Psalms 23:4
There is a change of direction in the 4th verse of the great Shepherd’s Psalm. Notice that in verse 2, “he maketh me…” and “he leadeth me…” Then in verse 3, “He leadeth me…” occurs again. In each instance, the Shepherd is leading and providing for the direction of His sheep. The Psalmist then says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (Psalms 23:4). In this verse there is no mention of the sheep being led, only that they walk through of their own free will. This is a type of all of us wandering off of the beaten path of righteousness (verse 3) and into the dark valleys of life.
There are three important things to note about this journey into the valley. First, we should remember that it is only a valley, and valleys do not go on forever. They are simply depressions between mountains, so there are brighter days to come. This valley also has a name, “the valley of the shadow of death”. It is not “Death Valley”, it is only death’s shadow that we will see while here. Only a small child or an animal would fear a shadow on a wall, thinking that it might be a dark individual chasing them, but a mature adult would not harbor such fear. We know that in order for there to be shadows, there must be light shining on the other side of an object. Based on the fact that Malachi calls Jesus the “Sun of Righteousness”, who do you suppose that light might be?
Second, David says, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”. David has no fear because he knows that shadows cannot hurt him. No matter what evil lurks in the valley, causing the shadows, David has confidence in the Shepherd, realizing that Jesus’ very presence will calm the storms of doubt and fear. You have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), so do not accept it! As the old song says, ‘There is nothing to fear when Jesus is near; I’m living in sunlight now’.
Finally, “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”. The rod is used by the shepherd to attack the predators that lurk near the flock. The Hebrew word for ‘rod’ as used here is typically translated ‘scepter’ or even ‘tribe’. It denotes more than a mere stick of wood; it is symbolic of the authority of God and His covenant keeping ways. He protects the sheep with the rod of His Covenant, bound to care for us by the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ.
The staff has a crook at the end of it, used for pulling wayward sheep out of ditches and trenches. When we slip off of the path, the Shepherd will put the staff under our shoulders and pull us close to Him. The staff is also a symbol of the healing and restorative power of God. Elisha placed his staff on a dead child and the life came back to him (2 Kings 4:29-37). The staff of our Good Shepherd will bring life back to weary legs.
Even though the Shepherd does not lead us into the valley of the shadow of death, He will not merely wait on the other side for us to emerge either. If we go in, He will go in, though it may not be in His perfect plan for us. Remember, no matter what you are going through, He will go through it with you, even if the trouble is of our own making. Do not blame yourself; for there are valleys between mountains and while He may not lead you into it, He will always lead you out.
There is a change of direction in the 4th verse of the great Shepherd’s Psalm. Notice that in verse 2, “he maketh me…” and “he leadeth me…” Then in verse 3, “He leadeth me…” occurs again. In each instance, the Shepherd is leading and providing for the direction of His sheep. The Psalmist then says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” (Psalms 23:4). In this verse there is no mention of the sheep being led, only that they walk through of their own free will. This is a type of all of us wandering off of the beaten path of righteousness (verse 3) and into the dark valleys of life.
There are three important things to note about this journey into the valley. First, we should remember that it is only a valley, and valleys do not go on forever. They are simply depressions between mountains, so there are brighter days to come. This valley also has a name, “the valley of the shadow of death”. It is not “Death Valley”, it is only death’s shadow that we will see while here. Only a small child or an animal would fear a shadow on a wall, thinking that it might be a dark individual chasing them, but a mature adult would not harbor such fear. We know that in order for there to be shadows, there must be light shining on the other side of an object. Based on the fact that Malachi calls Jesus the “Sun of Righteousness”, who do you suppose that light might be?
Second, David says, “I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”. David has no fear because he knows that shadows cannot hurt him. No matter what evil lurks in the valley, causing the shadows, David has confidence in the Shepherd, realizing that Jesus’ very presence will calm the storms of doubt and fear. You have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7), so do not accept it! As the old song says, ‘There is nothing to fear when Jesus is near; I’m living in sunlight now’.
Finally, “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”. The rod is used by the shepherd to attack the predators that lurk near the flock. The Hebrew word for ‘rod’ as used here is typically translated ‘scepter’ or even ‘tribe’. It denotes more than a mere stick of wood; it is symbolic of the authority of God and His covenant keeping ways. He protects the sheep with the rod of His Covenant, bound to care for us by the finished work of His Son Jesus Christ.
The staff has a crook at the end of it, used for pulling wayward sheep out of ditches and trenches. When we slip off of the path, the Shepherd will put the staff under our shoulders and pull us close to Him. The staff is also a symbol of the healing and restorative power of God. Elisha placed his staff on a dead child and the life came back to him (2 Kings 4:29-37). The staff of our Good Shepherd will bring life back to weary legs.
Even though the Shepherd does not lead us into the valley of the shadow of death, He will not merely wait on the other side for us to emerge either. If we go in, He will go in, though it may not be in His perfect plan for us. Remember, no matter what you are going through, He will go through it with you, even if the trouble is of our own making. Do not blame yourself; for there are valleys between mountains and while He may not lead you into it, He will always lead you out.
