Psalm 23
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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