What is the top song of all time? The answer would depend on who you are asking, the genre you think of, and your culture. A quick Google search on the subject turns up a variety of answers, including:
- “Imagine” by John Lennon
- “Respect” by Aretha Franklin
- “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby
My answer would be different. In the #2 spot, I would put “Amazing Grace” by John Newton. This song, written in 1772, is still sung by various artists in almost every genre. Each of the four stanzas/verses describes how God touched the life of Newton to change him from a slave trader to a devout pastor. In the process, Newton describes God as his Savior, Seeker, Healer, Peacemaker, Shield, and Hope.
My choice for the number one song of all time must be the “Song of the Good Shepherd” by King David. “Psalms” means a Sacred Song, and David wrote many of the recorded Psalms in the Book of Psalms. However, Psalm 23 is undoubtedly the best-known Scripture passage wherever Christianity has spread.
All kinds of people have quoted Psalm 23 through the 3000 years since it was first written (and sung). People quote it in funerals, fox-holes, and “fiery furnaces.” Believers and unbelievers alike have found comfort in the words of David’s song.
In hymn writing, there is usually a chorus along with several verses. David’s song begins with the chorus: “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.” This opening chorus line is followed by several verses describing how the Good Shepherd performed his role in David’s life.
Notice David’s song expresses a personal relationship: “God is my shepherd” rather than “God is a shepherd.” This song is a personal account of how David experienced God during his lifetime. Drawing from his life experience as a shepherd, David presents God as the ultimate Good Shepherd.
Based on the track record of the Good Shepherd, David concludes, “I shall not want” (vs 1). He is confident that God will be his Shepherd whatever landscape/circumstance he faces; his future is secure. When we remember how God has shown up in the past defining moments of our lives, we, too, experience security and hope for the future.
After the introductory chorus, David adds several verses to his hymn.
- He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters (vs. 2). Sheep do not lie down unless they feel secure and at peace. Here, David declares God is his Leader and Provider of Peace (Jehovah-Shalom).
- He restores my soul (vs.3A) identifies God as his Healer (Jehovah-Rapha). David sometimes felt his soul crushed, beaten up, and worn down by people and circumstances. Yet God showed up each time and restored his soul. In this Psalm, David doesn’t specifically identify how God did it, just that he did it.
- He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (vs. 3B). In this verse, David reflects on the Shepherd Leader, who knows the right way to go and leads accordingly. Note that the result is that God’s name is honored, and the goodness of his nature is revealed. David declares that God is his Banner (Jehovah-Nissi), leading the way to righteousness.
- Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me (vs. 4A). Here, David declares that God is Immanuel, God with us, not in a mystical way but in a tangible way where the power of God’s presence overcomes fears and the threat of evil. David is declaring God as his Protector, his Shield (Jehovah-Magen).
- Your rod and your staff comfort me (vs. 4B). There is a wealth of understanding found in the tools of the Shepherd that we miss in our modern culture. However, the main idea behind these tools was that they brought comfort and guidance to an anxious heart. In the defining moments of stress and anxiety, God was David’s Comforter (Jehovah-Nechama).
- You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (vs. 5A). A good shepherd in David’s time was responsible for seeking out and providing pasture (a banquet, so to speak) for his sheep. David experienced a spiritual banquet while his enemies were watching. Here, God is not only his Provider (Jehovah-Jireh) but his Defender: the one who fights for him (Jehovah-Tsaba).
- You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (vs. 5B). In ancient times, oil symbolized joy and gladness (See Psalm 45:7; Isaiah 61:3); anointing was an act of respect and honor. David refers to God as his source of true over-flowing joy, whether in the landscape of a storm or having a mountain-top experience. God is his exceeding joy (El Simchah Giyli; Psalm 43:4).
- Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever (vs. 6). David’s confident expectation for the future is not based on merit but on the grace-filled nature of YHWY. God will never leave him or forsake him. God is David’s Hope (Miqweh) and Refuge (Jehovah-Metzudah), full of goodness and lovingkindness.
David sings his song as a catalyst for those following in his footsteps of discovering YHWY. So, where are we in that discovery process? When we have a similar experience of God’s loving intervention, do we recognize it as such? By faith, do we see the fingerprint of God in our lives? Can we point to a time when God was our Shield or Provider? Do we celebrate as David did? Do we remember and tell others how the Lord is our Good Shepherd? Or have we failed to give God the credit due to his name?
For Reflection
- Reflect on the narrative of David’s life as recorded in 2 Samuel and discover the times he refers to in his life song.
- What names of God would make up your life song?