Thought for Today

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. (KJV)

Many in our congregation use the devotional guide These Days (published quarterly by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation specifically for the PCUSA, the UCC, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the United Church of Canada). Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the devotionals have been reflections on the 23rd Psalm. You will note that I have presented that Psalm from the King James Version.

Many of us memorized the 23rd Psalm sometime in our childhood or youth. Whether in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, we earned a gold star for memorizing and reciting this endearing Psalm. Many of us who did so still remember and (hopefully) often think about this Psalm. During the pandemic, I shared the suggestion that one way to ensure we properly and thoroughly washed our hands was to recite this Psalm while we did so.

 Paul famously wrote to Timothy, “2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” I will defer to Paul on that as a general rule, although there are some individual passages I would have exempted.

But this morning, I wonder why this particular Psalm has so captured the attention of Christians so completely. Why has this Psalm endured and dominated our memories and our attention above the other 149 psalms? As I wonder that, I also wonder why anyone has ever tried to translate this psalm in any other words than those used in the King James Version. I am not a scholar of biblical languages. I was,  however, required to study both biblical Hebrew and koine Greek. In my opinion, the King James Version most accurately captures the wording of both the Hebrew original and the Greek translation.

Why has this psalm endured so dominantly? I believe it has in part because it is a wonderful confession of faith in our Creator God. Although it was not written as a specifically Christian psalm and does not specifically address Jesus as the Christ, when I read or recite this psalm, I am reminded of Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises revealed in this psalm.

This psalm captures the reality and truth of every “And God saw that it was good” in the Creation Story of Genesis. This psalm is a pastoral song, and we often refer to Jesus as the Good Shepherd. As we read or recite the 23rd Psalm, if we remember that ours is a Triune God, we can find God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Ghost in each of the 6 verses.

Each time I encounter the 23rd Psalm, 2 particular verses stand out in my mind. I have never encountered a more powerful statement of God’s protective strength and love than,   “4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Every other translational attempt I have read pales in comparison to the power of those words. They are a literal translation of the Greek Septuagint and (to the extent of my knowledge and talent for Hebrew) of the Hebrew original. Most importantly for me, those words have strengthened and encouraged me through every difficult moment of my own life.

I cannot imagine any more comforting thought than, “6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—”  All we are asked to do is to accept God’s gift of grace. All we are asked to do is to hold God’s hand as we walk through our individual valleys of the shadow of death. When we do, goodness and mercy will follow each of us through this life and in eternity. We need fear no evil.

Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8), trust God,

Pastor Ray