Psalm 23
A Psalm of Trust
Donna called me in a bit of a
panic on Friday. The lessons were so
long they would not fit on the back of the bulletin. “What do you want me to include; what should I
leave off?” she asked. I am the one who
told her to leave them all off. I asked
her to replace the other three appointed texts with the one set of verses to
which you already had access. “Print the
words to the 23rd Psalm,” I told her. “Make sure to use the translation that also occurs
in the hymnal.”
I also asked her to space the
verses out on the page. Perhaps in the
ill-founded hope that you might take out a pen and make a few notes about this
Psalm, as we give it our full attention.
There is a lot in the Psalm, worthy of our full attention. When asked “Is there a text important to you
in troubled times,” the overwhelming response is Psalm 23. It
does speak to us, in troubling situations.
It’s message of a God in whom we can trust needs repeating.
I want to start with the 5th
verse. This is the verse which exposes
the setting to which this psalm speaks. Try
to repeat it with me, from memory if possible.
If not completely from memory, allow the chorus around you to remind you
of what words come next. Verse 5 – “You
prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with
oil, and my cup is running over.”
This psalm is spoken to those who
find themselves surrounded. At every
turn, in every direction the challenges and chances are pressing in tight. The LORD does not come and remove me from
this; the LORD comes and prepares a table for me right there, in the presence
of my enemies. When this banquet is
over, some of those enemies might breach the perimeter and overtake me. But before that happens, they are going to
have to watch the oil flow over me and see that overflowing cup.
Psalm 23 is in the category of
psalms referred to as “Trust Psalms.” They
strengthen my resolve to trust; to trust in God, to trust in God’s
promises.
Ready to try the verse again? Say it with me: “You prepare a table for me in the
presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is running
over.”
Now we can go back up to the top
of the page. With an assurance that the
LORD is fully aware that we are in the midst of a whole host of enemies, that
opening affirmation doesn’t seem so naive.
The psalm was surely written by one who had passed through the valley of
the shadow of death, and having come out the other side; they can now affirm
the goodness and mercy of the LORD.
Verse 1 is probably already
committed to memory. Say it with
me: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not be in want.” I know that there
are things that you want. There are even
a lot of things that you need. But isn’t
it also true that we have are being cared for in a deep and compassionate way?
Maybe it is our humility or our
anxiety that if we lift too highly those signs of good fortune they may be cut
off. But it helps to acknowledge these
and to practice giving thanks for them. So
turn to someone around you. If you are
seated next to a family with some small children, help them out by paring with
one of the kids. Let the parents find
another adult to speak with. Now share
with each other an example of how God’s shepherding of you has removed from you
your fear that your wants will not be met.
Let me help you get started by
sharing mine. Caleb got a phone call this
week from the Director of our church camp in Asheville. He was offered a Senior Staff position for
the summer. Caleb has been struggling to
find his career path; but he loves working at camp and particularly at
Lutheridge. This invitation has strengthened
his confidence and allowed him to see in himself what we so easily see in him. God has proven to be a very “good shepherd.”
How has God shepherded you? How has God removed your “want”?
Say the verse with me again: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in
want.
To get the impact of the next two
verses, you have to know a bit about sheep.
Sheep will eat so long as there is food in front of them. Lying down in green pastures is tough for
them. They live with such a fear of sacristy
that they just keep on eating. “Relax. God will provide in abundance.” They are also prone to drowning. Still waters are preferable to rushing
waters.
Even without that background,
verse 2 speaks to us, doesn’t it? Say it
with me: The Lord makes me lie down
in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
Verse 3 might be the most
difficult to remember. It is devoid of
poetic imagery; it actually fits more in the category of theology. You will see that it also serves as a transition
verse. It is the affirmation, while
difficult to remember, that gives the psalm its purpose.
You restore my soul, O Lord, and
guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Any idea what that last phrase
means? “For your name’s sake”? What is the psalmist talking about here?
I have benefited from the
suggestion that it is God’s good name which is at stake here. God does these things BECAUSE failure to do
so would reflect badly on God. God
restores me; God guides me – for the sake of His name among the peoples and
among the nations. God does shepherd me
because God is in a good mood – this is who God has promised to be. And thus, if God fails to guild me, his name loses
its luster. But, of course, He won’t. Too much is at stake here. For the sake of his name God will restore and
guide.
I much prefer this translation of
verse 4 to the translation in the NRSV. Gone
in that translation is the reference to the place through which I pass as the “valley
of the shadow of death.” Dr. Joseph Sittler pointed out that death isn’t
the threat; it is the “shadow” of death.
Our fear of death is what is likely to separate us from God; death itself cannot.
Ready for verse 4? Though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I shall fear no evil; For you are with me; your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
I do remember that we are in the
middle of the season of Lent and I know that the focus of Lent is to identify
our sins and work to seek a more pietistic response to God. But our Lenten activities are to accomplish
something more significant that scoring brownie points with God. They are to position us to carry forth into
the world the hope and promise which Easter brings. I can’t think of a better way to accomplish
that than by speaking and living the blessings of which Psalm 23 speaks. If you haven’t accomplished anything else as
a result of a Lenten discipline, take on the task of learning by heart Psalm
23. Speak it to yourself; repeat it to
your children; have it in mind when you find yourself at a loss for words.
How are we doing? Ready to repeat the whole thing with me? I am a bit nervous, and performance anxiety
is a real possibility. But let’s try
it. And when you find yourself at a loss
for what comes next, listen all the more intently for the clues given by a
neighbor and fellow pilgrim.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall
not be in want.
The Lord makes me lie down in
green pastures and leads me beside still waters.
You restore my soul, O Lord, and
guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;
For you are with me; your rod and
your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in
the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil, and
my cup is running 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.
Amen.
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