Category — Old Testament Quotes

Whenever we face the death of a friend or loved one, we experience a period of loss and mourning. For the belivers in Christ we have Jesus’ promise from the Sermon on the Mount that “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”. Even though we have this promise, it is a natural part of life to mourn. And so we associate the word “mourning” (with a “u”) with death, but today’s quote associates the word “morning”, as in the beginning of a new day, with death.

“He made the Pleiades and Orion; he turns the shadow of death into morning.” – Amos 5:8 NKJV

So as we normally associate the shadow of death with the sunset of life into darkness, who has the power to turn that shadow into the light of a new day? The answer is obvious, only the God of the Bible can do that.

I came across today’s quote while spending the weekend in Maine to attend the memorial service for a dear friend who had lost his battle with ALS. Although I may be taking this verse somewhat out of context, the true message of the resurrection still jumps out of it, and it is a great comfort. While we mourn for ourselves for the loss of those we love, we have the promise of God that death is only the beginning of a new life that is perfect for eternity. So as the family and friends of those who have gone may be under the shadow of mourning for a time, there is a bright hope that our dearly departed ones have risen to a new morning of eternal life. Yes, God does turn the shadow of death into morning.

Learn more about the fight against ALS.

I would venture to say that today’s Bible quote is by far the most widely quoted and well known verse from the Bible. So much so, that I am sure that 99.9% of people asked “Bible or Not?” would say Bible. I would also venture to say that many people misunderstand what this quote means.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. – Psalm 23:1 NKJV

We all want things out of life, don’t we? But if I believe in the Bible, and if it tells me that if the Lord is my Shepherd that I would not want, am I wrong to want? Of course it’s OK to want, i.e., desire things in life. Even the Bible tells us that if we delight in the Lord that He would give us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4).

In the 23rd Psalm the word “want” does not mean the same thing as desire. It means to “be in want”, or in other words, to be lacking, or to not have sufficient means to live. Also, this quote from the Bible is not a command to not want, it is an observation that when we make the Lord our Shepherd, he provides all of our needs. It is a statement of faith and trust. Perhaps it could be better understood as follows:

The Lord is my Shepherd, I have accepted Him as the director of my life, therefore I will lack nothing that is needful because God will provide for me.

This does not mean that life will be easy, or that we will always have in abundance. It means that if we put our trust in the Lord that He is faithful to take care of us. So in the good times we can thank God for His great blessings, and in the bad times we can trust that He will see us through.

Pslam 23

¹ The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

What’s in a name? Everything. But I’m not  talking about just the name, I am talking about the reputation behind the name – that is the meaning of today’s quote. We can look at famous people and decide who is sincere, fake, kind-hearted, mean, honest, deceiving, virtuous, sinful and the list goes on.

A good name is better than fine perfume. – Ecclesiastes 7:1 NIV

And then we look in the mirror. Whether we like it or not, people make judgments about us every day. Perhaps you don’t realize it, but every interaction you have with another person, however small, creates your reputation. I am not looking to put pressure on you, but we should all realize that we are building our “name” every single day.

What is your reputation at work? Are you hard-working and trustworthy? What about school? Do you run with the party crowd? How about church? Are you known as a Godly person both inside and outside of the church? Do you practice what you profess to believe?

OK, enough of the questions. The point is that each day we are building our “name”, our reputation. The fact that it is the work of others, those who see and interact with us, that creates our reputation is out of our control. But what we can control are the actions we make each day that reveal our character, and demonstrate to those around us who we are and what we believe. If you are truly a good person, then you will build for yourself a good name. And a good name, your good reputation, is so much better than fine perfume or precious ointment.

If you like this topic you may also like to read how you are what you think and about how the ethical man knows what is right while the moral man does what is right. Another article has some fun with the name of Bible or Not with the rose by any other name quote.