Psalm 23 Through The Valley Of Shadow
Through the Valley of Shadow
Psalm 23. John 10:1-10.
From John’s Gospel; in the preceding passage, Jesus has courted the indignation of some of the Jewish religious leaders by giving sight to a blind man on the Sabbath.
Some of his antagonists heard Jesus say; “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”
Some of his opponents asked him; “Surely we are not blind, are we?’”
To which he replied; “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.’”
Thinking themselves worthy makes them unworthy.
Typical Jesus! “The first shall be last!”
>>>
Now Jesus uses a metaphor to expand his point.
In Palestine, sheep …show more content…
Which brings us specifically to Psalm 23 – almost certainly the most familiar of all the psalms.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
Though Psalm 23 is an appropriate psalm for an occasion such as a funeral – which is its most common usage these days – limiting its use to such times diminishes its significance, relevance and utility for everyday life.
The psalm opens with a personal confession of faith: “Yahweh is my shepherd.” “Yahweh is the one who loves and cares for me.”
It is a statement of confidence and trust in divine providential care, which is underscored by the second part of verse 1: “I shall not want” – “Yahweh, my shepherd, who shall provide for my needs”.
The rest of the psalm is an expression of that trust and care, describing the ways in which Yahweh is “shepherd” and provider.
Some see a link between Psalm 23 and the story of the Exodus where Yahweh provides for the needs of Israel throughout its wilderness …show more content…
This underscores the 1st person confession of verse 1 – that Yahweh “is my shepherd”.
There are images of feeding (“you prepare a table before me”), of healing and grooming, (“you anoint my head with oil”), and of blessing and abundance (“my cup overflows”). But these do not take place in private, rather; “before my enemies.”
>>>
Yahweh’s role as shepherd and as “host” in the later verses of the psalm are not restricted to internal feelings of peace and relief. Yet, inherent in this care provided there is hope.
This hope is echoed in verse 6 when the psalmist prays, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
And it is in that hope that I think we find the true value of the psalm, and why the psalm is appropriate for a funeral or memorial service – though it was probably never intended for that purpose when it was composed.
>>>
This confession of trust which permeates this entire psalm is common to psalms of lament; it is the turning point of the lament, where the complaint leads into a confession of trust.
Usually, that confession of trust is marked by a “but.” “But you, O Yahweh…” It is a confession of trust even in the midst of
Psalm 23. John 10:1-10.
From John’s Gospel; in the preceding passage, Jesus has courted the indignation of some of the Jewish religious leaders by giving sight to a blind man on the Sabbath.
Some of his antagonists heard Jesus say; “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”
Some of his opponents asked him; “Surely we are not blind, are we?’”
To which he replied; “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.’”
Thinking themselves worthy makes them unworthy.
Typical Jesus! “The first shall be last!”
>>>
Now Jesus uses a metaphor to expand his point.
In Palestine, sheep …show more content…
Which brings us specifically to Psalm 23 – almost certainly the most familiar of all the psalms.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…
Though Psalm 23 is an appropriate psalm for an occasion such as a funeral – which is its most common usage these days – limiting its use to such times diminishes its significance, relevance and utility for everyday life.
The psalm opens with a personal confession of faith: “Yahweh is my shepherd.” “Yahweh is the one who loves and cares for me.”
It is a statement of confidence and trust in divine providential care, which is underscored by the second part of verse 1: “I shall not want” – “Yahweh, my shepherd, who shall provide for my needs”.
The rest of the psalm is an expression of that trust and care, describing the ways in which Yahweh is “shepherd” and provider.
Some see a link between Psalm 23 and the story of the Exodus where Yahweh provides for the needs of Israel throughout its wilderness …show more content…
This underscores the 1st person confession of verse 1 – that Yahweh “is my shepherd”.
There are images of feeding (“you prepare a table before me”), of healing and grooming, (“you anoint my head with oil”), and of blessing and abundance (“my cup overflows”). But these do not take place in private, rather; “before my enemies.”
>>>
Yahweh’s role as shepherd and as “host” in the later verses of the psalm are not restricted to internal feelings of peace and relief. Yet, inherent in this care provided there is hope.
This hope is echoed in verse 6 when the psalmist prays, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
And it is in that hope that I think we find the true value of the psalm, and why the psalm is appropriate for a funeral or memorial service – though it was probably never intended for that purpose when it was composed.
>>>
This confession of trust which permeates this entire psalm is common to psalms of lament; it is the turning point of the lament, where the complaint leads into a confession of trust.
Usually, that confession of trust is marked by a “but.” “But you, O Yahweh…” It is a confession of trust even in the midst of