Messianic Perspectives

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Stay tuned as we talk about Jehovah, God of the Valleys, today, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. I'm Liz Aiello.

Today, Dr. Gary Hedrick will be talking about how we can trust the Lord, not only when we're enjoying those mountain experiences, but also when we're trying to find our way through the valleys of life. I'll be back a little later with information about a special offer, so have your pencil and paper ready. Now with today's study, here is Dr. Gary.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: All right, thank you. And welcome listening friend, to another edition of the program. It's good to have you with us today as we continue this series of studies on Jehovah, God of the Valleys. And what we're doing in this series of studies is looking at the seven valleys that are mentioned in scripture and what each one of them represents.

For example, so far, we've read about the Valley of Eshkol, which was a place of plenty, where God wanted to bless his people. Then we said the second valley was the Valley of Achor, where the sin of Achan was judged, so we called it a place of purging. The third valley was the Valley of Jezreel, where the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, so we called it a place of power.

And then valley number four was the Valley of Elah, where David defeated Goliath, so we called it a place of protection. And now today we want to look at valley number five, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, which is a place of provision. Where do you think it's found? Of course, the 23rd Psalm. It was written by David, Israel's shepherd king. Here's what he says beginning in verse one, Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. One little boy was reciting the 23rd Psalm and he said, "The Lord is my shepherd and he's all I want." It may not be a good translation from the Hebrew, but I think he had the right idea. The Lord is my shepherd and he's all I want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, there's our valley. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. And why not? Why not be afraid? Here's the reason. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

That's Psalm 23, verses one through four. The Valley of the Shadow of Death is the deepest and darkest valley of all. And it's a valley we all go through when we leave this life. There's no other way out but through that valley. And David says, "I'm not afraid to go through the valley of the shadow of death because the Lord is my shepherd."

And David knew what a shepherd does because he was one. He grew up tending the flocks of his father, Jesse. So David knew better than anyone else that a shepherd's job is to provide for the needs of his sheep. He provides guidance, leading the sheep to places where they can graze safely. He provides protection. And he provides comfort or security.

So the Valley of the Shadow of Death is a place of provision. Now, it's interesting that David doesn't call it the Valley of Death. He calls it the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Now, why is that? Well, the Hebrew word translated shadow here in the 23rd Psalm comes from the Hebrew word *tsalmaweth*, which means a phantom, an illusion, or a resemblance.

You know what David is saying? He's saying that death is an illusion, a phantom. It's a shadow. Now, think about that. What's an illusion? Well, I looked it up in my Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, and here's the definition of the word illusion. It says it's the perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature.

In other words, an illusion is something that's not what it appears to be. It appears to be one thing when it's actually something else. And David says that death is an illusion. It's not what it seems to be. And how true that is. When we first moved to San Antonio in 1988, our son Michael was four years old. And we were all getting used to the new house and the new neighborhood.

And one night after we had put Michael to bed, he came running downstairs and said there was something in his room. It was scaring him. So I took him back upstairs and when we turned on the light, he could see that there was nothing there. We finally figured out that what he was seeing was a shadow from the streetlight outside his window.

And when we turned on the light, Michael could see that there was nothing there. There was really nothing to be afraid of. And in the 23rd Psalm, David says death is like that. It's a phantom or an illusion because it's not what it appears to be. You see, death seems like an ending, but for the child of God, it's really a beginning.

It seems like a termination, but for us, it's really a transformation. Death seems like a tragedy, but it's really a triumph. That's what David is saying. It's not the Valley of Death, but the Valley of the Shadow of Death because when you look at it in the light of God's word, there's really nothing to fear. And when you get to the other side and you look back, you realize there was nothing to be afraid of.

Probably the best book ever written on this subject is *A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23* by Philip Keller. And the reason it's so good is that Mr. Keller was a shepherd, first in Australia, I believe, and later in this country. So he's not just some armchair theologian trying to interpret Psalm 23. His interpretation is based on personal experience.

And he points out several interesting facts about the valleys through which the shepherd leads his sheep. First, he says the valleys always afford the best route to the high country. Mr. Keller says this is common knowledge among sheepherders. They know the valleys and ravines always provide the best pathway up the side of a mountain. They form like a natural highway for the sheep and the shepherd.

Second, Keller says the valleys are well-watered. During the hot summer months, long drives can be hot and tiresome and the sheep experience intense thirst. Mr. Keller says the valley routes usually have many rivers, springs, and streams of refreshing water. And third, he says the valleys are where the meadows are.

And of course, the best place to graze the sheep is in a meadow where the grass is thick and green and lush. So those are the three reasons Philip Keller says the shepherd takes his sheep through the valleys. First, it's the best route to the high country. Second, the valleys have the best sources of water. And third, the valleys offer the best grazing land on the way to the high country.

And he points out that David says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." The valley is for walking through. It's a passageway from the plains and the foothills up to the high country. You don't stay in the valley. You pass through the valley. And here's what Mr. Keller says. Let me just read it from his book.

Death is but the dark valley opening out into an eternity of delight with God. It is not something to fear, but an experience through which one passes on the path to a more perfect life. The good shepherd knows this. It is one reason why he has told us, "Lo, I am with you always." Yes, even in the Valley of Death. What a comfort and what a cheer.

I was keenly aware of this consolation when my wife went to higher ground. For two years, we had walked through the dark valley of death, watching her beautiful body being destroyed by cancer. As death approached, I sat by her bed, her hand in mine. Gently we passed through the valley of death. Both of us were quietly aware of Christ's presence. There was no fear, just a going on to higher ground.

Then Philip Keller says this. For those of us who remain on earth, there is still a life to live here and now. There are still valleys to walk through during our remaining days. These need not be dead-end streets. The disappointments, the frustrations, the discouragements, the dilemmas, the dark difficult days, though they be shadowed valleys, need not be disasters. They can be the road to higher ground in our walk with God.

Now, that's good stuff, my friend. *A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23* by Philip Keller. The Valley of the Shadow of Death. All of us who go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death fall into one of two categories. First, there are those of us who go through the valley with the shepherd. And second, there are those who go through the valley without him.

What church you belong to is really not the issue, my friend. Whether or not you were baptized or catechized or christened as a baby is really not the issue. If you're Jewish, whether or not you were Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah for girls is really not the issue. As good as some of those things may be, they're secondary to the main consideration, which is this. Do you know the shepherd?

If you don't know him and if you'd like to know him, just drop us a line. We'll be happy to send you some free information, no obligation, on how you can have a personal relationship with God through his son, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, the shepherd king of Israel.

Speaking of the shepherd, did you know there's an interesting clue in Genesis 49:10 that gives us the identity of the great shepherd king of Israel? It's a coded message that's found in the Hebrew text of Genesis 49:10. By taking the first Hebrew letter of each of the 14 words in the Hebrew text of Genesis 49:10, you take those 14 letters, put them together, and they form a sentence that reveals the identity of Shiloh, the coming ruler of Israel.

Joseph, the former rabbi from Israel, read that sentence to me on the phone the other night and I think you'll find it interesting. And I'll share it with you on the next program because we're out of time for today. It's been good to have you with us, listening friend. We love you. I hope you'll join us next time. Take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary. And thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. You've been listening to Messianic Perspectives, the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Gary Hedrick and CJF Ministries.

If you enjoyed today's study, you'll be glad to know that our special offer this week is the CD of this current series of studies on *Jehovah: God of the Valleys* by our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick. It's available for a suggested contribution of just six dollars or more.

The series is also available in booklet form. The title is *Jehovah: God of the Valleys* by our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick. It's available for your gift of just seven dollars or more to help us keep this program here on your station. Just visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order.

If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, PO Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line from the US. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

Even if you're one of our regular listeners, you still may not know that we're much more than just a radio program. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries, one of the largest missionary organizations in the world. We currently have missionary families serving the Lord all over the world, including the United States, Canada, South America, England, France, and of course, Israel.

So when you write, consider helping us with a gift above the suggested amount. We'd be very grateful. And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too.

I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you? As Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on *Jehovah: God of the Valleys*, right here on Messianic Perspectives. Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio and is made possible on this station by the free will contributions of our listeners in this area.