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)

263. The Lord is the Word.

The Word in its inmost sense treats only of the Lord, and describes all the states of the glorification of His Human, that is, of its union with the Divine itself; and likewise all the states of the subjugation of the hells, and of the ordination of all things therein and in the heavens (n. 2249, 7014). Thus the Lord's whole life in the world is described in that sense, and thereby the Lord is continually present with the angels (n. 2523). Consequently the Lord alone is in the inmost of the Word, and the Divinity and sanctity of the Word is from thence (n. 1873, 9357). The Lord's saying that all the Scripture concerning Him was fulfilled, signifies that all things which are contained in the inmost sense were fulfilled (n. 7933).

The Word signifies the Divine truth (n. 4692, 5075, 9987). The Lord is the Word because He is the Divine truth (n. 2533). The Lord is the Word also because the Word is from Him, and treats of Him (n. 2859). And because it treats of the Lord alone in its inmost sense, thus because the Lord Himself is therein (n. 1873, 9357). And because in each and all things of the Word there is a marriage of Divine good and Divine truth (n. 3004, 5502). "Jesus" is the Divine good, and "Christ" the Divine truth (n. 3004-3005, 3009). The Divine truth is alone real, and that in which Divine truth is, which is from the Divine, is alone substantial (n. 5272, 6880, 7004, 8200). And as the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is light in heaven, and the Divine good is heat in heaven; and as all things in heaven derive their existence from the Divine good and the Divine truth; and as the natural world has its existence through heaven, or the spiritual world; it is plain that all things which were created, were created from the Divine truth, or from the Word, according to these words in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word, and by it were all things made which were made; and the Word was made flesh (John 1: 13, 14; n. 2803, 2894, 5272, 6880).

Further particulars concerning the creation of all things by the Divine truth, consequently by the Lord, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 137). And more fully in the two articles therein (n. 116-125, and n. 126-140). The conjunction of the Lord with man is effected through the Word, by means of the internal sense (n. 10375). Conjunction is effected by each and all things of the Word, and the Word is therefore more wonderful than all other writings (n. 10632-10634). Since the Word has been written, the Lord thereby speaks with men (n. 10290).