Times of darkness are certainly part of our journey in this life. But thank the Lord,

he never leaves us to face the darkness alone. One of the great blessings of the 23rd Psalm

is the promise of the shepherd's presence. Thou art with me.

Let's join Scott Pauley now as he continues this series, The Shepherd of the Shadows.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

You know, darkness and death are not new?

In fact, mankind from the very beginning of living under the curse and as a result of sin has had to deal with darkness and death. Think of it, darkness and death. In fact, this expression that is found most

famously in Psalm 23 is not just found in Psalm 23. It's found in other places in Scripture, and it

might surprise you to know that the first

time it's recorded in Scripture is in the oldest book of the Bible. We believe that Job was

written prior to even the Pentateuch being recorded. So even before Moses wrote, Job lives

before the patriarchs and before that period in Israel's history, and he writes

the oldest book of the Bible. So go with me in your thinking today, in your scripture, if you're

available, back in the book of Job, to Job chapter 3 and verse number 5. And listen to these words,

let darkness and the shadow of death

stain it. Let a cloud dwell upon it. Let the blackness of the day terrify it. Do you hear the

expression, the shadow of death? Same book of the Bible. Come forward to Job chapter number 10 and look at verse 21 and 22.

Again we find it. Before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of darkness and the shadow of

death. A land of darkness as darkness itself and of the shadow of death without any order and where the light is

as darkness. So there it is again twice, this idea of the shadow of death. And then again,

Job chapter 24 and verse number 17. This is interesting to me. The Bible says, for the mourning is to them, even as the shadow of death,

if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

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