Biblical Shadows: In the Valley of the Shadow
Biblical Shadows: In the Valley of the Shadow.
“Yes, even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (“tzalmavel”), I will fear no evil (“ra”). For You are with me.” (Psalm 23:4).
“Tzalmavel” = the Hebrew word that refers to the deepest of dark shadows; a total blackout; lightless gloom; a profound darkness that is life-threatening; the thick blackness that signals extreme danger; figuratively refers to the grave, death, or divine judgment. Another example in the Hebrew Bible is found in Job 10:20-22 when he is in a moment of hopeless despair, “Aren’t my days almost finished anyway? Stand back, leave me alone, and let me have my scrap of comfort before I go to the place from which I won’t return, the land of utter darkness and the shadow of death (“tzalmavel”), the land as dark as darkness itself and of the shadow of death, of blackness and shadowy chaos where the only illumination is more darkness.”
“Ra” = the Hebrew word for danger; potential disaster; the threat of harm; calamity; vulnerable to distress or injury.
Shadow. The valley of the shadow of death has been poetically described in various versions of the Bible: the vale of death’s shadow; a valley as dark as death; a sunless valley of the deepest darkness; the steep ravine with deep shadows where death lurks; a dark valley with deadly shade. The preacher Charles Spurgeon in a sermon once described this valley as “a valley shaded by the mysterious wings of death.” However one describes this valley of the shadows, we know from experience that these valleys are perilous trials, times when the sun threatens to hide forever. These valleys are places where dangers lurk unseen, whether predators or unseen cliffs or flashfloods.
“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of the shadow of death (“tzalwevel”), a light will shine.” (Isaiah 9:2).
Human Fears in the Valley of Shadows: dread or alarm in facing danger; to be afraid or apprehensive; anxiety caused by belief in approaching danger or by a perceived threat; feeling frightened concerning one’s safety or a loved one’s well-being; unpleasant emotions due to the likelihood of something unwelcome or undesirable; trepidation over unexpected crisis. Examples would include… dementia; survival; poverty; sickness; disaster; intimidation; climate change; public speaking; public shame; disability; loneliness; rejection; failure; pain; death; the unexpected; opposition; the Apocalypse; loss of loved one.
Conversion of Fears. Seminary professor Dr. Ellen Davis, in her book Getting Involved with God, points out that we need to have a “conversion of fears.” In other words, our human fears need to be converted to a holy fear. So imagine an old-fashioned scale with two sides hanging down, ready to weigh different objects and compare their relative weights. On the one side you place all these human fears, and you watch as the scale is overwhelmed, dramatically revealing the heaviness of these fears. But then on the other side you place the holy Fear-of-the-Lord. And you will clearly witness a miracle… the Holy Fear side significantly outweighs the Human Fear side. All the human fears we can come up with, our worst fears, are outweighed by our best fear, our holy fear. The Fear-of-the-Lord ends up having more weight, more substance, more density, more eternal meaning. Holy fear is heavier and more significant than human fear. In a broken world, we are prone to fearfulness. In our weak moments, we are vulnerable to fear. It is inevitable that we will find ourselves walking through a valley of shadows. During these fearful experiences, we would do well to ask God to convert those human fears to the fear of the Lord. Living into a life-changing fear of the Lord will go far in deepening our conversion experience as we walk through the deepest shadows.
The With-ness of the Good Shepherd. Even noting all the rich words in this one verse, words like walk, valley, shadow, death, fear, the simple word that blares like a trumpet blast is “with.” “For you are with me.” David’s simple declaration of trust in God’s presence meant that he would follow his Good Shepherd anywhere. He would not need to run through the dark valley, but instead walk in confidence. David would be fearless as he journeyed through the dark shadows. David was convinced that his Lord was truly with him, and that made all the difference. That was David’s secret to his fearlessness. David knew he had the companionship of God wherever he went. And now with Jesus the Shepherd walking with us in the valley, we are aware that He has already scouted out the territory. He has already been there before us and conquered everything that might be spiritually dangerous or bring us fear. Jesus has already walked through this valley of the shadow of death and in the process has bound the strong man, the predator who lurks in the darkness.
Emmanuel. It would take pages of notes written in tiny script if one were to record all the passages in Scripture that included His promise of personal presence, that He would faithfully be “with us.” That wonderful truth is even woven into His name Immanuel, which means “with us is God.” From the very creation of the world, God has had an overwhelming desire to be with us… from His walks with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day in the Garden; to the presence of Yahweh all through the ups and down of His Chosen People; to the Incarnation when Father God sent the Son of God to be with the ungodly; to Jesus’ baptism when He didn’t mind identifying with the sinful in order to be with us; to the very last words Jesus said before He went home to be with the Father… “Behold! Listen carefully to My words here! Understand this and take it in! I am with you always! Yes, to the end of the ages of ages.” (Matt. 28:20). God has made it abundantly clear that His eternal desire is to be with us… “Behold, the dwelling of God is with His people, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.’ (Revelation 21:3). His everlasting desire to be our bosom buddy is an astounding part of His heart for humanity, it is His mission and His destiny to be present with us. That’s not just Good News. That is Best News! What could be better than that? What else can we do but take joy in the with-ness of God?
The Theater of Creation. One might wonder why it is that we are so important to an almighty and everlasting Creator God. With-ness appears to be in God’s very nature. As Rev. Sam Wells once said, “Creation itself is the theater in which God could dwell with us! The purpose of mankind is to be God’s companions forever!” Take Emmanuel, for instance. (Emmanuel is Greek and Immanuel is Hebrew). The messianic prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, “and shall call His Son Immanuel,” is quoted and fulfilled in Matthew 1:23. The name Emmanuel literally means “with us is God” according to the order of the name’s words. The renowned biblical scholar Lancelot Andrews (1555-1626) was amazed at this name of Emmanuel, because when God put that name together, He put us before Him! We are in the front of the name, and God placed Himself second to us! In His own name, God held the door open for us! “In His very name we might read that we are dearer to Him than Himself, that He so preferred us. Oh, which is greater in Him, His humility or His grace! It is hard to say which, but both are unspeakable.”
Presence in the Valley of the Shadow. When we find ourselves in a valley of the shadows, whether we deserve it or not, or when God’s path seemed to lead us to this particular valley, or it is simply thrust upon us, remember Emmanuel, with us is God. Remember God’s promised presence. God is with us in the midst of our incurable sickness or debilitating depression. God is with us as we endure unbearable grief or tragic loss. Emmanuel is right there when we experience unending pain or crushing disappointment. God remains with us in our life-altering disability or broken heart. God is personally present as we suffer through a nagging addiction or a failed relationship. God is with us in our deepest shame or our paralyzing guilt. God is with us in the NICU unit or the nursing home. When we are watching helplessly as a loved one suffers, the Lord is with us as well as with the loved one. When we are groping our way through a sunless valley of the deepest darkness, the Light of the world is deeply shining within us. The Good Shepherd will never abandon us or forsake us. And sure enough, through the Spirit of the Most High, we now have the comforting companionship of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Fear Not. “Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but He called out to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! The I AM is here!’” (John 6:18-20).
After feeding the huge crowd of 5,000 hungry people, and preaching to them, Jesus decided to spend some alone time. So he retreated to a nearby mountain to pray, think, and decompress after that exhausting ministry. The disciples waited for Him and were anxious to row to the other side of the Lake. Impatient, they hopped into a boat and began rowing across. The evening was falling, they wanted to get to the other side before dark, and Jesus seemed to be taking His sweet time returning to the shore from the retreat.
The Lake, or the Sea of Galilee, is 150 feet deep and surrounded by hills. So it is often subjected to sudden severe windstorms that would cause huge waves. These storms were frightening even to the veteran fishermen, since the boats could easily be overcome in the turbulence and even capsize. The disciples found themselves in just such a storm when they were halfway across the lake, about 3 or 4 miles from shore. The waves were tremendous and frightening, and they were understandably feeling vulnerable in their boat in this storm.
What seemed to terrify the disciples even more was that they thought they saw a ghost walking on the water toward them. Between the strong winds and the mystifying apparition walking on the storm-tossed waters, they were out of their minds with fear. This was truly a valley of the shadow of death.
It is at this dramatic point in the story that Jesus identified Himself as I AM. Jesus decided to use the divine Name that He loves to use in reference to Himself in the gospel of John. He appropriates this term when He wants to point to His co-equal status with God, the Great I AM. As He balanced Himself on the choppy waves near the boat, Jesus shouts, “Have no fear! Don’t be afraid! The I AM is here!” One translation put it, “Fear not! I AM!” He is telling his terrified audience in the boat that He is the one and only Son of God, that He has control of nature, of all creation.
The disciples finally recognized Jesus and eagerly welcomed Him into the boat with them. They of course were greatly relieved. His presence has a habit of reducing fear. But a strange thing happened once Jesus climbed into the boat. Scripture says that they instantly, immediately, arrived at their destination across the Lake! Transported? A Spirit-driven hydroplane? Time passes quickly when you’re having fun? There is no explanation, and we can accept this whimsical little trip for our enjoyment. As the children’s church chorus goes: “With Jesus in the boat, I can smile in a storm, smile in a storm, smile in a storm. With Jesus in the boat I can smile in a storm, all the way back home.”
Surviving Fear. Did you notice that Jesus didn’t calm the storm? He would shout, “Peace, be still!” in other storm stories, but not in this case. He never calmed those surging waves to ease the disciples’ fears. He instead walked to them on the water, climbed into the boat, and let the storm continue. Sometimes Jesus doesn’t calm the storms in our lives. Sometimes He allows the turbulence to continue, providing His presence instead of a solution to the problem. Sometimes He enables us to survive the storm and helps us to make the best of it. This dramatic story is an echo of Isaiah 43:1-5, a confirmation of its truth. “But now, says Yahweh, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name. You are mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; Do not fear, for I am with you.”