State The Meaning Of Psalm 23 By Exegesis Religion Essay

State The Meaning Of Psalm 23 By Exegesis Religion Essay The aim of this assignment is to state the meaning of Psalm 23 by exegesis and analysing it. Exegesis comes from a Greek word that means to guide out, It is the process of going to the text to determine what it means, and to draw out the correct interpretation.  [1]   Shepherd The psalm is poetry and is transformed into simple metaphors employing that it is God who is the shepherd. The metaphor of the Shepherd in found in verse 1 of the psalm, the Lord is my Shepherd. King David of Israel is said to have written at least half of the psalms within the book of the Old Testament as well as this one.  [2]  David found it appropriate to write this psalm because he was a shepherd, and describes his work as a shepherd protecting caring and delivering the sheep from all form of attack. In addition to this David relates the work of the shepherd to the work of God (1.Sam 17: 34-37). The Hebrew word for shepherding is translated feeding. Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The shepherd takes care of the sheep, he even carried weak lambs in their arms (Isa.40:11) they led the sheeps to pasture and water protecting them from wild animals and dangerous places. They also guard their flocks at night whether in the open (Luke 2:8) or in sheepfolds.  [3]  Shepherds come to designate not only a person who herded sheep but also kings (2 Sam. 5:2). Later Israel prophets referred to Israels leaders as shepherds. Some New Testament references used a shepherd and the sheep to illustrate Christs relationship to His followers who referred to Him as the great Shepherd of the sheep (Heb.13:20). Jesus also spoke of himself as the good shepherd who knew His sheep and would lay down His life for them (John 10:7-18). Verse 1- 4 The opening of the first four verses establishes the dominant theme for the psalm as a whole and contains a metaphor; where by in verse one the Lord is called Shepherd and the Psalmist is a sheep belonging to His flock. The psalmist used a simple language for the use of the shepherd metaphor, which can be understood by all living in a world where land was dotted with sheep and shepherds. The distinctiveness in the opening words of this psalm lies in the use of the pronoun, my shepherd which gives a personal association with the shepherd. The fact that the Lord is his shepherd the psalmist can say I shall not wan, here the psalmist is saying as long as the Lord is my shepherd I shall lack for nothing, this recall Gods provision for His people during their forty years travelling through the wilderness as Moses stated in (Deut. 2:7), you have lacked nothing. In verse two the psalmist paints a scene of abundant life in three descriptive statements each speaking of the shepherd in the third person and employing and imperfect verb form. All three images emphasize the shepherds role as provider. First of all the psalmist says, He makes me lie down in green pastures, secondly He leads me beside still waters. The palmist speaks in confidence of the Lords guidance and provision. As the shepherd leads his sheep in pleasant places full of all the necessities of life, green pastures of grass experiencing plenty, quiet peaceful stream which provides water for drinking. Grass and water are the sheeps source of life, and the shepherd knows how to find them both and leads the hungry, thirsty sheep to them. Within verse three he writes, He restores my soul He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake. He chooses the right paths that are right with him, making sense to him. In this He acts for His names sake, in accordance with His revealed character. Paths of righteousness take on the meaning of a way of life fulfil Gods expectation for his follower. The sheep are not left to their own devices but are led by the shepherd to take the right path, that is the one that gets the sheep where he need to go. The shepherd (God) acts in a way that reveal and confirms his character and nature. To have a name is to bear a good reputation, the shepherd (God) acts to benefit of the sheep, in a way that is consistent with the nature His name reveals. In verse four the palmist says, Even 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. Here the psalmist moves to a description of fearful threat he purposefully emphasise the danger and threat that confront the flock. Shadow of death is really deepest darkness which includes the darkness of death, but in these experiences the he of (v1-3) becomes the you, significant of closer person touch, and the leader (v2) comes alongside (with me). The darker the shadow the closer the Lord! The psalmists confidence rests in the fact even in the shadow of death itself, he need fear no evil, confidence is found in Gods protection described in the metaphor as the shepherds rod and staff. The rod possibly signifies protection; and the staff, possibly support. According to Craigie the Palestinian shepherd normally carried two implements, a cub or rod to fend of wild beasts and a crook or staff to guide and con trol sheep.  [4]  Despite the oppressive and threatening setting the psalmist sheep is unafraid. The psalmist reasons for fear fade in the presence of the shepherd (God). Verse 5 6 From verse five the metaphor changes to that of a host and his guest, the role of the shepherd no longer dominates. God is no longer seen as a shepherd but assumes the role as a host, preparing a table with food and drink, and anointing the head of the visitor. The psalmist is no longer a sheep but a person; who is honoured by God in the presence of the enemy.  [5]  The picture is one of the realisations of ultimate communion with God. Verse five says, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil my cup overflows. The word table continues the metaphor and is to be understood as God spreading a table, a banquet celebrating Gods provision and protection. One can assume from this that the psalmist had endured affliction in the past at the hand of enemies and had risen above the affliction in confidence, and as he anticipates the future, he has no illusions; there would still be enemies, but Gods provisions would come even in the present of those enemies. The anointing of the head with oil is the custom of hospitality by a gracious host or to an anointed king; in (Luke 7:44-46) Simons failure not to do so was recognised as a deliberate insult to Jesus; the overflowing cup which the psalmist drank from is a symbol of the hosts generosity. To sit at Gods table is to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him, and to do so in the presence of your enemies is to have a special relati onship with Him, receiving blessings and protection under His care while the enemy looks on, powerless to do you harm. The psalm gives closure in verse six as the psalmist says, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. This goodness and love will continue as long as life last and beyond. The psalmist looks forward in confidence to dwelling in the house of God for ever. In regard to the house of the Lord (the temple), this places the psalm in the context of worship, it gives an example of a hyperbole which is an exaggeration to make a point, the psalmist is not going to move into the temple to live the rest of his days. He means that he will spend the rest of his days in the presence of God in worship and praise remaining always in His caring and effective presence. To dwell with God is an image of eternal security and ongoing relationship. God offer the hope necessary to sustain through rough times, remembrance of the past and anticipation of the future, provides the necessity to bind the two halves of psalm 23 together. Conclusion The psalmist expression is one of confidence dependence and trust. God is presented not only as a shepherd who guides, protects, and leads you of the right path, but also as host who provides in the mist of life. In verse 2-3 he shows the shepherd leading his sheep into abundant life, verse 4 shows show the shepherd providing for His sheep with secure life. Verse 5 shifts and the shepherd shows God blessing on the trusting faithful, verse 6 ends with the expression of confidence. As the Lord is the good shepherd, so we are his sheep, not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right place and in the right way. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow. When you recognise the good shepherd, follow him! The psalm inspired us, comfort us, correct us and God is seen as a caring shepherd, and a dependable guide and host.

High Cholesterol :: Health, Dementia, Alzheimers Disease

Evidence is increasing concerning an association among vascular risk factors in midlife with an increased risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia decades later (citation). Diverse studies have found total cholesterol measured in midlife to be a significant predictor of subsequent dementia (Whitmer et al., 2005), mild cognitive impairment (Kalmijn et al., 2000) or cognitive decline (Kivipelto et al., 2001). Total cholesterol on midlife was also associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in some studies (Kivipelto et al., 2001) and especially with concomitant hypertension (Beeri et al., 2009). Meanwhile, the exact mechanism of high blood cholesterol in dementia is not known, because cholesterol is not able to pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) (Bojanic et al., 2010). Beyond that, observational studies have yielded mix results for lipids levels and cerebrovascular disease risk (Bowman et al., 2003). Of interest, lipid abnormalities have been also implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic cerebrovascular disease (Demchuk et al., 1999; Goldstein, 2007). Stroke contributes to the development of cognitive disorders in nearly 20% of elderly patients (citation). Stroke related features such as multiple strokes, white matter lesions, left hemisphere infarct location, atrophy, and volume of infarcted tissue are associated with an increased risk of post-stroke dementia (Rasquin et al., 2004). Nevertheless, even though a decrease in cholesterol concentrations with statins can reduce the incidence of stroke in high-risk populations and in patients with a stroke or transient ischemic attack (Amarenco et al., 2006), serum cholesterol traditionally has been considered a poor predictor of total stroke risk (Ansell, 2000) and epidemiological evidence has failed to demonstrated a clear relationship between the risk of stroke and serum cholesterol levels (citation). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to the transitional state between the cognitive changes of normal aging and very early dementia (Petersen and Negash, 2008). MCI is defined as memory deficits with preservation of other cognitive and functional brain activities (Nestor et al., 2004). However, whether the MCI results from neuronal loss within circuit-specific pathways involved in learning and memory (Verkhratsky et al., 2004) and/or from cerebrovascular deregulation within these pathways (Iodecola et al., 2004) remain debatable. The aim of the current study was to determine whether a cognitive impairment associated with elevated plasma cholesterol levels over aging is related with structural pathology or white matter disease (vascular lesions?

The Nature of Disease Causing Organisms :: essays research papers

The nature of DISEASE CAUSING ORGANISMS and the mechanisms employed by man to combat these organisms. What is disease? A disease is a disturbance in the normal structure or function of an organism, group of organisms or the entire body. Diseases affect different organisms in different ways, they may be temporary, they may be chronic, or they may be terminal. They may even be localized or widespread through an entire body. Many diseases have been eradicated, but, some have no cure. Humans and other vertebrates have a system of specific immunity to combat disease. Some disease causing organisms invade body tissues and then destroy them, while others setup a symbiotic relationship with the cells. Most communicable diseases are caused by microorganisms or larger parasites that are commonly called germs, most scientists call them pathogens. What kinds of disease are there, that are caused by organisms? -Infectious disease- caused by living organisms, can be passed by contact. -Viral disease- caused by viruses, difficult to treat because viruses are non-living -Fungal disease- usually cause mild infections, difficult to treat -Protozoan disease- the "tropical diseases" caused by protozoa -Worm infections- mostly in the tropics, worms inside body causing damage -Diseases can be caused by a wide variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoans, and parasitic worms. Some sferre some disease causing organisms, and how do they affect plants? Plant diseases can be caused by microorganisms, parasitic flowering plants, nematodes, viruses, or adverse environmental conditions. Bacterial diseases are marked by symptoms such as soft rot, leaf spot, wilt of leaves and roots, cankers, leaf and twig blight, and gall formation. Most plant diseases are caused by fungi. Fungal diseases have been documented on since biblical times. Fungal diseases are characterized by leaf spots, ulcerous lesions, blights, powdery mildew, cankers, root rots, wilts, and club root. Viral diseases are infectious and spread largely by insects. All economic plants suffer from one or more viral diseases. Symptoms include mosaic patterns, yellowing of foliage, vein clearing, ring spots, stunting and premature death, malformations and overgrowth. Nematodes, or roundworms, are a large cause of disease in plants. They live in and cause damage to the roots, stems, leaves, and bulbs of plants.

Reduction of Natural Resources Essay -- Environment Developing Essays

Reduction of Natural Resources Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to make known the negative social implications of the â€Å"catching-up development myth† through globalization and to break down specific concepts of vertical and lateral oppression from the top natural resources consumers of oil in the world. This paper also demonstrates my interest in creating biological and economic equity in the world through breaking down these oppressive frameworks and hence, my interest in obtaining knowledge about alternative energy uses to be used as a tool to help liberate others in places of need. The â€Å"catching up development myth† as explained by Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva in Ecofeminism, is the idea that underdeveloped countries (meaning, countries that do not equal or exceed the industrial capabilities of modernized counties like the U.S.), through modern technology, are given equal opportunity to become as economically progressive as other countries like the U.S. It is a false precept in many ways. The U.S. has become a model for industrial countries because it has exploited other underdeveloped countries in order to gain its economic power. If underdeveloped countries were to â€Å"catch-up† to where the U.S. is today, they would also need to find another country that they could exploit as much as the U.S. exploits them. When economic reasons are discussed as to the possibilities of unlimited growth in underdeveloped countries the externalization of cost is almost never factored in. The economic, social, and most importantly ecological costs of constant growth in industrialized countries have been and are shifted to the people of underdeveloped countries. Both economic and social costs can be seen in the Maquiladoras on the b... ... natural resources like oil. Understanding ones role in this conceptual framework is also essential in creating a paradigm shift toward ones own awareness and participation in consuming the world’s natural resources such as oil. Building solar houses, using alternative energy sources for transportation, self-sustainability through growing ones own food can all contribute to creating a paradigm shift towards a more Earth sustaining living environments. These are just a few of the things that both affluent and poor countries can do to help deconstruct the negative codependent relationships that currently exist between each other. Works Cited: Mies, Maria, Shiva Vandana. Ecofeminism, Fernwood Publishing Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1993, pp 60 and 302. Weisman, Alan. Gaviotas, A Village to Reinvent the World, Chelsea Green Publishing Co., Vermont, 1998, pp126-127.

Contribution of Enterprise Systems Essay

What are enterprise systems? Provide examples of organizational functions supported by enterprise systems. One person wanted something that another person had, so they found a way to trade one thing for another. Right there, we can see the benefits of such a system. Each person involved had gotten involved out of free choice rather than being forced into it. And because each person was not forced into it, each was able to make the best choice that he could, and learn from any mistakes that he may have made. Enterprise systems (ES) are large-scale application software packages that support business processes, information flows, reporting, and data analytics in complex organizations. These systems are designed to manage large volumes of critical data. These systems are typically designed to provide high levels of transaction performance and data security. Vendors in this space include IBM, Oracle, HP and more. How does effectively implementing and using enterprise systems contribute to achieving operational excellence? Enterprise systems provide value both by increasing operational efficiency and by providing firm wide information to help managers make better decisions. Enterprise systems also help firms respond rapidly to customer requests for information or products. Because the system integrates order, manufacturing, and delivery data, manufacturing is better informed about producing only what customers have ordered, procuring exactly the right amount of components or raw materials to fill actual orders, staging production, and minimizing the time that components or finished products are in inventory. Organizations need to use enterprising systems effectively to achieve operational excellence. The enterprise systems need to be designed and setup correctly from the beginning. If the enterprise software does not support the organizations’ way of doing business it can be customize. However, enterprise software is complex and customization may degrade system performance and therefore may not maximize the benefits from the system. It is recommended to maximize benefits from the software, the business need to conform to the business processes in the software. What challenges are posed by enterprise applications? Enterprise applications is software that various businesses use in order to help solve certain enterprise problems or to streamline business operations. Things like email lists, payroll, client information, and so on are stored in enterprise applications. Because the software is used and shared across a large organization, one of the drawbacks of an enterprise application may have to do with the safety of the information that is stored. Some benefits of enterprise systems are increased business efficiency, information company-wide helps management make better decisions, and it forces uniformed practices throughout the businesses. However, there are some challenges to an enterprise system. The expenses of purchasing, installing and maintaining the hardware and software of an enterprise system are considered challenging. Systems are more complex today than before. Before most systems consist of hardware, operating system, database and storage application easily connected together in one system. Today a system configuration can consist of several separate mini systems with many separate storage area network, networking equipment.

Religious responses to the verification principle have been largely unsuccessful Essay

‘Religious responses to the verification principle have been largely unsuccessful.’ Evaluate this claim. (20 marks) The Verification Principle claims that it is meaningless to talk about God and ethics etc, as these cannot be verified using empirical evidence or scientific experiments. There have however been many responses to this theory, for example the falsification principle. This is a theory developed by Anthony Flew who says that for a statement to have meaning it must be able to be proven false. So that not religious meaning. This theory is similar to the verification principle but just to prove something wrong instead, however it’s a stronger argument, as it does not go beyond our understanding of God and religion. In response to the falsification principle, R.M Hare criticised it with his theory of the ‘blik’, which is an individual’s own personal opinion and meaningful statements. He says that you cannot falsify the blik because it holds meaning to the individual. Christians will think in their minds that God is good; this is their own thought so we cannot prove their ‘blik’ wrong. However, Flew replies to this criticism saying that this is not relevant and cannot be applied to religious language as it has not happened in real life, just in someone’s mind. Another response to the verification principle is the Via Negativa; this is a theory that suggests that to fully understand what God is we need to say what he isn’t. In addition, Moses Maimonides said that positive statement such as ‘God is powerful enough to lift a rock’, limits God because we are comparing Him to a human and assuming we know what He can do. This is a cogent argument because we cannot understand properly a God we have never seen before, we can only imagine our own personal God and when we die we will then be enlightened with the real God, if there is one at all. However, St Thomas Aquinas rejected the Via Negativa as he believed that there are positive things to say about God. He argued that the only we way we can legitimately speak about God is using analogy. This involves making a comparison between two things, one is familiar and helps us understand another thing and both have similar meanings. He gave examples such as, the analogy of proportion and attribution. However some philosophers criticised this, such as Richard Swinburne who suggested that sometimes words could be used univocally about god. However if you say God is good, this could mean the same way humans are good. Therefore Aquinas is using the word good univocally Aquinas’ theory of analogy is a strong argument as it doesn’t limit God or use ambiguous language. Another response to this that involves the meaning of religious language is symbol. There are many symbols that have meaning to religious people and non -religious people. For example the star of St David for Jews and symbols such as the first aid cross which obviously does have a meaning. However, some symbols change over time for example, the Hindu symbol of peace was adapted by Adolf Hitler to produce the infamous Swastika that reminds people of sadness and death. So it raises the question whether symbols are reliable or not to show meaning. To conclude, I think there are a few reasonable responses to the verification principle such as the falsification principle, as this does not limit God to our understanding but we can still talk about Him. Also the doctrine of analogy is a strong theory as we can compare one thing to another thing we are familiar with without properly describing the unfamiliar thing and this makes it easier for us to understand. However, symbols can often be misinterpreted and lead to confusion, as they don’t say enough about God and religion for people to fully understand.

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple Essay

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple takes place in the 1920’s-1930’s during the times of segregation and women’s suffrage. In this passage Celie’s step-son confides in her one night sitting on her front porch steps. Read the following passage from Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Then, in a well-organized essay analyze how the author’s style exposes the tone towards the unequal treatment of women by the use of literary elements such as appeal to emotion, syntax, and irony. Harpo sitting out on the steps, crying like his heart gon break. Oh, boo-hoo, and boo-hoo. He got his head in his hands, tears and snot running down his chin. I give him a hansker. He blow his nose, look up at me out of two eyes close like fists. What happen to your eyes? I ast. He clam round in his mind for a story to tell, then fall back on the truth. Sofia, he say. You still bothering Sofia? I ast. She my wife, he say. That don’t mean you got to keep on bothering her, I say. Sofia love you, she a good wife. Good to the children and good looking. Hardworking. Godfearing and clean. I don’t know what more you want. Harpo sniffle. I want her to do what I say, like you do for Pa. Oh, Lord, I say. When Pa tell you to do something, you do it, he say. When he say not to, you don’t. You don’t do what he say, he beat you. Sometime beat me anyhow, I say, whether I do what he say or not. That’s right, say Harpo. But not Sofia. She do what she want, don’t pay me no mind at all. I try to beat her, she black my eyes. Oh, boo-hoo, he cry. Boo-hoo-hoo. I start to take back my hansker. Maybe push him and his black eyes off the step. I think bout Sofia. She tickle me. I used to hunt game with a bow and arrow, she say. Some womens can’t be beat, I say. Sofia one of them. Besides, Sofia love you. She probably be happy to do most of what you say if you ast her right. She not mean, she not spiteful. She don’t hold a grudge. He sit there hanging his head, looking retard. Harpo, I say, giving him a shake, Sofia love you. You love Sofia. He look up at me best he can out his fat little eyes. Yes ma’am? he say. Mr.___ marry me to take care of his children. I marry him cause my daddy made me. I don’t love Mr.___ and he don’t love me. In this passage from The Color Purple, the author’s opinion of the way  men treat women is clearly displayed through the tone of the text and style of her writing. Alice Walker exposes her strong disapproval of the mistreatment of women through literary elements such as syntax, appeal to emotion and irony. Walker uses specific syntax in order to emphasize the importance of the points that Harpo’s companion makes. The word â€Å"Hardworking.† is treated as a sentence in itself, and the neighboring phrases such as â€Å"Good to the children and good looking.†, â€Å"Godfearing and clean.†, and â€Å"Sofia love you, she a good wife.† are short and punctuated like sentences in the same way. The author does this to point out that amongst all the dialogue written, these phrases are the most significant text in the scene because they demonstrate her opinion that men, including Harpo, should not mistreat women, and especially women who take care of themselves, behave according to religious teachings, and are good to their families and husbands. She also uses this same sentence structure to emphasize the ways Sofia doesn’t act; for example, â€Å"She not mean, she not spiteful.† and â€Å"She don’t hold a grudge†. This shows that So fia’s behavior does not deserve punishment, and therefore she and other women of similar character should not be harmed. The passage contains emotional appeal which serves the purpose of pointing out the author’s opinion of the mistreatment of women. Sofia’s redeeming qualities are plainly stated: characteristics such as hardworking, loving, religious, and loyal to family. When the reader learns that Sofia’s husband tries to beat her despite her mannerisms, sympathy is evoked. The appeal to emotion continues when a briefing on the lady companion’s past is supplied. The reader learns of the woman’s misfortunes including beatings that take place regardless of her actions, and a forced marriage that leads to her upbringing of another woman’s children. Imbedded deeper in the text, is situational irony. Walker uses imagery like â€Å"He got his head in his hands, tears and snot running down his chin.† and onomatopoeic words such as â€Å"sniffle† and â€Å"boo-hoo† to point out Harpo’s exaggerated reaction. Harpo feels that his inability to beat his wife puts him in an unfair situation. These examples are used to point out the reality  of the situation; women such as his companion [Celie] are the unlucky ones because they are forced into unjust relationships in which they are beaten and mistreated. The imagery and onomatopoeia making fun of Harpo’s actions, serve the purpose of pointing out his hypocritical ridiculous behavior. Throughout the passage provided, Walker uses stylistic techniques such as syntax, emotional appeal, and situational irony to illuminate her critical opinion of the mistreatment of women. Her particular methods provoke reflection and contemplation in the reader once the passage has been comprehended. As a result, this increases the value of her work as a whole.