How I Built A Mountain with Toilet Paper And PVC Glue

        Psalm 23 Has Been So Miss Represented 

Over the last I would say 10 years I have been taught by the Holy Spirit about this Psalm, It speaks so much about the Shepherd’s, Abba Father’s promises, guidance, and love from our Shepherd, for us even in our darkest of times.

A lot of the Bible especially Psalm 23 is the Holy Spirit talking to us in picture language and the person that wrote Psalm 23 was David. The Hebrew language is a picture language and some of the words can have a few different meanings. Hence why sometimes when authors have translated the Bible they have sometimes used one option of the word when it could possibly have meant another option of the word. Unfortunately when translating Hebrew and the Old Greek languages along with a lot of other languages into English we lose the full meaning of what the word was meant to mean.

For example when translating the word “Love” from Old Greek we definitely lose the fullness of its interpretation. For us we have only “love” and “like”. In Old Greek they have 3 words just for the word “love”. There is the intense love that can be felt between a husband and wife, then there is the love that a parent has for their child and then there is the love that we use for the word like. For example “I like this ice cream”. Hopefully this helps you a little bit as to why there are so many different translations.

I find that sometimes when I read the Scriptures in other translations it really helps to bring great revelation, a great light on to what is really happening here or that Abba Father is saying to you.

Let me explain some of the things that the Holy Spirit has showed me about this very beautiful Psalm.

Let me break this Psalm down for you and show you what I have learnt through the heart of grace.

The Lord the Shepherd of His People

Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV

1: The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.

The Lord is our Shepherd; yes Abba Father, God, and our good Shepherd. A good shepherd looks after his flock, his sheep, looking after their every need, and he provides everything for them. He guides them, guards them, he protects them, and he loves them before all else. Because of this his flock has complete peace. This type of peace written here in Hebrew is translated to “Shalom” which we know as “His Shalom peace”. Shalom in Hebrew means peace and to receive this type of peace everything is given for you. With this Shalom peace comes healing, provision in abundance, full restoration, and comfort. So as you can see this is speaking of our Heavenly Father who is our good Shepherd to us His flock, His sheep, His followers. And yes they shall not want for anything, because it is all provided for them. Such a lovely picture, but it is far more than just a lovely picture it is a promise for us. Hallelujah.

² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. (NKJV)

I find that the Holy Spirit lead the authors of the New Living Translation Bible in this verse to write in a way that is much easier to relate to, because Abba Father never makes us do anything that we do not want to do, He leads us, He guides us, and He teaches us in a way that a loving Father would do.

New Living Translation

He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

Can you see the picture of very lush green grass right beside a beautiful peaceful stream that has clear and drinkable water?

He wants us to lie down to rest in His presence and just be loved and receive all His goodness.

Green pastures, meadows, fields, full of green grass, here is a picture of an abundance and abundance of provision. Because this field is full and full of green lush grass, the best grass you could ever have. There is an abundance of it, of provision more than enough, no lack of anything. This is Abba Father’s very heart for us. He is waiting for us to lay down our business and just lay at His feet and just receive all His goodness, His love, His grace, His mercy, His Shalom peace, and enter into His rest for you.  You know that Jesus died to give us all this and more. Hallelujah.

³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake. (NKJV)

Yes it is at these “still waters” that He restores our soul, He refreshes us. He feeds and nourishes our soul in these green pastures of His living Word. Yes these words can also be speaking of feeding our souls with the richness of His Word. Hallelujah.

Also here are a few different translations that really bring light to different situations that you might be going through. “He restores my soul”, “He refreshes my soul”, and “He renews my strength”, these different translations are all what the Father, the Shepherds heart wants for us.

New International Version

he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.

New Living Translation

He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (NKJV)

Because of the way that some main stream Bible’s have been translated and taught this Psalm is so under taught and miss represented to everyone. When a I was a baby Christian, a new Christian I tended to be a little hesitant to read this Psalm because of the beliefs and teachings that I held from verse 4;

Here are some examples of different Bible translation:

Psalm 23:4

New King James Version

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

New International Version

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

New Living Translation

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Contemporary English Version

I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.

Most people have only ever heard this Psalm at a funeral, hence why you would relate this Psalm to death and dying just like I did.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”. When reading this part of this verse in the NKJV it would be so easy to believe that this verse is talking about actual death, when it is not talking about dying. The valley of the shadow of death means “great darkness. Valleys are another picture language in the Bible. Valley’s represent darkest of times for you, just like when you are top of a Mountain that can mean everything is going really good for you, or a Mountain in front of you can represent a large obstacle in front of you. So here in this verse it is talking about our darkest of times whether that be in deep depression, or a really hard time that you could be going through. Whatever it is that is causing you to feel so depressed, so upset, even believing the lies and deception of the enemy the devil plants in your mind. If you come to believe them this can lead to spiritual death not life in Christ.

For example believing the lies that you are alone, not loved, and that Abba Father has not protected you or provided for you or even forsaken you than these thoughts may lead you of thinking “well if He has turned His back on me because I have sinned then what is the point of following a God that isn’t all that He says He is, I will no longer believe in Him anymore. These lies are so far from the truth. He does love you no matter how great the sin because you are forgiven through the finished works of Jesus Christ.

Now that you have read this verse “I may walk through valleys as dark as death”, do you know see the difference by reading through the Contemporary English Version, it certainly sheds a whole new light on what is truly being said here.

And when you know that you are not alone and that He comforts you, you will not fear the evil one, the dark valley, or the darkest of times, because He is with you. “I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.

As for His rod and His staff they comfort us, notice that they comfort us and He does not use His rod to hit us. There is no place in the Bible where it refers to God or Jesus hitting anyone. Not even a good shepherd uses his rod or his staff to hit his sheep, his flock, he uses his rod to guide them on the path that they are to go, as it says in verse 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness, (not wickedness, not on a dark path),another misrepresentation of this verse. His rod represents His word, His Bible, His living Word that helps to direct us and gives us much comfort in times of trial.

A shepherd uses his staff to pull back a lost sheep from going astray and into danger. The staff is a hand of protection guiding us lovingly out of danger. I wish I knew these 2 truths when I was a younger Christian. Praise Abba Father that He has taught me these truths now. Hallelujah.  

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over. (NKJV)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;” This is a prophesy of what Christ has done for us. He died to prepare a table for us. We know this as communion.

“You anoint my head with oil”, the type of oil that is spoken here is olive oil, it was worth a lot of money,  a treasure. To make olive oil the olives require bring crushed just as Christ was crushed for us to heal us and only then will the oil flow out, the healing flows out for us. When we come to the table, to the Healer our cup overflows with healing in abundance. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as the Spirit of gladness, the oil of gladness.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (NKJV)

After learning all that I have been taught about this Psalm and I have no doubt that there is so much more depth into this Psalm that the Holy Spirit will continue to teach me. I really do believe that His goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life. And because of His great love for me I want to dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever and ever Hallelujah and Amen.

I do hope you have found this insightful and helpful. Please leave your comments below I would love to hear from you.

I pray that you would also know the fullness of His great love for you and be at peace, His Shalom peace. In Jesus name I pray. Hallelujah and Amen.