Psalm 23
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
2 He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
as long as I live.
Who wrote this? David, but it was inspired by God. And what does that mean? It means that when David wrote this, God was with Him, closely, creating within him an understanding of some who He is and how He loves. That understanding was followed by a desire to express this insight, and so, with the Spirit of God guiding him in expressing this new understanding through his gifts, David wrote this Psalm about who God is and how God loves, both because he wanted to and because wanted him to.
What is it about? Its about how David sees God, but unlike a poem I write, which may or may not be accurate, this Psalm, written by David, is also written (by way of inspiration), by God. So as much as this psalm is about how David understands God, it is unlike reading one of my poems about God, which is likely to be my opinion, however humble and earnestly seeking to honor God my opinion may be. David's psalm about God is true and accurate in describing who God is and how He loves, yes, in the context of David's understanding of things, but God's approval of this Psalm to be in the Bible also means that we can read David's words and see also the words of God, who is speaking through David, first to David and then to us. This psalm is about how God loves us.
When are the verses written? Written by David, this Psalm is super old. :p But seriously, understanding the "when" of this Psalm isn't just understanding the historical when, but also the narrative "when." Understanding the historical context is important, because it gives you a better idea when David mentions "shepherd" and "rod and staff" and the preparation of a table in front of David's enemies and the anointing done with oil and the overflowing cup are all things that do not speak to the present day mindset/worldview. So getting a grasp of how these words and concepts fit into David's "when" would definitely be helpful. But there is also the "when" of David's individual life as based on his childhood profession, a shepherd. I'm not suggesting that David wrote this psalm while out watching his sheep as a young boy, though he might have. What I am suggesting is that, as an offshoot of the historical context, it would be good to keep in mind the reality of the heart of this psalm. It may have not been composed in a green pasture or beside still waters or in a dark, shadowy valley, but the heart of the psalm was born there, in those moments. The physical nature of some of the verses in this psalm are not to be bottled up into emotionally charged moments of prooftexted allegory. They are to be understood in their fullness. When were the verses written? But also, when were the verses first born in David's mind...as a shepherd, watching over sheep to take care of their needs that they could not themselves take care of, leading them faithfully to green pastures, besides still waters.......
(to be continued)
What is it about? Its about how David sees God, but unlike a poem I write, which may or may not be accurate, this Psalm, written by David, is also written (by way of inspiration), by God. So as much as this psalm is about how David understands God, it is unlike reading one of my poems about God, which is likely to be my opinion, however humble and earnestly seeking to honor God my opinion may be. David's psalm about God is true and accurate in describing who God is and how He loves, yes, in the context of David's understanding of things, but God's approval of this Psalm to be in the Bible also means that we can read David's words and see also the words of God, who is speaking through David, first to David and then to us. This psalm is about how God loves us.
When are the verses written? Written by David, this Psalm is super old. :p But seriously, understanding the "when" of this Psalm isn't just understanding the historical when, but also the narrative "when." Understanding the historical context is important, because it gives you a better idea when David mentions "shepherd" and "rod and staff" and the preparation of a table in front of David's enemies and the anointing done with oil and the overflowing cup are all things that do not speak to the present day mindset/worldview. So getting a grasp of how these words and concepts fit into David's "when" would definitely be helpful. But there is also the "when" of David's individual life as based on his childhood profession, a shepherd. I'm not suggesting that David wrote this psalm while out watching his sheep as a young boy, though he might have. What I am suggesting is that, as an offshoot of the historical context, it would be good to keep in mind the reality of the heart of this psalm. It may have not been composed in a green pasture or beside still waters or in a dark, shadowy valley, but the heart of the psalm was born there, in those moments. The physical nature of some of the verses in this psalm are not to be bottled up into emotionally charged moments of prooftexted allegory. They are to be understood in their fullness. When were the verses written? But also, when were the verses first born in David's mind...as a shepherd, watching over sheep to take care of their needs that they could not themselves take care of, leading them faithfully to green pastures, besides still waters.......
(to be continued)
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