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 22: Holy Ground

Part of a continuing series on selected Psalms.
When God got Moses’ attention via a strange burning bush, He called out, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are sanding is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Psalm 22 is one scripture portion that treats things so holy that it’s a “sandals-off” time, at least in our hearts.  Fourteen psalms have some sort of prophetic reference to Christ, but this one is remarkable—no, amazing—in its prophetic picture of the crucifixion of our Lord.
 

Prophetic?  Wasn’t David just a music-loving warrior king? Did he write of more than he realized? The answer is yes. In his first post-Pentecost sermon, Peter quoted David and declared, “he was a prophet” (Acts 2:30). Unlike many of David’s psalms, which describe in the heading or within the psalm what occasion or difficulty inspired it, this one holds no clues to any particular event. There’s no record of God deserting David, plus he always had friends to help him when difficulties came. Yet the psalm deals with those very woes. It also describes the unique torture associated with Christ’s crucifixion, hundreds of years before that mode of excruciating death came into use. In its prophecy of Christ’s horrible death, it is holy ground to be read in tandem with accounts of the crucifixion.

The thought lines of Psalm 22 seem to divide these ways:

1-21: Prayer of a suffering person.
22-31: Praise for victory.
They parallel the life of Christ in that His unspeakable suffering resulted in His victory over sin and the realm of Satan, making it possible for us to live in fellowship with God.

THE SUFFERING PERSON SPEAKS

There’s no mistaking the prophecy of the first verse: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ The exact same words came from Jesus’ parched lips as His execution progressed (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34). Our Lord was forsaken by His Father as He, who knew no sin, took on the penalty for our sins. During that time, the countryside was plunged into an otherworldly darkness—not an eclipse, for it lasted for hours—as a physical manifestation of the holy war going on with Satan’s realm. In verses 3-5 David asks why God came through for the Israelites during the history, but right now, not for him. He’s an object of scorn and derision (vv. 6-9), which had prophetic fulfillment as unbelievers taunted Christ on the cross (Matt. 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-39). David felt all alone—“there is no one to help” (v. 11)—surely what Christ felt, too.

David felt endangered as one might when faced by raging bulls (Bashan, east of the Jordan, was known for its cattle pastures), roaring lions, wild scavenger dogs, and wild oxen. In describing the wounds of attacks from such animals, he used language that detailed a crucifixion: weakness, disjointed limbs, failing heart, dry mouth, and pierced hands and feet. Then comes the remarkable curtain call: “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments” (v. 18). The soldiers who gambled for Jesus’ clothes surely didn’t fulfill this on purpose (John 19:23-24)!

PRAISE FOR VICTORY

At verse 22, Psalm 22 changes in tone to a praise for victory. After crying out that God doesn’t see his need, the psalmist changes his tune and declares, “He has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” The psalmist describes peace and bounty, even for the poor. As his praise broadens, he envisions a time when “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.” The whole world, rich and poor, will know God and worship Him. Could David, in these verses, be describing the worldwide, Millennial reign of Christ? Sometimes, in realizing what a mess the world has become, we forget that the rest of the story has already been predicted, and it will happen!

 “He has done it!” David declares in conclusion (Psalm 22:31). Essentially, it’s “It is finished!”—the same words Christ choked out as death neared (John 19:30). His task of dying for the sins of the world was done. That’s when I stop and say again, “This is holy ground.” It’s our faith-focus: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

How can we respond to such an amazing act of love?  I like how Jennie Hussey put it in the hymn we’ve come to know as “Lead Me to Calvary.” In contrast to the widely-lauded King David, Hussey was a little-known woman of a hundred years ago who cared for an invalid sister nearly all her life. During all her care-giving she wrote many poems, including this one that shows her understanding of what it means to walk on holy ground, and embrace the call of the cross to obedience and surrender:

            King of my life I crown Thee now, Thine shall the glory be;
            Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow, Lead me to Calvary.

            May I be willing, Lord, to bear daily my cross for Thee;

            Even thy cup of grief to share, Thou hast borne all for me.

            Chorus:

            Lest I forget Gethsemane; lest I forget Thine agony;
            Lest I forget Thy love for me; lead me to Calvary.

 Can you take off your shoes and sing this song to the Lord? If you do, you may find it a humbling experience, your own “burning bush” of a word from God.

Next: Psalm 23 

Making 'Psense' of Psalms-- Psalm 19: Two Revelations

Our local foothills aren't the alps, but the clouds above are
a daytime reminder of the  heavens declaring the glory of God

It’s a classic film with an iconic opening that reminds me of Psalm 19. “The hills are alive,” sings Julie Andrews, playing the part of would-be nun Maria, “with the sounds of music.” As cameras pan magnificent mountain scenery behind her, she twirls trying to embrace it all.

That’s close to the impression I get of David’s opening words to Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (v. 1). I grew up memorizing that last part as the King James’ “the firmament sheweth his handywork.” For years I mistakenly thought “firmament” referred to the wonders of the earth. But it doesn’t. “Firmament” is the vault or arch of the sky, thus all that’s above the “terra firma” (earth). It’s like David is taking us back to his shepherding days, inviting us to lay on the ground beside him.  As his sheep bleat nearby, we watch meteors skim across the blackness, seek out familiar constellations, perceive faint stars beyond the most obvious, and wonder about the moon.  After all that, in hushed tones, David says, “The skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Yet in all his observations, David had no clue what we’re still learning: that the stars are beyond number and our planet, solar system and our Milky Way galaxy, are mere dots in a universe. The only credible explanation of all this is God.

Psalm 19 describes God’s natural revelation (1-6) and His written revelation in the Bible (7-10). It concludes with a suggested response: confession and obedience.

 

WHAT YOU SEE (VV. 1-6)

Psalm 19 uses two Hebrew names for God, “El” and “Yahweh.”  In this first section He is “El,” the powerful creator-God. His creation does more than hint about Him. The skies “pour forth speech,” the verb “pour” indicating a strong gushing up like a vibrant spring. Even without human words, their mystery and immensity can only point us to a Creator.

Even the sun testifies to a Creator. In comparing the sun to a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, David could have meant both the “before” and “after” of the Jewish wedding customs. In the midst of celebrations, the groom would come out, claim his bride, and take her into the marriage tent to consummate the union. Also, in contrast to today when all eyes are on the bride’s gown, in those times the Jewish bridegroom was richly attired. In the second image, “like a champion rejoicing to run his course,” imagine yourself at a track competition, watching the face of the victor. Who can forget the exhausted yet ecstatic face of the star who played Olympian and future missionary Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire?

In David’s time, astronomy hadn’t advanced to understanding how the sun and planets were related.  But he knew the cycle of day and night had to be the plan of a Creator.

This testimony of nature is where the early apostles started in leading people to Christ. When Paul came to Athens and saw a city filled with false gods (and even an altar to an “unknown god”), he stood on the famed Areopagus and declared, “What you worship as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to you” (Acts 17:24). The true creator-God, he said, doesn’t live in manmade temples. Instead, from the creation of one man (Adam) came all nations according to His divine design. “God did this,” Paul said, “so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him…For in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27-28).

Paul made the same appeal in the opening statements of his letter to the Romans: “Since from the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Later, in Romans 10:18, Paul quoted Psalm 19:4 as evidence that God speaks through His creation.

WHAT YOU READ (VV. 7-11)

Besides creation, God speaks to us through sacred written revelation, the Bible. Thus this section uses the covenant name “Yahweh” (translated as “LORD” and printed in small capitals).  Nothing can hide from the heat of the sun (v. 6), so nothing is exempt from examination via scripture. People who dismiss the Bible as “old Jewish history and poetry” fail to acknowledge its divine assignment. God decided to communicate about Himself through writings that have amazing connections despite being written by 40 different authors over 1,500 years.

In his lifetime, David had the “Torah” or early Jewish history and books of law. Studying those prompted him to search for words to describe scriptures and their effect. C.S. Lewis called Psalm 19 “the greatest poem in the psalms and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”  This section is a microcosm of Psalm 119, longest in the psalter and a Hebrew acrostic poem that entirely lauds God’s Word.

David’s synonyms for scripture are law, statutes, precepts, commands, fear, ordinances. His scripture adjectives: perfect, trustworthy, right, radiant, pure, sure. The results: reviving the soul, making wise the simple, giving joy to the heart, giving light to the eyes, enduring forever, altogether righteous. They’re more precious than gold, sweeter than honey right off the comb (v. 10). That’s a stop-and-think-about-it analogy! It can grow stale with repetition, but what a claim.

HOW YOU OBEY (VV. 12-14)

The psalm ends with personal application: to heed the warnings of God’s revelations, and thereby enjoy His “reward.”  Then David prays for all of us to listen in:

Who can discern his errors?  Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.  Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. (v. 14)

Talk about one size fits all! He’s teaching us to ask God to push back the curtain and show us sins we’re hiding or not aware of.  There’s no other way to build intimacy with God except to let everything be examined.  Then, David concludes with a prayer that’s often mine.  I’ve spoken it when quiet before God. It’s helped me choose wise words in difficult situations. And it’s been my quick prayer when I walk to the front of an audience to speak:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock, and my Redeemer. (v. 14)

Rock:  echoes of the previous psalm (18:2, 31, 46).  Redeemer: the bigger God-story that would come hundreds of years later, with the arrival of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, whose earthly birth Heaven declared with extraordinary glory!

Next: Psalm 22

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