Truth Magazine

By Steven J. Wallace

Many churches go through setbacks from time to time. It is factual that churches of Christ can dwindle if they cannot endure setbacks. In order to endure setbacks, the Lord’s people must have an attitude of desiring the word of God more than they have in the past.

Setbacks are nothing new to the Lord’s people. Israel was set back when they wanted to worship God through a golden calf (Exod. 32). Three thousand men of Israel fell by the sword as a result of this rebellion. Israel was set back when Miriam and Aaron strove against Moses over preeminence (Num. 12). The Scripture states, “So Miriam was shut out of the camp seven days, and the people did not journey till Miriam was brought in again” (Num. 12:15). Israel’s progress was on hold.

Israel was set back when eight of the ten spies defected and gave a faithless report of the promised land (Num. 13-14). Upon hearing this report, Israel refused to go into their inheritance. Consequently, God pronounced, “they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it” (Num. 14:23). This particular generation of people did not enter the promised land because of infidelity (v. 33). Consequently, this set Israel back for forty years (v. 34). During the period of the judges, Israel was set back to nearly being destroyed because they did what was right in their own eyes and did not know or obey the voice of God (Judg. 2:10; 21:25).

In the judgment, people will be set back permanently to burn in the fires of hell for this same reason. The apostle Paul wrote, “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thess. 1:8-9). In the days of Samuel, Israel was set back again because they wanted a king “like all the nations” rather than one who had a likeness of their God (1 Sam. 8:20). Israel was rejecting God as their king. God said, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Sam. 8:7). The nations who Israel wanted to be so much like, nearly destroyed them under King Saul’s rule. Though Saul started out well in ruling over God’s kingdom, he ended up as a slave in Satan’s domain. He was not a king after God’s own heart, and unfortunately, he represented many of the hearts of Israel. Throughout Israelite history there were setbacks, but through the mercy of God and the strength of some devout men and women, Israel moved on.

Here are three foreseeable ways in which the church is set back from it potential growth. First, the church today is being set back by worldliness. Perhaps this is the root of most setbacks in the church today. When one preaches against worldliness, one is preaching against people’s ungodly beliefs, actions and lifestyles. Sermons that confront worldliness deal with sin. People with unrepentant hearts may have their “feelings” hurt and even have despite for the messenger of the word. In reality, however, the messenger is doing them a favor because God’s law is forever settled that, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Why does it seem like these “barn-burner” sermons are heard less and less in our pulpits?

Second, the church today is being set back with an attitude of accentuating “positive” preaching while aborting all forms of “negativity.” Perhaps this stems from the above problem of worldliness. I ask myself, “Where do we get the authority to judge a sermon as negative or positive?” Should we not rather ask, “Is it scriptural or profitable or accurate?” One man said, “If a preacher tells me how to avoid hell, that is pretty positive to me!” With that goes a big amen. The Jews were set back in New Testament days because they could not endure pointed, forceful, self-examining sermons (see Acts 7). Brethren, don’t ever be taken in by the modern complaint against preaching as being “too negative” and “non-compassionate,” especially when it is scripturally based. If the scripture doesn’t edify and is considered negative to people, then their hearts are not right with God.

Finally, the church is set back by denominationalism. We want to be “like the denominations around us.” We want our worship to be “like the denominations around us.” We want preachers to preach “like the denominations around us.” With this motivation, our future will be as bleak as Israel’s during the reign of King Saul. Brethren, remember the admonition of the apostle, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but ac-cording to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:2-4). Perhaps when Paul penned this letter to the young evangelist he remembered when he and the other Pharisees were once accused by Stephen as being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (see Acts 7:51). Brethren, let us remember who we live for and who we seek to please. Paul asserted, “. . .do I seek to please men? For if I still please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10). We are, in essence, set back when we quit concerning ourselves about pleasing God and begin seeking how to please men.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 14-15
October 17, 1996

By Matt Allen

Most of us are not fascinated with Old Testament history. Sometimes we would rather take a beating than have to decipher all of those old, long Hebrew names. Old Testament history is very repetitive and that could be a reason why some of the lessons that it contains are often over-looked. There are many important things that we can learn from the Old Testament. Remember what was said in Romans 15:4, “the things that were written afore time for our learning… “

Let us for a few moments go back to the book of Judges. Consider what was going on in the first few chapters of the book. Israel did not fully drive out the inhabitants of the land. This was a direct violation of what God wanted them to do. Chapter 2:2-3 says: “And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

Israel did not heed the commandment of God. As a result, they paid the consequences of it for many years to come. The people of the lands around them were a constant problem, as the evil influence of the Canaanites caused Israel to fall into disobedience. Idol worship became a problem that would haunt Israel for the rest of its existence. During the time of the judges, the nation of Israel went through many disobedient periods. They would fall away and God would punish them after he couldn’t take anymore. The children would cry out, and God would raise a deliverer to relieve them of the oppression that they were suffering. After reading Judges, it seems that the only time that they wanted to do what God wanted was when they were being oppressed. This cycle happened over and over again.

This story is a sad one. It is the story of God’s chosen people who in Deuteronomy made a covenant with the Lord and then ignored it. It must have hurt God more than we will ever know. Yet today, we could be guilty of the same things if we are not careful. When we become a Christian, we put off the old man of sin to walk in newness of life (i.e., the Christian life). Have we gotten rid of the snares of sin in our life so that we won’t be tripped up?

The Christian is engaged in a constant battle with the devil and sin. Paul mentioned this battle in Romans 7:14-25. This battle is ultimately important because the outcome determines where we will make our spiritual home, either in heaven or in hell. It is be-cause of these eternal implications that the stakes are much higher.

We know that Satan is the most cunning being around. He can make the most horrible thing seem good, just so we will do it. As Christians, we have to be on guard for the snares that the devil puts out there. The things of the world have to be done away with so that they won’t hinder us in our battle with sin. Satan appeals to man through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Read 1 John 2:15-16. The lust of the flesh refers to the worldly attitudes and passions that we may have. Have we tried to get rid of these? John mentions the pride of life … .

As a young person, I am familiar with this. I have been caught up in it a few times myself. The pride of life is trying to seek after the finer things in life. It is doing all that you can to get everything while you are here on the earth. Many young people are getting caught up in this today. They are putting education before the Lord. They are putting career advancement before the Lord. The Lord is taking a back seat to everything these days. John also mentions the lust of the eyes .. .

The lust of the eyes is seeking the material things in this life. An example is found in Luke 4:1-13. Satan showed Christ the kingdoms of the world, which was an appeal to the lust of the eyes. One can also use the same reference to Luke in the lust of the flesh. In this context, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. He was hungry and weak from this ordeal. Satan tempts him to turn stones into bread. There is nothing wrong with obtaining food, as long as it is done in a way pleasing unto the Lord, but for Jesus to give in to Satan would have been a victory for the evil one.

Another example of Satan tempting man in all three ways is mentioned in Genesis 3:1-6. Satan appealed to Eve by telling her that she would not surely die if she partook of the forbidden fruit. Then he lead her on by saying that she would be like God. And then, just think of it, he said that she would know good and evil. As one goes on in verse 6, one can see Eve is really thinking about it. She knows it is wrong to do so, but she is trying to make it sound good in her mind, so that she will feel justified to partake. The Bible says that the fruit was good for food (lust of the flesh), pleasant to the eyes (it looked so good, lust of the eyes), and it was a tree desirable to make one wise (the pride of life). Here Satan tempted Eve and she succumbed to him.

Satan tempts us today, in the same ways and we need to be on guard for this. Here is a very important thought for us to consider. We have the Israelites as an example for us not to follow. Now take a moment to look at your life. Where does it stand? Are we like Israel in that we allow people around us to lead us into questionable practices and questionable places? Do we associate with people of like precious faith? We should want to be around other Christians. They share the same goals and values that we do. When one associates with people who do not share the same values, then it is easy for their attitudes to rub off on us. The things that they do won’t be questioned very deeply, because our conscience will be seared. If we do not get rid of the habits of the world after we become a Christian, then they will become as traps. These things quickly became traps to the Israelites. I’m not trying to say that we should be an isolationist, but we always need to be careful.

Other important lessons to learn from Israel might have to do with our timing in prayer. Do you only pray to the Lord when something is wrong? For example, a crisis occurs and then you start to pray. Sometimes a crisis occurs and it causes people to start attending services again.

After the crisis subsides, prayer subsides also, and they stop attending services. That is the way of following in the steps of the Israelites. Israel only seemed to worship or care about God in times of crisis.

Let us go back to Judges 2:2-3. Have we let the things of the world today become a snare to us? Have we really turned our life around. Until we remove the snare, then we cannot be fully pleasing to God. We all know examples of this today, and probably know people who are like this, but let us guard ourselves against doing the very same thing. We need to always examine our lives and make sure that we don’t follow in the steps of Israel. Their history is one of the saddest known to man. They could have done so much for the Lord, but they forsook him. Please guard against the snares in your life so that you will be able to do much for the Lord.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 12-13
October 17, 1996

By Harry R. Osborne

In recent years, it has been amazing to see the variety of activities in which some churches have been engaged. There are churches offering dental clinics, GED classes, day care centers, political action drives, job placement services, business enterprises, and many other things having nothing to do with the spiritual function God commanded of the church we read about in the New Testament. One church in Tennessee even advertized a series of adult classes including one on wood carving, another on basket making and a third for men only entitled “Fun Facts About Your Prostate.”

A few days ago, I saw an institutional church here in Alvin advertising a class on their sign as follows:

“First Place”

Christian Weight Control

I later found that the class was a weight loss program which held all the promise of turning Jehosaphat into Jehosaslim. Though I have no question that the class is offered with every good intention, I do question what business the church has being involved in “weight control.” Paul did say, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Heb. 12:1), but he clearly had spiritual encumberances rather than flabby middles in mind.

Such programs which concentrate on physical life rather than emphasizing the priority of spiritual life are contrary to the focus given by the Bible instruction:

If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed . . . and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come (1 Tim. 4:6-8).

But what does the Bible say about the mission and work of the church? Let’s see.

Bible Teaching on the Church’s Mission

1 Timothy 3:15 says the church is “the pillar and ground of the truth.” Proclaiming that truth upon which it is based ought to be the focus of the action of the church. The New Testament church did not dilute the message inspired of God with programs aimed at trim waistlines.

In 1 Timothy 4, as noted previously, the Bible shows how that spiritual emphasis should be fulfilled. The first five verses instruct the people to identify and combat at-tempts to change the doctrine God gave. The rest of the chapter shows the supremacy of the spiritual matters over the physical. The mission of the church is found in the spiritual realm.

Ephesians 4:11-16 makes the principle even clearer. The ones mentioned in verse 11 (“apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers”) were all involved in the revelation and proclamation of the word of God. Their effect was spiritual.

They “perfected the saints” so that the saints might do the “work of ministering” resulting in “the building up of the body of Christ” (v. 12). The word of God caused people to be perfected or made complete spiritually. Then, they went out and served others by teaching God’s word. The result was the spiritual strengthening of the body, the church.

This fact is evident in verses 13-16 as the truth or message of Christ is emphasized as the necessity for the body’s growth. One cannot escape the fact that the church has a spiritual mission. That mission is to preach the truth of God’s word causing people to grow spiritually, not shrink physically.

In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, a church was rebuked be-cause they abused the spiritual purpose of their gathering together. Instead of worshipping the Lord in eating the Lord’s supper, they made it into a common meal. Such was condemned! The writer said that the proper means for engaging in such social activities was the responsibility of the home, hence, showing a distinction between action provided for by the church collectively and by individuals in the home (1 Cor. 11:22).

When Did It Get “Liberal”?

A few years ago, the Bering Drive Church of Christ in Houston offered the readers of their bulletin an opportunity to “Come Take A Bite Out Of A World’s Record  300 Foot Hot Dog! ! !” Theevent was promised to have live television coverage and all the trappings of a real social attraction. Some of the less liberal institutional brethren (please excuse the oxymoron) decried such spectacles as an example of “liberalism.” This caused me to wonder when that hot dog became “liberal.” When it was a six-inch hot dog back in their kitchen or so-called “fellowship hall,” the same folks thought it was fine and decried the “antis” who opposed such. Now that the hot dog has grown to 300 feet in length, it has become a sign of “liberalism.” How long did that hot dog have to get before it became “liberal”? One foot? Five feet? Ten feet? One hundred feet? Where was the “liberal” line crossed? Maybe Wayne Jackson, Johnny Ramsey, Alan Highers, or one of the Spiritual Sword crowd can tell us. Do you think they will?

The truth is, it became “liberal” and unscriptural when the church provided for social activities, however small they seemed at the time, which were not authorized in the word of God. At that point, the one engaged in such action was properly described as that which “goeth onward and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ” (2 John 9). Whether it was six inches or 300 feet beyond the teaching is beside the point. The path of disobedience started with the first step. I seriously doubt that the Spiritual Sword crowd would justify the 300 foot hot dog or the “Christian weight control” program necessitated by such hugh appetites for social gospel programs. However, if they trace its lineage, they will find themselves as the fathers of that which they now call “liberalism.”

Conclusion

The Bible approves of individuals being involved in social activities. It also approves of individuals planning and providing for business ventures, recreation, political agendas, educational pursuits, child care, and weight loss programs. But where is the church charged with these matters? We need to let individuals do their work and let churches get back to their spiritual mission.

Christ did not die to purchase gyms, businesses, dental clinics, day care centers, some political agenda, or weight control programs. He died so that a saving message could be preached to people and purchase a people redeemed from sin, the church (Acts 20:28). If a work is not worth the blood of Jesus, the church has no business being involved in it! The Savior’s blood was not shed to rid the physical body of unwanted pounds, but to rid the spiritual man of sin (Rev. 1:5). Spreading that message of truth is the focus of the church which conforms to the pattern found in God’s word.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 20, p. 10-11
October 17, 1996

By Mike Willis

Psalm 23 has comforted the hearts of God’s people since it was first written by David. It is read at many funerals, but should not be confined to that period in one’s life for providing the comfort which its words give. Not only is it a poetical masterpiece, it is a divine revelation about God’s superintending care of his children. Many of us committed this psalm to memory as children, and if you have not already done that let me encourage you to do so; committing our life to its teaching may take a lifetime. May God help us to do so.

Superscription

A Psalm of David. This common superscription in the psalms at-tributes this psalm to David as its author. The psalm was written after David had grown old enough to have enemies (v. 5) and to have experienced the threat of death from his enemies (v. 4).

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Jehovah is David’s shepherd (Qal ptc. of ra’ah, “to pasture, tend, graze. . . ptc. used as a substantive,” BDB 945). The concept of Jehovah as a shepherd is common (see Gen. 49:24; Ps. 80:1; Isa. 40:11; 49:9, 10; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:6-19; etc.) and is used in a special sense to describe Jesus as the “good Shepherd” (John 10:1-19, 26-28; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4; Rev. 7:17). God is not described as a “rancher,” for cows have to be driven whereas sheep are “led.” God does not drive us against our will to force obedience.

The concept of Jehovah as a shepherd is better understood by those who know the work of a shepherd. We can understand this better by reading what the legitimate work of a shepherd is. In Ezekiel 34, the prophet condemned the shepherds of Israel because they were not doing the work of a shepherd. By his criticism, we can learn what the work of a shepherd is. Ezekiel wrote, “Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them” (34:4).

One of the most beautiful pictures of Jesus was that which depicts him as the “Good Shepherd.” In the parable of Luke 15:4-7, the Lord shows God’s loving care for those who are lost.

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

  Jesus as the Good Shepherd laid down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). He knows his sheep by name (John 10:3) and they hear (recognize) his voice and follow him (John 10:14). What intimacy exists between God, the Shepherd, and his children. To know that God knows me by name and cares for me as depicted in these verses is very reassuring. It brings peace, serenity, and calmness to my soul to know my God is my Shepherd. Compare Isaiah 40:11  “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”

His primary work of leading is described in this verse. He leads one to places where there is no want, where there is safety and peace (vv. 1-2). I shall not want is translated from chasar, “to lack, need, be lacking, decrease” BDB 341). Compare Ps. 34:9  “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.”

As a shepherd, God has provided for every need of his sheep. There is nothing lacking. There should not be interpreted in a materialistic sense to mean that his saints are financially wealthy, never experience sickness or have accidents. Rather, this is saying that the God has provided for every spiritual need of his children. There is no need in God’s children wandering into the barren deserts of the spiritual wastelands of human religions  searching the Koran of the Muslims, the Book of Mormon, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Baghavad Ghita, or other “holy” books in search for answers to man’s spiritual needs. God’s provisions for man are sufficient  “I shall not want.”

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

The reference is to the custom of shepherds leading their sheep to the shade for repose in the heat of the day. The Lord’s shepherding of David takes him to green (navah: “pasture, meadow. . . grassy pasture,” BDB 627) pastures (dheshe’: “grass,” BDB 206) where he maketh me to lie down (rabats: “stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out. . . Hiph. cause to lie down… [for repose],” BDB 918). His being in green pastures emphasizes the point of v. 1  “I shall not want.” These are places in which his every need is supplied.

Let me pause to state that the first step of human apostasy occurs when man looks at God’s divine provisions with disdain and thinks that “green pastures” are to be found somewhere else. I know little about sheep but considerably more about cows. When I grew up as a lad in East Texas, we raised cows. Cows always think the “grass is greener” on the other side of the fence. Constantly, they poke their heads through the barbed wire fence to look for the green grass on the other side. What usually happens is this: a cow comes to a post that has been eaten by termites or just rotted, pokes her head through the barbed wire fence, the post breaks, and the cow is outside the fence. So long as a per-son thinks the “green pastures” are outside of God’s provisions, so long as he thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, he will constantly be stretching against the boundaries of God’s word until he jumps the fence! The first step of apostasy is the concept that life would be better in disobedience to God than in obedience to him. What a difference in concept is that to the thinking of men such as Daniel who thought death in obedience to God was to be preferred over life in disobedience to him!

The text continues to explain that God makes him lie down in green pastures. This emphasizes the rest, safety, and security of the place in which his needs are met. The Lord’s shepherding care is seen in his leading (nahal: “Pi. lead, guide to a water-place or station, and cause to rest there; bring to a station or place of rest; lead, guide, re-fresh,” BDB 624). Still is from menuchah, “resting-place, rest. . . quietness, refreshment” (BDB 629-630). The waters are calm and peaceful (not raging and life-threatening); they provide a place of solitude and safety.

William S. Plumer wrote, “The world around them is a land of deserts and of drought, which yields nothing to satisfy the longing soul. Sooner shall the body be nourished by whirlwinds and the dust, than the spirit with things of mere time and sense” (310).

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God restores (Polel imperf. of shub: “turn, return.. . Polel bring back. restore, refresh,” BDB 998) his soul (nephesh). Barnes commented, “It refers to the spirit when exhausted, weary, or sad; and the meaning is, that God quick-ens or vivifies the spirit when thus exhausted” (211). There are times when man is drained and exhausted from the circumstances of life. But, Jehovah our Shepherd recognizes the condition of his sheep and provides time and circumstances to vivify the spirit.

God leads (nachah : “lead, guide,” BDB 634) him in the paths (ma `ghal: “entrenchment… track. . . in a fig. sense course of action, or life,” BDB 722) of righteousness (tsedeq: “rightness, righteousness. . . what is right, just, normal; rightness, justness,” BDB 841). God never leads men into paths of wickedness; only the devil will do that. Our modern concept of situation ethics asserts that some-times the path of wickedness is the path in which it is “right” to walk. This denies that is so. God only leads in the paths of righteousness. He directs us in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. He leads me in righteousness because of who he is, not because of what I am.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

God’s guidance and direction in “green pastures,” “be-side still waters,” and so that I “shall not want,” does not preclude one walking through the valley of the shadow of death and facing evil. Any interpretation of vv. 1-3 that so concludes is mistaken.

Yea (gam: “an adv. denoting addition, also moreover, yea,” BDB 168) indicates that there is more to his direction than green pastures and still waters. There are times that one must walk (halak) in the valley (ghay’: “valley,” BDB 160) of the shadow of death (tsalmavet: “death-shadow, deep shadow… deep shadow, darkness. . . fig. of distress … of extreme danger,” BDB 853). We would portray a wrong conclusion if we promised that God’s leading protects a person from ever walking in such places.

In the face of such dangers and possibly even death, the psalmist would experience a sense of security. He would fear (yare’) no evil (ra’). His absence of fear is not from exceptional courage. He fears no evil for the same reason that a child does not fear when his father is with him. He has perfect security because of his reliance on a force greater than the evil that he is facing. Thou art with me! God’s presence gives peace and security in the presence of life-threatening evil.

A young child was walking with his father along a dark path. The toddler said, “Daddy, will you hold my hand?” Sensing his son’s insecurity, the father asked, “Why?” He said, “It’s too dark not to have a Daddy!” How true this is in a deeper sense than the toddler meant. It’s too dark, there are far too many dangers and threats to one’s well being, not to have a Father who is with me when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

God’s rod (shebet: “rod, staff, club, scepter. . . rod, staff (evidently common article) for smiting. . . fig. of Yahweh’s chastisement. . . shepherd’s implement, club… used in mustering or counting sheep,” BDB 987) and staff (mish `enet: staff, from sha’an: Niph. lean, support one-self,” BDB 1043-1044) give David comfort (nacham: Niph. “be sorry, console oneself; . . . Piel. comfort, console,” BDB 637). The shepherd used his “rod” to defend himself and his flock from enemies; he used his staff to prod along the sheep and to direct them. Both of these instruments in the hand of God, the Shepherd, give comfort to the one walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

We should give praise to God for his rod. It tells of us divine protection of his children when they walked through the valley of the shadow of death. It protects them from enemies who threaten their lives and souls. How reassuring is the knowledge that I have his divine protection during such crises.

We should also give praise to God for his staff as we walk through the shadow of death. The staff prods us to walk in a certain way and brings us back into the right as we begin to stray. There may be times when we need the Shepherd’s correction. Most of us as adults have grown to realize that we are thankful for our parents’ chastening. Without it, our spiritual and moral character would have developed in sinful and wrong ways. Have we grown up enough to appreciate God’s chastening? Can we give thanks to the Father for those rebukes, whether gentle or not so gentle, that have been administered to us by loving elders and faithful preachers who cared for our souls? How blessed we are to have God’s rod and staff to comfort us when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

The figure has changed from God being pictured as the Shepherd to God as the Host. God prepared (`arak: “arrange, set in order. . . arrange a table,” BDB 789) a table (shulchan: “table. . . skin or leather mat spread on ground,” BDB 1020; the table seems to be used by metonymy for what is set on it) for David. Significantly, this table was prepared in the presence (neged: “what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to,” BDB 617) of mine enemies (Qal ptc. of tsarar: “to shew hostility toward, vex… ptc. used as a substantive for enemy,” BDB 865). David’s enemies were not able to prevent God’s ample provisions of David’s needs.

More than merely feeding David, God also anointed his head with oil. Anoint is from dhashen, “be fat, grow fat … causat. make fat. . . i.e. anoint symbol of festivity and joy” (BDB 206). While his enemies are watching, God is providing festivity, luxury, and joy for David. Plumer observes, “When men were sad they covered themselves with dust and ashes. When joyous they washed and anointed themselves, Job ii.12; xlii.6; 2 Sam. xii.20” (315). My cup (chos) runneth over (revayah: “saturation. . i.e. is well filled,” BDB 924). There is no skimping.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all thedays of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

David fully expected (surely: ‘ak: adv. “surely.. . asseverative, often introducing with emphasis the expression of a truth [or supposed truth] newly perceived,” BDB 36) to receive from Jehovah goodness (tob) and mercy (chesed). Shall follow is from radap, “pursue, chase, persecute. . . in a good sense, attend closely upon” (BDB 922). All the days of my life is limited to life on earth. This is not to be construed to say that David never expected any more days of walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Rather, God’s goodness and mercy would be with him even as he walked through that valley.

He also had the confident expectation to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. To dwell in the house of the Lord is to enjoy his fellowship, presence, and companion-ship. He will dwell there le’orek yamim  length of days. Compare Psa. 27:4  “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.”

Conclusion

This psalm has inspired many poets to offer praise to God as our Shepherd and Guide. May we fill our hearts with its teaching today  before the time comes when we have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death  so that when the hour comes, we can know that we walk through securely because God our Shepherd is leading us. May it give and grant to us a tranquility of spirit, a serenity, and a blessed peace that will enrich our lives.

Guardian of Truth XL: No. 21, p. 2
November 7, 1996