As we read our Bible, we believe that it is fully and completely true. We believe that it is the word of God himself to us. We believe that it reveals who He is, and who we are in light of Him. We believe that all of it is inspired by God and profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) We believe this and we stand on this.
Having said that, we must also realize that there can be some challenges that we may face as we read scripture. One of the most common challenges is distance. This challenge is found in the simple fact that the scriptures were written many years ago in a different language, in a different period of time, in a different area of the world, and in a different culture, and these factors can seem to distance us from the text.
An example of this distance can be seen in the very popular 23rd Psalm. The vivid imagery of this Psalm 23 describes the Lord as our good shepherd and us as His sheep. It is absolutely beautiful!
This Psalm was written by King David approximately 3,000 years ago. It was written in the Hebrew language depicting a middle eastern shepherd and his flock, and it was written to an ancient middle eastern agrarian audience.
Now… Fast-forward.
Today, it is 2017. In my church, we are western, English speaking people who live in the suburbs of San Antonio, TX. Not only are we not agrarian, but many of us could count on our ten fingers how many times we have actually seen sheep in our lives.
What a gap!
Now, please don’t misunderstand me… we are certainly able to read this incredible Psalm and understand it even as 2017 San Antonians. Although we are not middle eastern shepherds, we are able to see the overall meaning of the agrarian imagery. However, there are certain nuances that would come alive before our eyes if we were able to get ourselves closer to the original context of this Psalm.
So, how do we do that? Well, one way that we can minimize the distance between ourselves and the text is by reading incredible books like this:
This book is called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, and it is both beautifully written and incredibly helpful. W. Phillip Keller was born in East Africa, and spent many years in agriculture research, land management, wildlife conservation, and ranch development in British Columbia. As he grew up in East Africa, Keller was a shepherd. As a result, he is able to show the beauty of this Psalm from a shepherd’s perspective. He is able to help us gain a more vivid understanding of the imagery David uses in the 23rd Psalm, and his insights will help get us closer to the context of this incredible Psalm.
I strongly recommend this book. I believe that this book will not only increase your understanding of Psalm 23, but that it will increase your affection for Jesus Christ as our good shepherd.