How many times does a passage that you seem to have known all your life and that you have been reading for many years suddenly take on a different meaning for you? This is what happened to us with Psalm 23, which we are currently examining at church. A few weeks ago, as we were coming to the end of the Anagkazo series (if you haven't seen it, go look on our website), I began, as usual, to ask the Lord in which direction we should go next. I love teaching the Word of God, and there is no shortage of topics, but it is important to have the Word of God for this moment and for this people.
This is also why I always insist to Christians that they must first eat the food that is prepared at home, in their church, before looking elsewhere. What is prepared for you at home has been concocted especially for you. You are not just sharing the meal of others. So the Lord led us into Psalm 2. It was a bit of a surprise for me, even though I had thought at one point to mention some key psalms, but I really did not expect this direction at all. Today I thank the Lord for His immense love.
This project is immense, it is gigantic, it is extraordinary and powerful beyond all our imagination. David, from his experience as a shepherd, draws this metaphor to describe God. He wants to express himself about the person of God and the relationship he has with Him. To do this, we imagine him searching for adjectives, searching for descriptions and finally coming across this one. The Lord is my shepherd, obviously we are not indifferent to the fact that he uses the personal name of God, and I speak about it at greater length in the teaching. We are struck by the very personal tone of this psalm and the role attributed to God and it is the center of all our attention.
In the world of the Bible, the shepherd could be away from home for days and weeks while remaining close to his flock. Even today, some shepherds will stay with the flock from afar while others return to the village with the flocks in the evening. Still, this proximity to the flock is essential. It is therefore that he attributes to God the role of protector, of benefactor, the one who provides and who chose to do it of His own accord; it was in no way imposed on Him. Here then is the beginning of this fabulous teaching.
You are going to discover this wonderful Shepherd. You are going to discover what it means to 'I shall not want'. You are going to discover what green pastures and still waters are, and why it is so important. We are already on the fourth message, and it is only getting bigger. I will try to blog every message. Don't miss a single one. The Lord truly is our Shepherd, and by following this series, I am convinced that you yourself will be transformed in your perception of God and in your relationship with Him.
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