Presented to Alberni Valley Ministries of The Salvation Army, 20 September, 2020 by Captain Michael Ramsay
A Psalm of David.
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.
I was going to continue to look a little
further into Psalm 119 but with school coming back and the covid-19 coronavirus
cases on the rise and the number of personal crises that have been shared with
me over the previous week or so, I have had the 23rd Psalm running through my
mind. Especially the line, 'Yea, though I walk through the Shadow of the Valley
of Death"
Now the Valley we live in is more like Eden
than Death in its natural beauty. I don't know that there is anywhere in this
world that is more beautiful than our Island for sure. The number of
waterfalls, rivers, mountains, lakes, forest trails, animals: bears, eagles,
deer. I am certain I have seen more bears since I have been living in the
Valley than I have in the rest of my life combined - certainly more than when
we worked in inner city Toronto and inner city Vancouver. And the deer:
sometimes I think there may be more deer than people in my neighbourhood and
sometimes I think I can recognize the deer that live in my neighbourhood more
than the people who are my neighbours! This is a very beautiful part of the
world.
Lately with all the deaths in our
community, it has felt like there is a shadow of death, however, hovering over
our valley. I think I’ve heard of 4 deaths in the past week or so alone - at
least one of these, people with our CRU outreach responded to. And added to all
this, of course, is the real significant stress and fear around Covid-19 and
its possibility of spreading in our community. The numbers in the province and
on the Island are in the rise. "Yea, though I walk through the Shadow of
the Valley of Death"
I have read or recited this Psalm what
feels like a million times: for Legion events, at funerals, in Church, I have
had a plaque from my Great Grandmother with this scripture and a picture of
Jesus with some lambs on my wall since I was a child and still to this day. I
wrote an article on parts of it at the request of a former AC.[1]
I feel like I have read or recited this psalm a million times before - like I
said - but this week has been the first time I have read this phrase with a
twinge of terror at the idea of a shadow of death overhanging us.
There is a range of ideas for the setting
of this psalm. Some see it as a speech before a sacrificial meal. Others see it
as a two part psalm used in worship.[2]
It is significant, however, that the language contained in this psalm is very
personal. As such, Lundbom argues that it is likely David, King of Judah and
Israel, composed this psalm when he was on the run for his life, from his son.[3]
This would then be the context (See 2
Samuel 13-18): David had been King for a long time. His popularity with the
people had waned significantly. If there were opinion polls back then he
probably would be polling in the single digits. And by this time in his life he
really had abrogated a lot of his responsibilities: rather than naming and
training a possible successor he had left a power vacuum into which his son and
his nephew had moved.
Two of the primary duties of the King in
ancient Israel were overseeing the courts and leading the Army; a third would
have been for his family and keeping tabs on palace intrigue. David lost
control of his Army a long time ago. His nephew Joab, who had saved David on
more than one occasion - not only militarily but also from the wrath of God (2
Samuel 24:2) - moved solidly, along with his brother Abishai, into a position
of controlling the armed forces (2 Samuel 3:39). David, more recently to the
writing of this psalm had also lost control of his courts (2 Samuel 15). And
David it seems never had control over his Palace and his family.
By this stage in his life children of his
had already raped or murdered other children of his. David's son Absalom it
seemed never forgave his dad for failing to act when Absalom's half-brother,
Amnon, raped and further victimized Absalom’s sister Tamar.[4]
In Absalom's eyes, his dad let his brother 'get away with’ raping his sister!
Absalom loved his sister and took care of her in part because his dad, her dad
refused to protect her, care for her, or even address the issue with their
half-brother Amnon, who raped her. Due to David's action or lack thereof,
Absalom did later have the rapist murdered (2 Samuel 13:23ff). From this point
on there seemed to be no turning back. It seems like David - though he did apparently
love his sons anyway - was forever ineffective and Absalom did not feel loved -
he was trapped and hardened by un-forgiveness.
By the time this psalm would have been
composed by King David, his son Absalom had long taken over the court system
(at least four years previous). He was also engaging in a lot of the political
engagements that his father was forsaking. Absalom, like an opposition leader
in parliament today, was taking every opportunity to tell everyone how much
better life would be if he were in charge in place of his father. Absalom then
rallied the people and many of the leaders of the people and also many members
of David’s family and they sent David packing. They declared Absalom ruler in
place of David (2 Samuel 15).
Joab, the army he controls, a few trusted
family members and members of David's administration, and David flee Jerusalem.
There is now another civil war: this one pitting Absolam's forces against
Joab's forces and King David.
This is a very personal psalm.[5]
David is running for his life as his country, and his very son (for whom he
professes great love) has rejected him. He may die. He has lost and may forever
lose his throne. He has lost his family. Many people are about to die. His son
may die. And all of this, at least in part, is his fault. This is the shadow of
death that is cast over David's Valley.
David, as we have said, does seem to be a
long way away from the time and circumstances when he was initially declared 'a
man after God's own heart' (1 Samuel 13:14). David knows all that has
transpired. David is feeling the weight of life's circumstances and his own
behaviours - as well as those around him. He has work problems and family
problems. This is his shadow of death. And in the midst of his shadow of death,
after he may or may not have even drifted from God in his life he writes:
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.
As Brueggemann writes, "it is not the
place but the vitality of the relationship which transforms"[6]
David realizes - as we all have opportunity to, especially when everything
seems to go sideways that God is the shepherd, not us (Jesus is the Good
Shepherd, John 10:11-12). God is in charge.
- God loves us so much that he will lead us to green pastures and
still waters (even when everything is going sideways He will provide for
us)
- When we are in the depth of despair God can restore our soul
- AND as bad or as far from God as any of us may be or may have
been God can and will (as we invite Him) restore us to righteousness. No
matter how wicked we have been, God can bring us to righteousness
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.
The rod and the staff remind us of the
contemporary sheepdog. The dog is a natural predator of the sheep. It is only
the good shepherd that causes these predators to become protectors. God is with
us and can protect us and keep us even in the midst of all life’s predatory
problems.[7]
Thus ends the shepherd analogy and begins a
banquette analogy:[8]
5
Thou preparest a table before me
in
the presence of mine enemies:
thou
anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Even as David's enemies - his friends and
family - are literally waiting to pounce upon, kill and/or capture him, the
Lord is providing him with food and support and love and it overflows onto him.
David who has possibly been far from righteousness is now being restored and
cared for in these his most difficult and trying times. And as a result,
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.
So it is with us today. There are some
horrible fears right now. Covid-19 has cast itself like a shadow over our
valley. These weeks people are afraid of the children going back to school.
People are unsure even as we are now allowed to be in more places. We are
afraid for our family members. We are grieving the things we are losing: seeing
our loved ones, social gatherings, sports events, concerts, weddings, funerals,
graduation ceremonies, college campus life, sports and other scholarships
evaporating, uncertain job and economic outlooks; abuse and addiction on the
rise. The shadow of death is rearing its head above our valley and has caused
literal death of members of this valley in the past weeks. There is uncertainty
and there is fear as the shadow of death looms over our valley.
But here is the hope and the hope is real.
Jesus was born, died and rose from the grave. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John
10:11-12). He does not leave us in times of trouble and the Lord does even now
prepare a table before me and you and before each of us in the very real
presence of our fears and our enemies. The Lord provides for us in the midst of
Covid-19; the Lord provides for us in the midst of the opiod crisis; the Lord
provides for us in the midst of the economic crisis, and the Lord provides for
us in the midst of all of our personal crises. No matter what you are going
through, the Lord is here with you.[9]
No matter what you have done, felt, thought or experienced the Lord is here
with you and you can experience His righteousness. No matter what will happen
after dinner, today the Lord is preparing for you a feast - a feast of love and
forgiveness for you and for me; so that you and so that I can experience the
freedom of our forgiveness for others, His forgiveness of us and His peace
forever more.
As trying as things may be, I need not fear
for the Lord is my shepherd and He will take care of me. As trying as things
may be, you need not fear for the Lord is your shepherd and He will take care
of you.
Let us pray
[1] Michael Ramsay, 'We are Sheep' Renew
Network (Monday, August 24, 2009), online:
http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html#4247040791585143519
[2] Peter C. Craigie, 'Psalms 1-50', 2nd ed. (WBC 19: Word Books: Dallas, Texas,
2004), 205
[3] Jack R. Lundbom "Psalm 23: Song of Passage," Int 40
[1986]: 6-16
[4] cf. Michael Ramsay, " 2 Samuel 13-18: Taking Matters in His
Own Hands: the Story of Prince Absalom" Presented to Nipawin and Tisdale
Corps November 18, 2007 and Warehouse 614
Toronto 230 pm service, Aug 20, 2017. Available on-line:
https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2007/11/2-samuel-13-18-taking-matters-in-his.html
"
[5] John Stott, Favourite Psalms,
(RG Mitchell Family Books: Willowdale Ontario: 1988), 32; cf Willem A.
VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Psalms/Exposition of Psalms/BOOK I: Psalms
1-41/Psalm 23: The Goodness of God/I. The Lord Is My Shepherd (23:1-4), Book
Version: 4.0.2
[6] Walter Brueggemann, Praying the Psalms. (Winona: St. Mary's:1982), 156
[7] Michael Ramsay, 'We are Sheep' Renew
Network (Monday, August 24, 2009), online:
http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html#4247040791585143519
[8] But cf. Peter C. Craigie, 'Psalms 1-50', 2nd ed. (WBC 19: Word Books: Dallas, Texas,
2004), 205
[9] Cf. Revd Canon Marilyn Parry,
M (2009). 3rd May 2009: 4th Sunday of Easter. The Expository Times, 120(7), 337–338.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0014524609103469
Posts
