Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 23: Shepherd

 

Lambs from the flock of one of my friends. She was always
glad to show her sheep to visitors.  One time I took my mother-
in-law, then in her 80s, who thrilled to bottle-feed an orphan lamb.

"Is it a need or a want? That phrase sometimes came into family discussions about things our children’s friends had, and they didn’t. Living on a school teacher’s salary meant lowered expectations of “want,” while thanking God for giving us what we needed.  I sometimes think of that when I read the first verse of Psalm 23 in four-hundred-year-old vocabulary: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  Read through the linguistic lenses of the 21^st century, it seems to imply that we will have no expectations, no desires--something like zombies. Nothing could be further than scriptural truth. More accurately, as some translations render it, “I shall not be in want.” Or, “I shall lack nothing.” The God who formed every fiber of my being, and knows my innermost thoughts, is my provider in every way: body, mind, and spirit.

Our understanding of this beloved psalm was given a boost with the 1970 release of Philip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. A pastor and author, for eight years Keller was a shepherd, gaining insight into the tasks so perfectly applied as Psalm 23’s spiritual metaphor. Although Jesus, like other Jewish boys, learned his father’s life skill—in this case, carpentry--we don’t think of him as “Jesus, the Good Carpenter.” Wood is inanimate and yields to the saw, hammer, and chisel. But sheep are very needy living creatures—yes, mostly “dumb.” They need a caring, wise shepherd. As this psalm reveals, we are so much like them, in need of a Good Shepherd.

Even the first five words of this psalm are like taking the hand of our loving, caring God.  Someone once suggested meditating on each word by itself.
“The”—the only one, the holy one, the unique one.  Not plural. Singular.
“LORD”—the small-capital-letter name in English Bibles for “Yahweh,” the holy covenant name of God given in Moses’ times: “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14).
“Is”—not “was,” as in a former deiety, but “is” for now and forever. In a gift book titled Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms, Max Lucado said that David wrote this psalm to remind us of who God is: the Yahweh who is unchanging, uncaused, and ungoverned (Nelson, p. 13).
“My”—yes, others’ shepherd, but also personally, intimately mine. I am not too insignificant for Him.
“Shepherd”—not an impersonal deity who demands worship and who is as capricious as the winds, but a caring, nurturing, sacrificing God who tends to every detail of my life.

SHEPHERD VIEWPOINTS

Seasoned Bible teachers, in trying to outline Psalm 23, only prove that it cannot be studied enough. Warren Wiersbe, well-known for his “Be-“ study series, included this psalm in “Be Worshipful” and divided it like this:
            *In the pasture—Adequacy (vs. 1-3)
            *In the valley—Serenity (v. 4)
            *In the fold—Certainty (v. 5)
            *In the Father’s house—Eternity (v. 6)

Derek Kidner, a commentary-writer who ferrets out meanings of original languages, gave this outline:

            *The Shepherd (1-4)
            *The Friend (5-6)

William MacDonald, who compiled a layman-friendly Believer’s Bible Commentary, said that this outline by J.R. Littleproud (from the 1930s) was hard to improve on:

            *The secret of a happy life—every need supplied.
            *The secret of a happy death—every fear removed.
            *The secret of a happy eternity---every desire fulfilled.

James Montgomery Boice, who preached on psalms for nearly three years from the pulpit of a huge Philadelphia church, outlined off the statement: “Because the Lord is my Shepherd”:

            *I shall not be in want.
            *I shall not lack rest.
            *I shall not lack life.
            *I shall not lack guidance
            *I shall not lack safety.
            *I shall not lack provision.
            *I shall not lack a heavenly home.

 A SHEEP’S SURVIVAL VIEWPOINT

The sheep needs its shepherd for everything. It needs led to good pasture, free of poisonous plants. Once there, the sheep needs to be free of fear. The flock cannot be agitated by bully sheep. Those afflicted by insects or skin diseases (for which ancient shepherds carried a salve of olive oil, sulfur and spices) must be doctored.  Yes, their heads anointed with oil (v. 5). The water must be clean and calm. A sheep needs enough food to feel full.

The sheep need a protector. Some, in their stupidity, would lie down in a hollow and lose their balance, unable to right themselves. These “cast” sheep were at risk of death within hours as gases built up in the body. A shepherd had to “right” the heavy sheep for it to survive. The shepherd also protected from wild animals. Remember how David boasted to Goliath that God had delivered him from the paws of the lion and bear (1 Samuel 17:37)? He had no gun, just his rod, slingshot, and physical power. When sheep were herded into a rock-fenced sheepfold at night, the shepherd slept across the entrance.

The shepherd was intensely loyal to his own sheep, even knowing the name of each. A hireling shepherd had no such attachment and would run away if danger came (John 10:11-13). In calling Himself “The Good Shepherd,” Jesus committed to the responsibility of total, loving care for His own followers.

THE SHEEP’S REVIVING VIEWPOINT

As humans created in the image of God, we have something sheep don’t—an anticipation of something beyond the grave. How many, on their deathbeds, have found unequivocal comfort in these concluding words?
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6)
That statement has a “present” and a “future.”  “Surely” means “without doubt,” “absolutely.” Some say “goodness” and “mercy” are like two sheepdogs that guard the back of the flock. As the Shepherd leads us through life, every circumstance is under His scrutiny. Health issues? Heartaches? Stressful days at the job or at home with children? Worries? Sorrows? God is with us all the days of our lives. He may come in the quiet joy of nature’s gifts. A kind word or deed. A recalling of past mercies. Beautiful music. That private, overwhelming realization that He will never leave me or forsake me, no matter how bad things seem right now.

He is trustworthy.  He will see us through to His house.  Forever.

Making “Psense” of Psalms-- Psalm 18: Rock

The "rock" above my town, shown during springtime, is called
"Saddlerock" and said to be an old volcanic neck.

Part of a continuing series on selected Psalms.
Hope and doubt warred in my heart as I walked to the college track that muggy summer morning. To ease stress headaches, I’d started jog-walking around the track. In a few weeks, I’d receive a long-sought-for master’s degree in my field. But job applications had yielded nothing. I was physically, emotionally and mentally worn out.  I couldn’t go “home” to transition. My parents’ recent deaths ended that option, and their emptied house, 2,000 miles away, was actively for sale.Then squirrels, flinging from trees to power poles, interrupted my dark thoughts as phrases from Psalm 18 slipped into my mind: “With my God I can scale a wall.” “He enables me to stand on the heights.” Those wall-scaling, height-defying squirrels reminded me of biblical truth that, in the face of a dismal future, God had a track record of helping me. I had to trust Him—and hang on.

Years later, connecting Psalm 18’s historical dots, I realized King David wrote it to reflect on God’s faithfulness during life-threats from Saul, tribal enemies, and his own power-hungry son. Second Samuel, which offers historical context, contains essentially the same psalm in chapter 22.

GOD’S CHARACTER (VV. 1-3)

At 50 verses, Psalm 18 is the fourth longest Psalm. David “sang it to the Lord” (subtitle), and we get to listen in. “I love you,” he begins, then uses seven metaphors to praise God’s attributes. Some connect with David’s needs as a military leader: strength, shield, horn of salvation.  Others relate to David’s years “on the run”: rock (twice in v. 2, also 31, 46), fortress, deliverer, stronghold.  David knew the rocky wastelands well as his protection, hideout, and spy stations. They also symbolize a sure foundation, in contrast to the mire and sand of Psalm 40:2 and Jesus’ “house-building” parable (Matt. 7:25).

 GOD MY DELIVERER (VV. 4-19)

The modern saying, “I’m drowning in troubles,” parallels David’s distress. Then David uses poetic license (a “theophany”) to picture Almighty God rising from His throne and coming down in a celestial battle on behalf of David. This harkens to historical accounts in the Exodus, at Sinai, and during the days of Joshua and the judges. “The Lord was my support,” David declares. “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” (18:19).

GOD MY SAVIOR (VV. 20-30)

When God orchestrates an answer to a difficult situation, we’re more apt to attribute it to His mercy than say, “I deserved it.” Yet David seems to lean to the “deserved” side as the next section opens: “The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me” (v. 20). Is this the same man whose adultery and conspiracy to murder made national headlines? The next verses point to an explanation: that, as a general principle, when we try to live for God, He blesses us. When we stray from God, we suffer consequences. Yes, David sinned in a big, public way, and suffered through the baby’s death and his own dysfunctional offspring. But he still had a heart after God, and provides an ancient model for the “fresh-start” God offers us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
 

GOD MY ROCK (VV. 30-36)

In calling God his “rock,” David used the same name as Moses hundreds of years earlier: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just….for their [the enemies’] rock is not like our Rock” (Deuteronomy 32:4, 31). God is our stalwart, protective Rock through His flawless word (v. 30). That discouraging summer morning, God reminded me to keep trusting Him through my recent reading of Psalm 18:33 (about deer navigating rocky heights), the similar Habakkuk 3:19, and images from Hannah Hurnard’s classic inspirational novel, Hinds Feet in High Places. David also calls God his “shield” or protection (v. 30). God equips us for our battles (v. 34), which in my case included overcoming discouragement and timidity. He strengthens us to go beyond our perceived strengths (bending a bronze-buttressed bow, v. 34), and evens out places that try to trip us up (v. 36).
 

LOOKING BACK TO PRAISE (VV. 37-50)

David then returns to memories of the battles he faced with God’s help, re-telling it from his ground-level perspective. This isn’t a super-charged, chest-beating, brag session of wartime prowess. Instead, David returns to the Rock (v. 46) and declares, “Exalted be God my Savior.”

Verse 49 may have a familiar ring:  “Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.” In Romans 15, Paul used four scriptures, including this one, to show that Jesus brought salvation to Gentiles as well as Jews. That’s not the only “New Testament” connection for this psalm. Some Bible teachers see the psalm prophetically tracing the death, resurrection, exaltation, Second Coming, and final glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ. When David wrote, “He [God] shows unfailing kindness to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever” (v. 50), he had no idea those descendants would include the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

But for me, this will always be the “feet like squirrels/deer” psalm. Recalling God’s amazing help in that dismal time (a job offer came just days before I’d become homeless), I can still affirm: God is my Rock. He was, and is, my strength and refuge.

 

Next week: Psalm 19