psalm 23, paths of righteousness

Read Psalm 23 at Bible Gateway.

We saw that “He restores my soul;” pairs with “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me,” and that these elements encompasses “He leads me in the paths of righteousness / “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”

“Restore” is in Hebrew, shuv, Strong’s H7725, shin + vav + bet. In the ancient Hebrew pictographs, the shin is the two front teeth, and has the meaning of sharp, pressing, eating, two, or possibly, again (a second time). The vav is the tent peg, and means to secure, hook, or add. The bet is the house, so also, household or family. The parent from which this word is derived means ‘to turn;’ so the mountain top meaning of shuv is to press in securely to the house, or to again secure oneself to the house. The house we have left, to which He restores us, is His house, because history began with Father God, a beautiful garden, and the two children He had made to dwell with Him forever – to be a part of His household. “He restores my soul” is like saying, “He restores my soul to Himself, to His household, to the household of faith.” The term most often used to describe this restoration in the New Testament, is salvation or justification.

You know, shortly after God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, and restored them to Himself, to His household, to be His people, He gave them the instruction in His paths of righteousness, through Moses, expressed as commandments. The term most often used to describe this state of obedience in the New Testament is sanctification. As a good Father, He taught the people who were now His children, the rules of the house. That’s all it is. Just as you or I do (did) as parents, He taught His children the paths to walk in, which will secure the greatest blessing and success for them in life, and keep them from the dangerous rocky cliff edges, because as a good Father, He loves His children, He wants to preserve them from evil consequences and protect them from harm, and provide for their prosperous future. He is teaching His children wisdom:

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. Pro 3:13-18

So as a good Father, as the Good Shepherd, He guides us in the way we ought to go, to find green pasture and still water, with His shepherd’s staff. When we stray from the path, to the right hand or to the left, His rod of correction brings us back. He restores us to Himself again. So, His rod and His staff comfort me, since they are an expression of love for me. ♥