Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Ladies Bible Study


Psalm 23
Mrs. Rick Jackson

We have discussed often the past few years the need to memorize Scripture; I felt this year that the Lord was leading our Study time to put that into action.  We are going to work together to hide His Word in our hearts!

 

PRAYER

 

No passage in the Bible is more loved or more familiar than the 23rd Psalm.  We often see it printed on the inside of a program we’re handed at a funeral.  Many times it’s one of the first passages learned by children in Sunday School.

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth 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 thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth 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 for ever.

 

This is a psalm of David, a man whom God called, “a man after mine own heart.”  There are some who think that David wrote this Psalm as a shepherd boy.  More than likely, he wrote this as a seasoned adult.  Dr. Tom Malone says, “No doubt this is the David after many sorrows. This is the David after many battles. This is the David after many experiences. This is the David after many a broken heart. And so David writes as a trusting, experienced veteran believer.” [1]

RELATIONSHIP

Psalm 23:1 – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

(We are going to concentrate tonight on the first verse of this Psalm because this is our memory verse.)

 

This is not a statement of doctrine, but of a relationship – an intimate, personal relationship with the Lord. Notice that David says, “The Lord is MY shepherd.” This makes the Psalm personal.  He is speaking of Someone that is Known. He is not “a” shepherd.  He is not “the” shepherd. He is MY shepherd.  How do you know He is your Shepherd?  Jesus says in John 10:27 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:”

 

1.     my sheep hear my voice” – do you listen to what He has to say to you in His Word?

 

2.     they follow me” – do you act on the leadership of Christ – what He says in His Word? Those who belong to the Shepherd hear and follow!

Let’s stop for a minute and think about this again.  The Lord is my Shepherd.” If the Lord is my Shepherd,” what does that make me?  I am a sheep.  Let’s give that some thought tonight.  Do you know what a sheep is?  A sheep is a stupid little animal.  A sheep must have a caretaker.  David, remember, was such a caretaker when he was young.  Sheep have a tendency to wander aimlessly without a leader (does this sound familiar?).  Sheep need to be led to good pastures or they will eat in whatever field they find, good or bad.  Sheep are dirty.  Sheep will not drink out of moving water – the shepherd has to find calm water, or put rocks in a moving stream and allow the water to stand still for them, or else they will refuse to drink.  When startled by loud or unfamiliar noises, sheep will run any which way they can as far as they can – without rhyme or reason. Isaiah 40:11 says, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.”   (He knows us-our bleating reaches His ears!)

Now, the end of our verse says, “I shall not want.” – What does that mean? If we are complaining, we are saying we don’t have what we want. However, Philippians 4:19 tells us, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Pastor Haddon Robinson put it this way, “When we believe that what we don’t like may be part of what He has planned for us today, we can begin to accept His will with joy, knowing that He would not lead us into a difficult circumstance merely to hurt us or to desert us. Our Shepherd has our best interests at heart. With that assurance we can accept any personal slights, unpleasant tasks, or frustrations and still be at peace.” [2]

 

Matthew Henry:  “If I have not everything I desire, I many conclude it is either not fit for me, or I shall have it in due time.” [3]

REST

Psalm 23:2 – He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  

Here is the picture of the Shepherd bringing the sheep to a place of comfort and rest.  The day of walking and following, of listening to voice of the Master has brought good results – now it is time to lie down in green pastures; now there are still waters for refreshment; now the sheep can rest.  The sheep have followed.  This is good. 

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Isaiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Matthew 11:28 – Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

RESTORATION

Psalm 23:3 – He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake:

There are times when a sheep goes astray.  I was reading about a sheep farmer telling of one of his ewes who had the habit of always hugging the fence, looking for a weak spot, literally looking for “the greener grass on the other side of the fence.”  He said time and again, she would break through the fencing, going to the poorer pasture outside of his green pastures, thinking what was beyond her reach was better, and he would have to find her and bring her back.  Isn’t that true of us?  We become dissatisfied with what we have, or Satan lures us with what the world has to offer and we wander away from God’s will for our lives.  Yet, Jesus, in his grace and mercy, leads us, calls us, to the “paths of righteousness.”

Psalm 32:1,2,5,8 – 1 Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [whose] sin [is] covered.] 2 Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit [there is] no guile.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Do you remember what illustration Nathan used when he confronted David with his sin? He chose the story of a little lamb, didn’t he? God used an illustration he knew was near and dear to the heart of the king! [2 Samuel 12:1-4]

James 4:8 – Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

We need only remember what Jesus Himself said in John 10 – “14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

 

RELIANCE

Psalm 23:4 – Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

What sort of courage does a sheep need? He just needs the courage to trust, to rely on the Shepherd.

You know the song that says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.” What we have to understand is that we are not meant to be comfortable here.  There will be dark days and hardships. More often than not.  This verse is not talking about dying. David is talking about the comfort he receives in order to live through the dark days.  Remember some of the dark days David had? His baby had died, his grown son was killed, he feared for the lives of his wives and children at the hands of the Philistines, oh, so many, many dark days; his best friend and his beloved King were killed in battle on the same day, he was exiled and hunted down time and time again, but David said, “I will fear no evil, for THOU art with me!” He had the faith to rely on God to protect and guide him through his dark days.

We have had and will continue to have dark days.  I know about some of your trials; others are yet to come.  A boss will say to someone, “Clean out your desk.”  A teenage daughter will come home and say, “Mom, I’m pregnant.” A doctor will say, “I’m sorry. It’s cancer.”  Or it will be some other difficulty.  This world is full of them.  We all have to face them, not just one, but many. 

And David says something else, “thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”  These are the shepherd’s tools. The rod was the implement used to protect the sheep from invaders; the staff was the crook used to pull the sheep from places where it had foolishly wandered.  Dark days are when we must take courage and remember we have a Shepherd! He loves us!! He is protecting us with his rod and staff.  Are you trusting God and relying on His care? Have you walked through the dark days and experienced His protection?

Job said, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”  [Job 42:5]

Psalm 142:4 – I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

Philippians 4:6,7 – 6 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Matthew 18:12-14 – 12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? 13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

Ezekiel 34:11,12 – 11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

 

RESOURCES

Psalm 23:5 – Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

 

When the shepherd brings the sheep into the fold, there is no door.  He is the door.  Outside of the fold are the enemies.  And yet within is everything the sheep need – a table of victuals; oil to rub on the heads for protection from the pests and the head-butting; more than enough to meet the needs of all the flock! And there was the Shepherd’s Presence to calm and soothe! That was enough to bring rest!

Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

As Annie Johnson Flint wrote in the hymn we know so well,

His love has no limit,

His grace has no measure,

His power has no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

 

RESIDENCE

Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

This world is not our home.  It is only a temporary waiting room.  One day soon we will go home where everything will be complete.  Think on it.  No sin. No more sorrow.  No insecurities.  No guilt.  No more tears. And the best of all – Jesus!!

John 14:2,3 – 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Revelation 7:16,17 – 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 


There is an old story, told in the days before television and movies were our main sources of entertainment.  There was a small town in which a large crowd of people had gathered around a great actor, who was reciting some choice bits of literature.

 

Someone said to the great actor, “Do you know the twenty-third Psalm?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Would you recite it for us?”

“Yes, I will, but on one condition and that is that the old, gray-haired preacher, sitting here on the front seat, recites it after I do. I wonder if this man, who has been a veteran of the ministry all these many years, will recite it after I do?”

The old gray-haired preacher nodded his head that he would, and then the actor began to recite the Psalm.

 

”The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

 

His elocution and intonation were absolutely perfect. His speech was brilliant. When he finished, the people stood to their feet and brought the house down with applause.

When the applause had died down, the old veteran of the cross rose to his feet, walked to the platform and he, too, began to recite the twenty-third Psalm.

 

”The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

 

As he went through the Psalm, you could see him walk arm in arm with Jesus. When he had finished the last verse, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever,” there was no applause, but there was not one dry eye in all the house. People drew out their handkerchiefs and wiped away their tears.

 

Then the great actor stood to his feet and this is what he said:

“I know the twenty-third Psalm as well as anyone, but this dear man knows the Shepherd of that Psalm as well as any man can know Him.”



[1] Dr. Tom Malone, Sweet Psalms for God’s Saints (Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1971), 63.
 
[2] Haddon W. Robinson, Trusting the Shepherd (Grand Rapids: Discovery House Publishers, 2002), 29.
 
[3] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary, ed. Rev. Leslie F. Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1961), 600.

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