Psalm 23 - A Slow Feast in a Fast-Food World

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to spend time preparing for our next lesson in Hebrews.  So, in the meantime I pulled an old sermon out that just might be the right thing to focus on as we head in to the new year.  Let's pull back from the holiday mania and hectic regular life to reflect on the beauty of God as our Shepherd.

Next week we will return to our study in the book of Hebrews.

Happy New Year!

A Slow Feast in a Fast-Food World

What if God had a car? What if he had to drive around all day trying to get everything done? I can imagine that he would have a huge stack of papers in the seat next to him, boxes to deliver in the back, a trunk full of clothes for the poor and a trailer full of food to deliver.

If God is anything like me (and we all must be grateful he’s not!) living in this fractured society ruled by the clock and the calendar, then he would probably be dashing in and out of places, stopping to get gas, hoping he'll make it here and there on time.  And, oh my, we've got to eat somewhere sometime. So we dash through a drive-in restaurant anxious to get on with what needs to happen next.

It seems like much of our popular culture revolves around how fast we can get places, how much we can get accomplished in the shortest amount of time, and hoping others don’t get in our way. Scurry, hurry we'd better get going or we might miss another deadline! If I don't have time to catch up with you in person, I can quickly use the digital world or I can leave a message on your voice mail.

American urban culture seems to be trapped in this endless need to see more, do more and get more. In order to accomplish this we are driven to distraction. Life seems to come in short bursts of many, many things.  So, here's a ridiculous little poem I wrote in an attempt to capture an urban culture life.

Psalm 22.5

A Psalm of a Frantic Sheep

I've got to get me life done and get it done quick.

I constantly clamor for what I need and should quit.

I cannot rest now because there is so much to do

So, I’ll go through the drive-through and grab a burritoo.

I'm always tired and often run off the road.

People wonder how I make it - it's because I've been towed!

Nothing ever goes wrong, but when it does

I just ignore the signs and get another Diet-coke buzz.

Most of the time I’m afraid and feel quite alone.

But I don't let anyone know it 'cause there's much to be done.

I've got to get through this traffic no matter what,

I feel dry in my soul, as if nothing is there—but,

I've just got to keep moving and chasing my dreams.

I've only got one life and you know what that means!

I’ve got to grab all I can because everyone else is.

And I buy into that I-can-only-count-on-myself biz.

So, here is my motto for life on the run,

"Eat, drink and be merry—quick!—because soon I’ll be done!"

There's something about a poem that catches our attention. A poem capsulizes a moment, a mood or a memory. Poetry exists in every culture and presents and memorializes the human experience. Poems can be funny, furious or profound. They draw us to themselves because for one moment of reading we can see the world in a very unique and open way.

In our great Judeo-Christian history we were gifted with a marvelous poet. He was one of the finest poets in Jewish history. And his words ring true for all humanity. We experience love, joy, rage, disappointment, wonder, humility, sorrow and exuberance through his poetry.  This man's name was David, the shepherd/musician who became king of God's people. His story echoes with the reality that he was "a man after God's own heart." His life is testimony of how God can and will help the humble to become mighty, how God will humble the mighty if their actions become selfish, and one who constantly turns to God can lead a nation in war, weariness, and worship. I challenge you to read about David's life this week in 1 and 2 Samuel. I guarantee you that you will find a story of truthfulness and God's grace and power.

It is out of this story that David wrote seveny-three of the Psalms we now find in the Bible. Although many of his Psalms are obviously written for corporate worship, many of them are raw expressions of human experience with God and others. He was an honest man, as well as a premiere worship leader and king. For centuries now people have gleaned comfort and encouragement from his poems.

Let's try to understand the context for today's Scripture. Certainly the 23^rd Psalm was composed while David sat as king over Israel. I don't know how we can comprehend the demands of a king, but perhaps we could try it this way. When we see the United States President on television, what do we see? He is a world leader at every turn of his life. I doubt if he is ever truly alone. Security guards and journalists are always at his elbow. Advisors and lobbyists must be knocking on his door by day, and military and crisis personnel knocking on his door at night. I cannot imagine the kind of pressures that exists for a man in his position. The trade and employment markets rise and fall based on what he says or does. There are people who hate him and people who love him. There are people who would try to kill him and malign his work. And there are people who would put words into his mouth to make him appear one way or another.  This is the kind of lifestyle that David the king of Israel was leading. He was a victorious and powerful military leader. He made choices about which nations to attack and which nations to help. Great festivals and feasts were created to honor him and align his allies. God gave him incredible wisdom and fortitude for all the troubles he faced. Alliances to sabotage his leadership fell apart because he clung to God his Helper. The poor, the widows and the orphans were taken care of because of the godly compassion he had in his heart. Israel's enemies were dealt with swiftly and decisively as God directed him. It would be easy to set David up on a cloud as a demi-god if it were not for the honest reporting of his life, his failures and his poetry.  He was very much like you and me. And even in his position of power and prestige he needed God desperately.

Imagine with me a cool summer night. David comes to his private chambers exhausted by the demands of his day. He has signed law, he has listened to debate, he has honored a leader in the community, he also received news of a possible opposition attack, and his family has been threatened again. There are before him tomorrow difficult decisions. He is weary to the bone.

He sits heavily in chair by a candle in the great, dark room. He takes a deep breath and begins to remember the days of his youth when he was just a shepherd, a simple shepherd sitting under the stars. How nice and plain life in those years. And then God says to him, "David, I am your Shepherd."  The quill pen lifts again and David writes one of the most magnificent poems of Biblical literature.

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will 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;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

~Psalm 23

We have come to know this as the Shepherd's Psalm, but I rather like to think of it as the sheep's Psalm. In this moment of poetic beauty we see God from the eyes of a weary, frantic little sheep.

The Lord is my shepherd. In our urban environment it may be difficult for some of us to understand the role of the shepherd. But the shepherd watched over and cared for the sheep 24/7.  His every thought was for their safety, food and shelter.

Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd and here is how his job description fell out in John 10:11-18.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” This reality about God is what David was absorbing and comprehending when he wrote his wonderful poem. He had a great Shepherd of his soul who was for him 24/7!

In one of the classic forms of Hebrew poetry Psalm 23 starts out with a great statement and the rest of the poem affirms that statement and graphically illustrates it as it builds to a great crescendo.  Here is how the Lord was David’s shepherd.

I lack nothing.  In other words, I have everything I need.  I don't have to scramble for it or scurry around. The Shepherd has already looked ahead and made sure my provisions are there. If we just stop and look around we will find everything we need. Sometimes we get so caught up in how things are going to be provided that we forget that God has already promised to provide it! David needed to re-learn what he found in the fields as a shepherd—every good thing comes from God in his perfect timing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters . . . Sheep are kind of dumb. They are not smart like elephants, hyenas or lions. They need to be told where to go and what is best for them. Sheep will graze on thistles when a green field is nearby. They have to be directed where to go by a shepherd's nudge with his rod and sometimes with the quick and goad, a stinging thistle-laden staff applied to their hindquarters.  Did you know that a thirsty sheep will put its nose into a rushing river so deep that the force of the water will sweep it away? Don't you think the sheep would put two and two together?  Rushing river (force greater than me) + thick woolen head able to be pulled into the river = drowning sheep.  Let’s put it another way.  God says, don't get drunk on wine and don't covet. We promptly go out and get drunk on wine and spend our credit cards up to the limit to get what our neighbor has already bought by spending their credit cards up to the limit! And then we woefully wonder why our lives are a wreck. It might be wise to admit it—we’re dumb sheep. We need a good Shepherd!  And de's standing right here offering us the good places to be and the good things to have—if we'll just follow his voice.

He refreshes my soul.  God is in the business of restoring, rebuilding and renewing. When we have spent our breath, when our bodies are wracked with pain from overwork, when our words come out all discombobulated because we haven't had enough sleep, when we're not thinking straight because we've had too much caffeine in order to keep going . . .that's when the Good Shepherd says, "Let's sit down for a while. If you read my Word it will encourage you. I will give you wisdom if you ask me for it. Slow down for a minute or two and let me take care of your soul."   That's what God loves to do for us. He knows us too well to think that we can regenerate our own souls. It is the life-giving Word of God and his presence that brings healing like fresh spring water.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. I can imagine as a king or president one of the greatest temptations would be to try to make a name for myself. Some people take paths simply because it will get them into the history books. But these people are shown for what they are—self-centered, self-righteous, disingenuous people. When there is a greater purpose outside of ourselves our paths are made straight and true. And although each of us cannot claim absolutely pure motives for all the things we do, when we take the paths that will honor God and in his name we will have much firmer roads to walk on and our fulfillment will be abundant.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Have you ever had a near accident and then stopped suddenly and looked back at the incident? It is astonishing and unnerving to think through what could have happened. It's in those kinds of moments that you realize that Someone with far greater power than your own can guide you through dangerous places.

And it is also true in those moments of deep grief or when you are faced with the likelihood of something like cancer that the Shepherd's touch and his wonderful voice brings comfort and hope you would never dream was possible. That shadow may be dark, but the Shepherd is near.  When we cannot see our own way through, he uses his tools—his kind voice, the rod that can beat back an enemy and the staff with the gentle strong curve that can pull us out of trouble.

The next part of the Psalm is one of my favorites.  Imagine with me that King David has called for a great banquet. He decides to go to the great hall early. People are busily decorating and setting the tables.  In the distance he can hear the clatter and banging in the kitchen. The aroma of wonderful food comes wafting down the hallway. He knows that his cooks are going to outdo themselves tonight. 

As he stands to the side, he sees some of the guests arrive a bit early, in the ancient tradition of the East the greeters present aromatic oils to the guests for their skin and hair. The Eastern sun and winds are harsh and to honor a guest is to care for their body as well as their stomach. More guests begin to arrive and they are presented with oils as well, and then they are seated.

King David decides that it is an appropriate time to enter into the festivities. His assistants rush to bring him the finest of aromatic oils and they themselves pour it on him as a sign of honor—for oil is not only for bodily care but the sign and symbol of someone anointed by God.

As his loyal servants bring him food and drink, King David looks around the room. It is a slow and happy feast He is surrounded by friends and family. Laughter runs around the table like a small child at a picnic. This is a good place to be.

As David looks around at his guests, he sees something else that it true. Ah yes, there is the man who not more than two years ago declared that he would kill David with his bare hands. And there, there are the three who led a rebellion to depose him as King last year. And yes, the old scoundrel, the one with the broadest smile and the darkest heart has put himself as near the king's seat as he can. And in the midst of this David senses the very presence of God.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

I don't think that David imagined that he deserved any of this royal treatment. He knew that it was because of God's love and God's choice that his heart was full to overflowing, even while he ate with some of his enemies.  I imagine God standing behind David, one great hand on his shoulder and another great hand wrapped around the rod reminding the dark enemies that God himself will defend David. I wonder if the enemies could sense God there? Perhaps not, because they were blinded by their sin. But David knew it. He knew that the Lord was his Shepherd.

Then with the greatest of assurance David penned the wonderful words that are true for all those whose hearts are hard after God.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

You see, this is the promise of a Shepherd to his sheep—24/7, 365 days a year as long as we live. Always with us, always providing for us, always looking out for us, always defending us, always loving us.

Did you know that the Lord is your Shepherd? Why don't we all get out of our hectic-life cars, turn the engines off. We'll walk across a green pasture where God has good things laid out for us and just buckets of fresh spring water. Let's rest and be restored in his wonderful light, knowing that whatever comes our way—pleasant or difficult—his great hand is resting on our shoulder and there are good days ahead.

The Lord is our Shepherd!

Amen

Copyright M.R. Hyde