In our Sunday School class, we are going through the book “Living by the Book” by Hendricks and Hendricks. The book teaches the basic skills necessary to read and understand the Bible. This week’s lesson encouraged us to try to read a passage as for the first time. It listed several very familiar passages and asked your to read it in four versions, and try to engage as it as for the first time.
The whole book has been really fun, but I especially enjoyed this exercise. I chose Psalm 23, perhaps the second most familiar passage in all of Scripture. I read it in The MESSAGE Paraphrase, Young’s Literal Translation, The Good News Translation, and The Holman Christian Standard Bible.
The challenge was to then set aside my preconceptions about this passage. I have read this passage a billion times, give or take a hundred million, so this was difficult. I had always read this Psalm as a comfort, reminder that God is taking care of things. This is, of course true, and a big reason it is by far the most-read passage at funerals.
But as I read this passage over and over again, a new theme rose from the page. I began to see them as the words of a believer who had returned from rebellion.
Yahweh is shepherd: the one who gathers me from wayward wonderings.
I don’t need (lack, want) a thing: perhaps a confession of someone who had gone searching from something more. (I think verse 2 just rewords the same concept).
He renews my strength leads me in righteous paths: the words of someone who had exhausted himself on the path of unrighteousness.
Even walking through the valley of Death’s Shadow: the road of repentance can be scary, and the road to repentance will doubtlessly run near temptation where death is so close you may feal like you are in the darkness of it’s shadow.
I’ll not fear for you are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me: I don’t need to fear further falling because Yahweh is there to yank and nudge me back on to the road.
You prepare a meal for me in the face of my enemies, revive me and make my once-dry cup overflow: this is an example of God’s unbelievable grace. His blessings for wanderer are multiplied on his return.
Your Beauty and Faithful Love chase after me without ceasing: good news for someone who wandered away. And this is the kind astounding realization someone might have if they have had their relationship with God restored.
I will live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life: I’m noit ever leaving again.
Now go back and compare this with the story of the prodigal son, which is the ultimate portrayal of a wayward returned to God. I think the parallels will become obvious. Let me know what you see.
2 comments:
First off, great post and connection of the 23rd Psalm to the Prodigal son. One thing I noticed was that the son seemingly didn't know or believe in the Psalm (I know it is all fictional, but work with me). His return to the father was not for the blessings that the Psalmist looked forward to.
He was afraid and assumed that he would recieve the rod of rebuke not of comfort.
He didn't expect an extravagant meal from the father, but scraps from the table.
He didn't expect the Father to come out and chase him down, but to stand with a stern look on the front porch.
And he probably expected to spend the rest of his life in his Father's house, not enjoying the time, but making it up to the Father.
I suppose that if the son knew and believed in the promises of the Psalmist/Father, he might have come back sooner.
Wouldn't we all?
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