Powerful truths can carry you through perilous times Example 1. Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist. He was also a Jewish man who survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. In one of his books he remembers seeing something horrific as a boy. It was a group of grown men walking single file into a gas chamber. As they walked in, knowing they were about to be exterminated, he could hear them reciting the central creed of the Jewish faith, the Shema. It is found in Deuteronomy 6; Jesus himself quotes it and it is known to Christians today as a part of the great commandment. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Imagine what they must have been thinking. Walking into a gas chamber, and reciting the central creed of their faith. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning, 134). Powerful truths can carry you through perilous times. Example 2. Francis Chan had dinner with a man who had been a prisoner of the Taliban. He had been captured, along with 26 other men. There were 27 of them in total. One of them had a Bible. They knew they would be separated, and they didn’t know what would happen to them. They all committed their lives to God. So the one with the Bible tore out small sections to give to each man. That way, each of them had a small piece of God’s word to read and sustain them through the horrors of whatever they might endure. Powerful truths can carry you through perilous times. Example 3. On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Centre in New York City. There was also a plane that was hijacked, headed toward the pentagon in Washington. A story is told about something that happened on that plane before it went down. When the passengers realized what was going on, and they could feel themselves going down, amidst heroics of trying to re-take the plane, many people started reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Think of yourself in that situation. Your plane is hijacked. Your country is actively under attack. It is going fast, and it is going down. You think about your loved ones, your own death, the possibility of your own imminent pain. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come…” Powerful truths can carry you through perilous times. We have started a series on the most famous psalms. Today we arrive at the most famous of the most famous psalms: the twenty-third. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” This psalm contains some of the most-beloved and most-celebrated truths about our God. Psalm 23 is important to many of us. It has been read at the funerals of loved ones. Many of us have memorized it. Some people tattoo it on their arms. Many Bibles have it underlined. It certainly is in mine, perhaps it is in yours as well. Today our question is this. What does this psalm actually teach, and how can these truths carry us through perilous times? We should note off the top that this psalm has a title, as some of them do. It is “A Psalm of David.” As we learn from the book of First Samuel, David was a shepherd as a boy (before he later grew in stature and became King). So in this psalm he uses his own experience as a shepherd to speak about God. It was taken from the vivid realities of his own life. Psalm 23:1-6 (ESV) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. -The Lord is my shepherd. Let’s note a few things: This is stated in the first person. While it is true that the Lord is the shepherd of God’s people generally, he is also our shepherd personally. He is “my” shepherd. David speaks and sings it, but by stating it in the first person we unite our voices to his perspective. Perhaps this is why Psalm 23 is so personal and special to so many people. When we read or recite it, we enter into it as if the words were ours just as much as they were David’s. -I know some farmers but no active shepherds. Because of that we should highlight what their main job was. This will help us appreciate the metaphor that plays out so beautifully and elegantly in this psalm. Obviously, the shepherd took care of the sheep. More specifically, he ensured that the sheep had access to grass and water; he protected them from wild animals; he tried to keep the flock together (if one went astray he went out and brought them back); he led them out in the morning and brought them in at night, ideally to some sort of fold, pen or area of protection. -Note also that if God is our ultimate Shepherd, then we are his sheep. We should remember that sheep are humble creatures. They are prey, not predators. Let me say that again. They (we) are prey, not predators. Jesus reminds us as much when sending his apostles out on a mission in Matthew 10:16: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Sheep in the midst of wolves. We are creatures who are easily devoured, which makes us even more reliant on God for protection, wisdom and guidance. In fact, sheep are totally dependent on the care of their shepherds. Despite our pride and sense of self-importance, we too are totally dependent on God. Church father John Chrystostom wrote: “For as long as we are sheep, we conquer… But if we become wolves, we are worsted, for the help of our Shepherd departs from us: for he feeds not wolves, but sheep.” (cf. Ortberg, ATP, 150; John Crysostom, “Homily XXXIII” (on Hebrews 12:28-29) -I was recently speaking with a man who had spent time taking care of sheep. He noted how seemingly mindless they could be, wandering this way or that way, and unaware of potential dangers. Makes sense, therefore, that we are the sheep. We too can be mindless, wandering this way or that way, and unaware of potential dangers. This simply highlights all the more the importance of a Shepherd who knows what he’s doing. -Connected to this idea of the Lord being our Shepherd, is the statement “I shall not want.” Sounds a bit archaic, so what does it mean? Perhaps looking at a few other translations will help us. The NET says: “I lack nothing.” The NLT: “I have all that I need.” You get the point. Since we have a perfect Shepherd who cares for us, there’s nothing else we need. There may be things we are denied which we want, but those are different from our needs. Our Shepherd will provide for us. Since he is exceedingly competent we need not fret nor fear. He is none other than almighty God; therefore, “he’s got this.” The rest of the psalm explains exactly how “he’s got this.” It explains what he does, the nature of his care, and why we can rest and trust in him forever. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. -Lying down in green pastures is a metaphor for peaceful rest. Leading us beside still waters is about refreshment. The older King James Version which many of us are used to hearing says “quiet waters.” These are peaceful waters which quench our thirst. -Verse 3 breaks out of the metaphor and speaks directly to the meaning: “He restores my soul.” How marvelous. This may also carry the connection of bringing someone back from the point of death—revived. Think of being weary, worn out, and worried. But then, something happens and your soul is restored or refreshed. An anxious mind is replaced by a peace that passes all understanding. A problem that seems disastrous gets sorted out and finally you can sleep again. A fatigue that has dogged not only your body but your mind dissipates—and you are left feeling new again, and hopeful, and happy. This is what the Shepherd does. -Next, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. It might be the case that we should read it as “right paths.” That is a more general statement which might indicate a correct path; on a basic level this could be a path leading to a well or to an open field. But given the context and that metaphors are being used, I think it makes sense that this refers (as the translation here suggests) to the “path of righteousness” which is the category of behavior and priorities. -To be righteous is to live in a way that is right before God and others. We’ve met this “path” or “way” of righteousness before back in Psalm 1. For a soul to be truly restored and refreshed, it needs to move forward and make moral choices with a clear conscience before God. This is the path of righteousness. We don’t do this on our own—in fact, we can’t. We’re too broken and sinful. That is why, verse 3 says, the Shepherd takes the lead. He leads, we follow. He knows the way. We can’t see into the future, but he can. We can’t see in and through the fog, but he can. All we have to do is recognize his voice and follow. He leads us forward on the path of right-ness. Thinking of the shepherd-sheep relationship, Neil Anderson and Timothy Warner provide a helpful and encouraging insight at this point. “Knowing the Shepherd’s voice is not a matter of formal education. It is the result of spending lots of time with Him.” (Anderson, Warner, The Essential Guide to Spiritual Warfare, 22). The more that happens, the more we learn to recognize his voice and direction leading us forward on the path of righteousness. Donald McCullough recalls being in the city of Edinburgh a few weeks before beginning his doctoral studies. He was new to the city so didn’t know his way around very well. One evening he went to a concert at Usher Hall. After it finished he headed out into the night, but things had changed. It was now dark and very rainy. He didn’t have an umbrella. He thought he knew the way but was quickly proved wrong. Knowing he was helplessly lost he called out to a stranger for help. “Sir, can you tell me the way to Pollack Residence Halls?” The man said yes and started telling him some elaborate instructions. Seeing his confused face, he continued, “Och, I’ll show you. Follow me.” McCullough describes what happened next like this: “In the moments that followed I had perhaps the purest form of faith I have ever experienced: I entrusted myself totally to this man’s guidance. I dedicated not a fleeting second of thought to my watery appearance, my fearful panting, my confused speech—or my trust in this stranger… my attention was devoted exclusively to my savior, to what he was saying and where he was going.” (McCullough, The Trivialization of God, 72). I relate McCullough’s experience because in a similar way we are lost by ourselves. We think we know the way, but we don’t. We are daft sheep in the rain. The smartest thing we can do is live by faith, following the voice of our Shepherd who will guide us—not to the residence buildings of Edinburgh University—but in paths of righteousness. -Our shepherd leads us forward on this path of righteousness, the text says, “for his name’s sake.” That’s important. We live for him and for his glory, not our own. The fact that he leads us well only furthers his good reputation. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. -Beginning at verse 4, danger enters the picture. This is important. Just because we have a perfect Shepherd, and just because he refreshes us, and just because he leads us forward in the path of righteousness, that doesn’t mean everything will always be coming up roses. Life includes difficulty, danger and death. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…” This Hebrew phrase could also be rendered “darkest valley” or “death-like shadow.” Metaphorically, a valley is a place of darkness and dread, of vulnerability and uncertainty. Actually picture a dark valley. You are somewhat trapped because you can only go forward or backward. Your options are limited. Robbers or criminals can be lying in wait on the banks, perhaps even animals. You’re lower down meaning you’re in a vulnerable position. Oh, and remember that it’s dark—you cannot see as well as you’d like. Is that a tree ahead, or is it moving? Perhaps it’s a predator or prowler. All of this is a way of speaking about life’s worst hardships, like when you or a loved one is facing a much-feared diagnoses or even death, like when your worries are higher than your head, like when financial hardship or family hardship looms, like when you are under some sort of attack, or when you are experiencing some sort of existential crisis. -In THIS type of situation, “I will not fear.” Wow, why not? Because “you are with me.” We should note that from a literary standpoint, this marks the exact midpoint in the psalm. This is the crux. Verse 1 proclaimed “The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want,” and here we see it climactically in action: “you are with me” (and, it is assumed, protecting me and providing for me) even in the darkest valley. The powerful presence of God is greater than the powerful presence of fear. A bully seems big until a friend comes along who is bigger. Our almighty Shepherd is that friend. -The sheep are comforted, we are then told, because of the Shepherd’s rod and staff. These are two important tools of a shepherd. The rod is like a club to beat off predators and attackers. The staff has the hook on the end and is meant to reign in the sheep to protect them from danger, or gently come alongside them to guide them back onto the right path. It would also be used like a walking stick to stabilize the shepherd on rocky terrain. So the rod and staff are about God fighting off danger and keeping you safely in the fold and on the path of wisdom, previously referred to in verse 3 as the path of righteousness. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. -verse 5 continues the explanation of how the Shepherd provides for his sheep. Some have argued that the metaphor now shifts—it doesn’t feel like we’re in a field or valley anymore, but in a house, perhaps even a temple since there is a reference to “the house of the Lord” in the next verse. But my sense is that this is still a part of the overarching Shepherd metaphor. The uncertainty of the field is replaced by the structure and security of a walled building, complete with food and blessing. -The Shepherd prepares a table (or a feast) for us. He feeds us! This is a reference not only to providing sustenance for our weary bodies, but also to feeding us with his own word, his own voice. And he does this “in the presence of my enemies.” Even though enemies surround us—perhaps political enemies or even personal ones—God provides for our needs. In fact, he goes one further. He anoints “my head with oil.” We don’t do this anymore, but it was an ancient custom for a special guest. The sheep is getting the royal treatment. -In addition, “my cup overflows.” This is surely a reference to a cup of wine at a feast—and not the cheap stuff, but the good keep-it-for-a-special-occasion wine. Is our glass half empty or half full? Neither! With our Shepherd, it is overflowing, even in the presence of enemies. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. -Here in the final verse we are told that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. At this point I can’t help but tell the story told by Max Lucado in his book Fearless about the mother who was worried about her son, Timmy, starting to walk to school on his own. The mother wasn’t sure it was a good idea. But Timmy thought it would be okay; after all, he walked with a friend. To ease her own conscience, the mother came up with a solution to put her own mind at rest, and which wouldn’t hurt Timmy’s pride and sense of independence. She asked a neighbour to follow Timmy and his friend to school, but to keep a distance, so they wouldn’t notice. The neighbour had to walk her toddler in the morning anyway, so it wasn’t a big inconvenience. But after a while, the boys did in fact start to notice. “Do you know who that woman is who follows us to school?” the boy asked. “Sure,” Timmy answered. “That’s Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy.” “Who?” “Shirley Goodnest and her daughter Marcy. My mother reads about them every day in the Twenty-third Psalm. She says, ‘Shirley Goodnest and Marcy shall follow me all the days of my life.’ Guess I’ll have to get used to them.” (Lucado, Fearless, 131). Cute story. And an eternally helpful and comforting reminder. Let me share a few words about the words “goodness and mercy.” The word goodness is “tov.” You sometimes hear a Jewish/Hebrew greeting “Yom tov!” It means “good day” and is used on a variety of occasions. The word which is here translated as mercy is “hesed.” We’ve come across it before and it’s a special word, so I’m going to spend a few more moments on it. “Hesed” occurs about 250 times in the Old Testament. It’s notoriously hard to translate. Translations will use “mercy,” “love,” “faithfulness,” “faithful love,” “loyalty,” “steadfast love,” or “loving kindness.” It is also used in a phrase that repeats over 10 times and which functions as a sort of short creed, summarizing an essential attribute of the character of God—that he is “slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love (hesed).” That is repeated quite frequently. This is God’s proactive, covenant love toward his people. His goodness and mercy, we are told, follow us all the days of our lives. We could also say they “pursue” us. I think this is an intentional contrast. Having just heard about the presence of enemies, you’d think they’d be the ones to pursue the sheep to hunt them down. But no, the pursuing belongs to the goodness and mercy of God himself! Think of that for a moment—that the God of the universe would pursue us with his goodness and steadfast love. It’s a shocking statement of his never-stopping and unrelenting care and concern for his sheep. He tracks us down. Think of a shepherd who has lost a sheep. He doesn’t rest until he gets that sheep back. Jesus picks up on this imagery when he tells a parable in Luke 15:4-6: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'” What a beautiful scene about the goodness and steadfast love of God pursuing his sheep. The final line in the psalm describes the idyllic conclusion: “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Literally, “for length of days.” On one level this is staying forever in the temple, often called the Lord’s house—a place of worship, praise, thanksgiving and peace in the presence of God. On another level, it is the abode of God in heaven—also a place of worship, praise, thanksgiving and peace in the presence of God himself, but now a place where (according to the words of Revelation 21:4), “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” The psalm started with that these statement of verse 1: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Now that we have come to the end of the psalm, we see how that has proved true. The Lord has provided for us, refreshed our souls, led us through the valley of the shadow of death, blessed us even in the presence of our enemies, overflowed our cups, unrelentingly pursued us with his goodness and mercy, and then brings us from the uncertainty and fear of the fields into his secure house and presence forever. What a shepherd indeed. We end our close look at the text there. This is the word of the Lord. All: Thanks be to God. This psalm was written before Jesus was born. But we need to note that in John 10 he refers to himself as the “good shepherd.” Jesus is the good shepherd, not a bad one, because he lays down his life for his sheep. Even in the face of danger, he is willing to shed his own blood so that they will be at peace. That is what he has done for his sheep on the cross. There are many ways we could apply the teachings of this psalm to our lives today. I’ll discuss those more fully in the sermon based on this same text. But here let me just say this. We have a good shepherd, the Lord. He is a perfect provider. He leads us on a pilgrimage which includes dark valleys and enemies. When recalling of the valley of the shadow of death we can’t miss that the sheep are led THROUGH the valley. They don’t stay there. The valley is temporary; it is a part of the journey, but not the defining part, not the only part, and certainly not the final part. The valley is a part of life that we are led through. There is another side, and that is where we are going. Trials are temporary. Through. Darkness has a certain swagger; but it never triumphs. The application that I would like to leave with you about Psalm 23 is that single, solitary word: THROUGH. I think you should remember that word, especially when you’re dealing with problems, pain, stress or storms: Through. And when you look back, you will see that you were being pursued—not by every worst case scenario, but by the goodness and mercy of a shepherding God. Hope isn't about denying darkness; it's confidence that the light will outshine and outlast it. And “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” What are you going through? A family crisis? – in the big picture, it’s temporary. We don’t stop in the valley, our good Shepherd leads us THROUGH. Overwhelming fear about something in your future? – in the big picture, it’s temporary. We don’t stop in the valley, our good shepherd leads us THROUGH. Financial worries? – in the big picture, it’s temporary. We don’t stop in the valley, our good shepherd leads us THROUGH. Health problems? – in the big picture, it’s temporary. We don’t stop in the valley, our good shepherd leads us THROUGH. Stress about the state of the world? – in the in the big picture, it’s temporary. We don’t stop in the valley, our good shepherd leads us THROUGH. Powerful truths can carry you THROUGH perilous times. Next week I will lead a graveside service for someone who passed away in the winter. As I often do, after we have prayed and shared memories, after the “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” I will invite everyone to join with me in reciting the 23rd psalm. I use the traditional wording from the King James Version, the version from 1611 with which many people grew up. In a world that can seem so uncertain, these words are steadfast. Powerful truths can carry you THROUGH perilous times… including the many hardships of this life, including death itself. I’m going to say them again now. I’ll put the words up on the screen. Let’s say them together as sheep who seek to trust their Shepherd more and more with each passing day. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 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. Powerful truths can carry you THROUGH perilous times. Amen.