Welcome to Wednesday! It’s a blessing to be with you in the Pastor’s Workshop.
As you know, we’re focused on Psalm 23. This beautiful poetic prayer has been an inspiration for hymns, books, and paintings throughout the centuries. This week it will be the inspiration for our message.
On Wednesday we look into the context of the text. As we find out a bit more of the background of Biblical scripture we broaden our understanding of its meaning.
The Book of Psalms is commonly called the “Hymn Book” of the Bible. Many of the psalms are songs sung by the faithful in ancient Judaism. They reflect a highly developed corporate worship. These hymns reflect a full range of human emotion, from highest joy to deepest sorrow.
They also witness to a profound faith In God. It was in that faith the worshippers could open themselves and offer to God whatever was happening in their lives. It was in the faithfulness of God, the worshippers could then be strengthened in their faith as they were reminded of God’s deliverance and were assured of God’s salvation.
Psalm 23 is from a group of psalms called “A Psalm of David”. These start at Psalm 3 and go through Psalm 41. Some hold to a traditional belief that David was the writer of these psalms. Scripturally David as a shepherd boy was pictured In I Samuel as quite a musician. Others believe that David commissioned these hymns when he was king. Still others hypothesize these psalms were dedicated to David as their source of inspiration.
Whatever view you hold, this Psalm reflects the faith of David both as shepherd boy and as conquering king. The opening verse starts out, “The Lord is my Shepherd”. The next three verses (verses 2-4) use imagery developing the relationship of a shepherd to the sheep and of the Good Shepherd to us as his sheep. In verse five the image shifts to a royal table. We are seated at a kingly banquet with the Lord as our host. In God’s hospitality there is an anointing with favor, an overflowing of “goodness and mercy”, and a graciousness that reminds us we have a home in the heart of God forever.
Some have speculated that the shift in the psalm may reflect a “second verse” in the song. Just as with our hymns, the guiding metaphors can change between verses. Others theorize that for the psalmist to portray the fullness of faith they wanted to proclaim, they needed to picture God as Good Shepherd, who provided and protected, and as Royal Host, who welcomed and blessed.
Whatever your interpretation, this Psalm witnesses to the deep faithfulness of God to us which we need to sustain, strengthen and enrich our faith in God. Praying this psalm on a regular basis, whether you’re in “green pastures”, in “the valley of the shadow” or at the “king’s table”, will minister a blessing we all need.
In that gift of grace, I invite you to read and recite the Psalm today. Let it become a song of your heart now and always!
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the blessing of Psalm 23. Thank You for how it ministers Your faithfulness to us. Thank You for how it reminds us that in the shadows we have a shepherd and in the bounty we are blessed by Your grace. Let Your faithfulness to us inspire our faith in You. This we ask in the name of our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen