I cannot do Psalm 23 justice. Ok, I said it, now I can start.
Even Coolio knows how to quote Psalm 23.
For those of you who didn’t grow up in the 1990′s, Coolio was this rapper dude who got famous for singing a song on the “Dangerous Minds” soundtrack. He is proof that your ability to quote/rap scripture doesn’t really mean much at all, unless it sinks deep into your heart, and motivates your actions, and reactions.
I had to ask myself a few questions about Psalm 23 before sitting here and typing this. I ended up asking just one: “why is this Psalm such a big deal?”
Commentaries suggest that David wrote this Psalm in the golden years of his life. After all he had been through; giants, temptation and political battles, he decides that the best and most appropriate metaphor to highlight his knowledge of the character of God is a Shepherd.
The question then is: ‘why a Shepherd’? Why not: The Lord is my King and I am a young army general brimming with potential with some great war strategies?
One of the biggest revelations for me is not David’s comparison of God as a Shepherd, but the logical progression that I must therefore be a sheep. I need a leader. I need to follow a familiar voice.
I swing in between the Sunday School kid who believes everything (99%), to the intellectual who tries to love the Lord with his heart, soul, strength and mind. Both valid postures, but I’m still a sheep. I can think in “sheep” thoughts and try to justify and defend my position, but I’m still a sheep.
Perhaps, despite the busyness we are going to face as a community together (and there will be many), Psalm 23 reminded me that sometimes, I just need to let God love me. I need to let him scratch my head, and pat me on my back, bandage my wounds, and whack me on the backside when I’m not following. It’s silly for me to kick up my hooves and refuse his love (everyone loves a pat on the back).
David lived an incredible life, but Psalm 23 is a recognition that his greatest joy is in the knowledge that the Shepherd leads, and we follow. We may have incredible courage to go and defeat giants in his name, we may be able to play the harp skillfully and take away evil spirits, but put simply, greatness in the eyes of a sheep, is vastly different to greatness in the eyes of a Shepherd.
That’s one of the many reasons why I think Psalm 23 is such a big deal, because no matter who we are, what we do, perhaps we are most satisfied when we give permission for the Shepherd to lead us, and give permission for the Shepherd to love us. In my heart, I believe that intimate relationship brings contentment, goodness and love.
Baaa.
– Vinny Tan