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
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