O Clavis David: The Lord’s my Shepherd

Good Shepherd window, Whalley parish church
Artist: Edward Burne-Jones. Photo (C) Stephen Craven

Today’s Antiphon is ‘O clavis David’ (clavis=key).  One English translation of the full text is ‘O key of David and sceptre of Israel, you who open and nobody then can close, who close and nobody then can open: come and lead the captive from prison; free those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death’. There are many people in literal prison cells, or in ‘prisons’ of their other circumstances, for whom we could pray as we read this.

The ‘O antiphons’ are usually rendered as plainsong, but today’s hymn from Sing Praise is the well known worship song ‘The Lord’s my shepherd (I will trust in you alone)’ by Stuart Townend.  The connections with the antiphon are that David was a shepherd before he became King, and Psalm 23 of which it is a setting also talks of the ‘shadow of death’.

This modern setting of the psalm has achieved great popularity, although it takes the verses of the psalm in a different order from the original, and oddly doesn’t seem to include the last verse – ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever’.  Perhaps that’s because of its refrain ‘I will trust in you alone’ which has a pleasant descant line.

By coincidence I’ve been able to illustrate two posts this week with stained glass from the same church. Whalley has a real treasure in these windows by Burne-Jones and Whall, two of the masters of their craft.

Because the Lord is my shepherd

The Good Shepherd
Mosaic in Christ the King church, Shanghai.
Photo (c) Fayhoo. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

Today’s hymn from Sing Praise is “Because the Lord is my shepherd,” by Christopher Walker. It’s a setting of Psalm 23, which has probably had more musical arrangements than any other.  Its promises of God giving us safety, rest, refreshment and joy have brought comfort to countless believers down the centuries. There’s also perhaps a nod to Psalm 139 (which we will look at in tomorrow’s song) in the line “this joy fills me with gladness; it is too much to bear”.

What makes this setting different from many others of Psalm 23 is its refrain, which is not taken directly from the original: “I want to follow you always, just to follow my friend”.  In this nice little twist, the ‘shepherd’ looking after the flock where they are in the green pasture becomes the ‘friend’ who is always on the move, and whom we follow, not because we are obliged to, or selfishly in return for the promise of food and water, but just because he is our friend. The green pastures and quiet streams will be found along the way, but so also will be the enemies from whom he promises to save us.

The Bible in a Year – 21 June

If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.

21 June. Micah

Micah, like the other prophets of his time, foresees both the imminent destruction of the Israelites’ cities and way of life, as punishment for the violence and corruption in them, and also the eventual restoration of the Jewish faith in their homeland in a new form, “doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God” (6:8, adapted).  But here, instead of a series of images of disaster followed by those of return, the two are much more intermingled.  The wrath and mercy of God are not shown on an either/or basis – the eternal Father is not angry with his children’s behaviour one day and loving towards them the next, as a human parent might be.  At any one time he is both angry with our deliberate sins, and compassionate towards us. Jesus, of course, being (as we believe) both human and divine, showed both these attitudes.

 

In fact, several of the passages in this book are traditionally taken to be prophecies relating to Jesus. In particular the reference to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, as the home of a future ruler, “whose origin is from of old, from ancient days” (5:2).    In other words, someone born in a particular place and time but also eternal.

 

Another frequently quoted passage, and a possible Messianic reference is found in 4:2-23 – “For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more”.    Here the role of Jerusalem is seen as under God’s direct rule and the source of wisdom and peace for the whole world, which is what the Christian Church (the “new Jerusalem”) is supposed to be.

 

Less well known is this saying: “I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture; it will resound with people.  The one who breaks out will go up before them; they will break through and pass the gate, going out by it. Their king will pass on before them, the Lord at their head” (2:12-13).  This image of the king leading his people out like a shepherd echoes both Psalm 23, and also John 10:1-18 where Jesus speaks of himself is similar terms. It seems that Micah understood quite clearly the way in which God would come among us.