Allusions to some of YHVH’s titles in Psalm 23

25 Nisan 32/40

In his Companion Bible, Bullinger provides us with an insight into the many titles of YHVH other than He being our shepherd. It is good to see that this wonderful Psalm engulfs, in a hidden manner, some of the titles. Let us first get into some of the titles and their meaning, after which the Psalm itself will be treated.

YHVH-YIREH meaning YHVH will see, or provide. Gen.22:14

He is the YHVH who supplies. A reference is made to this in „...my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:6,19). It is to be anxious about nothing.

YHVH-ROPHEKA meaning YHVH that heals you. Ex.15:26

Obedience to the what He says and commands is given as a condition for protecting His people from the diseases He allowed on the Egyptians. Disobedience may give the Enemy a chance to deal badly with us, but He „... forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases.” (Ps.103:3)

YHVH-NISSI meaning YHVH my banner. Ex.17:15

When He protects His people they rejoice before Him. When He wroughts deliverance His people jubilate. It is „we who will rejoice in Your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up banners.” (Ps.20:5), because He is the giver of victory.

YHVH-MeKADDISHKEM meaning YHVH that sanctifies you. Ex.31:13; Lev.20:8, 21:8, 22:32; Ezek. 20:12

He makes us holy as He is holy. We sanctify ourselves as the Temple of His spirit. „... Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” (Heb.12:14)

YHVH-SHALOM meaning YHVH sends peace. Judg. 6:24

He, as the prince of peace, gives the only real peace that exists. The world cannot gives such peace. This „peace of God – the superior to every mental state - shall be garrisoning our hearts and our apprehensions in Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4:7)

YHVH-ZIDKENU meaning YHVH our righteousness. Jer.23:6, 33:16

Indeed „the righteous Lord loves righteousness,” (Ps.11:7) and He imparts the same to His people through His lovingkindness that fails not, but renewed every morning. The Lord became our righteousness, when God „made to be sin for us, who knew no sin.” (2Cor.5:21)

YHVH-SHAMMAH meaning YHVH is there. Ezek 48:35

He who is there is present by His holy Spirit, because He delights in it. The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. We have been given the assurance „...I am with you all the days- till the conclusion of the eon.” (Matt.28:20)

YHVH-RO’I meaning YHVH my shepherd. Ps.23:1

We have arrived at the last one which leads us directly to the Psalm itself.

1 A Psalm of David. YHVH [is] my shepherd, I do not lack,

The picture given here is that of the good shepherd and His obedient sheep. The Christ is the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays His life down for the sheep. He understands and feels their sorrows and joy. Since He is the LORD He provides for my needs. (YHVH-YIREH)

2 In pastures of tender grass He is making me recline, By waters of rests He is conducting me.

Come to me all you who are weak and heavy-laden, and i will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. This has to do with the sabbath rest which remains for the people of God, through which we are renewed because of His peace. The validity of YHVH’s sabbath (including new moons and feasts) is very important for the believer. Through it He quietens the noises around us. (YHVH-SHALOM)

3 My soul He is restoring, He is leading me in paths of righteousness, For His name's sake,

This restoration comes as a result of His dealings with us and our trust in Him. Not only that He is making us to settle beside pastures and the waters of rests which are physical things, but He restroes our lives, making us what He wants us to be. Restoration is healing. (YHVH-ROPHEKA). He carries out our restoration while He is leading us in His righteousness. (YHVH-ZIDKENU)

4 Also when I walk in a valley of deep shade, I fear no evil, for You [are] with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.

No matter what type of situation we may be in or going through, He is always present if we are sheep of His pasture. His presence (which is the same as the presence of His power) is a source of comfort for us. (YHVH-SHAMMAR)

5 You are arranging before me a table, over-against my adversaries, You have anointed with oil my head, My cup is full!

For us to understand His holiness, He fights for us while He makes us to feed in His pastures and waters of rests. He is the sanctifier. (YHVH-MeKADDISHKEM)

6 Only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me all the days of my life, And my dwelling [is] in the house of YHVH for a length of days!

David seems to understand who the LORD is in all aspects explained above. And if also we continuously do, we would only be much more aware that we are the sheep of His pasture. The joy that comes from this knowledge knows no bounds, the rejoicing abundant. We would want more of His love and even love Him the more, in return. That in itself will summon His rewards into our lives.

Staircases in John 1:1-3

24 Nisan 32/40

In [the] beginning was the word, and

the word was toward God, and

God was the word.

This was in [the] beginning toward God. All came into being

through it, and

apart from it not even one thing came into being.

Which [What] has come into being In it was life, and

the life was the light of men.

And the light is appearing in the darkness,

and the darkness grasped it not.

It is obvious that the above is not the reading many people are acquainted with, but it seems to make the most sense. The importance of it seems to be derived from a premise not usually considered in most circles. For any careful reader it should be pretty clear that there appears to be a parallel between the beginning as mentioned here and that in the first book of the Bible.

The beginning described in Genesis has to do with a time „when the earth was (or became) wild (or formless) and waste (or empty), darkness over the face of ocean, spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters.” (Gen.1:2) That condition is referring to the chaotic situation over the face of the universe. It does not refer to „nothingness”, because God did not create it formless. He formed it to be inhabited (Is. 45:18). Something must have happened for it to be in that situation then. The arch-rival must have done something with the world that was then was (2Pet. 3:5-6). That is to say that the modern Christian reaction to archaeological discoveries ageing more than ten thousand years is a ridicule of Christianity at best, because modern pseudo-ministers in the churches do not have any deep understanding of the question at hand. There are renditions of Gen.1:1, which, if considered carefully, mean the same thing.

„At [the] beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth, when the earth was formless and waste ..”

„In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth, when the earth was formless and waste...”

In other words, what was happening was a recreation out of a state of chaos that Elohim was undertaking. It is from that state of darkness that light is appearing, because light gives life. Life is what came to be in and through the Word which was towards God at that beginning. The Word, as God, was having an orientation towards God. It (or He) was, is and will always be subordinated to Him, who is the One and Only true God, His God and Father.