In the Hebrew mind, the highest good was shalom. More than simple absence of distress or conflict, it was much broader. Perhaps a better term would be “social stability” — a combination of salient factors working together to provide a stable life for the community. It was tied to the idea of moral justice; if you live by the Laws of God, you should expect life to be as tolerable as can be, given our fallen state. In David’s mind, it didn’t get any better than this. It was possible to have too much stuff, too much fun and excitement, too much learning and thinking, too much of a lot of things not so bad by themselves. But the whole picture depended on trusting God and obeying His moral demands and executing His divine justice.
This is what David has in mind very specifically here. He accepts whatever shelter comes with taking refuge in Jehovah’s feudal lordship. The concept of protection is an aspect of shalom. In rather literal terms, David notes that nothing good for him is available outside God’s will. By comparison, David notes a significant portion of his nation is given to idolatry. The language here is hard to translate with any precision, but it’s easy enough to see where it points. Even as king, David knew that enforcing covenant provisions against idolatry with too much vigor would be oppressive. He is aware that people are pursuing it, but there is only so much he can do to stop it. So at the very least, he is faithful himself and refuses to participate at all. He is careful to remain ritually circumspect.
Again, David asserts that it is Jehovah who provides all the things these other people believe they can obtain by idolatry. It would be fair to say that shalom means stability, prosperity and security. He equates it with a rich inheritance of fertile lands that no one can take from him. He commits himself to testifying of God’s goodness and investing in frequent periods of meditation — this is not something you can make into simple ritual. Sincere commitment brings a sense of peace and contentment that offers clear thinking in turmoil. If you give yourself to the joy of serving God, there won’t be room for worry or agitation, and thus, fewer miscalculations when things go bad.
The business about Sheol and the Pit (fairly literal translations) is a standard Hebrew parallelism. Both terms are roughly equivalent in the symbolic sense of pervasive corruption. Our fallen existence is bad enough and we seek God’s justice to make the best of a bad situation. Wallowing in it is to embrace corruption and death rather as an idol. Whether you are physically alive won’t matter; you serve Death and belong to Death. The use of this particular verse by Peter and Paul is not an unreasonable semantic stretch. Who walks in justice need not fear the end of this life; death is more a friend than a ruler. Literal applications do not violate the underlying symbolism. Jesus was not in the tomb long enough to stink, so the symbolism continues with the His literal resurrection. His human body died but did not decompose. David’s choice of words were particularly apt and prophetic.
All the more so in the final verse, giving us the feel that you simply cannot afford to miss a moment in feudal service to God here on earth.
