He was faithful in caring for his flock and never complained about his responsibilities. The Analogy of God and the Shepherd in Psalm 23, The Lord As A Shepherd Who Provides (Verse 1), The Lord As A Shepherd Who Guides (Verses 2-3), The Protection And Comfort From Gods Presence (Verse 4), The Blessings of God Amidst Danger (Verse 5), Faith-Filled Content Delivered To Your Inbox, Best NASB Study Bibles Ranked & Reviewed, The Best Bible for Young Adults: Buyers Guide. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. The writer of Psalm 23 makes an analogy between God and the shepherd. Ouch. The analogy of a king as a shepherd is common in ancient times and is not unusual. The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. They believed that something of the persons identity was tied up in the namethat the name expressed something of the persons essential character. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). 3 He restores my soul. And one day He will come in the clouds and troubles of this world will be over. It has remanded to their dungeon more felon thoughts, more black doubts, more thieving sorrows, than there are sands on the sea-shore. But the love for our Saviour is great, with us waiting patiently for a time all these woes will come to an end. 'Is something bad going to happen to me?' It will go singing to your children and my children, and to their children, through all the generations of time; nor will it fold its wings till the last pilgrim is safe, and time ended; and then it shall fly back to the bosom of God, whence it issued, and sound on, mingled with all those sounds of celestial joy which make heaven musical for ever. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Gods shepherding care from the previous verse brought restoration to Davids soul. They would travel from oasis to oasis. Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethrens emptier vessels. (Trapp). Behold just such a one! Johannine Writings In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. If we were without enemies, we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to GodThou preparest a table Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. . Fortunately, I had insurance that would allow my family to weather the storm financially. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. Pauline Epistles They are still waters, for the Holy Ghost loves peace, and sounds no trumpet of ostentation in his operations. That was a question that was once sent to me. As someone who worked as a shepherd before, David knew that shepherds live with their flock and are everything to it: guide, protector, and source of provision. The shepherds staff was the familiar long rod with a crook on one end. Click on the different category headings to find out more. And yet through it all he could look back and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. He is that interested in each of His sheep! of Scripture. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! The shepherd is also a guide who leads the flock on the right path. The shepherd would use his staff to guide sheep and to pull them back from dangerous places. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. God saved (Israel) for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power known (Psalm 106:8). In the ancient Near East, the shepherd was a royal metaphor. Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Sun Valley, CA 91352 "Staff," that on which one leans, emblem of Divine strength and . Not to raging waves of strife, but to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep. Wisdom Literature Minor Prophets The Old Testament That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. Wisdom Literature Pastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New Testaments, phrase by phrasein this valuable one-volume resource. The image exudes a sense of rest, comfort, and care. And I will dwell in the house of the LORDforever: The psalm ends with the calmest assurance that he would enjoy the presence of the LORD forever both in his days on this earth and beyond. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.. It would stick right by the Shepherd's side! When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. How much would you have had in your cup? (Spurgeon), ii. ii. You may be in a dark place but you must keep walking. [10]. It is a Psalm of life, rest and peace. This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at some distance behind. They are dumb, dirty, defenceless and dependant. Giving without a Whisper by C. H. Spurgeon, Know, Known, Knowledge, Unknown - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, David Guzik :: Hechos 9 La Conversin de Saulo de Tarso, David Guzik :: Mateo 4 La Tentacin de Jess y Su Primer Ministerio en Galilea, David Guzik :: Hechos 2 El Espritu Santo Es Derramado Sobre la Iglesia, David Guzik :: Apocalipsis 20 Satans, el Pecado y la Muerte son Finalmente Eliminados, David Guzik :: 2 Timoteo 3 Los Tiempos Peligrosos y la Preciosa Verdad, David Guzik :: Apocalipsis 12 La Mujer, el Nio, y el Dragn, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus and the Holy Trinity (Walter Martin), Matthew 18-19 (1982-85 Audio) (Chuck Smith), Genesis 1:1-8 (1979-82 Audio) (Chuck Smith), John 12 - Sir, We Would See Jesus (Chuck Missler), Genesis 2-3 (1979-82 Audio) (Chuck Smith). Ok, I'm being naughty. Notice how in times of trials, we become more aware of Gods presence. What would you say of a pilgrim commissioned of God to travel up and down the earth singing a strange melody, which, when one heard, caused him to forget whatever sorrow he had? In the end, in whatever it is that places you in fear or unease, you have to come back to this very thought we are speaking of here - 'The Lord is my shepherd' - He is in control of all things. Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. But despite this I got on with her pretty well. Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6). Do you? i. Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. But it is alluded to such as in Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." To be invited to a persons table was an honor. 4Yea, 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. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. The book of Psalms is so unique because it focuses on the character of God. This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. Pauline Epistles 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of theLordforever. God as our shepherd not only leads but restores as well. Thats why Psalm 23 is crucially relevant even today. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. Priests were anointed (Exodus 40:13-15). SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. Pray to him, then, for the blessingRestore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!, Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant. The book of Psalms is the most quoted book in the New Testament, and Jesus would refer a lot to the Book of Psalms even in His claims and teachings. It isnt his destination or dwelling place. Peace -- for He leads me beside the still waters. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Note the pronoun change in this verse. Verses 1-6. What is characteristic of them? The other thing to note on this point is that the entire psalm is only valid for those who truly have Jesus as their shepherd. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Historical Books It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. That was all it said. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! [7] This was brought home to me this week in an email from a Kenyan Pastor. Psalm 22 Part 2 - It is finished, He has done it! But he also knew something else. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. On still other days, she found herself walking through the middle of the valley. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. Everything will be ok. But mostly, they were comforting because they were in the hands of a caring shepherd. Well, having said that I should say that you will be free from fear to the degree that you know He is with you - rain, hail and shine. It is getting harder to live on this planet - from a health point of view, from a financial point of view, from a spiritual and moral point of view, from a fear and anxiety point of view - there is much that a person could be concerned about. And we know the Jesus Himself took upon this title of 'the good Shepherd'. He got us to say the sentence emphasizing each word. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! Though the majority of the occurrences of hesed are translated steadfast love, there are undeniable elements of mercy and kindness that underlie each of these occurrences (Renn, 633-634). The psalmist genuinely expressed his understanding and experience with God as his shepherd. In my experience I have never seen a visible manifestation of God going before me at a fork in the road. The New Testament Major Prophets 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control since discipline is security., iii. What are these still waters but the influences and graces of his blessed Spirit? Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. Wow! The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. This also shows us our need of giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life. Forever. There is some debate among commentators as to whether David had the idea of two separate instruments (the rod and the staff) or one instrument used two ways. It doesn't mean that anything outwardly has to change. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point This is a psalm of trust and confidence in God's goodness in the present and in the future. ii. 20:28 ) If this is you, then please don't starve God's flock and please don't feed them rubbish. The psalmist has been talking about God in the third person (he). In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be 'green pastures' and the sheep tend to munch all day! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. Everyone loves this Psalm. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. Not was, like He helped you in the past. He is. The intimate portrayal of God as a shepherd is what makes Psalm 23 unique and unforgettable. I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy between Jesus and His sheep today. i. He wants to genuinely bless His people and live in the abundance of His grace. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. It is for 'His name's sake' that He does this. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. John Piper Sep 1, 1980. The Middle Eastern shepherds in Israel didn't drive their sheep their sheep followed them. Published by Thomas Nelson, 2005. So our great Shepherd protects and provides for His sheep during their life on this earth. Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. It is great advice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage because people are in desperate need to remember it! His future return for His people as the King of Glory! Liberated for Life : Galatians - a Bible Commentary for Laymen by John F. MacArthur and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. Play. However, the sheep do not easily lie down. He had been chased and pursued as he ran from his enemies who sought to take his life. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. Notice the following -. Poetical Books For a shepherd, the healing purpose would be significant. Depression and other illnesses can enshroud us in darkness and threaten us with death. Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil, for you are with me, There is a switch here from 'He' to 'You'. Psalm 23 - Sermon On the Lord is My Shepherd - Study and Obey When I asked the oncologist how serious it was, he said, Stage threemaybe Stage three and a half. My chances of survival were less than 50-50. b. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: This line from the psalm and the psalm as a whole has proven itself precious to many a dying saint through the ages. If there is a wire fence, they'll get caught in it. One can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place.