Psalm 23...it's deeper than you think!!!
Psalm 23 is a cherished and precious scriptural icon of Christianity - and rightly so. Yet, not many Christians fully engage with what the whole psalm says, or even means - rather they tend to stick to the well known verses and use them in shallow, and all too brief ‘snippets’ in devotionals. Unfortunately, that diminishes the power and encouragement that the whole psalm provides us as believers in God (Yahweh) and his son Jesus.
This psalm of King David contains some very interesting points that are directly linked to the cultural and environmental context that King David lived and grew up in. In his early years, up until the time that he became a warrior, David grew up being a shepherd boy. He knew the region around his family home intimately, he knew where to get water, where to find fodder for the flock during various seasons throughout the year. he also knew how to take care of the sheep and goats that were part of his father’s flocks. He knew the rugged hills, the freezing temperatures in winter and the draining heat in summer, he knew that the environment was a place of beauty, as well as being formidable in its impact on life.
It is in this context that David applies his own experiences and understandings to the nature and character of God (Yahweh), when he states “The Lord is my shepherd…”.
So, let’s dive deeply into this profoundly important psalm…
Psalm 23 proudly and boldly proclaims that…
Verses 1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness…For His name’s sake.”
The profound nature of this psalm starts with its opening statement… “The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.” - it places God (Yahweh) at the centre of David’s life and the source of the provision of all of David’s needs. This is coming from David who is a very capable, very skilled, very knowledgable person - yet he places all of the things he receives for his needs directly in the hands of Yahweh.
From there, David connects his own personal experiences to this provision from God. This is where this psalm gets very deep, and the meaning moves away from what we typically think in our modern Christian perspectives.
David notes that Yahweh will take us to safe “green pastures” where we can lie down and rest. This sounds like such a blessing; a blessing that many of us wish we could experience in our lives. We (predominantly in the western world) see this image in our mind as broad fenced fields/paddock covered in thick green grass with white dots of the sheep sleeping in the grass.
However, that does not represent the reality of the type of environment that David was familiar with. In reality, the pastures that David would have been familiar with, are rock-strewn, hillsides and valleys. These places had grass only in certain seasons, and the goats and sheep often ate plant vegetation to supplement their diet. This fact - when connected to the image of God as shepherd means that God will lead us to places that are not necessarily idilic, but will meet our needs. Sometimes the best place for us isn’t the most idilic, or postcard perfect on - rather it is the one where our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs can be met - and thus bring us to a place of peace and rest.
When David says “He leads me beside the still waters.” - people tend to think of God not taking the sheep to drink alongside raging rivers. The problem with that thought is that there aren’t a lot of large rivers within the region that David was familiar with. In part this is because during the hot months of the year there is very little rainfall, which means that the rivers and streams would often dry up. Therefore, this means that David was saying the Shepherd (God) was taking the flock from one source of water to another as was needed - not necessarily to a “river”. The water sources could include small trickling streams, water from wells, or water that collected in natural low-lying areas - all of these waters are quiet, and not rapidly flowing.
What this imagery shows us about the character and provision of God, is that when he provides our needs he is going to do so in a way that is not going to cause us further problems or threaten to destroy us. Which, when you think about it - means that God is not going to give us more than we need, or give us provision that will take us away from our dependency on Him.
Because of that provision, and our trust in Him - “He restores my soul” - this becomes an inner peace because we place all of our trust in God.
Not only, does God - our Shepherd - provide for our physical and spiritual needs, but he also directs how we should behave and think. David reflects this when he says “He leads me in the paths of righteousness…” - righteousness basically means ‘right-living’ in particular, living God’s way. The fact that God leads us down the path of right-living means that he is looking out for us, trying to provide a ‘better’ life for us, one that is not sin-soaked, which is why God provided us with Jesus to cleanse us of our sins.
A fun fact is that sheep are creatures of habit - much like us - and there are times that they need to be led to to places that are good for them, and that could be along a path they are not familiar with, or comfortable with. So, God will takes us down the ‘Path of Righteousness’ because the flock (us) need Him to, because we might not walk that path on our own.
And why does God do this for us???? - “For His name’s sake.” - God does this because He is GOD…He is Yahweh…He is the great I AM!!!
Verse 4: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
This is perhaps one of the most quoted scriptures that Christians use, especially when trying to provide encouragement etc…yet we often miss the subtle cues that are within this single verse.
The first is the phrase “though I” - some translations have “even though I” - this phrase screams at us…it says “I’m in a situation right now…but there’s this thing that I hold onto despite that situation”.
David uses the phrase to connect a context with a truth statement followed by the reasons for that position.
The context is “the valley of the shadow of death” - David uses this imagery to portray a very dark, foreboding, almost claustrophobic situation that is life-threatening (or at least seems like it). It is not a pleasant situation. We find ourselves in situations like this all the time in this life.
But what is particularly interesting is that it says “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” - not ‘I run’…not ‘I went around’…not ‘I fled’…but rather ‘I walked’. This shows confidence and courage in the face of the trial and situation that was before King David.
David said triumphantly “I will fear no evil”. So, why did David have this confidence and courage???
The answer lay in what David says next - “For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” - the presence of Yahweh is (or rather should be) a source of comfort, strength and courage for us to be able to endure adversity and suffering.
But it takes us being near to God.
Verses 5-6: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord…Forever.”
The final two verses of Psalm 23 are a sweet promise and reminder of God’s provision and salvation.
Not only does God provide a feast of blessing before our enemies - which in itself is an echo of the ‘Marriage Supper of the lamb’ found the New Testament - but David goes on to tell of anointing. In the Old Testament, anointing happened to those who were being made king, or prophet. So, this shows us that if we are found in the presence of God then we are to be anointed for a higher role than mere existence and survival.
More blessing follow as David describes a situation of plenty, peace and forgiveness (because why need mercy if we are blameless - so there must be sin in our lives for God to be merciful towards us).
These themes are not just to make this life bearable, but also for our future eternity with God. Which is precisely why David finishes with the phrase “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord…Forever.” - He is not talking about the Temple in Jerusalem because that hadn’t been built yet (his son Solomon built the first Temple), but he is talking about eternity and being in the presence of God forever, and in the heavenly Temple. This promise is a thing of beauty, and of hope for us who believe in God, and His son Jesus.
Psalm 23 is a beautiful psalm that shows the inherent nature and character of God. It is a deeply meaningful and deeply encouraging set of holy verses. Not only does it highlight our need and dependence on God, but how He abundantly provides us with his grace and mercy in this life and the next - even when we are facing horrendous times in our lives.
May you draw closer to God and experience the words that this psalm says…