State The Meaning Of Psalm 23 By Exegesis Religion Essay

State The Meaning Of Psalm 23 By Exegesis Religion Essay The aim of this assignment is to state the meaning of Psalm 23 by exegesis and analysing it. Exegesis comes from a Greek word that means to guide out, It is the process of going to the text to determine what it means, and to draw out the correct interpretation.  [1]   Shepherd The psalm is poetry and is transformed into simple metaphors employing that it is God who is the shepherd. The metaphor of the Shepherd in found in verse 1 of the psalm, the Lord is my Shepherd. King David of Israel is said to have written at least half of the psalms within the book of the Old Testament as well as this one.  [2]  David found it appropriate to write this psalm because he was a shepherd, and describes his work as a shepherd protecting caring and delivering the sheep from all form of attack. In addition to this David relates the work of the shepherd to the work of God (1.Sam 17: 34-37). The Hebrew word for shepherding is translated feeding. Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The shepherd takes care of the sheep, he even carried weak lambs in their arms (Isa.40:11) they led the sheeps to pasture and water protecting them from wild animals and dangerous places. They also guard their flocks at night whether in the open (Luke 2:8) or in sheepfolds.  [3]  Shepherds come to designate not only a person who herded sheep but also kings (2 Sam. 5:2). Later Israel prophets referred to Israels leaders as shepherds. Some New Testament references used a shepherd and the sheep to illustrate Christs relationship to His followers who referred to Him as the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb.13:20). Jesus also spoke of himself as the good shepherd who knew His sheep and would lay down His life for them (John 10:7-18). Verse 1- 4 The opening of the first four verses establishes the dominant theme for the psalm as a whole and contains a metaphor; where by in verse one the Lord is called Shepherd and the Psalmist is a sheep belonging to His flock. The psalmist used a simple language for the use of the shepherd metaphor, which can be understood by all living in a world where land was dotted with sheep and shepherds. The distinctiveness in the opening words of this psalm lies in the use of the pronoun, my shepherd which gives a personal association with the shepherd. The fact that the Lord is his shepherd the psalmist can say I shall not wan, here the psalmist is saying as long as the Lord is my shepherd I shall lack for nothing, this recall Gods provision for His people during their forty years travelling through the wilderness as Moses stated in (Deut. 2:7), you have lacked nothing. In verse two the psalmist paints a scene of abundant life in three descriptive statements each speaking of the shepherd in the third person and employing and imperfect verb form. All three images emphasize the shepherds role as provider. First of all the psalmist says, He makes me lie down in green pastures, secondly He leads me beside still waters. The palmist speaks in confidence of the Lords guidance and provision. As the shepherd leads his sheep in pleasant places full of all the necessities of life, green pastures of grass experiencing plenty, quiet peaceful stream which provides water for drinking. Grass and water are the sheeps source of life, and the shepherd knows how to find them both and leads the hungry, thirsty sheep to them. Within verse three he writes, He restores my soul He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. He chooses the right paths that are right with him, making sense to him. In this He acts for His names sake, in accordance with His revealed character. Paths of righteousness take on the meaning of a way of life fulfil Gods expectation for his follower. The sheep are not left to their own devices but are led by the shepherd to take the right path, that is the one that gets the sheep where he need to go. The shepherd (God) acts in a way that reveal and confirms his character and nature. To have a name is to bear a good reputation, the shepherd (God) acts to benefit of the sheep, in a way that is consistent with the nature His name reveals. In verse four the palmist says, Even 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. Here the psalmist moves to a description of fearful threat he purposefully emphasise the danger and threat that confront the flock. Shadow of death is really deepest darkness which includes the darkness of death, but in these experiences the he of (v1-3) becomes the you, significant of closer person touch, and the leader (v2) comes alongside (with me). The darker the shadow the closer the Lord! The psalmists confidence rests in the fact even in the shadow of death itself, he need fear no evil, confidence is found in Gods protection described in the metaphor as the shepherds rod and staff. The rod possibly signifies protection; and the staff, possibly support. According to Craigie the Palestinian shepherd normally carried two implements, a cub or rod to fend of wild beasts and a crook or staff to guide and con trol sheep.  [4]  Despite the oppressive and threatening setting the psalmist sheep is unafraid. The psalmist reasons for fear fade in the presence of the shepherd (God). Verse 5 6 From verse five the metaphor changes to that of a host and his guest, the role of the shepherd no longer dominates. God is no longer seen as a shepherd but assumes the role as a host, preparing a table with food and drink, and anointing the head of the visitor. The psalmist is no longer a sheep but a person; who is honoured by God in the presence of the enemy.  [5]  The picture is one of the realisations of ultimate communion with God. Verse five says, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows. The word table continues the metaphor and is to be understood as God spreading a table, a banquet celebrating Gods provision and protection. One can assume from this that the psalmist had endured affliction in the past at the hand of enemies and had risen above the affliction in confidence, and as he anticipates the future, he has no illusions; there would still be enemies, but Gods provisions would come even in the present of those enemies. The anointing of the head with oil is the custom of hospitality by a gracious host or to an anointed king; in (Luke 7:44-46) Simons failure not to do so was recognised as a deliberate insult to Jesus; the overflowing cup which the psalmist drank from is a symbol of the hosts generosity. To sit at Gods table is to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him, and to do so in the presence of your enemies is to have a special relati onship with Him, receiving blessings and protection under His care while the enemy looks on, powerless to do you harm. The psalm gives closure in verse six as the psalmist says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. This goodness and love will continue as long as life last and beyond. The psalmist looks forward in confidence to dwelling in the house of God for ever. In regard to the house of the Lord (the temple), this places the psalm in the context of worship, it gives an example of a hyperbole which is an exaggeration to make a point, the psalmist is not going to move into the temple to live the rest of his days. He means that he will spend the rest of his days in the presence of God in worship and praise remaining always in His caring and effective presence. To dwell with God is an image of eternal security and ongoing relationship. God offer the hope necessary to sustain through rough times, remembrance of the past and anticipation of the future, provides the necessity to bind the two halves of psalm 23 together. Conclusion The psalmist expression is one of confidence dependence and trust. God is presented not only as a shepherd who guides, protects, and leads you of the right path, but also as host who provides in the mist of life. In verse 2-3 he shows the shepherd leading his sheep into abundant life, verse 4 shows show the shepherd providing for His sheep with secure life. Verse 5 shifts and the shepherd shows God blessing on the trusting faithful, verse 6 ends with the expression of confidence. As the Lord is the good shepherd, so we are his sheep, not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right place and in the right way. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow. When you recognise the good shepherd, follow him! The psalm inspired us, comfort us, correct us and God is seen as a caring shepherd, and a dependable guide and host.

Information Speech Outline

Brooke Miller Information Speech Outline Specific Purpose: I want my audience to learn about child abuse and how it is different from corporal punishment. Thesis Statement: Physical child abuse and corporal punishment are two different things. It is important to know the difference between the two because all children deserve to be safe. Introduction I. In 2005, 3. 6 million children were investigated by Child Protective Services as victims of maltreatment, 899,000 children were found to be abused or neglected, and 1,460 children died from abuse. 76. 6% of those children who died were 4 years old or younger.II. These are some pictures of child abuse victims. These are some of the things that each of us should be aware of in order to protect our children, or the children in our families. III. I have done research through books, as well as online articles. I will be able to inform you what child abuse actually is, and be able to answer any questions that you might have about this topic as well. IV. Physical child abuse is an issue that deserves everyone’s attention. Everyone who has a child in their family needs to know the difference between abuse and punishment, because all children deserve to be safe.Transition: First, I will start by informing you of the definition of physical child abuse. Body I. Physical abuse is defined as acts of commission that result in physical harm, including death of a child. A. Examples of physical abuse and injuries B. Examples of sexual abuse C. Examples of neglect II. The definition of corporal punishment is inflicting bodily pain on a child as a response to misbehaving and preventing a repetition of the behavior in the future. A. Examples of corporal punishment B. Hawaii Case C. North Dakota Case III.There are signs that each of us need to be aware of in order to protect our children, and/or the children in our families A. Signs of physical abuse B. Signs of sexual abuse C. Signs of neglect IV. It is important to be able to get the abused child to talk to you about the abuse; hopefully you are able to save the child before the abuse leads to death. A. How to get the child to talk to you B. Ways the abuse can lead to death Transition: Now that you know abuse is definitely different from corporal punishment, I’m just going to review the information I have given you today.Conclusion I. You all now know what physical abuse is, and what corporal punishment is. You know the signs to look so you know whether or not the child is actually being abused. You know some ways to help you get the abused child to talk to you so you are able to help them before the abuse continues, or possibly leads to death. II. So, remember there are nearly one million children abused every year, and there is something that each one of us can do to save a child from being continually abused.

Different Ways of Learning Languages Essay

Being able to speak more than one language I think it’s a gift from God that not every person is blessed with. Having this gift makes me fell very special because I can travel, communicate, and understand others’ people language and culture. At a very young age I started learning French, German and Italian besides my native language, Romanian. Learning a language to me in learning how to ride a bicycle, once you get it going it’s hard to stop. I learned them the natural way without trying or putting to much effort. To me, learning English it was much easier than the other languages I have studied. When I came to America I didn’t speak English at all and I thought that it would take a long time before I learn anything. To be successful learning a new language you must want to learn it, because if you don’t and not interested in you’ll never get it. At the very early stages of learning a language I think going by the book it is not a very good idea. At the beginning you need as much practice as you can get. In my case television played a major role in learning English. Watching TV and trying to understand the conversation helped me improve my vocabulary and pronunciation at the same time. Reading magazines and articles in the newspapers is another way to approach a new language. This way you learn the spelling of words and can look up in the dictionaries for words that couldn’t be understood. Another thing that helped me was being surrounded by people that only spoke English. Having almost no contact with people that spoke Romanian, forced me learn faster than some people. Communicating with others helps also. Making mistakes and having other people correct you helps and improves your skills. The best way to learn is learning from mistakes. Some people are afraid and embarrassed of speaking in front of others. This only holds them back and keeps them away from learning because there is nobody to correct them if necessary. When you want to get deeper into a language you must concentrate on grammar and vocabulary. This is the key of being successful as well as thinking in the target language. Translating from one language to another is a waste of time because you’ll never be good enough. Learning languages it has always been fun for me. I never looked at it as a must but more as a hobby. Learning a new language, to me, is like discovering a new side of me that has been kept in dark for to long and waited to be taken out.

Contrasting Outlooks in Dream of the Rood and The...

Differing Outlooks in Dream of the Rood and The Wanderer Outlook defines our perception of reality. The characters in Dream of the Rood and The Wanderer maintain opposed perspectives that greatly influence the way they view their common state of desolation. The dreamer and the Cross in Dream of the Rood embrace a religious ideology that gives them hope, whereas the earth-walker in The Wanderer embraces an existential view that leaves him to suffer his loneliness. The characters differing outlooks greatly influence how they view their exile, their ultimate destination, and the journey to this destination, their homecoming. The characters of both works face exile: the dreamers friends have gone hence from the†¦show more content†¦The dreamer, like those who endured fire, is renewed with hope, and is joyful (Rood 21). He trusts in a higher power, and anticipates rejoining his friends who he believes are in heaven with God. Though it might have felled all foes, the Cross endured its exile bravely in the presence of the Lord. It is mocked with him, drenched with his blood, and laden with his sorrows, and when Christ was dismounted from it, the Cross, as well as Christ, bowed to the mens hands (Rood 20). The Cross, despite its fate, is patient and humble like Christ, and while Christ is redemption, the Cross is a symbol of that journey to heaven: the Cross shall the kingdom be sought by each soul on this earthly journey that thinks to dwell with the Lord (Rood 21). The loss of his friends and the lord of his mead-hall, however, devastate the earth-walker. While the dreamer and the Cross have God to protect them from the cruelty of exile, the earth-walker is inconsolably forlorn. He speaks of how cruel a companion sorrow is to the man who has no beloved protectors. The earth-walker is bereft of all of the joys of earth, and unlike the Cross and the dreamer, he has no one in whom to seek comfort. For him, no joy on earth means no joy at all; for him all delight has gone (Wanderer 69). The characters common state of exile imposes a theme of homecoming upon the Dream of the Rood and The