Brett's Discernment

Personally I have not ever felt a personal connection to Psalm 23. Perhaps it is because I feel it is simply overdone or overused, and hence I see less depth in it than something that I discover on my own or I feel is something new discussed.

I was reading my commentary to find something new in this. And I did. I could paraphrase, but it's just as well quoted:
"On one hand, David is the "sheep" whose Shepherd is the Lord. At the same time, one of the most common descriptions of kingship in the ancient world is that of a shepherd. In this sense, David as king was shepherd over the flock of Israel. This means that psalm 23 is also a royal psalm."

Interesting that there is more historically analytical depth to this "shepherd" idea than at first glance. The trinitarian God is our king, and the trustfulness that is embedded in the relationship described is so intimate, so beloved one to each other.

The Hebrew word used for "follow" as in "follow me all the days of my life," actually is generally used contextually to mean follow as in pursue, used for an animal pursuing its prey. While an animal follows its prey for a kill and to be merciless, David the psalmist here turns that on its head - "goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life." Whereas yes, sin and people who want to hurt us pursue us as an agressor stalks its prey, the Lord also follows us, unrelentlessly. Mercy and goodness, through our Savior Jesus, pursues us literally at the heels of every move. That is SO powerful to me. (So there, I must sheepishly (ha!) admit that I can get something out of this!)

We always hear, in Sunday school type terms, that God is "with us always" and will always follow us. But this is deeper and more cutting than that.

This also is a curious analogy because God is following us, whereas we would usually see it as the other way around, that we are supposed to follow God. But this verse is written in the factual indicative mood saying that good will follow us. It is neither a command for something for us to do to find God or grow closer to Him, nor is it a conditional if/then. In fact, the word surely emphasizes this certainty. Many people, I think, have problems with religion because they think it is an obligatory, contractual relationship, or that they see it as a bundle of facts that they have to learn. But most of it boils down to this factual statement from Psalm 23. God gave us amazing gifts - first of all our Savior Jesus and the grace and redemption that comes with that, but as well an important gift is our free will. God wants us to follow him, to have the dynamic, communicative relationship we should with Him, to be moved by the Spirit and the power of the resurrection. But even if we don't follow, we have the choice, full choice, full will, as insignificant as we sometimes see ourselves, compared with the unimaginable power of a Creator. And as we will inevitably turn away from him, he will be right at our heels, like the shepherd.

As Pastor B pointed out, the shepherd is not about "fuzzy sheep Sunday" at church - the shepherd is still violent and uses weapons and tactics when he must and to protect his sheep. The crook, the dog, they are sharp physical weapons against those who try to hurt us. The shepherd is still a no-nonsense, non-warm and fuzzy image.

In researching the John verse, I read about how the shepherd is also literally the door of the sheepfold - that the shepherd would often lie at the door of the enclosure prohibiting intruders from entering or sheep from leaving the fold. I think this is important and meaningful iconography - that of course for us as Christians Jesus is the "way" and our connection/access to divine grace.

Also, I re-read that as I had learned before, sheep cannot lie down if an unknown person or any disturbance interrupts the fold. But God makes us lie down, and quiets our hearts in every way.


Pastor B always said that any disquiet, any longing or sadness, any emptiness we feel, is a void that is a longing for Christ. If we try to fill it with other things, it leads to problems, and filling our hearts and minds on Christ is the only thing that will truly ever satisfy us. That's one of the truest things I think I've ever been told.

But it's good to know too, that Christ is always following us, just as we try to follow him, and that if we seek him, he will catch up to us. He will fill us, satisfy us.

Just when I thought I was decided in wanting to stay teaching another year in order to get into seminary faster and not feel obligated for years to a camp position, today I was having second thoughts in possibly taking the camp job, and the joy that that might bring me. Lord, I want to be your servant. Show me how to best fulfill your will for me and my call. Amen!