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It is good to know that in the dark valley we have Someone upon whom we may
confidently "lean".
This `leaning' is but a symbol of "trusting".
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding"
(Prov. 3: 5).
"Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that
walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay
upon his God" (Isa. 50: 10).
In the darkest part of life's pilgrim path, the Lord stands with us. He is armed against
our foes, He holds a trustworthy staff upon which we may confidently lean.
If these things are true in our experience, then we can say:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."
No.2.
The "needs be" of the Valley of the Shadow.
pp. 187 -190
It may be a means of comfort to some of God's tried ones, if we pause in our reading
of Psa. 23: to ask, "Why should the valley of the shadow of death" come in to this
Shepherd Psalm at all? This is not exactly the same as saying "Why should Christians
ever suffer?" for such a question would be tantamount to denying both life's experiences,
the testimony of all saints, and the record of Holy Scripture. There is a lesson to be
learned if we will but acquaint ourselves with the land of the Shepherd Psalm and work
of the Palestinian shepherd.
First, let us observe the actual word used by David which is translated `valley'. He
could have used the word which means `a low land, a plain, a gentle slope' and if he had,
such would have been a delightful spot for sheep rather than a place of dread. David uses
a word which gives us the name "Gehenna" or "The valley of the son of Hinnom"
(Joshua 15: 8).
In the land of Benjamin is a valley, called "The valley of Zeboim", which Gesenius
translates "The valley of Hyaenas" (I Sam. 13: 18) and it would be to some such valley
that David would refer in Psa. 23: In the "Song of Our Syrian Guest" we read:
"Some paths that are right paths lead through places that have deadly perils; `Yea
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death' is the way the psalm touches
this fact in shepherd life. This way of naming the valley is very true of our country. I
remember one near my home called the `valley of robbers' and another `the ravine of the
raven'."