Last week, we read the Shepherd Psalms in the PBJ, and it is contemplation time this weekend.
Let’s back up a little… I started Friday morning with a ‘spinny’ head, very elevated blood pressure, and light chest pain. So, I went for a long walk - around 4 miles. Later that evening, an emergency room PA commented, “Not very smart.”
I told her that “If the Lord decided to take me home, I would be outside, hiking, and go from vertical to horizontal without it hurting very much.”
Yea, she laughed, but I was serious.
Back up to around 2:00 PM - At the USAF Academy Hospital. A young doctor was alarmed by my ECG / EKG and said a Cardiac event registered on the sensor readings and to get to the Memorial North Emergency Room. Combined with my ‘spinny’ head, they were worried about heart attack or stroke. Jan drove me to Memorial North, and we started phase II of our adventure. At 10:00 PM, the final tally was that I have a heart abnormality and have to go see my regular doctor next week. Add to that elevated blood pressure. As for my ‘spinny’ head, my left ear is full of fluid and is causing vertigo. That is from our Florida trip back in May. I hate flying but Florida was great, so we’ll blame that on the airplane ride. The chest pain is probably from overdoing it in the weight room, Thursday.
What started as a regular doctor visit at the AF Academy hospital turned into an emergency room trip to Memorial then a diagnosis of vertigo spiced up with a heart abnormality. Not a big deal in my brain, because the Lord will punch my ticket to heaven when He chooses - but some things came up that, while I’m still breathing, need to be diagnosed and handled.
Jan was with me all the way and even commented at one point that I was too cheerful to be in the emergency room. Yea, I was bombing people with smiles, dad jokes, and puns while trying to not wear my Fake Mask.
This brings us to Jan and me in Psalms this morning and our time of prayer, reflection, and meditation.
Psalm 23 is perhaps the most popular and well-known Psalm, but would be meaningless without Psalm 22, which leads me to say that we have a trilogy or triptych of psalms that belong together. They are Psalms 22, 23, and 24, and they are called the shepherd psalms. These three psalms present the following picture of our Lord:
In Psalm 22 He is the Good Shepherd. The Lord Jesus Himself made the statement, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (Joh 10:11).
In Psalm 23 He is the Great Shepherd. Notice this title in the great benediction at the conclusion of the Epistle to the Hebrews: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well–pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Heb 13:20-21). Psalm 23 reveals Him as the Great Shepherd.
I in Psalm 24, we see Him as the Chief Shepherd. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1Pe 5:4).
To put it succinctly:
In Psalm 22 we see the cross, in Psalm 23 the crook (the Shepherd's crook), and in Psalm 24 the crown (the King's crown).
In Psalm 22 Christ is the Savior; in Psalm 23 He is the Satisfier; in Psalm 24 He is the Sovereign.
In Psalm 22 He is the foundation; in Psalm 23 He is the manifestation; in Psalm 24 He is the expectation.
In Psalm 22 He dies; in Psalm 23 He is living; in Psalm 24 He is coming.
Psalm 22 speaks of the past; Psalm 23 speaks of the present; and Psalm 24 speaks of the future.
In Psalm 22 He gives His life for the sheep; in Psalm 23 He gives His love to the sheep; in Psalm 24 He gives us light when He shall appear.
What a wonderful picture we have of our sovereign Christ transcending time and space in these three psalms!
Jay