Jesus was the shepherd of psalm 23

JESUS WAS THE SHEPHERD OF PSALM 23
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Psalm23
A psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me besidequiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkestvalley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anointmy head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the houseof the Lord
forever.
Jesus is the GoodShepherd . Psalm23 is all about the ministry of the good
shepherd – who is Jesus. In John 10:11 Jesus told His disciples, “I am the good
shepherd,”. Everyone listening to Jesus atthat time knew exactly what Jesus
was saying. In the time and day of Jesus they all understood the relationship
of the shepherd to sheep.
psalm23 by PastorBruce EdwardsJesus is the GoodShepherd
Psalm23 is all about the ministry of the goodshepherd – who is Jesus. In
John 10:11 Jesus told His disciples, “I am the goodshepherd,”. Everyone
listening to Jesus at that time knew exactlywhat Jesus was saying. In the time
and day of Jesus they all understood the relationship of the shepherd to sheep.
The shepherd was one who cared for, protected, and provided for the sheep.
Jesus Your Shepherd

Jesus was saying He would be our shepherd and we would be His sheep.
(Psalm 100:3)As Christians we believe and know Jesus was the lamb of God
who took awaythe sin of the world. (John 1:29) We know He died on the cross
two thousand years ago to pay the price for our sins, but do we know Him as
“our shepherd”? His work on the cross is finished, but today Jesus lives and
continues to minister to His followers – you and me as our shepherd. Jesus is
the mastershepherd and today He protects and provides for us.
Psalm23
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in
greenpastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He
leads me in the paths of righteousness ForHis name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fearno evil; ForYou
are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfortme. 5 You prepare a table
before me in the presence ofmy enemies;You anoint my head with oil; My
cup runs over. 6 Surely goodnessand mercy shall follow me All the days of my
life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” (Psalm23)
Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father, but He is at work today as our
Shepherd. Psalm 23 is one of best know chapters in all the Bible, but very few
really appreciate all that it is telling. Psalm23 gives us a detailed picture of
what Jesus the shepherd does for us today. Here is a short verse by verse
teaching of Jesus the Shepherd and who He should be to you;
Verse 1 – YOUR PROVIDER.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” First you must acceptand
receive Jesus as your shepherd. Jesus canbe your savior yet not your
shepherd. It is about RELATIONSHIP. Thenas your shepherd He provides
for every need you will ever have (Philippians 4:19). This a Jesus the
PROVIDER.

Verse 2 – YOUR REST.
“He makes me to lie down in greenpastures; He leads me beside the still
waters.” Jesus the goodShepherd will leadyou to a place of rest. True rest is
only found in Him. “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28)
Sometimes we are unwilling to rest. Often we become anxious and so busy
with life we lose our peace. The goodshepherd brings us to a place of peace
and rest if we will follow Him.
Verse 3 – YOUR RESTORER.
“He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness ForHis
name’s sake.”Sometimes we candrift awayfrom the path that God has for
us. When we grow wearyand fainthearted with the troubles of life or do
things that aren’t right He is ready to restore and refresh us and help get us
back on the right path.
Verse 4 – YOUR PROTECTION.
“Yea, 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.” When
we encounter trouble and difficulty in life Jesus the Shepherd is there to
watchover us and help us through. He is a very present help in trouble. He
never leaves us or forsakes us. We have His Word and Spirit to help us
overcome and keepus.
Verse 5 – YOUR SOURCE OF ABUNDANCE
You prepare a table before me in the presence ofmy enemies;You anoint my
head with oil; My cup runs over. When the enemies of fear, doubt, loneliness,
etc. try to bring you down the goodShepherd provides an abundance of

mercy, grace, power, favor, etc. so, you canbe more than a conqueror through
Him. You cup will run over with more than enough.
Verse 6 – YOUR SECURITYIN ETERNALLIFE.
“Surely goodnessand mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will
dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” God’s goodnessand mercy are sure
things! You can’t get awayfrom them! Through thick and thin and the ups
and downs they are always there making sure to keepyou secure for all
eternity. In John 10:27-28 Jesus said, “Mysheephear My voice, and I know
them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never
perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
We need the provision, comfort and protection of the goodshepherd. Let
Jesus be your GoodShepherd. When you do – He will overflow your cup, give
you rest, provide your every need, bring you through the valley and surround
you with goodnessand mercy. Jesus is always at work ministering to us. He is
– Jesus Your Shepherd!
The Messianic Psalms Bible Study
Psalm23 Bible Study - Jesus our GreatShepherd!
by I Gordon
Introduction

I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. I
started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most
popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. Sure enough, someone guessed
pretty quickly that it would be Psalm23. Everyone knows this psalm... even
non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favourite at their
funerals. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm23 is to funerals. This is
a greatshame because it is not a psalm of death! It is a Psalmof life, restand
peace. It is a Psalm of but 6 verses but countless sermons and entire books
have been written on it. [1] It is a Psalmthat encompassesourlive here and
even extends into eternity future. So though 3000 years old it is extremely
relevant for our lives today!
Is it Messianic?Thatwas a question that was once sentto me. On the one
hand it is not quoted in the New Testamentdirectly concerning Jesus. Butit is
alluded to such as in Revelation7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." And we
know the Jesus Himself took upon this title of 'the goodShepherd'. What is
also interesting, even before we get into the actualverses, is that this Psalm is
part two of what we could calla Messianic trilogy. Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give
different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. This is seenin the following
table
John 10:11 I am the goodshepherd. The goodshepherd lays down his life for
the sheep.
Past
His past death for His people
The Saviours Cross

Psalm23
GreatShepherd
Hebrews 13:20-21 Maythe God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal
covenantbrought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that greatShepherd of
the sheep, equip you with everything goodfor doing his will, and may he work
in us what is pleasing to him...
Present
His presentcare and provision for His people
The Shepherds Crook
Psalm24
Chief Shepherd
1 Peter5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown
of glory that will never fade away.
Future
His future return for His people as the King of Glory!

The Kings crown
The greatShepherd
Psalm23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want
King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd.
That was his role growing up. He would tend, protect and care for his sheep.
But he also knew, through many highs and lows, throughout his life, that he
too was but a sheepwith a far greaterShepherd. David had had the highs of
defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from
Saul. He had the honour of being King over all Israel, yet seenthe lows of
having his own son, Absalom, rise up againsthim and take the throne. He had
known feast. He had knownfamine. And yet through it all he could look back
and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. What great confidence!
There is something about people who truly know their God. They know that it
will be ok. They know that through all things, Jesus is a goodshepherd. That
is what God desires to work into your life. It is what the Apostle Paul knew
when he wrote:
Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be content in whatevercircumstances I
am. (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to
live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secretof
being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
(13) I cando all things through Him who strengthens me.
Amazon, in the lastcouple of weeks (Nov2014)releasedthe most highlighted
passagesin their most popular books downloadedonto Kindle, their electronic

book reader. It included the most highlighted passagein the Bible which
turned out to be this passage:
Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made knownto God. (7)
And the peace of God, which surpasses allcomprehension, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
It is greatadvice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage
because people are in desperate need to remember it! They probably are
anxious about different things. 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 fearand anxiety point of view - there is much that
a person could be concernedabout. But Jesus is the good Shepherd. He is.
Let's break it up, word for word...
Now I want to break this first verse up into eachlittle sectionso that we can
get a better graspas to what David was saying. [3]
The LORD - The first thing to note is the source ofDavid's comfort. It is 'The
LORD' who is his shepherd! This name is 'Yahweh', the sovereign, almighty,
delivering God. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before
Abraham was born, I AM!' So many people place their trust and hope is all
sorts of things. I have a lady at my work who, after saying something that she
felt may tempt fate, said 'touch wood'. David had it right in placing his trust
in the one true God who controls all things. This also shows us our need of
giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life. [4]

Is - Can you say that? Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty
God IS your Shepherd right now? Not was, like He helped you in the past. Not
will be, like you look forward to something He will do... but IS - present tense.
David had extreme confidence in who God IS right now! Do you?
My - This is probably the bestthing about this psalm... it is so personal! Grab
your Bible and read this Psalmnoting down the times 'I, my, me, he, his, you'
etc are used. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times!
The wonderful discovery is that the Lord is not just a shepherd who looks
after the entire flock, but He is cares for me as well. He is that interested in
eachof His sheep!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. It's not for the
goats. The promises are for those who have been born again... not those who
simply like the sound of it for a funeral!
Shepherd - This imagery of the shepherd and sheepspans the entire Bible but
is most prominent in the New Testamentwhere Jesus speaksaboutHis
relationship with His people, His sheep. How would you describe sheep? What
is characteristic ofthem? They are dumb, dirty, defencelessand dependant.
Someone saidthey are the most stupid animal on the face of the earth. If there
was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. If there is a ditch,
they will fall in and need to be rescued. If there is a wire fence, they'll get
caught in it. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. They can't run
all that fast, don't have the greatesteye sight apparently and, being basically
defenceless, are timid and fearful. And let's not forgetthey are prone to
wander. There you have it. That's the animal God choose whichbest
represents you! They are in need of a goodshepherd who will provide,
protect, and guide his sheep. [5]
We need to remind ourselves ofthis all the time. God is the one who looks
after our lives. [6]

Psalm23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Now David wasn't saying here that 'the Lord is my Shepherd, whom I do not
want'! Noris he saying that 'the LORD is my Shepherd, I get everything I
want'. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! Obviously
it means that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not
lack that which He knows we need. [7] Do you have this same confidence that
David had? Everyone loves this Psalm. But do we believe it? I think if we
could just graspthis first verse alone our hearts could then rest. This verse
doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and
need--- far from it... God loves you too much to just make things always easy!
That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalmshow that
these things do occur. But the confidence David had is that the greatshepherd
will always know what we need and when to provide it. Everything will be ok.
He is in control.
Look where He leads...
Psalm23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside
quiet waters;he restores my soul.
In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seemto be 'green
pastures'and the sheeptend to munch all day! So life here for our sheepis
one of continual green pastures. But that is not how it is in the dry arid lands
of the Middle Eastand we need to read this Psalmwith that mindset. The
greenpastures and waters spokenof in this verse were often some distance
apart and the shepherd would have to lead his flock to these places. They
would travel from oasis to oasis. Notice the following -

He makes me... He leads me - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading
and bringing you to a place of rest. We often try to work things out in our
little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion!
We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. He makes me... He
leads me. Now this place of rest is, first and foremostspiritually speaking,
right in the midst of the problem. It doesn't mean that anything outwardly has
to change. What He is leading, guiding and teaching us is firstly about the
inward change to the circumstance even if outwardly things remain the same.
But we need to learn to lie down. We are smart enoughto do this in the
physical. When we gettired we take a rest. It makes sense. It works. But
mentally and spiritually we can getreally tired trying to work out all our
problems and we don't rest. We lie on our beds yet carry on the same
thoughts inside. It leads to burn out, break downs and depression.
Lie down in greenpastures... quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great
Shepherd that He does bring us to greenpastures and quiet waters. Theyare
times, as the Psalmsays, when He restores your soul spiritually. They are
quiet waters... times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can
feed and are restored. Thank Godfor such times! This feeding is symbolic of
being fed spiritually with the word of God. (Heb 5:12-14) [8]
Psalm23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness forhis name's sake.
The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or 'right' paths.
They will lead us to places of rest and provision. Obviously this doesn't mean
that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easyone. Sometimes it goes
through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. But it is still the path that
leads to righteousness. As you survey your life, what path has God led and
guided you through? Was it where you thought you would go? God's eternal
desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory

and light within them. It is expressedin this verse - Rom 8:29 For those God
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness ofhis Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers. So God will always leadus
into that which is right and that which is true. It is for 'His name's sake'that
He does this. Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself. [9] These are
the paths we should desire and actively seek. Davidwrote about this in Psalm
25
Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teachme Your paths.
(5) Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the Godof my
salvation;For You I wait all the day.
When things getdark...
Psalm23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
As I said, it wasn't all easyand plain sailing being a sheepin Israelhowever.
Sometimes those paths lead straight through the valley of the shadow of death.
As the shepherd led the sheep from oasis to oasis, this sometimes meant
passing through narrow valleys that had steepcliff faces oneachside. These
valleys were often dark because ofthe shadow causedby the cliffs, and they
were a favourite place for predators to hide in. Sounds like a nice place to be
for a defenceless sheepnow doesn'tit? Maybe this verse should have read
'though I close my eyes and sprint through the valley of the shadow of death...'
This verse speaks to us of the trying times in our lives where there is darkness,
confusionand fear. Notice howeverthat the Psalmistsays he 'walks through'
this valley. He doesn't stop, and he doesn'tgive up hope. You may be in a dark
place but you must keepwalking. It's not somewhere thatyou setup camp
thinking that is all you will ever know. No, press on knowing that if there are
shadows, there must be light around the cornercausing them!

And it is in these times that it starts getting a lot more personal!
Psalm23:4 I will fear no evil, for you are with me
There is a switchhere from 'He' to 'You'. Instead of speaking about his
Shepherd, David speaksto Him. It becomes more personal in this valley! The
wonder of wonders is that through the presence ofthe Lord Jesus Christ in
our lives we can actually go through these times without fear! 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. The first time through the dark
valley is always scary. But it is there that you learn that though you may not
be able to see the shepherd as well as normal, He can see you and is still
protecting you! The subsequent trips through the valley become progressively
easieras trust increases. How marvellous it is that weak, fearfulpeople can be
given such confidence through a simple trust in the ability of their shepherd!
'You are with me' the Psalmistsays and that is all that he needs to know. [10]
Psalm23:4 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Two things gave comfort -
The Shepherd's rod: The rod which the Shepherd carriedwas for protecting
the sheepfrom predators. It was never used on the sheep. (Whew!) Do we not
gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd? No
robber, predator or enemy ever takes Him by surprise!

The Shepherd's staff: The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep
in the way in which they should go, and, in the case ofa wandering nosey
sheep, to pull it back into line [11] . Again, there is comfort in the fact that
God directs us and even discipline from the Lord (pulling us back into line!)
can be seenas comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb
12:6)
Psalm23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence ofmy enemies. You
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Here David pictures God as a gracious hostwho provides all that he needs...
even in times of apparent difficulty. This table represents all the blessings that
are ours in Christ Jesus. Enemies may surround David but he is saying that
the provision and grace ofGod gives him such confidence that in a time when
he should be fearful and anxious (like while in the very presence of his
enemies), he is still able to sit, relax and eat! God was the one providing for
him, God was the one anointing his head with oil (which was what gracious
hosts did for their guests in Israel) so he knew that he would have more than
enough!
You are being chased(but don't fret - it's a goodthing!)
Psalm23:6 Surely goodnessand love will follow me all the days of my life
Wow!That is some revelation!Can you say that about your life? [12] You
will only be able to say that if you have truly come to know the Lord Jesus as
your Shepherd. If you are truly one of His sheep (evidencedby hearing his
voice and following His ways)then this verse is your verse as well! He will
never, ever, leave you! [13] And His goodness andkindness will always

follow you. This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at
some distance behind. It means to actively pursue, to chase, and normally in a
negative sense as when PharaohchasedIsraelat the exodus. David knew all
about this. He had been chasedand pursued as he ran from his enemies who
sought to take his life. But he also knew something else. In all of those things
he was also being pursued the goodnessand loving kindness of his great
Shepherd. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life.
What confidence for this life this should give us as we believe it in faith!
Psalm23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after'the days of
my life'. So our greatShepherd protects and provides for His sheepduring
their life on this earth. But there is a greaterprovision and far greater
blessing still to come. One where
... 'the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be
his people, and Godhimself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying
or pain, for the old order of things has passedaway.'Rev 21:3-4
'Forever'is a long time, but this infinitely creative Godwill never fail to
amaze us. So for now, let us follow our Lord where He would lead. Let us stick
close to Him and thank Him for His wonderful grace. He is not just a 'good
shepherd'. He is a greatshepherd. He is utterly trustworthy. And when the
days of this life are over, then we shall enter into that which we canonly
partly imagine, for
'No eye has seen, no earhas heard, no mind has conceivedwhat God has
prepared for those who love him.'

Conclusion
Arno C Gaebelin said(with some small modifications): A goodway to read
this Psalmis by asking the question, 'What shall I not want?'I'll close with
this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as
outlined in this Psalm.
I shall not want for:
Rest-- for He makes me to lie down in greenpastures.
Peace --for He leads me beside the still waters.
Forgiveness-- for He restores my soul.
Guidance -- for He leads me in the paths of righteousness.
Companionship -- for you are with me.
Comfort -- for your rod and Thy staff comfort me.
Provision-- for Thou prepare a table before me.
Joy -- You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over.
Everything in time -- for goodnessand mercy shall follow me.
Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
[1] ↩ As I mentioned, this is one famous Psalm. In terms of how it is loved,
look at how one old theologianfrom the 1800'sspoke ofit.

'Blessedbe the day on which that Psalmwas born! What would you say of a
pilgrim commissionedof God to travel up and down the earth singing a
strange melody, which, when one heard, causedhim to forgetwhatever
sorrow he had? ... Behold just such a one! It has charmed more griefs to rest
than all the philosophy of the world. It has remanded to their dungeon more
felon thoughts, more black doubts, more thieving sorrows, thanthere are
sands on the sea-shore. Ithas comforted the noble hostof the poor. It has sung
courage to the army of the disappointed. It has poured balm and consolation
into the heart of the sick, of captives in dungeons, of widows in their pinching
grief's, of orphans in their loneliness. Dying soldiers have died easieras it was
read to them; ghastlyhospitals have been illuminated; it has visited the
prisoner, and brokenhis chains, and, like Peter's angel, led him forth in
imagination, and sung him back to his home again. It has not made the dying
Christian slave freer than his master...Noris its work done. It will go singing
to your children and my children, and to their children, through all the
generations oftime; nor will it fold its wings till the last pilgrim is safe, and
time ended; and then it shall fly back to the bosomof God, whence it issued,
and sound on, mingled with all those sounds of celestialjoywhich make
heaven musical for ever. - Henry Ward Beecher
So, argh, no pressure then!
[2] ↩ J Vernon McGee writes 'to put it succinctly, in Psalm 22 we see the
cross, in Psalm23 the crook (the Shepherd's crook), and in Psalm24 the
crown(the King's crown). In Psalm 22 Christ is the Saviour; in Psalm23 He is
the Satisfier;in Psalm 24 He is the Sovereign. In Psalm22 He is the
foundation; in Psalm 23 He is the manifestation; in Psalm 24 He is the
expectation. In Psalm22 He dies; in Psalm 23 He is living; in Psalm24 He is
coming. Psalm 22 speaks ofthe past; Psalm23 speaks ofthe present; and
Psalm24 speaks ofthe future. In Psalm22 He gives His life for the sheep; in
Psalm23 He gives His love to the sheep;in Psalm 24 He gives us light when He

shall appear. What a wonderful picture we have of Christ in these three
psalms! '
[3] ↩ I learnt this when I went to a John Macarthur seminar one time. He had
a sidekick with him who spoke on'I will build my church'. He got us to say
the sentence emphasizing eachword. Forinstance, we would emphasize 'I
WILL build my church' or 'I will BUILD my church' etc. He rammed it home
so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will
EAT my lunch.' Anyway, we might have been being a tad naughty but the
principle can be quite helpful and this is what I will do with this first verse.
[4] ↩ I read in a John Hunter book that as well as being able to say'The
Lord is my shepherd' we should be able to say'The shepherd is my Lord.' Is it
a terrible thing that even though Godis sovereignand controls the entire
universe, we don't want to let go of the reigns! You are not your own but were
bought with a price!
[5] ↩ We need to make sure that we have a Middle Easternunderstanding of
the Shepherd. I live in New Zealand, and yes, I know, we have more sheep
than people! But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control
the sheep. Basicallyfear tactics. The Middle Easternshepherds in Israel
didn't drive their sheep... their sheepfollowedthem. There was no fear
involved. The sheepknew that the shepherd was the one who protectedthem
and caredfor them. Therefore, when the shepherd startedheading off on
another journey the sheep followedwhereverhe went! Make sure your view
of the 'GoodShepherd' Jesus is the right one!
[6] ↩ As a silly example, a few weeksback I got an email from a past work
colleague thatI hadn't heard from for some time. She is a lady that is
unfortunately into the New Age and has spirit guides etc... She doesn't agree

with what I believe nor do I agree with her beliefs. But despite this I goton
with her pretty well. So out of the blue she emailed a few weeks back asking:
'All ok with you? Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. I
need to know you are well.' Thatwas all it said. So I started checking myself -
heart was still pumping, ears were attached, nose still worked, yes, everything
seemedto be in order. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check
and all was well. In which she replied 'Very pleasedto hear you are good... It
wasn't a nice dream at all ...'
Now, if you let it and you tended to be a little superstitious, your mind could
ponder, and wander, on that a bit. 'What happened exactly to me in the
dream?' 'Was it just a silly dream or something more spiritual?' 'Is something
bad going to happen to me?' 'Do I need to be extra careful?'Thankfully I
didn't go far down that track but it can plant this little seedof fear in your
mind if you let it. In the end, in whateverit 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. Nothing is outside of
His control. Now mine was a recentsilly example. You will have much more
pressing concerns. But whether our fears are irrational or basedon very real
circumstances, ourneed to remember the Lord is the same.
[7] ↩ This was brought home to me this week in an email from a Kenyan
Pastor. He wrote:
Unlike in the westwhere people getmultiple jobs, here the jobs are very rare.
With family of say, a mother, a father, 3 or four children, and only one in the
family working and bringing in 3 dollars (a day), it would takes agesbefore
one canafford to buy anything extra, even clothes or even a blanket. You can
find a family who have brought up children to being young adults and have
never owned a bed. They just drop a mat on the floor, which is not cemented
and the roof is grass and go to sleep... But the love for our Saviour is great,

with us waiting patiently for a time all these woes will come to an end. With no
one to turn to, we develop true and steadfastlove and trust in the Lord. And
one day He will come in the clouds and troubles of this world will be over.
So here is a man who has had to depend upon His Shepherd and is finding
Him faithful even in trying times. And he awaits the day when the great
shepherd will become the chief Shepherd and shall come in the skies.
[8] ↩ If you are someone that God has placedin a position of leadership or
teaching then you should also remember that you are calledshepherds and
are calledto feed the flock of God. (1 Pet5:1-4, Acts 20:28 ) If this is you,
then please don't starve God's flock and please don't feed them rubbish.
There are stacks ofdeceptive shepherds around just as there always were.
(Jer 23:1-4, Ezek 34:1-10)Work to be a faithful shepherd realising that it is
God's own sheep that He has placedin your care.
[9] ↩ As Jesus Himself said, 'You are the light of the world. A city on a hill
cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good
deeds and praise your Fatherin heaven .' God shines His light into our lives.
He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. We in turn should
allow that light to shine forth towards others so that people may see our lives
and praise God. It is for His name's sake and His glory that this is done!
[10] ↩ We have another source of confidence in our shepherd Jesus that even
David didn't have when he wrote this psalm 3000 years ago. This psalm is
takencompletely from the sheep's (David) point of view, as he talks about his
shepherd. But we have the testimony from the Shepherd also... how he loved
the sheepand would never let them go!Please readand believe!'My sheep

listen to my voice;I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish ; no one can snatchthem out of my hand. My
Father, who has given them to me, is greaterthan all; no one can snatchthem
out of my Father's hand.' He will not, and cannotforsake you if you are one of
His sheep!This gives us amazing confidence when we need it most.
[11] ↩ I have heard of more extreme cases ofdiscipline amongstMiddle
EasternShepherds. In extreme caseswhere a lamb continually wandered off
and wouldn't stick with the pack (causing the Shepherd to repeatedly have to
go and bring the lamb back)the Shepherd would sometimes break the lamb's
leg! Ouch. And obviously, he would then leave the lamb to die in the
wilderness, eatenby its predators! Ok, I'm being naughty. It is true that in
extreme casesthe shepherd would break the leg of the lamb. But he would
then carry that lamb while its leg mended and apparently, once healed, that
lamb would never wander off from the shepherd again. It would stick right by
the Shepherd's side! I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy
betweenJesus and His sheeptoday.
[12] ↩ Mustadmit that I have been dealing with a few trials lately and when
I read this verse it kind of caught me by surprise! Guess I had put my eyes on
the problem too much! If things are tough, remember this verse. Believe with
the same confidence David had. It was spokenby someone who had been
through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking
about!
[13] ↩ Boyit used to annoy me how church leaders and other Christians
would create such confusionconcerning this! When things were hard for Joe
Christian you would hear the pastor encourage him saying 'Jesus will never
leave or forsake you - take heart!' A great promise indeed! Then from the
pulpit you would hear the same person say that if you didn't do this, this, and
this you could lose your salvation or the Holy Spirit would leave you etc. And

I used to always think 'Well! Why the double standard of confusing messages?
Which is it? Will He never leave me or will something I do cause Him to
leave?'Be assured!If you are truly savedHe will never leave you all the days
of your life!
Psalm23: Christ Is Our Shepherd
Concordia Publishing House
June 3, 2020
FeaturedBible Commentary Psalms
Share
“The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm23 is one of the best-
known Psalms, oftena poem we turn to for refuge during times of distress or
uncertainty. But why has this passagebecome so popular? Readfrom the
latestConcordia Commentary, Psalms 1–50, by Timothy Saleska, answering
this question below.
Why is it that certain biblical texts have been able to maintain their hold on
the Christian imagination throughout history? Much of Scripture passes in
and out of our memory, but there are a few texts that stay with us like glowing
embers, always at hand to provide warmth when hearts grow cold. Psalm23 is
one of these texts. People wantit at the funeral of their loved one so that they
can warm themselves againsta coldreality. This is the psalm that friends
share with eachother when they are afraid, not only because they may not
know what else to say but also because this is the best anyone can say.

Whenever I hear Psalm23, I think back to the lives of my shut-ins and how
much they lookedforward to my visits and how they never tired of hearing
Psalm23. Often they would close their eyes and recite the psalm quietly with
me, and I knew that even as their bodies weakened, their hearts burned within
them.
Seeing Christ Clearly
Why does Psalm23 have such a hold on us? Why has it been at the center of
the prayer life of Christians through the ages? Ithink it is because in it we see
the heart of our Lord most clearly. In it we see his love most truly. When we
recite the psalm as our confession, we acknowledge thatthe story of God and
David is the story of Christ and us. We are the sheep. We are his Israel.
Behind Psalm23 is the story of Yhwh, the faithful Shepherd, who led his
people out of the land of death and miraculously sustainedthem in the desert
and brought them to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. This
faithful Shepherd chose David the shepherd boy to become the shepherd of his
people and to bear his promise. And when the flock seemedforever scattered,
this faithful Shepherd promised this through the prophet Ezekiel:“Indeed I
myself will searchfor my sheepand seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out
his flock on the day he is among his scatteredsheep, so will I seek out my
sheepand deliver them from all the places where they were scatteredona
cloudy and dark day” (Ezek 34:11–12).
This story rich in promise and hope reaches its climax in the NT, where we
hear that Jesus has compassiononthe crowds because theywere like sheep
without a shepherd (Mk 6:34), and where he comforts his disciples by saying:
“Do not fear, little flock, for your Father is well-pleasedto give you the
kingdom” (Lk 12:32). Jesus is the one who tells the parable of the shepherd
who goes afterthe lost sheep(Lk 15:4–7)and who says of himself: “I am the
GoodShepherd, and I know my own (sheep), … and I lay down my life on
behalf of the sheep” (Jn 10:14–15).

ForeshadowingChrist’s Future Promises
With all this in the background, this tapestry wovenwith words of promise
and fulfillment, Christians cannotread Psalm 23 without seeing Jesus, the
GoodShepherd, who fulfills all that has been said here.
Psalm23 brings our Christ to us in all his tenderness and compassion. He is
the one who guides us safely, even through death’s dark valley. He is the one
who serves us his Supper, offering the eschatologicalgiftof forgiveness in the
here and now. And his Supper is just a foretaste of the feasthe will serve us at
the end of time, where we will sit at the head table (23:5). Jesus anoints us
with his Spirit (like priests and kings) and fills our cups to overflowing with
his grace and mercy. Jesus gives us a permanent dwelling with him. Psalm23
expresses the deepesttruths of our faith. When we cannotspeak, whenour
own words fail us, this psalm speaks to us and for us. For it, and the
astounding love it expresses, we give humble thanks.
Psalm23: Jesus the GoodShepherd
Postedon by Terry Fox
In this article you will learn about Jesus the goodshepherd found in Psalm 23.
3 THINGS YOU WILL LEARN:
The real main characterofPsalm 23
Who your shepherd is

Which blessings you have in Christ
Check out the Steps for Growth at the end of this article!
Psalm23, a Song of Comfort
Psalm23 is arguably the most popular psalm in the Old Testament. Ministers
read it during funerals and memorial services. Why? It soothes and comforts
the grieving heart.
However, this psalm is appropriate for all times. You can see God’s grace,
goodness,sovereignty, and security. When you meditate on it, your affections
toward God cangrow deeper.
Psalm23 – Notabout God Meeting Your PhysicalNeeds
Maybe this is painfully obvious, but David speaks metaphoricallyin this
psalm. For instance, he’s not a sheeplying down in greenpastures. However,
this metaphor beautifully describes our Lord by using the imagery of a
shepherd.
Now, because this metaphor uses earthly pictures (e.g., shepherd, pasture,
table, and so on), you might be tempted to think only in terms of your physical
life. For example, God meets your earthly needs (e.g., providing food, rest,
and protection).
Though certainly true to some extent, if you simply limit this psalm to an
earthly perspective, you’ll miss the substance of the psalm. In addition, you
may even question the truthfulness of this psalm. Forexample, Christians
around the world die of starvation and persecution. Has the Lord their
shepherd abandoned them?

You see, if you maintain an earthly interpretation alone, you’ll miss the main
thrust of Psalm23.
Therefore, you need to shift this earthly metaphor toward what it aims to
communicate.
Readon!
The Lord Is Your Shepherd
Verse 1 reveals something important. Notice the relationship betweenDavid
and the Lord. He doesn’tsay, “The Lord is a shepherd.” He calls Him his
shepherd.
Jesus the goodshepherd
God doesn’t governas a distant god out of reach. He and David know each
other personally. The Lord is David’s shepherd, which means David knows
his shepherd’s voice.
Look at this from the opposite angle. If the Lord is David’s shepherd then
David is the Lord’s sheep.
Through this shepherd metaphor, David beautifully communicates a
relationship, an intimacy betweenGod and himself.

You see the same thing in John 10:14. Jesus calls Himself the goodShepherd.
Additionally, you see a relationship betweenthe shepherd and His sheep. He
knows His sheepand His sheepknow Him. With this in mind, you enjoy a
friendship with Jesus our goodshepherd.
You Have All Spiritual BlessingsNow
What does David mean by not wanting? Wanting here means lacking. David
will lack nothing. The same is true for you.
Jesus the goodshepherd meets all your spiritual needs now, and He will meet
all your spiritual needs forever. You need to know this. There will never come
a time when you will need anything spiritually.
Paul says something very similar in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph 1:3).
You’ll notice first that the spiritual blessings are already lavished upon you.
Next, notice that God hasn’t blessedyou with most or even many of the
spiritual blessings. He has blessedyou with EVERY spiritual blessing:ALL
OF THEM! We have regeneration(born again), grace, mercy, forgiveness,
redemption, peace with God.
Physically, you may starve to death. Your enemy may kill you. But spiritually,
you’re secure!You have everything you need, and your spiritual blessings are
overflowing.
Jesus the GoodShepherd

At this point, let me take a slight detour. Jesus saidthe Old Testamentwas
about Him (John 5:39, 46). Furthermore, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus
showedthe two men how the Old Testament(i.e., Moses and all the Prophets)
points to him (Luke 24:27).
This is what I want you to see. The Old Testamentis more than a history book
or a book of rules. It’s primarily a book about Jesus the goodshepherd.
Becausethis is true, when you read the Old Testament, you have to have Jesus
in view.
What does this mean for Psalm23? It must be a metaphor describing Jesus.
This is easyto support because in John 10 Jesus referredto himself as the
goodshepherd. He is our goodshepherd, we shall lack nothing. That’s the
point Paul makes in Ephesians 1:3.
Jesus the GoodShepherd Provides Rest
You’ll see in the secondverse that the shepherd provides rest. That’s the
picture David wished to paint with greenpastures and still waters. That
means the shepherd first brought his sheepto this place of rest.
rest in christ
Again, let’s look to Paul who says something very similar (Col 1:13). He says
that God rescuedyou from Satan’s domain and moved you to Christ’s
kingdom. This is a goodparallel to Psalm 23:2.

Likewise, Jesussays something similar in John 10:16. He brought you into His
fold.
You see, you were an enemy of God, but Christ reconciledyou with God by
taking your sins on Himself. He then suffered the wrath of God that you
deserve because ofyour sin.
By giving himself as a sacrifice, he turned the wrath of God awayfrom you
and reconciledyou to God by His death on the cross.
Now you have peace with God. Your restis securedby the work of Christ.
You have rest, and you shall always have restin Christ, even though your
earthly life may be filled with chaos (Matt11:28).
But there’s more!
Jesus the GoodShepherd RestoresYour Soul
In verse 3 of Psalm23, David says, the shepherd restores his soul. You were at
war with God; you hated him. But God did something gracious and amazing.
He bought you with the blood of Christ WHILE YOU HATED HIM AND
WERE HIS ENEMY!God redeemedyou and made you new (i.e., restore).
Ultimately, your goodshepherd restores your soul through the work of
regeneration(making the spiritually dead spiritually alive.) Paul describes
beautifully this redemption and regenerationin Ephesians 2:1-5.

You were spiritually dead, completely unresponsive to God. However, because
of His grace, Godmade you alive with Christ. Therefore, you will never die
spiritually, even though you will physically die.
Jesus the GoodShepherd Leads You in Paths of Righteousness
Connectedto this soul restoration, the shepherd leads his sheepin paths of
righteousness. Paulhelps us here as well (Phil 2:13). Jesus and the Holy Spirit
cause us to walk in paths of righteousness.
Furthermore, look at what Psalm 23 says at the end of verse 3. You see, God
brought you into the kingdom of His beloved Son and calls you to live as His
kingdom citizen now.
But there’s more!
Jesus 1;Death 0
In verse 4 of Psalm23, David paints a picture that death lurks to apprehend
its victim. Yet, notice it’s merely the shadow of death. A shadow takes the
shape of the object as it blocks the light but it doesn’thave the substance of
the object.
What does this mean? Though terrible and a curse for sin, death is really no
threat at all. It’s true that you will die, but you will also rise from the dead to
never die again, just like our goodshepherd. That’s what Jesus says (John
5:28-29).
empty tomb

You see, Jesus conquereddeathby his death and resurrection(1 Cor15:50-
57). So even though you have an appointment with death, it’s merely
temporary. The ground will hold you for only a moment, and then at the voice
of your goodshepherd, the grave will relinquish its grip, and you will come
forth with a glorified body that will never die again!
But there’s something else to see here. David shows a confidence in his
shepherd. He knows that the Lord is faithful. Even in death, David is
untouchable because the Lord is with him.
That’s your confidence in the midst of your life. As things seemto press in on
you, and especiallywhen you’re on your deathbed, you canbe confident that
Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you.
Jesus the GoodShepherd Protects andGuides You
The rod and staff are symbols of the Lord’s protection and guidance.
Shepherds used the rod as a weaponagainstpredators and the staff to guide
and controlthe sheep. David says that the protectionand guidance of the
Lord comforts him.
You can be certain that Jesus the goodshepherd will protect you from your
enemy. In fact, Christ has already conquered the ultimate enemy (Hos 13:14;
1 Cor 15:55).
Deathno longerhas a sting; death lost. Your goodshepherd sustains you by
His word and Spirit and protects you through this life and keeps you into the
next.

Jesus the GoodShepherd Prepares a CelebrationMeal
goodshepherd provides celebrationmeal
There is something minor to note here in verse 5 of Psalm 23. There’s a shift
from the shepherd metaphor to a host metaphor. Before we saw green
pastures. Now we see a table. Before we saw still waters. Now we see an
overflowing cup.
Maybe the shift moves from earthly to heavenly. Perhaps the shepherd
metaphor reminds us of God’s spiritual provision during our earthly life.
Then after we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, we come to the
table that the Lord has provided in our eternal rest.
Nevertheless,the idea here is bounty and abundance.
Certainly, the table and cup give the image of a feast. And notice how the cup
is not simply full; it’s overflowing. This is a greatfeast, a celebration. Christ is
the victor over sin, death, and the devil. By His grace Godwill bring you into
this greatfeast.
And notice who is present at the meal: his enemies. What does this mean?
Once again, Paul seems to be helpful here. He says in Ephesians 2:11-22 that
God is making one people (Christians or kingdom citizens) out of two (Jews
and Gentiles).
You see, Godsaves people by His grace, notour preference. He even saves
many of our enemies. Those who were at war with David are togetherat the
same table celebrating the victory together.

You see, Godcan even make enemies family.
You Will Dwellin God’s House Forever
David concludes his psalm in verse 6. He recognizes whathe has receivedand
the basis of this gift: goodness and mercy. He hasn’t receivedthese because of
his goodness, but because ofGod’s grace.
David knows without a doubt that he will dwell with God forever. This is your
confidence in Christ; you will rise from the dead and enter into your eternal
rest with your Triune God!
Psalm23 paints a beautiful picture of your Lord, your Shepherd, coming to
gather you into His fold. There you will dwell with your Lord and Savior
forever!
Steps for Growth
ReadPsalm 23 again– Psalm 23 is a greatpsalm to read anytime. You may
even want to make it a regularpassage foryour spiritual encouragement.
Remind yourself of the blessings your Shepherd has given you – At the
beginning of the psalm, David acknowledgesthathe will lack nothing. By the
end of the psalm, he has abundance: “his cup overflows.” This is the same for
you. Though you may have physical needs, you actually have more than you
need. God has poured out on you “every” spiritual blessing. You have them
right now! In times of struggle, remind yourself of that.
Thanks God for His grace and blessings – God loves it when His people give
Him thanks. Plus, He deserves our thanks because He’s so gracious and kind
to us. Therefore, giving thanks to God should be a regularpractice.

What does it mean that the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23)?
Question:"What does it mean that the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23)?"
Answer: The clause “the Lord is my shepherd” comes from one of the most
beloved of all passagesofScripture, the 23rd Psalm. In this passageand
throughout the New Testamentwe learn that the Lord is our Shepherd in two
ways. First, as the Good Shepherd, He laid down His life for His sheepand,
second, His sheepknow His voice and follow Him (John 10:11, 14).
In Psalm 23, God is using the analogyof sheepand their nature to describe us.
Sheephave a natural tendency to wander off and getlost. As believers, we
tend to do the same thing. It’s as Isaiah has said: “We all, like sheep, have
gone astray, eachof us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah53:6). When sheep
go astray, they are in danger of getting lost, being attacked, evenkilling
themselves by drowning or falling off cliffs.
Likewise, within our own nature there is a strong tendency to go astray
(Romans 7:5; 8:8), following the lusts of our flesh and eyes and pursuing the
pride of life (1 John 2:16). As such, we are like sheepwandering awayfrom
the Shepherd through our own futile self-remedies and attempts at self-
righteousness. Itis our nature to drift away(Hebrews 2:1), to reject God, and
to break His commandments. When we do this, we run the risk of getting lost,
even forgetting the way back to God. Furthermore, when we turn away from
the Lord, we soonfind ourselves confronting one enemy after another who
will attack us in numerous ways.

Sheepare basicallyhelpless creatures who cannot survive long without a
shepherd, upon whose care they are totally dependent. Likewise, like sheep,
we are totally dependent upon the Lord to shepherd, protect, and care for us.
Sheepare essentiallydumb animals that do not learn well and are extremely
difficult to train. They do not have goodeyesight, nor do they hear well. They
are very slow animals who cannot escape predators;they have no camouflage
and no weapons for defense such as claws, sharphooves, or powerful jaws.
Furthermore, sheepare easilyfrightened and become easilyconfused. In fact,
they have been known to plunge blindly off a cliff following one after another.
Shepherds in Bible times faced incredible dangers in caring for their sheep,
putting their own lives at risk by battling wild animals such as wolves and
lions who threatened the flock. David was just such a shepherd (1 Samuel
17:34–35).In order to be goodshepherds, they had to be willing to lay down
their lives for the sheep.
Jesus declaredthat He is our Shepherd and demonstratedit by giving His life
for us. “The Sonof Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Through His willing sacrifice,
the Lord made salvationpossible for all who come to Him in faith (John 3:16).
In proclaiming that He is the good shepherd, Jesus speaks of“laying down”
His life for His sheep (John 10:15, 17–18).
Like sheep, we, too, need a shepherd. Men are spiritually blind and lostin
their sin. This is why Jesus spoke ofthe parable of the lost sheep(Luke 15:4–
6). He is the GoodShepherd who laid down His life for us. He searchesfor us
when we’re lost, to save us and to show us the way to eternal life (Luke 19:10).
We tend to be like sheep, consumedwith worry and fear, following after one
another. By not following or listening to the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27), we
can be easilyled astrayby others to our own destruction. Jesus, the Good
Shepherd, warns those who do not believe and listen to Him: “I did tell you,

but you do not believe . . . you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheeplisten to my voice;I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one cansnatch them out of my
hand” (John 10:25–28).
Psalm23:1–3 tells us that the shepherd meets the sheep’s every need: food,
water, rest, safety, and direction. When we as believers follow our Shepherd,
we, too, know that we will have all we need. We will not lack the necessities of
life, for He knows exactlywhat we need (Luke 12:22–30).
Sheepwill not lie down when they are hungry, nor will they drink from fast-
flowing streams. Sometimes the shepherd will temporarily dam up a stream so
the sheepcan quench their thirst. Psalm 23:2 speaks ofleading the sheep
“beside the quiet [stilled] waters.” The shepherd must lead his sheepbecause
they cannot be driven. Instead, the sheephear the voice of their shepherd and
follow him—just as we listen to our Shepherd, Jesus Christ—in His Word and
follow Him (John 10:3–5, 16, 27). And if a sheep does wanderoff, the
shepherd will leave the flock in charge of his helpers and searchfor the lost
animal (Matthew 9:36; 18:12–14;Luke 15:3–7).
In Psalm 23:3, the Hebrew word translated “paths” means “well-wornpaths
or ruts.” In other words, when sheepwander onto a new path, they start to
explore it, which invariably leads them into trouble. This passageis closely
akin to the warning in Hebrews 13:9: “Do not be carried awayby all kinds of
strange teachings.” The apostle Paulalso alludes to this idea in Ephesians
4:14.
Finally, the shepherd cares for the sheepbecause he loves them and wants to
maintain his own goodreputation as a faithful shepherd. As we’ve seenin
Psalm23, the analogyof the Lord as the GoodShepherd was also applied by

Jesus in John chapter10. In declaring that He is the shepherd of the sheep,
Jesus is confirming that He is God. The Eternal God is our Shepherd. And we
would not want it any other way.
What does it mean that the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23)?
Lord is my Shepherdaudio
Question:"What does it mean that the Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23)?"
Answer: The clause “the Lord is my shepherd” comes from one of the most
beloved of all passagesofScripture, the 23rd Psalm. In this passageand
throughout the New Testamentwe learn that the Lord is our Shepherd in two
ways. First, as the Good Shepherd, He laid down His life for His sheepand,
second, His sheepknow His voice and follow Him (John 10:11, 14).
In Psalm 23, God is using the analogyof sheepand their nature to describe us.
Sheephave a natural tendency to wander off and getlost. As believers, we
tend to do the same thing. It’s as Isaiahhas said: “We all, like sheep, have
gone astray, eachof us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah53:6). When sheep
go astray, they are in danger of getting lost, being attacked, evenkilling
themselves by drowning or falling off cliffs.
Likewise, within our own nature there is a strong tendency to go astray
(Romans 7:5; 8:8), following the lusts of our flesh and eyes and pursuing the
pride of life (1 John 2:16). As such, we are like sheepwandering awayfrom
the Shepherd through our own futile self-remedies and attempts at self-
righteousness. Itis our nature to drift away(Hebrews 2:1), to reject God, and

to break His commandments. When we do this, we run the risk of getting lost,
even forgetting the way back to God. Furthermore, when we turn away from
the Lord, we soonfind ourselves confronting one enemy after another who
will attack us in numerous ways.
Sheepare basicallyhelpless creatures who cannot survive long without a
shepherd, upon whose care they are totally dependent. Likewise, like sheep,
we are totally dependent upon the Lord to shepherd, protect, and care for us.
Sheepare essentiallydumb animals that do not learn well and are extremely
difficult to train. They do not have goodeyesight, nor do they hear well. They
are very slow animals who cannot escape predators;they have no camouflage
and no weapons for defense such as claws, sharphooves, or powerful jaws.
Furthermore, sheepare easilyfrightened and become easilyconfused. In fact,
they have been known to plunge blindly off a cliff following one after another.
Shepherds in Bible times faced incredible dangers in caring for their sheep,
putting their own lives at risk by battling wild animals such as wolves and
lions who threatened the flock. David was just such a shepherd (1 Samuel
17:34–35).In order to be goodshepherds, they had to be willing to lay down
their lives for the sheep.
Jesus declaredthat He is our Shepherd and demonstratedit by giving His life
for us. “The Sonof Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Through His willing sacrifice,
the Lord made salvationpossible for all who come to Him in faith (John 3:16).
In proclaiming that He is the good shepherd, Jesus speaks of“laying down”
His life for His sheep (John 10:15, 17–18).
Like sheep, we, too, need a shepherd. Men are spiritually blind and lostin
their sin. This is why Jesus spoke ofthe parable of the lost sheep(Luke 15:4–

6). He is the GoodShepherd who laid down His life for us. He searchesfor us
when we’re lost, to save us and to show us the way to eternal life (Luke 19:10).
We tend to be like sheep, consumedwith worry and fear, following after one
another. By not following or listening to the Shepherd’s voice (John 10:27), we
can be easilyled astrayby others to our own destruction. Jesus, the Good
Shepherd, warns those who do not believe and listen to Him: “I did tell you,
but you do not believe . . . you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheeplisten to my voice;I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one cansnatch them out of my
hand” (John 10:25–28).
Psalm23:1–3 tells us that the shepherd meets the sheep’s every need: food,
water, rest, safety, and direction. When we as believers follow our Shepherd,
we, too, know that we will have all we need. We will not lack the necessities of
life, for He knows exactlywhat we need (Luke 12:22–30).
Sheepwill not lie down when they are hungry, nor will they drink from fast-
flowing streams. Sometimes the shepherd will temporarily dam up a stream so
the sheepcan quench their thirst. Psalm 23:2 speaks ofleading the sheep
“beside the quiet [stilled] waters.” The shepherd must lead his sheepbecause
they cannot be driven. Instead, the sheephear the voice of their shepherd and
follow him—just as we listen to our Shepherd, Jesus Christ—in His Word and
follow Him (John 10:3–5, 16, 27). And if a sheep does wanderoff, the
shepherd will leave the flock in charge of his helpers and searchfor the lost
animal (Matthew 9:36; 18:12–14;Luke 15:3–7).
In Psalm 23:3, the Hebrew word translated “paths” means “well-wornpaths
or ruts.” In other words, when sheepwander onto a new path, they start to
explore it, which invariably leads them into trouble. This passageis closely
akin to the warning in Hebrews 13:9: “Do not be carried awayby all kinds of

strange teachings.” The apostle Paulalso alludes to this idea in Ephesians
4:14.
Finally, the shepherd cares for the sheepbecause he loves them and wants to
maintain his own goodreputation as a faithful shepherd. As we’ve seenin
Psalm23, the analogyof the Lord as the GoodShepherd was also applied by
Jesus in John chapter10. In declaring that He is the shepherd of the sheep,
Jesus is confirming that He is God. The Eternal God is our Shepherd. And we
would not want it any other way.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Good-Shepherd.html
What does it mean that my cup runneth over?
my cup runneth overaudio
Question:"What does it mean that my cup runneth over?"
Answer: The phrase my cup runneth over is the King James Version’s
wording of Psalm 23:5. Other versions say“my cup overflows.” A cup runs
over when it cannot hold all that is being poured into it. The emphasis of
Psalm23 is the Good Shepherd’s loving care for His sheep(cf. John 10:11,
14). The Lord not only gives His people what they need (Psalm 23:1–2), but
He supplies abundance in the midst of difficult times (verse 5). This
abundance is not limited to material blessings under the Old Covenant, but it
also includes the Holy Spirit’s future outpouring upon all who ask (Luke
11:13;Acts 2:1–4).

The Bible emphasizes the excessive love, blessing, and powerthat God desires
to pour out on those who love Him (Malachi3:10; Lamentations 3:22; Psalm
108:4). Jesus reflectedGod’s generositywhen He said, “The thief comes only
to stealand kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it
abundantly” (John 10:10). Paul continues that theme in Ephesians 3:20 and
describes Godas the One “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine.” Romans 8:37 promises that we are “more than conquerors
through Him who loves us.” The messageechoedin eachpassageis that of
God’s excessive graceand provision for every area of our lives. He is not
stingy, nor are His blessings confinedto temporal things. In Christ we can
have overflowing joy, overflowing love, and overflowing peace. We canbear
everlasting fruit for God’s kingdom, and we can overcome impossible
challenges whenthe Holy Spirit fills our hearts until our “cup runneth over.”
The Bible records many mighty things done when people were filled with (i.e.,
controlled by) the Holy Spirit (Exodus 31:2–3;Ezekiel43:5; Luke 1:67; Acts
4:31). We are urged to be filled with the Spirit as well (Ephesians 5:18;
Galatians 5:16, 25). However, as a glass cannotbe filled with milk if it is
already filled with mud, we cannot be filled with the Spirit when we are
already filled with sin, pride, or self-will. Before we can be filled to
overflowing, we must be willing to empty ourselves of everything that would
hinder the Spirit’s working in our lives. It is only when our hearts are filled
with God that we can accomplishall He desires to do in and through us. His
grace knows no limits for those whose hearts are wholly His (2 Chronicles
16:9a). He desires to fill us with His Spirit until our cup runneth over.
https://www.gotquestions.org/my-cup-runneth-over.html
What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

valley of the shadow of death
Question:"What does it mean to walk through the valley of the shadow of
death?"
Answer: Psalm 23:4, which reads, “Eventhough 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 comfortme” (ESV), is one of the most well-knownverses in
the Bible. It is commonly used during funerals or by those approaching death.
The messageofPsalm23:4 is one of comfort. We do not need to fear. God is
with us, and His presence gives us strength and hope.
However, “valley of the shadow of death” is possibly not the most accurate
translation of the original Hebrew text. The NIV, NLT, and HCBS translate
the phrase as “darkestvalley,” resulting in Psalm 23:4 reading as, “Even
though I walk through the darkestvalley . . . .” The Hebrew word for
“shadow ofdeath” is sal-ma-wet, which means “darkness”or“dark
shadows.”It contains the same root as the Hebrew word for “death” (ma-
wet), so it is easyto see why some Bible translators include the mention of
death in Psalm23:4.
In addition, the conceptof darkness fits much better in the context of Psalm
23. Psalm23, especiallyverses 1–4, uses the language of a shepherd and his
sheepto describe our relationship with God: “The LORD is my shepherd; I
shall not want. He makes me lie down in greenpastures. He leads me beside
still waters. . . . Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fearno evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me” (Psalm 23:1–4).
Sheepdo not understand the conceptof death. They do understand, though,
that entering a dark valley can be dangerous. The point of Psalm23:4 is that,

even when we might have reasonto be afraid, we do not need to fear, because
God is with us, and He will take care of us. He, like a shepherd, knows what
He is doing and has our best interests in mind.
So, it does not appearthat “valley of the shadow of death” is the most
accurate translationin Psalm 23:4. A “dark valley” connects much better with
sheeplying down in greenpastures and beside quiet waters. However, the
main point of Psalm23:4 still definitely applies to death. Many people fear
death, and those facing death certainly feelas if they are in a “dark valley.”
But even in death we do not need to fear, for God is with us, and He will
protect and comfort us through it all.
https://www.gotquestions.org/valley-shadow-death.html
What are the rod and staff in Psalm 23?
rod staff Psalm23
Question:"What are the rod and staff in Psalm23?"
Answer: Psalm 23 is a beautiful poem that uses the image of God as shepherd.
David, who penned this psalm, had been a shepherd himself and understood
the parallelbetweenthe task of a shepherd caring for his sheepand of God
caring for His people. Sheepare totally dependent on the shepherd for food,
water, leadership, and guidance as they move from place to place, just as we
are dependent upon God for all that we need. Sheep depend on the shepherd
for protectionfrom a wide range of predators and dangers, just as we look to
God as our Protectorand Defender. In the New Testament, Jesus reveals
Himself to be the GoodShepherd of His people (John 10:11, 14), fulfilling the

Old Testamentprophecy that God would come to shepherd His people
(Ezekiel34:7–16, 23).
Psalm23:4, addressing the Lord Shepherd, says, “Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.” David bases this description on the practices ofshepherds
in his day. Shepherds of the time commonly carried a rod and staff as
essentialto their work.
The rod mentioned in Psalm 23 is a symbol of the Lord’s strength and
protection. The rod was a sturdy woodenstick used as a weaponto fight off
wild animals who might have hoped to make an easymeal out of an otherwise
defenselessflock ofsheep. The shepherd also used the rod to help him keep
count of the sheepwithin the flock (as alluded to in Leviticus 27:32). Young
David recounted an incident to King Saul in which he probably used his
shepherd’s rod: “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a
lion or a bear came and carried off a sheepfrom the flock, I went after it,
struck it and rescuedthe sheepfrom its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized
it by its hair, struck it and killed it” (1 Samuel17:34–35).
The staff mentioned in Psalm23 is a symbol of the Lord’s guidance and
lovingkindness. The staff was a long, slender stick, oftenhookedat the tip,
used primarily to direct the flock. Sheepare notorious wanderers, and once
awayfrom the shepherd’s watchful eye, they getinto all sorts of trouble
(Matthew 18:12–14). The shepherd used his staff to keephis sheepout of
danger and close to himself. If a sheep became trapped in a precarious
position, the shepherd would loop the curved end of the staff around the neck
of the sheepand retrieve it back to safety.
W. Philip Keller, in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm23, comments on the
uniqueness of the shepherd’s staff: “In a sense, the staff, more than any other

item of his personalequipment, identifies the shepherd as a shepherd. No one
in any other professioncarries a shepherd’s staff. It is uniquely an instrument
used for the care and managementof sheep—andonly sheep. It will not do for
cattle, horses or hogs. It is designed, shapedand adapted especiallyto the
needs of sheep” (from chapter 8).
Together, the rod and staff of Psalm 23 paint a picture of the divine Shepherd
who wields them. He is strong, competent, and trustworthy; He is present with
His sheep, able to defend them and watching overthem through all the
dangers they face. Knowing that we have such a Shepherd who is ready to
protect us from danger, keepus close, andrescue us when we go astray truly
is a greatcomfort to us, the sheep.
https://www.gotquestions.org/rod-staff-Psalm-23.html
Psalm23 The Shepherd Who Cares (Gerhardy)
Sermon
Psalm23
The Shepherd Who Cares
PastorVince Gerhardy
We have all been touched by the tragedy of little Sophie Delezio, the little girl
who was badly burnt when a carcrashedinto her Childcare Centre. Her tiny
body bears the scars ofthis horrible accident. Then the other day we hear that
she is againin hospital with serious injuries after a carhit her wheel chair at a
pedestrian crossing.

Can you imagine the anguish and worry that this little girl and her parents
must endure all over again?
No, I don’t think we can. We can only try to imagine what this family is
experiencing and feel for them in this situation. I wouldn’t blame them if they
shouted at God and asked, “Whyour little girl again? Hasn’t she been
through enough?”
At some time most of us have been struck with tragedyand suffering. Mostof
us can recalla time or times when pain and grief have cut us deeply.
A part of the Bible that has brought comfortto many people in their time of
grief and suffering is the 23rd Psalm. I don’t think David wrote this psalm
specificallyfor times of grief, but today this psalm is sung, read, or preached
on at many funerals. In fact, this is a psalm for all occasions. So oftenit is read
and sung at weddings. It is a song about our God who walks with those whom
he loves through all the ups and downs that life brings. It is a song of trust and
confidence in God’s presence and help in times of trouble. You can see why
this psalm is so relevant as a couple begin their life togetheras husband and
wife.
I don’t remember when I first came into contactwith the 23rd Psalmbut it
was the Miss Ross, choirteacherat the State SchoolI attended who insisted
that we learn the words off by heart. I was probably 11 at the time and I don’t
why I was in the choir because Iwas a hopeless singer. In my mind’s eye, I can
still see her purple hair, her pale over-powderedface and her flabby arms as
she wavedthem around as she conducted. She seemedterribly old to us. But
she managedto make us into a choir. Parents’Day was coming up and she
wanted us to sing this song calleda psalm.

I don’t know what has happened to all those other children that were part of
Miss Ross’s choir, but I hope the words that she made us learn has had some
impact on their lives, as it has mine. Some of those who sang that psalm on
Parents’Day have died – some through accident, others because ofcancerand
other diseases – it is my prayer that the words that Miss Ross made us learn
gave them the hope and comfortof God when they neededit the most. I hope
that the words of that Old Testamentsong reminded them of our loving God
in the time of their deepestneed.
It is clearfrom this song about the Shepherd that the writer wants to tell us
that God is intimately involved in our lives. You might, say he knows us better
than we know ourselves.
He knows what is happening in our lives.
He knows what trouble has come our way.
He knows how weak we are in the face of temptation.
He knows when we are sad, or depressed, orupset, or guilt ridden.
He knows when we are struggling with disease andill health, always fearing
that death is just around the corner.
We cansay he knows every need that might have.
We don’t have shepherds these days as describedin this song. The Australian
sheepfarmer is a far cry from the Palestinianshepherd. The 23rd Psalm
provides us with a picture of a person who knew his sheepcloselyand
personally.

He lived with them,
slept with them,
roamed the hills with them day after day;
he led them to goodpasture, fresh water, protecting them from all kinds of
danger with his shepherd’s staff.
He knew individual sheep by name and eachsheepresponded to the familiar
voice of the shepherd.
It’s no wonder that David, the writer of this song, uses the image of a
shepherd to getacross the idea of the intense love that God has for us and his
concernfor our total well-being at every turn of our life.
And it is no wonderthat Jesus takes up this illustration of the shepherd and
applies it to himself. He says,“Iam the goodshepherd. I know my own, and
I’m knownby my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father”
(John 10:14-15). He is saying that just as Jesus is close to God the Father and
just as God the Fatheris close to Jesus, so also no-one is closerto us that the
GoodShepherd – Jesus. He knows us and loves us so much that he is willing to
put his life on the line for us. A shepherd would often be in dangeras he
protectedhis sheepfrom wolves or would find himself hanging over some
precipice in order to rescue a straying lamb. But I don’t think that he would
go so far as to deliberately give up his life to save a dumb sheep. But “the good
shepherd” does. He gave up his life on a cross so that his sheep could have
eternal life.
The picture that the songwriterpresents us is a comforting and reassuring
one. It reminds us that even when the going gets tough and life seems almost

too difficult to bear, we have a loving God who is never more than a breath
away.
“Eventhough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fearno evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me”
The valley includes every time and situation that strike fear into our hearts.
These are words of comfort when you and I are feeling lost, helpless, alone,
sick and fearful. Perhaps it is a time of sickness orhospitalisation. Or a time
when you parted from a loved one, and felt pain so deep it seemedyou were
being ripped apart. It may have been a dark night of doubt, or a spell of
uncontrolled anxiety or fear. When things geton top of us like this, it is
common to feel utterly alone;we think that no one in the world canpossibly
know what we are going through. The messageofthe Psalmis that the
shepherd is near at hand, evenif we think he is nowhere to be found.
A little 1st-graderstoodin front of his classroomto make a speechabout
“What I want to be when I grow up.”
He said, “I’m going to be a lion tamer and have lots of fierce lions. I’ll walk
into the cage and they will roar.”
The teacherrespondedsaying, “You will have to be very brave to be a lion
tamer. The little boy thought about this for a moment and then replied, “No
not really, I’ll have my mummy with me.”

That’s the picture that this psalm paints for us. We hear in the New
Testamentthat Jesus Christis “the greatshepherd of the sheep,” that he is the
caring shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine and sets out after the one who is
lost,
that he is the “goodshepherd,” who knows his sheepand even lays down his
life for the sheep. There is something precious in the factthat the one exalted
to rule the universe as king is also our shepherd, who encounters us in our
private, dark desert nights, who offers the coolwaterof baptism and a
banquet of simple bread and wine, who watches overus in every
circumstance.
A new kind of plane was on its first flight. It was full of reporters and
journalists. A little while after takeoff, the captain’s voice was heard over the
speakers.“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted to be your pilot for this
plane’s historic first flight. I can tell you the flight is going well. Nevertheless,
I have to tell you about a minor inconvenience that has occurred.
The passengers onthe right side can, if they look out their window, see that
the closestengine is slightly vibrating. That shouldn’t worry you, because this
plane is equipped with four engines and we are flying along smoothly at an
acceptable altitude. A little while later the captain announces, “Thosewho are
seatedon the right side might have noticedthat the other engine is glowing, or
more preciselyone should say, burning. That shouldn’t worry you either,
since this plane is designedto fly with just two engines if necessary, and we
are maintaining an acceptable altitude and speed.
A little later the captainis once againheard on the loud speakers,“Thoseof
you on the left side shouldn’t worry if there is one engine missing. It fell off
about ten minutes ago. However, I will callyour attention to something a little

more serious. Along the centre aisle all the way down the plane a crack has
appeared. Some of you may be able to look through the crack and may even
notice the waves of the Pacific Oceanbelow. In fact, those of you with very
goodeyesightmay be able to notice a small inflatable lifeboat with a man
sitting in it. Well, ladies and gentlemen, you will be happy to know that your
captain is keeping an eye on the progress ofthe plane – from that lifeboat
below.”
The picture of Jesus as our goodshepherd is a far cry from the captain who
was observing the plight if the passengers from a safe distance. The
Palestinianshepherd didn’t sit under the coolof a shady tree all day and
watchhis sheepfrom a distance. He walkedwith his sheep. He guided them,
helped them and protected them. That is the kind of shepherd Jesus is.
My goodShepherd says to me,
“Do not be troubled. Do not be afraid. Don’t look at the danger around you.
Don’t be distractedby the darkness. Don’tlook at your sin or your own death.
Look only at me, your GoodShepherd.
I laid down my life for you, and with me you are safe, evenfrom death.
My death defeats death.
My life is your life.
And I will be with you always, evento end of the age.
Do not be afraid.”

The picture of Jesus the goodShepherd is a greatone, well worth holding on
to, and wellworth sharing with others. It has comfortedus in times of
hardship; it cando the same for others whom we know are struggling at this
time. Justas we have been comforted, they too will be helped knowing that
“Yahwehis my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.”
Scripture quotations from the World English Bible.
Copyright 2006, Vince Gerhardy. Used by permission.
Martin Luther (1483–1546)was adamantthat Christ as the Lord of Scripture
must also be the Lord of our exegesis.
“Every passageofScripture,” he saidat his table in 1532, “is impossible to be
interpreted without knowledge ofChrist.” Still, he gladly included grammar,
history and culture as handmaidens to a Christocentric reading of the Bible.
In this explanation of Psalm 23, Luther through his own knowledge ofand
experience with sheepunpacks the beloved biblical metaphor of human beings
as sheep and Jesus of Nazarethas their Shepherd:
This metaphor is one of the most beautiful and comforting and yet most
common of all in Scripture, when it compares his divine Majestywith a pious,
faithful or—as Christ says—“goodShepherd,” and compares us poor, weak,
miserable sinners with sheep. We can, however, understand this comforting
and beautiful picture best when we considerthe creature itself—out of which

the Prophets have takenthis and similar images—anddiligently learn from it
the traits and characteristics ofa natural sheep and the office, work, and
diligence of a pious shepherd. Whoeverdoes this carefully will not only
readily understand this comparisonand others in Scripture concerning the
shepherd and the sheepbut also will find the comparisons exceedinglysweet
and comforting.
A sheepmust live entirely by its shepherd’s help, protection, and care. As
soonas it loses him, it is surrounded by all kinds of dangers and must perish,
for it is quite unable to help itself.A sheepmust live entirely by its shepherd’s
help, protection, and care. The reason? It is a poor, weak, simple little beast
that can neither feed nor rule itself, nor find the right way, nor protectitself
againstany kind of dangeror misfortune. Moreover, it is by nature timid, shy,
and likely to go astray. When it does go a bit astrayand leaves its shepherd, it
is unable to find its way back to him; indeed, it merely runs farther away
from him. Though it may find other shepherds and sheep, that does not help
it, for it does not know the voices ofstrange shepherds. Therefore it flees them
and strays about until the wolf seizes it or it perishes some other way. . . .
This Shepherd, however, whom the prophet foretold so long before, is Christ
our dear Lord, who is a shepherd much different from Moses. Mosesis harsh
and unfriendly towardhis sheep. He drives them awayinto the desert, where
they will find neither pasture nor waterbut only want. Christ, however, is the
good, friendly Shepherd who goes aftera famished and lost sheepin the
wilderness, seeksit there and, when he has found it, lays it on his shoulder
rejoicing. He even “gives his life for his sheep.” He is a friendly Shepherd.
Who would not be happy to be his sheep?

JAMES HASTINGS
GreatTexts of the Bible
A PersonalProvidence
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.—Psalm23:1.
Perhaps no single lay in the Psalterhas taken such a hold of the imagination
and the heart of believers as the 23rd Psalm. None can estimate its influence
on the Church of God throughout the past, whether on her spiritual life
generallyor in the case ofparticular individuals. The sorrowful have been
cheeredby it; the troubled have been led into peace;the prisoner has sung it
in his dungeon and felt himself a captive no more; the pilgrim has been
gladdened by it as he wanderedin the wilderness, in a solitary way, and found
no city to dwell in; the fainting soul has been refreshedby it, and enabled to
mount up as on eagles’wings;doubts and fears and questionings of
Providence, and forebodings of ill, and all the black brood of unbelief, have
been chasedawayby it, like the shades of night by the day-star; it has been
God’s balm to the wounded spirit; it has strengthenedGod’s people to bear
the cross, andto suffer their lives to be guided by His will; it has been
whispered by dying lips, as the lastearthly utterance of faith and gratitude
and hope, the prelude of the New Song in which there is no note of sorrow.
Probably few Psalms are oftener read, or with strongerfeeling, by careless
readers than the twenty-third, singing of God’s grace to the humble, and the
twenty-fourth, singing of God’s grace to the noble; and there are probably no
other two whose realforce is so little thought of. Which of us, even the most
attentive, is prepared at once to tell, or has often enough considered, whatthe
“Valley of the Shadow of Death” means, in the one, or the “Hill of the Lord,”
in the other?1 [Note:Ruskin, Rock Honeycomb(Works, xxxi. 203).]

Spurgeonsays of this matchless Psalm:“It is David’s Heavenly Pastoral;a
surpassing ode, which none of the daughters of music canexcel. The clarionof
war here gives place to the pipe of peace, and he who so lately bewailed the
woes ofthe Shepherd, tunefully rehearses the joys of the flock. We picture
David singing this unrivalled pastoralwith a heart as full of gladness as it can
hold. This is the pearl of Psalms, whose soft, pure radiance delights every eye;
a pearl of which Helicon need not be ashamed, though Jordan claims it.”
Some one else has said: “What the nightingale is among the birds, that is this
Divine ode among the Psalms, for it has rung sweetlyin the earof many a
mourner in his night of weeping, and has bidden him hope for a morning of
joy.” I will venture to compare it also to the lark, which sings as it mounts,
and mounts as it sings, until it is out of sight, and then not out of hearing. The
whole Psalm is more fitted for the eternal mansions than for these dwelling-
places below the clouds. The truths which are found in every sentence are
almost too wondrous for mere mortal to grasp, and the heights of experience
we are invited to ascendare almost too high for human climbing.1 [Note:G.
Clarke, From the Cross to the Crown, 2.]
In January 1681, two “honest, worthy lasses,” as Pedencalls them, Isabel
Alison and Marion Harvie, were hanged at Edinburgh. On the scaffoldthey
sang together, to the tune of “Martyrs,” Psalms 84. “Marion,”saidBishop
Paterson, “youwould never hear a curate;now you shall hear one,” and he
calledupon one of his clergyto pray. “Come, Isabel,” was the girl’s answer—
she was but twenty years of age—“letus sing the 23rd Psalm,” and thus they
drowned the voice of the curate. No execution of the time was more
universally condemned than that of these two women. A roughly-drawn
picture of the scene, withthe title “Womenhanged,” is prefixed to the first
edition of The Hind Let Loose (1687). Byits side is another engraving, which
represents “The WigtownMartyrs, drowned at stakes atsea.”2[Note:R. E.
Prothero, The Psalms in Human Life, 286.]
I.

Jehovah
1. “The Lord.” It is the name Jehovah. Now this name does not of itself
express God’s moral character, but rather His absolute, necessary, and
eternal being, as the sole fount of existence, “who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light which no man canapproach unto, whom no man hath
seen, nor can see.” While the generations of creaturelylife pass on in ceaseless
flow, while “our ages waste,”while the heavens themselves grow old, He
stands up amidst His works the one, eternal, immutable “I am.”
2. This greatJehovah—whatis He in His relation to us? The Psalm says He is
a shepherd. The figure occurs very frequently in the Old Testamentto
indicate His relation to the covenant people and to every faithful member
thereof. It is the word of Jacob, “Godwho shepherded me all my life long”;it
is the word of the seedof Jacob, “We are his people, and the sheep of his
pasture.” It tells of care, guidance, knowledge,defence, tenderness,love, on
the part of God. Even to us, who seldomsee a flock of sheep, exceptit may be
passing through our dusty streets or scatteredonthe hillsides, the figure tells
very much; but still more would it tell to the people of Israel.
Our English version misses something of the beauty of Jacob’s words (in
blessing the sons of Joseph). The translation, God“who hath fed me,” is too
meagre. We need to say, “who hath shepherded me.” The same word is the
keynote of the finest of all the Psalms:“The Lord is my shepherd.” It is a
beautiful metaphor, which comes with an exquisite pathos and a profound
significance from the lips of a dying shepherd. The poets of a later age could
only echo his words: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadestJoseph
like a flock.” All the tender grace of the Old Testamentreligion is found in
this lovely conception. It was not one man or two, but a whole nation, that
learned to believe in God as a Shepherd: “We are his people, the sheepof his

pasture.” No other ancientnation ever expectedfrom God such loving care
and unerring guidance, no other nation ever promised such meek submission
and faithful following. And while the Hebrew temple and sacrifice and
priesthood have passedawayas the shadows of better things, the Hebrew
thought of a Shepherd-God will live for ever.1 [Note:J. Strachan, Hebrew
Ideals, ii. 147.]
3. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Mark the fulness, the expansiveness ofthis
idea. On the one side “the Lord,” the infinite, unchangeable, and everlasting
God, all that is glorious, and holy, and wise, and self-sufficient, and much to
be admired; on the other “the Shepherd,” all that is tender, compassionate,
and self-sacrificing, andmuch to be loved. These two characters—theone, all
that is lofty in its magnificence;the other, all that is lowly in its condescension;
the one, all glorious; the other, all gracious—areunited. They are included
and concentratedin the same large and loving heart, whose every pulsation
sends the tide of life through the veins of His vast universe, but at the same
time does not disdain to throb with strong and unwearied regardfulness for
me.
You have seena map or a plan on which these words are written: “Scale,1
inch to a mile.” Now, that is the meaning of the text; it is one inch to a mile,
one inch to a universe, one inch to infinity. Do you ask me what is the meaning
of that peculiar writing upon the plan? I will tell you; give me the compasses.
How far is it from A to B? Stretchout compasses—“Teninches.” Whatdoes
that mean? It means ten miles. Ten inches on the paper, but the ten inches
stand for ten miles. That is just the text. “Shepherd” stands for Ineffable,
Eternal, Infinite, Unthinkable; Godon a small scale;God minimized that we
may touch the shadow of His garment.1 [Note:JosephParker.]
II.

JehovahMine
1. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Here is the link that connects our hearts with
the living God. It is a grand thing to considerhow far out His shepherd-care
extends. Man never yet lighted upon an unblest spot where no tokenof it
could be seen. It meets us everywhere, and every hour. “The Lord is goodto
all; and his tender mercies are over all his works.”The lilies of the field, the
birds of the air, the young lions in the tawny wild, all tribes of living and
sentient creatures that people this earth, all the isles of light that shine in the
blue immensity of heaven—the Lord careth for them all. We are astonished,
overwhelmed, lost, when we think of the boundless extent of the fields into
which His care reaches forth. But here our minds are calledback from
wandering out into His wide dominions, and we are directed to repose our
own personalconfidence in this greatand unsearchable God, and to say, He is
my Shepherd; mine, because He has given Himself to me; mine, for my heart
trusts Him and clings to Him; my Shepherd, caring for me, loving me, keeping
me.
We enter the Christian life by an act of simple appropriating faith. In a sense,
all faith is “appropriating.” Mere intellectual faith is the act of the mind by
which it lays hold on a truth and makes it its own. But the highest reachof
this faculty of faith is when we face God’s largestlessons, andlay them to
heart as true for us. Then, not only intellect, but will and desire make these
truths ours. Perhaps the practicalmeaning of this appropriating faith has
never been more clearly explained than in the early history of the eminent
American preacher, W. M. Taylor. When he was a boy he heard a sermonin
which the preacherdwelt much on the appropriating act of faith. He askedhis
father what it meant. Strange to say, that father had askedmuch the same
question when he was a child, and now he repeatedhis mother’s answerfor
his ownboy’s guidance:“Take your Bible, and underscore all the ‘my’s,’ and
‘mine’s,’ and the ‘me’s’ you come upon, and you will discoverwhat
‘appropriation’ means.” We wish we could induce every readerof these words

to spend ten minutes in this simple exercise now. Take the Psalms. “The Lord
is my shepherd.” Is that true? True now? “He restoreth my soul.” Do you
believe it? Now? Assuredly, if Christians would exercise this direct personal
trust in the loving promises of God, it would mean a marvellous access of
spiritual confidence, and power, and conquest.1 [Note:J. A. Clapperton,
Culture of the Christian Heart, 37.]
Happy me! O happy sheep!
Whom my God vouchsafes to keep,
Ev’n my God, ev’n He it is
That points me to these paths of bliss;
On whose pastures cheerfulSpring,
All the year doth sit and sing,
And rejoicing, smiles to see
Their green backs wearHis livery:
Pleasure sings my soul to rest,

Plenty wears me at her breast,
Whose sweettemper teaches me
Not wanton, nor in want to be.
At my feet the blubbering mountain
Weeping, melts into a fountain,
Whose softsilver-sweating streams
Make high-noon forgethis beams:
When my waywardbreath is flying,
He calls home my soul from dying,
Strokes and tames my rabid grief,
And does woo me into life:

When my simple weaknessstrays
(Tangledin forbidden ways),
He (my Shepherd) is my guide;
He’s before me, on my side;
And behind me, He beguiles
Craft in all her knotty wiles;
He expounds the weary wonder
Of my giddy steps, and under
Spreads a path as clearas the day
Where no churlish rub says nay
To my joy-conducted feet,
Whilst they gladly go to meet

Grace and Peace,to learn new lays
Tuned to my great Shepherd’s praise.1 [Note:Richard Craskaw.]
“My Shepherd”—as if this individual Psalmisthad appropriated the Deity.
Yet it is quite in accordwith the deepestexperience and the most ideal
observation. Of the sun in the heavens every little child might say, as he
bathes his little fingers in the great flame, “The sun is my sun”; and yet it is
everybody’s sun, and the little child’s sun all the more truly because it is
everybody’s light. He does not take God awayfrom others; he makes others
feel how tender and how near God may be, though we have been searching for
Him with lamps and candles and lanterns, whilst He was blazing upon us
from every star that gleamedin the under heavens which we call the sky.2
[Note:J. Parker, City Temple Pulpit, vii. 271.]
When preaching to children from home, Dr. Wilson often related Lady Boyd’s
story of “Jamie, the Shepherd Boy,” because he found that it “told” better
than any of his other stories. It runs thus: A minister was visiting an ignorant
shepherd boy on his death-bed. He gave the boy the text, “The Lord is my
shepherd.” He bade him notice that the text had five words as his left hand
had five knuckles. He repeatedthe text slowly, appropriating a word for each
knuckle, and getting the boy to fold in a knuckle as he repeatedeachword.
The minister told him that the fourth knuckle representedthe most important
word for him, the word “my,” and explained personalfaith in a personal
Saviour. The boy grew interested, and the light dawned upon him. One day
Jamie’s mother met the minister at her door, and said, “Oh, come in, my
Jamie is dead, and you will find his fourth knuckle folded in, and his
forefinger resting upon it.”1 [Note:Dr. James Wells, Life of James Hood
Wilson, 291.]

2. “The Lord is my Shepherd” is the language, not of nature but of grace;and
it is not until by faith we have recognizedHim, not in creation, not in
providence, but in redemption, and that a redemption which was wrought out
for and which has taken decisive effecton us, that we can look up with a
glance of childlike confidence to God, and say, “My Makeris my Father, my
God is my Shepherd; He who sitteth in the circle of the heavens has made for
Himself a habitation in my heart, and the upholder of all the worlds is my best
and nearestFriend.”
Ask yourself, if since it was first put upon your lips you have everused it with
anything more than the lips; if you have any right to use it; if you have ever
takenany steps towards winning the right to use it. To claim God for our own,
to have and enjoy Him as ours, means, as Christ our Mastersaidover and
over again, that we give ourselves to Him, and take Him to our hearts. Sheep
do not choose their shepherd, but man has to choose—else the peace and the
fulness of life which are here figured remain a dream and become no
experience for him.
Some years ago I tried to get one of my children to commit the Twenty-third
Psalmto memory; and, as she was too young to read for herself, I had to
repeatit to her until she got hold of the words. I said, “Now, repeatafterme,
‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ ” She said, “The Lord is your shepherd.” “No, I
did not say that, and I want you to say to me the words I say to you. Now then,
‘The Lord is my shepherd.’ ” Again she said, “The Lord is your shepherd.” It
was only after much effort I could get her to repeatthe exactwords. The
child’s mistake was in some sense natural, but many of riper years have made
the same blunder, saying by acts, if not by words, “The Lord is yours, but I
have no experience of His shepherdly care and protection.”2 [Note:The
Expository Times, xxii. 304.]

III.
Jehovahmy Shepherd
1. “The Lord is my shepherd.” The image, natural amongsta nation of
shepherds, is first employed by Jacob(Genesis 48:15;Genesis 49:24). There,
as here, God is the Shepherd of the individual (cf. Psalm 119:176), stillmore
frequently of His people (Psalm 78:52, Psalm80:1.; Micah7:14; Isaiah 63:13,
and especiallyEzekiel34):most beautifully and touchingly in Isaiah 40:11. So
in the New Testamentof Christ (John 10:1-16;John 21:15-17;Hebrews 13:20;
1 Peter2:25; 1 Peter5:4). To understand all the force of this image, we must
remember what the Syrian shepherd was, how very unlike our modern
shepherd.
2. Shepherd-life, as David knew it, was a life essentiallyemotionaland
devotional. Shepherdhood, as David exercisedit, was a relation at once so
affectionatelysolicitous and so ingeniously resourcefulas to be akin to
motherhood. For the sheepof Easternlands live in their shepherd. He is the
centre of their unity, the guarantee of their security, the pledge of their
prosperity. For them, pastures and wells and paths and folds are all in him.
Apart from him their condition is one of abjectand pathetic helplessness.
Should any sudden calamity tear him from them they are forthwith undone.
Distressedandscattered, they stumble among the rocks, or bleed in the thorn-
tangle, or flee, wild with fear, before the terror of the wolf. Hence a good
shepherd never forsakeshis sheep. He accompaniesthem by day and abides
with them by night. In the morning he goes before them to lead them out, and
in the evening, when he has gatheredthem into the fold, he lies down in their
midst. Then as he views their still, white forms clusteredabout him in the
darkness, his heart brims with a brooding tenderness.

Upon the hills the winds are sharp and cold,
The sweetyoung grasses witheron the wold,
And we, O Lord, have wandered from Thy fold,
But evening brings us home.
Among the mists we stumbled and the rocks,
Where the brown lichen whitens and the fox
Watches the stragglerfrom the scatteredflocks,
But evening brings us home.
The sharp thorns prick us, and our tender feet
Are cut and bleeding, and the lambs repeat
Their pitiful complaints—oh, restis sweet,
When evening brings us home.

We have been wounded by the hunter’s darts,
Our eyes are very heavy, and our hearts
Searchfor Thy coming, when the light departs.
At evening bring us home.
The darkness gathers, thro’ the gloom no star
Rises to guide. We have wanderedfar,
Without Thy lamp we know not where we are.
At evening bring us home.
The clouds are round us and the snowdrifts thicken,
O Thou, dear Shepherd, leave us not to sicken,
In the waste night, our tardy footsteps quicken.

Jesus was the shepherd of psalm 23

Jesus was the shepherd of psalm 23

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Jesus was the shepherd of psalm 23