Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
David spoke this as prophecy of Jesus Christ, that God would not leave His soul among the dead in the grave nor let His body as God's Holy One decay before rising. He was speaking of Christ and not of himself, for David died and was buried and his tomb remained, while Jesus was raised before His body saw corruption. The word was fulfilled when Jesus rose with an undecayed body and was exalted to God's right hand as the Prince of Life, made both Lord and Christ. It stands at the heart of Peter's Spirit-inspired Pentecost testimony lifting up Jesus' death and resurrection as a risen Saviour, which pricked hearers to repent and be baptized for remission of sins, adding about three thousand souls in one day. For believers it gives rest in hope before the Lord, assurance that even those who lose their lives will be raised to crowns of glory, and that the faithful dead rest in their graves until Christ comes.
Prophecy of Christ's Resurrection
David uttered this as prophecy of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that God would not leave Christ's soul among the dead in the grave, and would not suffer His body as God's Holy One to decay before the resurrection. The words about not being abandoned to the grave and not seeing corruption foretold that Jesus would be raised from the dead with a body that did not decay. David was speaking of Christ and not of himself, for David died and was buried and his tomb remained, while God raised Jesus from the tomb before His body saw corruption.
The prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead and was exalted in heaven. Seated at God's right hand as the Prince of Life, the crucified Jesus whom God made both Lord and Christ, His resurrection confirms His divine identity. Lifted up and glorified as a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, He stands revealed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He truly rose with an undecayed body, and early in the morning on the first day of the week the tomb was found empty with only the burial shroud and the head napkin remaining where His body had lain. He was seen and talked with as the risen Lord Himself, on the road to Emmaus where He opened from Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself, and in the upper chamber where He showed Himself to the eleven as risen. This eyewitness testimony, joined by that of the risen saints, exposed the priests' hired lie that the body had been stolen, and established Christianity on evidence that cannot be controverted.
Pentecost Proclamation of Christ
This verse belongs to Peter's bold, Spirit-inspired testimony on the day of Pentecost to the gathered people who had rejected Jesus, bearing witness to Christ as a risen Saviour. Preached after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, it was given in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power, and the disciples' message centered on Jesus' death and resurrection. Filled with that Spirit they went out and preached the Word everywhere and lifted up Jesus as the risen Lord whom God made both Lord and Christ. The Holy Spirit so empowered them to testify publicly to the truth of His resurrection that thousands were converted in a day.
At that preaching the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah were explained, so that the people came to recognize that Jesus was no pretender. Peter appealed to David, whom the Jews honored as a patriarch, to establish Christ's position, rather than to Jesus' teachings, because he knew his hearers' prejudice would make those teachings ineffective. The Spirit used the sermon to unfold Jesus and glorify Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him to desire Him. It reveals the glorious inner beauties of Christ's work and character, which natural eyes cannot discern because it is the Spirit that quickens. Jesus thus lifted up stands exalted by God to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and Peter's bold witness to Christ is evidence of his divine restoration, reaching the depths of the soul through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
The preaching pricked the hearers in heart to ask what to do. It called them to repent and be baptized every one in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, a promise to them and to their children and to all afar off, to save themselves from an untoward generation. Those who gladly received the word were baptized and added, about three thousand souls in one day, converted to repentance. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house with gladness and singleness of heart praising God, while the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
That preaching went forth with one desire for the salvation of souls, rejoicing in sweetness of communion with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing for any sacrifice for the truth's sake. In holy words and actions it revealed the love Christ commanded in order to awaken that love in other hearts, which believers are to cherish in willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved them, so closely united to Christ as to fulfil His requirements while the power of a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness is magnified. The same Spirit is needed now, for sinners are still to be converted and believers have something to do in it by getting the self-denying life of Christ, making people hungry to hear the Word, taking the Bible from house to house, shaking off stupor and indifference, and not sleeping in the judgment hour.
Hope and Assurance for Believers
The verse sets forth the blessings that belong to faith in Christ, for the believer is able to rest in hope when the Lord is kept continually before the heart. Keeping Him thus in view gives confidence and fills the heart with peace and joy. It is a wonderful promise that even those who lose their lives will be raised from the dead through Christ. Those so raised will receive crowns of glory. The Holy One of God was not left in the grave nor allowed to undergo decay, but was raised from the dead, and this gives hope that the faithful dead rest in their graves until Christ comes to raise them. They do not go immediately to heaven at death, but await the resurrection.
David spoke this as prophecy of Jesus Christ, that God would not leave His soul among the dead in the grave nor let His body as God's Holy One decay before rising. He was speaking of Christ and not of himself, for David died and was buried and his tomb remained, while Jesus was raised before His body saw corruption. The word was fulfilled when Jesus rose with an undecayed body and was exalted to God's right hand as the Prince of Life, made both Lord and Christ. It stands at the heart of Peter's Spirit-inspired Pentecost testimony lifting up Jesus' death and resurrection as a risen Saviour, which pricked hearers to repent and be baptized for remission of sins, adding about three thousand souls in one day. For believers it gives rest in hope before the Lord, assurance that even those who lose their lives will be raised to crowns of glory, and that the faithful dead rest in their graves until Christ comes.
Prophecy of Christ's Resurrection
David uttered this as prophecy of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that God would not leave Christ's soul among the dead in the grave, and would not suffer His body as God's Holy One to decay before the resurrection. The words about not being abandoned to the grave and not seeing corruption foretold that Jesus would be raised from the dead with a body that did not decay. David was speaking of Christ and not of himself, for David died and was buried and his tomb remained, while God raised Jesus from the tomb before His body saw corruption.
The prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus rose from the dead and was exalted in heaven. Seated at God's right hand as the Prince of Life, the crucified Jesus whom God made both Lord and Christ, His resurrection confirms His divine identity. Lifted up and glorified as a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, He stands revealed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He truly rose with an undecayed body, and early in the morning on the first day of the week the tomb was found empty with only the burial shroud and the head napkin remaining where His body had lain. He was seen and talked with as the risen Lord Himself, on the road to Emmaus where He opened from Moses and all the prophets the things concerning Himself, and in the upper chamber where He showed Himself to the eleven as risen. This eyewitness testimony, joined by that of the risen saints, exposed the priests' hired lie that the body had been stolen, and established Christianity on evidence that cannot be controverted.
Pentecost Proclamation of Christ
This verse belongs to Peter's bold, Spirit-inspired testimony on the day of Pentecost to the gathered people who had rejected Jesus, bearing witness to Christ as a risen Saviour. Preached after the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples, it was given in the demonstration of the Spirit and with power, and the disciples' message centered on Jesus' death and resurrection. Filled with that Spirit they went out and preached the Word everywhere and lifted up Jesus as the risen Lord whom God made both Lord and Christ. The Holy Spirit so empowered them to testify publicly to the truth of His resurrection that thousands were converted in a day.
At that preaching the mystery of the cross and other mysteries concerning the Messiah were explained, so that the people came to recognize that Jesus was no pretender. Peter appealed to David, whom the Jews honored as a patriarch, to establish Christ's position, rather than to Jesus' teachings, because he knew his hearers' prejudice would make those teachings ineffective. The Spirit used the sermon to unfold Jesus and glorify Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him to desire Him. It reveals the glorious inner beauties of Christ's work and character, which natural eyes cannot discern because it is the Spirit that quickens. Jesus thus lifted up stands exalted by God to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and Peter's bold witness to Christ is evidence of his divine restoration, reaching the depths of the soul through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
The preaching pricked the hearers in heart to ask what to do. It called them to repent and be baptized every one in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, a promise to them and to their children and to all afar off, to save themselves from an untoward generation. Those who gladly received the word were baptized and added, about three thousand souls in one day, converted to repentance. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house with gladness and singleness of heart praising God, while the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
That preaching went forth with one desire for the salvation of souls, rejoicing in sweetness of communion with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, willing for any sacrifice for the truth's sake. In holy words and actions it revealed the love Christ commanded in order to awaken that love in other hearts, which believers are to cherish in willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved them, so closely united to Christ as to fulfil His requirements while the power of a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness is magnified. The same Spirit is needed now, for sinners are still to be converted and believers have something to do in it by getting the self-denying life of Christ, making people hungry to hear the Word, taking the Bible from house to house, shaking off stupor and indifference, and not sleeping in the judgment hour.
Hope and Assurance for Believers
The verse sets forth the blessings that belong to faith in Christ, for the believer is able to rest in hope when the Lord is kept continually before the heart. Keeping Him thus in view gives confidence and fills the heart with peace and joy. It is a wonderful promise that even those who lose their lives will be raised from the dead through Christ. Those so raised will receive crowns of glory. The Holy One of God was not left in the grave nor allowed to undergo decay, but was raised from the dead, and this gives hope that the faithful dead rest in their graves until Christ comes to raise them. They do not go immediately to heaven at death, but await the resurrection.