The 23rd Psalm is one of the best-known and most-loved literary works in the world, and it may well be the best poem ever written. It is also a fine example of the power of figurative language: We read deep things into the vision of ourselves as sheep, led to green pastures and good water by a kind shepherd. It’s empowering to feel the confidence to go fearlessly into the valley of the shadow of death, and to feel the love and caring of a table prepared by the Lord and a cup so full it overflows.

What people don’t know, however, is that this language actually has precise internal meanings, and that when we see them there is an even deeper beauty in the poem. That’s because what it actually describes is the path to heaven, and the fierce desire the Lord has to lead us there.

The first step is to let the Lord be our shepherd – to accept His teaching and His leadership. The green pastures and the still waters represent the things He will teach us for the journey. Then He begins working inside is, setting our spiritual lives in order, so that we desire to do what’s good and to love one another. That’s represented by restoring our souls and leading us in the paths of righteousness.

But we will still face challenges. We still live external lives, out in the world, and we are subject to desires that arise in those externals, in our bodily lives. That’s the valley of the shadow of death. But the rod and staff represent truth from the Lord on both external and internal levels, ideas that can defend us against those desires.

And if we keep following, the Lord will prepare a table for us – a place inside us that he can fill with love (the anointing oil) and wisdom (the overflowing cup). Thus transformed, we can enter heaven, with love for others (“goodness”) and love from the Lord (“mercy”) and can love and be loved to eternity.

One of many beautiful things about this is the fact that it is the Lord who really does all the work. In the whole text, the only action taken by the sheep is walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Other than that, they follow the Lord, trust the Lord, accept the blessings of the Lord. And that is really true! In external states (in the valley) we might seem to be doing the work ourselves, but internally, spiritually, we simply need to give ourselves to the Lord and let Him bless us.

The underlying idea here is that the Lord created us so that He could love us, in loving us wants us to be happy, knows that our greatest happiness will come from being conjoined to Him in heaven, and Himself wants nothing more than to be conjoined to us. So everything He does, in every moment of every day for every person on the face of the planet, is centered on the goal of getting that person to heaven. He wants each and every one of us in heaven more than we are capable of imagining. We just need to cooperate.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 375 [34], 727 [2]; The Inner Meaning of the Prophets and Psalms 273)

956. And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. This symbolically means that anyone who has any knowledge of the Lord's coming and of the New Heaven and New Church, thus of the Lord's kingdom, let him pray for the Lord's coming; and anyone who desires truths, let him pray for the Lord to come with light. And anyone who loves truths will then receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own.

"Let him who hears say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who hears about the Lord's coming and about the New Heaven and New Church, thus about the Lord's kingdom, and so has some knowledge of these, should pray for the Lord to come. "Let him who thirsts say, 'Come!'" symbolically means that anyone who longs for the Lord's kingdom and truths at that time should pray for the Lord to come with light. "Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely" symbolically means that whoever is moved by love to learn truths and assimilate them into himself will receive them from the Lord apart from any endeavors of his own. To desire symbolizes love, because whatever a person desires from the heart is something he loves, and whatever he loves is something he desires from the heart. The water of life symbolizes Divine truths obtained from the Lord through the Word (no. 932), and to obtain them freely means, symbolically, apart from any endeavors of his own.

Something similar to the symbolic meaning in this verse is that of the wish contained in the Lord's Prayer, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in heaven, so upon the earth" (no. 839). The Lord's kingdom is the church that is united with heaven. So it is that we are now told, "Let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come."

[2] That thirsting symbolizes a longing for truths is clear from the following:

...I will pour water on him who is thirsty...; I will pour My spirit on your offspring... (Isaiah 44:3)

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters... buy wine and milk without money... (Isaiah 55:1)

...Jesus... cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me..., out of his belly will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38)

My soul thirsts... for the living God. (Psalms 42:2)

O God, You are my God...; my soul thirsts for You; ...I am weary, without water. (Psalms 63:1)

Blessed are those who... thirst for righteousness... (Matthew 5:6)

To him who thirsts I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely. (Revelation 21:6)

The last symbolically means that to those who desire truths for some useful spiritual purpose, the Lord will give of Himself through the Word everything conducive to that useful purpose.

[3] Thirst and thirsting also symbolize perishing from a lack of truth, as is clear from the following:

...my people will go into exile, because they have no acknowledgment... their multitude dried up with thirst. (Isaiah 5:13)

...the foolish person speaks foolishness, and his heart works iniquity..., and he causes the soul... of the thirsty for drink to fail. (Isaiah 32:6)

The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, Jehovah, will hear them. (Isaiah 41:17)

Contend with your mother..., lest I strip her naked... and slay her with thirst. (Hosea 2:2-3)

The prophet's mother there is the church.

Behold, the days are coming... when I will send a hunger on the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah... In that day the fair virgins and young men shall faint from thirst. (Amos 8:11, 13)

On the other hand, not thirsting symbolically means to have no lack of truth, in the following:

Jesus... said..., "Whoever drinks... of the water that I shall give him will not thirst to eternity." (John 4:13-15)

Jesus said..., ."..he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

Jehovah has redeemed... Jacob. Then they will not thirst... He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them. (Isaiah 48:20-21)