Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (Ps. 23:6 ESV)

David spent the first half of his life pursued by enemies. Saul hunted him relentlessly. The Philistines would have their pound of flesh too. Later, David’s son, Absalom, pursued him.

The second scene in Psalm 23 has David as a guest in the Lord’s house. The actors in this scene are God, David, and enemies. Ancient laws of hospitality required a host to protect his guest from all enemies. And so God does. He reduces David’s enemies to dumb silence and inaction. They are on the outside looking in.

In the Old Testament enemies always did one thing: they pursued and hunted their prey with deadly intent. Think of Israel and Pharaoh:

The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’ (Exod. 15:9 ESV)

Here is the big surprise in the second scene of Psalm 23: David’s enemies are at a standstill; they cannot pursue, yet David is still pursued!

By whom? Well, by God himself! The Hebrew word translated as follow in Psalm 23:6 is the same verb always translated as pursue or hunt when enemies are in view. Some English translations of this verse bring out this sense,

Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life. (HCSB)

David’s enemies could no longer pursue him because he was under God’s protection. But God’s goodness and mercy pursued David instead. And they would most certainly catch him!

Are you under God’s protection? If so, your enemies cannot touch you, but God’s goodness and mercy most certainly will hunt you down and take you captive.