"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me." (Psalm 23:4)
A distraught senior citizen phoned her doctor's office. "Is it true," she wanted to know, "that the medication you prescribed has to be taken for the rest of my life?" "Yes, I'm afraid so," the doctor told her. There was a moment of silence before the senior lady replied,"I'm wondering, then, just how serious is my condition because this prescription is marked 'NO REFILLS'." Everyone is worried or concerned about death, if not afraid.
Psalm 23 is known to be used in funerals and death services by most Christians. David talks about a dark valley that he was going to face one day. When he described it as walking through “the darkest valley” (Psalm 23:4), most scholars say he is talking about the valley of death. It is the darkest valley of all, since we don't know when it comes or how or where it will come.
There are other dark valleys in life. Valleys and mountains are part of our journey of life. Mountain tops are often places of victory and joy even though it may be painful when you climb the mountain. Valleys are often peaceful and quiet, but often covered by clouds and darkness. The shadows can cover the serene beauty of the surroundings by shadowing the light that brightens the valley. The shadows are compared by the psalmist as the troubles in life. The dark valley full of shadows signifies the darkness of gloom, doubt and fear. Trouble can loom out of nowhere in the darkness. It takes both good and bad times to mature a person. Life is a mixture of pleasure and pain, of victory and defeat, of success and failure, of mountaintops and valleys. The Psalm is a testament of faith in a living God, and of the assurance that we can navigate the dark valleys of life without fear.
The Bible often talks about valleys as tough times. Joshua talks about a Valley of Calamity (Joshua 7:26). Psalm 84 uses the imagery of people passing through the Valley of Baca, or weeping, and Hosea talks about the Valley of Achor, or the Valley of Trouble (Hosea 2:15).
We all go through valleys darkness one time or other. They can be valleys of troubles like sickness, doubts or anxiety, they can be valleys of baca or tears like grief, separation, death, persecutions or trials. David used this powerful phrase to speak of some kind of dark, fearful experience. A valley suggests being hedged in and surrounded and being in a dark place. We are not able to see the surroundings, or what is coming in front of us. The fear of the unknown can grip us and squeeze us into stress and anxiety.
In the letter of Peter, we read, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." (1 Peter 4:12, 13). Peter is teaching the church four main points. 1. Trials are necessary to try our faith 2. We are not to think them strange 3. God will be with us in the mist of trials 4. After several trials we can come forth as gold. "You may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire" (I Peter 1:7). Gold used to be hand made at one time. The Goldsmith puts it through flames of high heat for several minutes or hours depending on how pure he wants to get the gold to become. There is a saying that the goldsmith knows the gold is pure when he can see his own image clearly on the molten metal in the flame.
When we go through the heat of trial, our Creator is watching us closely and His face will shine in our life when we are purified. He is closer to us and more watchful on us when we are in the dark valleys of trials. In my experience troubles have a way of teaching us how weak and vulnerable we are and they give us an experience of God's presence in a special way. It’s all about coming to the end of ourselves, and being prepared to lean on God.
We live a life in this world where trouble is the norm and not an exception. Everyone will have trouble who lives a meaningful life. You don't have to look for trouble. Trouble will find us in life, no matter who we are and how invincible or innocent we believe ourselves to be. For a believer, troubles are not always for the bad. We can find ways of trusting in God who can turn our troubles into victories and joy.
In Psalm 23:4 King David said, “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.” “Life itself is but the shadow of death, and souls departed but the shadows of the living.” (Thomas Browne British - Scientist October 19, 1605 - October 19, 1682).
The Valley of Death is the darkest of all valleys. You cannot see what is after death, and where you are going. When David wrote Psalm 23, it’s quite possible that he actually was referring to that dreaded place where death may have been more than a reasonable possibility. He was probably thinking about the road between Jericho and Jerusalem ran through the valley, it was probably well understood as a place where people of the day came face-to-face with death. This is the setting of the parable Jesus taught about the good samaritan, who stopped and helped a Jewish man who was robbed and left to die by highway robbers. Even now, in Israel there’s actually a valley called “The Shadow of Death.” It’s a steep, dark, and narrow canyon where the sun only reaches it when it is directly overhead. David may have led his sheep up this valley.
Death is compared to a dark valley in several places in the Bible. In Luke 1:79 we read, "to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” In Matthew 4:16 " the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.""The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2). "Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it." (Job 3:5). "A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness." (Job 10:22). These are some of the many references. Death is described as a valley darkened by of the shadow of death – not facing the substance of death itself, but the shadow of death, casting its dark, fearful outline across David’s path. David recognized that under the shepherd’s leading, he may walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Death is not his destination or dwelling place.
In Eclessiates, we read "For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days they pass through like a shadow? Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?" (Ecl 6:12). Like the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, David might say that all of life is lived under the shadow of death, and it is the conscious presence of God, the good shpherd, that makes it bearable.
The truth about death is real, though unavoidable, unpredicatble and always impartial.
1. The valley of death is UNAVOIDABLE. One out of One people will die. The valley of death is going to happen – you can count on it. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27-28). The Bible makes it plain that it is appointed for all people to die - we don’t live forever in this world. Death is a fact of our existence - no matter how much we struggle against this fact - it is unavoidable.
2. The valley of death is UNPREDICTABLE. You can’t plan your time of death – it just doesn’t work that way. The average male in America now lives to the age of 78. The average female in America now lives to the age of 82. When a baby is born, nobody knows how long he or she would live. The time of death is unpredictable - we just don’t know when our life will end.
3. The valley of death is IMPARTIAL. Death is a universal equalizer. No one is immune. Christ went through it. No one escapes death in this life. Death does not take into account how much money you have. Death does not take into account what gender you are. Death does not take into account how much education you have. Death does not even take into account how healthy you are – death will eventually come to your door.
These facts about death seem somewhat depressing - but they are facts just the same. But here is the good news. Here is the reason we can have hope - even in at the time of death. Because I have a relationship with God, the valley of death is not depressing – God has promised that He will walk with me through that valley. God has promised to walk with me every step of the way. God promises His presence. God does not leave me alone. “He walks with me.” “He guides me.”
Let me give you another reason the valley is not depressing We can have hope because Jesus died but He conquered death. Jesus stopped breathing. Jesus heart stopped beating. Jesus died - but He came back to life. That is what the celebration of Easter is all about. Jesus who was dead - is alive again. God brought Him back to life. The grave of Jesus is empty - no body lies there. But there’s another reason to have hope. Those who die in Christ will rise in glory.
If we put our trust in Jesus – if we build a relationship with Him – He has promised to give us eternal life. He not only walks with us through the Valley of The Shadow of Death He takes us to eternity with Him. The best known verse of the Bible confirms this fact. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV). If we trust in Jesus death does not go away. It is unavoidlable, it is still unpredicatble and it is still impartial. Christ lighted up the valley for those who follow. He is the light shines in the valley of darkness, even in the midst of death.
This message of Psalm 23 is not just about the person died. It is about the ones who are left behind living here. Someone whose husband recently died said to me, “I never realized the twenty-third psalm was about me. I thought it was about my husband, but it’s not. I’m the one walking through the valley of the shadow of death.” For each of us, there comes a time when we realize we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. It might be the death of a loved one, the recognition of our own mortality, the death of a dream, the end of a relationship, a diagnosis, or a failure. Whatever the loss may be, it highlights the fragility and temporal nature of this earthly life.
The passing of people leaves us with two message for us who are left here, a message that life is short, and that time is precious. As Moses says in Psalm 90, “Our lives are like grass that comes up in the morning and dry and wither by evening. So teach us to number our days.”
David knows (and what we often forget) is that there can be no shadow without light. The ever-present shadow of death reveals and points to the ever-present light of God.
Peter admits that we’re going to go through various trials, but they aren’t going to last, therefore we can rejoice. When Jesus said that in this world we will have trials, He goes on to say to be cheerful, because He has overcome the world. The Apostle Paul had this to say about this place called heaven. Philippians 3:14 “I strain to reach the end of the race and to receive the prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us up to heaven.”
In 2 Timothy 4, Paul talks calls death a departure on a journey. "the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." Paul probably was comparing this to a ship that is ready to sail. It is like sailing to a new harbor. When a ship would leave the harbor, people would gather at the harbor side and they would watch the ship until it sailed over the horizon. Somewhere on the other side of the ocean, there is another harbor and as that ship appears on their horizon, there will be a joyous welcome waiting.
The message of death is to give purpose to the living ones. If we are ready to die, then we are ready to live. Our life is short. We ought to prepare ourselves and be ready. We don't have a choice, but to meet death, and we don't know when. If any of you do not have the assurance of salvation, this celebration reminds to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. The message of death brings hope of a heavenly reunion with Jesus. We will become like Jesus one day. 1 John 3:2 "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him.” Jesus said, (John 14:2,3) In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. As the song writer puts it, “there's a land that's fairer than day, And by faith we can see it afar, For the father waits over the way, To prepare us a dwelling place there."
Paul writes, “Let me tell you a secret. Not all of us will die, but all of us will be changed— in a moment, faster than an eye can blink, at the sound of the last trumpet. Indeed, that trumpet will sound, and then the dead will be raised never to decay, and we will be changed. For what is decaying must be clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying must be clothed with what cannot die. Now, when what is decaying is clothed with what cannot decay, and what is dying is clothed with what cannot die, then the written word will be fulfilled: “Death has been swallowed up by victory!” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15 51-54)
All the heroes of faith lived in the Bible have waited for that life hereafter. "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them." (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Yes, one day we will be like Him! It is like an orchestra ready to sing. The conductor stood on the podium, his eyes scanning the choir and orchestra. The singers arranged the music in their folders, found a comfortable position for standing, and held the folder where they could see the conductor just over the top. Orchestra members positioned their music on the stand, found a comfortable position in their seats, and then sat still. The conductor waited and watched until everyone was ready. Then, with a downbeat of his baton, the sounds of Handel’s “Overture to Messiah” filled the cathedral. God’s people, like choir and orchestra members, are getting ready for the next downbeat of the conductor when Christ will come again. On that day, we will participate with Him in the final movement of God’s symphony of redemption—making all things new (Rev. 21:5).
The preacher Vance Haffner said in his old age about longing for heaven wrote, “I’m homesick for heaven. It’s the hope of dying that’s kept me alive for this long.” There are no valleys of weeping or darkness there, for "God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). That promise makes the present journey easier to endure. The death of a loved one certainly is valley of darkness. that, and we sometimes have no idea how we’re going to navigate the darkness. We can’t imagine ever being able to come out on the other side.
Among all the uncertainties of life, death is one certainty humans face. The world we live is filled with uncertainties. Nations rise and fall, governments come and go, stock markets crash, economies fail, spouses file for divorce, children leave home, jobs are phased out, businesses go belly up, terminal illnesses appear overnight, beauty fades, fame flies out the window, money slips through our fingers like water, and people die unexpectedly in this world. As often said: “there are two things in life that we can be sure of: death and taxes. I believe there is some truth in that. People have figured out ways to avoid taxes but no one has ever figured out a way to avoid death. But as God promised to be with us in our darkest valley now, He also provides great hope for the future by assuring us that beyond the valley we’ll be in His presence. For the believer, to be “away from the body” means being present with Him (2 Corinthians 5:8). That can help us navigate the unimaginable as we imagine our future reunion with God and our dear ones who left us early.
Hae Woo (not her real name) was imprisoned in a North Korean labor camp for crossing the border into China. The days and nights were torture, she said, with brutal guards, backbreaking work, and little sleep on an ice-cold floor with rats and lice. But God helped her daily, including showing her which prisoners to befriend and share her faith with. After she was released from the camp and living in South Korea, Woo reflected on her time of imprisonment, saying that Psalm 23 summed up her experience. Although she had been trapped in a dark valley, Jesus was her Shepherd who gave her peace: “Even though it felt as if I was literally in a valley full of the shadow of death, I wasn’t afraid of anything. God comforted me every day.” She experienced God’s goodness and love as He reassured her that she was His beloved daughter. “I was in a terrible place, but I knew . . . I would experience God’s goodness and love.” And she knew she’d stay in the Lord’s presence forever.
As Moses says in Psalm 90, “Our lives are like grass that comes up in the morning and dry and wither by evening. So teach us to number our days.”
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