Year 8, Day 173: Psalms 23-24

Theological Commentary: Click Here

There is no more iconic psalm than Psalm 23. This psalm has been said at more funerals - and weddings, go figure – than any other psalm in the Bible.  When someone says the word psalm, I’m willing to bet that if we associate it with anything that most of us immediately do so with some part of this psalm.

Why is it the quintessential psalm?  To be honest, I blame a lot of that on rote tradition.  People use this psalm because its just what people do.  Instead of being original and picking a psalm with genuine meaning, I think many people used this psalm because its all they know.  I bring this up because it lifts up an inherent danger of the psalms – or any part of scripture.  When some scripture becomes iconic we can stop thinking about it.  While we want to be familiar with scripture, we want to meditate upon it.  Familiar should never replace meditation.

There are good reasons for this psalm to be iconic, however.  This psalm speaks deeply to the nature of God in many stages of life.  While it is certainly not a universal psalm, it is widely applicable.  When we are feeling lost, we are reminded that the Lord is a shepherd.  When we are feeling anxious, we are reminded that the path of the Lord is to still waters. When we lose our identity, we are reminded that He leads us into righteousness for the sake of His name.  When we are tempted, we are reminded that He leads us with both rod and staff.  When we feel alone, we are reminded that He invites us to His table.  There are many reasons to find this psalm appealing.

Psalm 24 gives us a different perspective on the Lord.  Whereas Psalm 23 is about the more pastoral nature of God, Psalm 24 is more about His splendor.  He is the king of glory.  He causes us to look up and rejoice.  The entire earth is His domain.  He is strong.  He is mighty.

For me, though, the greatest part of this psalm is the central verses.  If the Lord is so full of glory, who can ascend up to Him?  We are told that the righteous can go up.  Remember, though, that the righteous are made righteous by God.  The psalm isn’t telling us that the good and perfect people can go up.  The psalm is telling us that those who are after God’s own heart – those that God makes righteous – can go up to Him.

I think this is a very powerful word for the day. The Lord is splendorous.  But we are invited to be with Him.  He makes it possible for us to participate in His glory.

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