We live in a fallen world. It is a world of chaos. It is a world of threat. It is a world that ends in death. Yet we are to fear no evil. The word translated 'evil' in this Psalm ('ra'), is a word that includes ideas of disorder, distress and injury. But we are not to be afraid. We are to fear no evil because of the person, path and promises of God.
1. The person of god
In your Bibles you might see that the word LORD is spelt with capitals. That is a translation of YHWH - which we might pronounce Yahweh or Jehovah. Yahweh bookends this psalm, being at both the beginning and the end.
Yahweh is the covenant name for God. It is explained to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). God tells Moses to tell the people that he is 'I am that I am.' He is to explain that 'I am has sent me to you' Yahweh comes from the verb, 'to be'. Dale Ralph Davis explains that God is saying, 'I will be present with my people to be whatever they need me to be.' Yahweh is the only God, and He is the God we need in this life.
Yahweh is my shepherd. In the Ancient Near East the shepherd was everything to the flock. There is a lovely picture of the shepherd in the book of Isaiah: God 'tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart, he gently leads those who have young' (40:11).
One of the things that convinces me of the divinity of Jesus is how many of the titles of Yahweh he takes for himself. Jesus declared, ''I am the the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep' (John 10:11).
In the last two verses the scene changes from a shepherd to a host. One commentator suggests that what we are being told is that God shepherds his people with the generosity and kindness as the most lavish of hosts. In that culture it was not the host who prepared the meal for his guests, but a woman or a servant. Yet our God takes this role upon himself.
While the flock is always assumed, notice that the focus is on each of us as an individual sheep. The LORD is 'my' shepherd. If we are in Christ we declare with the apostle Paul that we have faith in the Son of God, 'who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).
The path of God
Shepherds in that culture did not drive the sheep but led them. We read that the shepherd 'makes me lie down in green pastures.'. You actually can't make a sheep lie down. Sheep only lie down when they are well fed and feel safe. It would be better to translate these words, 'he settles me down.'
The shepherd leads the sheep to green pastures. It is very interesting that in Mark's account of the feeding of the five thousand Jesus directed the disciples to get the people to sit on the 'green grass' (Mark 6:39). Jesus is showing us that he is the good shepherd.
The still waters are literally 'waters of rest'. Sheep can't drink from lapping waters and need the water to be calm. Rest is a key theme in the Bible. The Promised Land of the Old Testament was referred to as God's rest. Jesus invites us to come to him for rest (Matt. 11:28) and we look forward to an eternal rest (Rev. 14).
Ken Bailey makes the suggestion that restoring my soul, is actually better seen as 'he causes my soul to return.' In our restlessness we are prone to wonder. Yet we think of the good shepherd coming for the lost sheep. We stray, but God creates a discontent within us until we know that the best place for us to be at home with the lover of our souls.
On of the right paths that the shepherd leads us through is the 'valley of the shadow of death'. Valleys had to be travelled through but they were a nigh-mare for the sheep. The valleys had steep and unstable sides. They were a place of snakes, flooding and wild animals. Yet they are not afraid because the shepherd is with them.
The valleys are passed through not settled in. When we are going through a hard time it can be important to remind ourselves that 'this too will pass.' At the other end of the valley is the banqueting table. How true this is for those who are in Christ. After we pass through the valley we will arrive at our ultimate place of rest.
David Watson was a great Christian leader who died in the 1980s. He was terminally ill and wrote about his impending death. He explained that he didn't fear evil because Jesus had already passed through the valley of the shadow of death for him and could be trusted to bring him through to the other side. Jesus told his disciples that while he was going aware he would come back and take us to be with him (John 14;3).
The promise of God
In Hebrew poetry the poem often gravitates around the centre. The centre of this psalm, both structurally and theologically are the words 'you are with me.' That promise the ultimate reason that we are not afraid. Jesus is our Immanuel, 'God with us.' We look forward to a new heaven and a new earth where the dwelling place of God will be amongst his people (Rev. 21:3). As we pass through this valley of death our shepherd hold a rod and staff, to protect us and discipline us.
In his beautiful book on this Psalm, David Gibson points out that when we read of goodness and mercy following us all the days of our life it would be better translated that they 'pursue' us. Then he says, 'He is moving forward, and they are behind him. Sometimes, only when we look back on events will we ever be able to see the goodness and the steadfast love of the Lord in them. If you cannot feel it now, the Lord is still with you in the valley. He will still walk with you without fail all of your days, and one day it may be that you will look back on the worst experiences, the most dreadful time, the deepest of dark valleys, and you will be able to say, "I see it now: God's goodness and God's mercy never left me, even then."'
Conclusion
Not all of life is green pastures. Not all of life are dark valleys. Christians can be assured that they will dwell with the Lord for ever, and that goodness and mercy now pursue us.
'The green pastures may be the normal place, the valley of the shadow of death may be the fearful place, in front of the enemies the dangerous place, and the house of the Lord the abiding place' (Dale Ralph Davis).
What tempts you to fear? Remember the person, path and promise of our good shepherd.
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