ooooh, if only I could write out the entire Bible Study we did at CCF yesterday night! I looooved it!! Sucked all that we could outta each verse!!! good stuff BS group (ben, peggy, tony, christine, lisa, angie, nina, kev)! ;)
So why IS Psalm 23 soooo famous?
what a question to ask eh?... but it was totally the remark of inspiration during pre-study that sparked a deeeeeep diggin' into the core concepts found within this verse. Thank you GOD for that side-remark... it totally opened an avenue of discovery.
There is SO much TRUTH that is embedded into this Psalm that many of us usually just SKIM over. But take it one verse at a time - and may your eyes be opened, and may you NEVER read this Psalm the same way again.
I'm so glad that as a group, we prepped ourselves to study this Psalm as something new, something unknown, with tons of treasures that the world seems to know about, because it is so 'famous'. Yet, we don't seem to know these reasons. Do YOU know the reasons?
So to try to answer, we analyzed it to death (as much as we could within only an hour). We took it from a literary point of view (it is a POEM! so read it like a poem! feel the flowin' rhythm! hehe ), studied the references that David uses from his days as a young shepherd, looked at the BEAUTY, yes, the BEAUTY of vs. 5-6, acknowledged the PROMISES, and cross-referenced galore to understand why certain phrases were used (other psalms, ezekial, thessalonians, john, romans).
Needless to say, I had tons of fun discoverin' this Psalm with my group. My brain hurt so much afterwards (in a good way!)
This is what it means to pour over the Scriptures. This is what it means to study it, and learn it, and have the Scriptures revealed in a new light. I will never read this Psalm in the same light again. I am so thankful to the Lord for etching this passage into our hearts yesterday. ;)
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The Lord is my Shepherd (so personal!)
I shall not be in want (got everything I need)
He makes me lie down in green pastures (breakin' the legs, the BEST of the best, not just plain meadows!)
He leads me beside quiet waters (much-needed nourishment)
He restores my soul (renewed)
He guides in me in paths of righteouness (uprightness necessary for the King)
For His name's sake' (at the end of it all, it's REALLY all about HIM)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (there ARE valleys)
I will fear no evil
For you are with me (TRUST)
Your rod and your staff
They comfort me (how appropriate it is that this is at the centre core, embedded in between the two 'The Lord' - FRAMING!!)
You prepare a table before me (God as gracious host)
In the presence of my enemies (VICTORY is HIS)
You anoint my head with oil (God loves me!)
My cup overflows (Abundant GRACE - sooooo much blessings)
SURELY goodness and love will follow (pursue!) me
all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord (constant fellowship with Him; Christ in me, I am in Christ, Christ is in God --> tupperware!!)
FOREVER (constant renewal, refreshment, 'true revival')
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vs. 1-4 - God as my SHEPHERD-KING; my response: TRUST
vs. 5-6 - God as GRACIOUS HOST; my response: REJOICE in the God of SALVATION.
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AND THEN, as I yapped away to Joyce on the ride home, my dad inserted that he had just finished reading Max Lucado's Travelling Light - an entire book dedicated to Psalm 23. I flipped through it briefly last night, and it goes PHRASE BY PHRASE. not only verse by verse... PHRASE by PHRASE.
wow.
and this is only SIX verses in the entire Bible!
i didn't even skim the surface of all that we talked about at BS. Haha... and when we read it as one group - that was sooo funny... but yeah... how would YOU read the Psalm? Do you really think if King David were to recite his poem to you right now, he would be speaking in a monotonous voice?
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