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The Hebrew title for this book is Tehillim, which is translated as “praises.” Together, this collection of praise songs served as the hymnbook of the people of Israel. “The Book of Psalms has no plot to summarize, no narrative to recall,” writes professor of Old Testament Tyler Mayfield. “It is a collection of 150 prayers and songs that give praise to God, Zion, and the king; give thanks to God and ask God for deliverance; announce trust in God; and petition God.”
Although these songs and prayers have great breadth, they also have depth. The most famous is Psalm 23, which describes God as a shepherd who cares for us in every time and place and situation. This God is eternally faithful to us, surrounding us with steadfast love in both life and in death. From a geometric point of view, you could say that the God of Psalm 23 is a circle, encompassing all of life with perfect symmetry. And while this might seem like an odd description of God, it connects nicely with both human desires and the structure of the universe.
According to scientific research, symmetry is inherently attractive to the human eye. At a very young age, children are drawn to people with similarity between the left and right sides of the face. On top of this, the universe appreciates symmetry. A Nobel Prize-winning physicist named Frank Wilczek says that “the world is a piece of art,” distinctive for “the outstanding role of symmetry.” He points to a shape found throughout the universe — the circle — which is symmetrical because “you can rotate it around its center and it will remain a circle.” In physics and mathematics, the principle of symmetry can be described as “change without change.”
The shepherd of Psalm 23 is, like the circle, an example of “change without change.” God is symmetrical in the sense that God is the same from any angle: A shepherd who “makes me lie down in green pastures ... leads me beside still waters ... restores my soul ... leads me in right paths” … and then a host who prepares “a table” and anoints “my head with oil” (Psalm 23:2-5). What is true for the circle is also true for God: The circle rotates, but still remains a circle. God is active as a protective shepherd and as a gracious host, but still remains God. Change without change.
Psalm 23 is also a circle that turns through a number of daily activities. This is “a psalm about living,” says biblical scholar J. Clinton McCann, Jr., “for it puts daily activities, such as eating, drinking and seeking security, in a radically God-centered perspective.” The psalm takes us through the cycle of life, and challenges us to put God at the center. “The Lord is my shepherd,” says the psalm, “I shall not want.” In the ancient world, kings were supposed to be the shepherds of their people, and in the circle of Psalm 23, God is portrayed as the greatest of shepherds, providing food in “green pastures,” drink from “still waters,” and guidance in “right paths” (Psalm 23:1-3).
The circle keeps turning, from food to drink to physical safety, and, in all of these areas, God gives us everything we need. Through all of the changes of life, God consistently provides for us, even in the most challenging and stressful of circumstances — serious illness, betrayal by a friend, marital problems, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,” says the psalm, “I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Bible scholar McCann says that this verse is “the structural and theological center of Psalm 23,” reminding us that even in “the most life-threatening situation, God’s provision is sufficient.” This verse describes the character of the shepherd who is at the center of the circle. Everything else revolves around it.
As the circle of the psalm continues to turn, God transitions from a caring shepherd to a gracious host. Once again, God’s goodness remains constant while the situation changes. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” says the writer of the psalm; “you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). In this section, the host does exactly what the shepherd did at the beginning of the psalm — provides food, drink and protection. Change without change.
Through all of the difficult and disturbing changes of live, we are cared for by a changeless God. Although we face threats to our physical, emotional and spiritual health, we have a God at the center of our lives who gives us the assurance that “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long” (Psalm 23:6). God offers us a symmetrical life — one in which today’s threats are balanced by God’s help, today’s needs are balanced by God’s gifts, and tomorrow’s uncertainties are balanced by God’s promises. Psalm 23 is one of the Bible’s greatest hits because it reveals to us that God is eternally faithful to us, change without change, and that God is constantly at work in our lives, giving us everything we need.
Questions:
1. How have you experienced God as a shepherd and a host?
2. In a changing world, what does it mean to say God is changeless?
3. What is the value of having God as a circle around you, and at the center of your life?
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