Psalm 23 is probably one of the most popular passages in the Bible and definitely the most popular Psalm of all Psalms. This Psalm is known for spending comfort and hope to people who are suffering. Many Christians know Psalm 23 by heart and read it when they need encouragement.
But why is this Psalm actually so encouraging to so many people? What is it about this Psalm that spends comfort and provides hope to people? Most people’s reality looks very different than everything that this Psalm is talking about. David says in verse 1 “I shall not want”. That’s not true for all of us. But it’s especially not true for so many Christians around the world who have to suffer due to persecution or due to man-made or natural disaster. And what about the phrase “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”? What do people in war zones think about this sentence who lost their loved ones? What does somebody, who is depressed and hopeless, feel when he or she reads here that David says “He restores my soul”? The life and the reality of so many people are something completely different than what we find here in Psalm 23.
Why does this Psalm provide hope to people whose reality doesn’t look like green pastures with still waters? Why should this Psalm comfort people when their life doesn’t fit in to those verses? What does this Psalm have to offer to people who are suffering and who lost everything? Normally this Psalm should make suffering people angry. They should feel betrayed by this Psalm, because their life is something else.
There are sheep in God’s flock that are disappointed with the Good Shepherd. They expected Him to intervene at a certain time, in a certain situation and in a certain way, but He didn’t. The Good Shepherd didn’t behave in such a way as they expected Him to behave and they probably start to doubt whether he is actually good at all.
Why does a good Shepherd lead His sheep through the valley of the shadow of death? He could find another way. He is the way, the truth and the life, so why does He lead His sheep through such valleys?
Every right way will lead sooner or later through a valley of the shadows of death. The Good Shepherd doesn’t protect His sheep from the valleys of this life, but He protects them against the death. Suffering is not the death itself, it’s only a shadow of the death. Hell is death, suffering is only a shadow of death. The Good Shepherd gave his life to save our lives. He rescued us from the real eternal death, but He sometimes doesn’t protect us from suffering. Valleys are part of our lives. But that fact doesn’t answer our question why this Psalm offers comfort and hope to people who are currently in a valley.
What does this Psalm have to offer to Christians in devastating and seemingly hopeless circumstances?
I think the only thing about this Psalm that really offers comfort and hope is actually not a thing but rather a person – the Good Shepherd Himself. Things like green pastures, still waters or a full table cannot provide hope. Only one person can provide us with eternal hope and comfort and that’s Jesus.
In the first 3 verses David speaks about God in the third person. When He had everything that he needed and when his soul was restored, he talked about God in the third person. But when he had to go through the valley of the shadow of death, He started to talk with God.
In the first 3 verses David speaks about God, in verse 4 and 5 David speaks with God. David uses in verse 4 and 5 the second person and not the third person anymore. He is basically praying. When David went through his valley and when he had to face his enemies, he started to pray. And he didn’t only pray, he also remembered God’s promises. In verse 5 David is writing in the past. He says “You have anointed my head with oil”. We don’t know when David actually wrote this Psalm. Maybe he thought about Saul, when he reminded himself that God had anointed him to be king of Israel. Maybe he thought about Absalom or any other enemy that he had during his life. In the valley David started to remind God that He had anointed him to be a king and that He is also responsible for making or keeping him as a king. He knew since God had anointed him to be king, He would also make him a king or keep him as a king.
In verse 6 David switches back to the third person and starts talking about God again. He starts writing about the future. Although he had to suffer a lot during his life, he is hopeful regarding his future. He doesn’t say here “Next to all the suffering also goodness and lovingkindness will follow me”. He says “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life”. He doesn’t focus on his pain and problems, he focuses on God’s lovingkindness. He wasn’t afraid of the future, He just wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In the valley of the shadow of death David prayed and talked to God and he reminded himself of the promises of God. He thought about the house of the Lord and about the community with God in the temple. This Psalm is so special because it shows us the special relationship David had with God. In the valleys and during our suffering only a close relationship to the Good Shepherd through prayer and focusing on God’s promises in His Word can provide us with hope. We can have eternal life in heaven because our Good Shepherd became a lamb and died for us. We will be in the heavenly house of the Lord forever and that’s the hope we have for this life and for the eternal life.
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The last verse in this Psalm reminds me of the biggest difference between David and his son Solomon. When Solomon could wish for anything that he wanted, he wished wisdom for himself. Solomon had a good and humble wish and God honored his wish. David’s greatest wish wasn’t for wisdom, although that’s a very good wish. He asked for something else:
Psalm 27,4: One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.