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Tag: Psalms

Lie down in green pastures

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What does “he makes me lie down in green pastures” mean (Psalm 23:2)?

Psalm 23 offers comfort with its soothing words and assurance in the Shepherd. Its poetic allure attracts even unbelievers, while its pastoral imagery draws from David’s own shepherding background, aiming to evoke a sense of tranquility. Throughout Psalm 23, the timeless truth about God and His relationship with His people unfolds. An example is the second verse, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

To delve into David’s imagery in Psalm 23:2, consider how shepherds took care of their sheep in biblical times. Rather than “drive” them with a stick from behind as is commonly imagined, shepherds guided the sheep, going before them to suitable pasture. Without a shepherd, sheep would either starve or become prey. Similarly, the shepherd directed the sheep to water sources. By invoking this analogy, David expresses his complete reliance on God to fulfill all his needs, conveying deep adoration for God as the Ultimate Provider.

It’s interesting that Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd multiple times in the Gospels, paralleling the Psalms (John 10:11, 14–15; Matthew 18:12–14; Luke 15:3–7). No doubt, His listeners were familiar enough with the Old Testament to pick up on the reference. That might explain why some thought of Him as insane (John 10:19–20). Nevertheless, the resonant truth remains that Jesus is God—the Good Shepherd whom we faithfully follow.

The green pastures and still waters symbolize both spiritual and physical needs. As the Good Shepherd, Christ initially tended to our spiritual needs by “sacrificing his life for the sheep” (John 10:14). Isaiah employs similar imagery, proclaiming, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Christians lie in the green pasture of God’s grace and beside the still water of salvation, recognizing that these blessings stem from a Good Shepherd’s guidance.

Beyond spiritual needs, the Good Shepherd also attends to our other requirements. This raises an obvious objection: why do certain Christians still lack? David’s confidence in God’s provision doesn’t negate other passages highlighting the persistence of poverty in this fallen world until God renews His creation (Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8). Various factors can lead to poverty, and God’s commitment to meet our needs does not necessarily entail a life of constant abundance or freedom from challenges, at least not in this world. Numerous psalms mirror the angst of the psalmist, who felt that God had abandoned him in critical moments, and it is human that we react likewise. However, God’s power shines through both in times of plenty and scarcity.

As the psalmist did, we can confidently declare that God makes us lie down in green pastures, secure, satisfied, and unafraid. Christ, our Good Shepherd, provides for our needs in profound ways.

Asaph in Psalms

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

Who was the Asaph mentioned in the Book of Psalms?

There were a number of Levites that King David assigned as worship leaders in the tabernacle choir, according to 1 Chronicles 6:31–32. Asaph was one of these men (1 Chronicles 6:39). Asaph’s duties are described in detail in 1 Chronicles 16. According to 2 Chronicles 29:30, both Asaph and David were skilled singers and poets. Asaph is also mentioned as a “seer” or prophet. The “sons of Asaph” are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 20:14, and Ezra 2:41. The sons of Asaph were likely a guild of skilled poets and singers, modeling themselves musically after Asaph, their master. The church musicians of our day can be considered spiritual “children of Asaph.”

Psalms 50 and 73—83 are called the “Psalms of Asaph” because his name appears in the superscription at the head of those psalms. Regarding Asaph’s role as a prophet, of particular interest is the imprecatory Psalm 83, which deals with God’s judgment of Israel’s enemies: Edom, the Ishmaelites, Moab, the Hagarites, Gebal, Ammon, the Amalekites, Philistia, Tyre, and Assyria. If we examine the psalms written by Asaph, we can see that all of them have to do with the judgment of God, and many involve the prayers of the people at the prospect or moment of a particular event.

Asaph was a gifted individual. He understood where the gift came from, and he used his music to praise the Lord and communicate His Word to a needy world.

Power of the dog

Written by LWOM Amsterdam on . Posted in Psalms, What’s new?.

What is the power of the dog in Psalm 22:20?

Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm in which King David suffers great pain and distress as a type of Christ. He cries out to God for help, just as Jesus would later call out on the cross (see Psalm 22:1, cited in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34). Like Christ, who pleaded with the Father to rescue Him from death (Hebrews 5:7), David implores God to save him from his enemies: “Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!” (Psalm 22:20, ESV).

In most parts of the world today, dogs are viewed as beloved pets. But in ancient times dogs were primarily feral, scavenging animals considered unclean in Israel. In a couple of passages, dogs were used for guarding houses and herding flocks (Isaiah 56:10; Job 30:1), but, more frequently, dogs were wild creatures that roamed the streets devouring refuse and dead bodies (1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:19, 23; 22:38).

A person’s enemies were identified as “dogs” in Scripture (Psalm 59:6). In Jeremiah 15:3, the Lord appointed four kinds of destroyers: “The sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to devour, and the wild animals to finish up what is left.” The apostle Paul warned believers to watch out for false apostles, calling them dogs: “Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh” (Philippians 3:2). Those who were excluded from the kingdom of heaven were called dogs in Revelation 22:15: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

In Psalm 22, David refers to his enemies as “bulls” or “wild oxen” (verses 12 and 21), “lions” (verses 13 and 21), and “dogs” (verses 16 and 20). These are metaphors and not literal animals. In verse 16, he reports, “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.”

The power of the dog speaks of the creature’s ability to surround its prey like a pack of wolves, to bite, tear, inflict wounds, do evil, and destroy. Both a sword and a dog can kill. When David prayed to God to deliver his soul “from the sword” and his “precious life from the power of the dog,” he feared losing his life in a cruel and violent manner.

The terminology power of the dog may also invoke the might of the Roman Empire in Psalm 22’s prophetic portrayal of Christ’s suffering and death. It was Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion of Christ, surrounding Jesus, stripping off His clothing, nailing Him to the cross, and even gambling for His clothing (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24; cf. Psalm 22:18). A dog was the Jewish derogatory term for the Gentiles (Matthew 7:6; 15:26; Revelation 22:15). The Romans, the Jewish High Council, and Satan himself rallied together to put Jesus to death.

For the most part, dogs are presented in the Bible in an offensive light (1 Samuel 17:43; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Kings 8:13; Proverbs 26:11). They symbolize despicable, hostile, or evil people who group together like dogs to prey on the vulnerable. Our great enemy, the devil, operates like a dog or a lion, prowling around in search of someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Thus, the power of the dog is the lethal influence of one’s enemies who band together to inflict harm, injury, or death.

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