PSALM 23

We had been married about ten days and were preparing to leave Kentucky for California via my home in Louisiana. Vivian's mother made a little ceremony of our leaving that focused on the 23^rd Psalm, which she read. Since then, I've read that Scripture at many bedsides, in funerals, for sermons. I've taught it in Sunday School and Prayer Meetings. I don't think I've used it at a wedding, but it would be perfectly appropriate. The Psalm also fits daily life!

The psalm seems to speak to many people in many times of life. From all my study, here's the best outline I've found.

The Lord as Shepherd: vv1-2

He leads to fulfilled needs, green pastures, living water

The Lord as Guide: vv3-4

Even through life's dark valleys, including death, He leads us past fear

The Lord as Host: vv5-6

The Lord sets the table and invites us to a feast

I'm convinced one of the most helpful things we can do for scriptures this familiar is to read them in a wide variety of translations.

Here are a few random notes, more or less in order::

The word “shepherd” is also applied to kings and rulers. They had the responsibility to care for their people. Shepherd life was not as peaceful as we think. The ability to let the sheep lie down and drink water includes the idea of keeping them safe. Remember David told King Saul he had killed both bears and lions by jumping on their backs, Tarzan style, and knifing them. I have long suspected he knocked them out, or at least dazed them at first with his slingshot.

I shall lack nothing. He gives me all I need. The rest of the poem can be seen as illustrating this.

He restores my soul. “Soul” is the same Hebrew word nephesh used in Genesis 2 when the Lod breathed into man the breath of life and man became “a living soul.” The verb restore in its simplest form is the word for turn or repent. This is a more intensive form and can mean to refresh or revive. H brings me back to life!

Paths of righteousness is a better translation than straight paths. The word is usually translated righteousness or justice. (I may have commented before that a Latin American translator said the Spanish translations use “justice” more than the English ones. I find it a useful exercise to try out the word justice whenever I run into “righteousness.” It often makes good sense.

“Shadow of death is also a good translation. In Hebrew it's one word, the last half of which means death. “Deep darkness” is ok, but the ominous death quality should be preserved. It does mean that God will be with us in the most difficult trials of life, including death. My ordaining pastor once commented that he and I at that time did not want to die and wwere meant to fear death at that stage of life. When our time came to die, however, he believed we would receive dying grace, which certainly fits this idea.

Fear no evil. Interesting that a way to transliterate “evil” into English is ra, while “my shepherd” can be written ra'. Just that much different in Hebrew, but what a world of difference in meaning.

The rod and staff may refer to the shepherd's rod, but since the king is sometimes referred to as the shepherd of his constituents, the word can also mean sceptre. So God's authority protects us!

The ship's captaain honors many of his travelers by inviting them to the caaptain's table. It's also a high honor to be called to dine with the king. And to be anointed is to be greeted as a welcome guest! It's even the word Messiah, the anointed one. In

Revelation we are invited to the marriage feast of the lamb!

The house of the Lord brings to mind the temple. If David wrote the Psalm, it had not yet been built. Even later, we can think of His house as representing His presence. We shall live in His presence forever!