Psalms 23: 1-6 facts
The verse explicitly gives an account of the Lord as a diligent shepherd whose promises give grace and life to His people also known as the flock. It has a universal significance and affirms positive beliefs towards life. Therefore, the implicit language of metaphors brings the aspect of peace, grace, and utter protection. The chapter not only urges one to meditate and be prayerful but also gives the truthful account of the Lord being the shepherd who gives strength, leads the way, gives living water, protects, and offers unconditional love to His obedient flock. Moreover, the verse poetical brings forth the theme of confidence and trust from David’s confessions (Alexander & Patricia, 1999).
Psalms 23: 1-6 amazingly give the profound testimony and true account of how the Lord has been instrumental in King David’s life. The verse starts with the words “The Lord is my shepherd”. We are introduced to the pronoun “my” which represents Kind David as the psalmist. The psalmist is aware of the divine guidance from the Lord. The Lord God is the main protagonist in this verse. His guidance and protection are evident in David’s confession throughout the text (Alexander & Patricia, 1999).
From the clever diction applied in the text, we find some environmental accounts of the situation the writer was in. The situation proves wanting and this is where the Lord comes to rescue David. That is, the Lord lets him rest in green grass, leads him in a pool of freshwater, gives him strength, and also Lord gives him the courage to forge his way through the darkness. Therefore, from the above wanting situation, we can attest to the fact that the provenance of this hymnal poetic verse was written in the wilderness by King David whilst evading Absalom.
The historical background of the text goes back over 3000 years. However, the book of Psalm is penned by a variety of authors ranging from the monarchic period. This verse can be referred to as the Maccabean period. The difficulty faced by the author in verse four explains the nature of the situation he experience whilst in the wilderness. The thirstiness, the weakness, the impassable paths, the deepest darkness, and the fear he beheld, all bear out the situation when the psalmist penned down this metaphorical hymnal verse.
Interpretation
The principles of God are shown in the text area; He is the one that provides and gives grace. Grace becomes the main theme. The metaphorical diction applied, explicitly shows the real interest of God in a person’s life. For example, the green fields symbolize the abundance of His word in which the Lord wants us to lie down and feed upon. The prestigious pool of freshwater gives the idea of spiritual refreshment God intends for us. His unwavering paths will lead us to righteousness (Alexander & Patricia, 1999). Amazingly, the staff and rod give the flock comfort that there will be no dangers and straying as they continue to feed. Lastly, David verbosely shows how the Lord receives His faithful flock to dine without any fear and provides His uttermost trustworthiness in the days of the obedient flock.
In John 10:11 Jesus refers to Himself as an excellent shepherd. The reverence of David’s faithful Lord perfectly conforms to this shepherd referred to John 10:11. Hebrews 5: 12-14 Jesus gives the fresh waters to his faithful. Jesus becomes the living water and the shepherd that feeds the flock with the spiritual word. Genesis 22:14 tells how Abraham refers to God as a provider in the mountain. In Hebrews 12:6 Jesus gives comfort to His brethren as seen in Psalm 23 where the Lord God uses His staff and rod to give comfort, guidance, and security to his flock. Revelation 21:3-4 illustrates how Jesus lives amongst us. He dispels fear and wipes any tear thus providing His unconditional love to us (Attridge, 2006).
The sanctified Word of God is a sword and the uttermost belt of truth. The shepherd shows how He diligently leads His flock safely. We should be obedient for He provides His grace as shown in Ephesians 2:8, is given freely and one should be obedient to his Word. The spiritual protection sees us through predators and gives us strength to fight all the derailing temptations that may come our way through His love (Alexander & Patricia, 1999).
Christ Jesus tells of a diligent shepherd in 1 Peter 5:1-4 who guides us and leads us along fine paths that are free from danger and turmoil. We should allow Jesus as the true shepherd to lead the way and give us His trustworthy promises (Attridge, 2006).
Application
Jesus is our great shepherd that David did not have back in those days. We are given testimony from the psalmist of the wonderful promises of the Lord unto His flock. This should be providence to everyone to meditate upon the Lord’s Word and receive his grace and Love. We should listen to His Word and conform to His guidance for our good. This is because Jesus is a trustworthy shepherd. We should not have fear of losing spiritual abundance and His priceless wealth.
References
Alexander, D., & Patricia, A. (Eds.). (1999). Zondervan Handbook to the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House.
Attridge, H. W., Meeks, W. A., & Bassler, J. M. (2006). The Harper Collins Study Bible. New York, NY: Harper Collins.