without hedge).
In this version I have removed the foreground hedge, which opens up the scene somewhat.

Green Versions
03) (This page) Psalm 16 – You have made known to me the path of life (Green version, with hedge).
This version includes the dark foreground hedge, but replaces the over all amber hue with a green one.

03) (Next page) Psalm 16 – You have made known to me the path of life (Green version, without hedge).
In this green version I have removed the foreground hedge.

Psalm 16 is an example of a Psalm of Confidence, which expresses trust in God’s care for & leadership of his people.

Notice there is a small figure, carrying something and walking down the pathway, from the dark shadows of the hedge towards the light of the rising, or setting sun.

The verse that captured my attention in this Psalm, and led to this design, is verse 11, which states “You have made known to me the path of life;” When I thought about that phrase I immediately imagined a coast path, leading off into the sunset, which is the inspiration for the scenes I have created. I put the thorny, prickly hedge in the foreground to indicate a dark place which the figure on the path has emerged from. This represents the darkness we all inhabit before we become aware of the Lord God and accept His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. The figure in the picture has emerged from the darkness, and is making his or her way along the path, moving towards the light on the distant horizon. The light represents God, and the figure is moving towards Him, in obedience and with great joy.