Psalm 23 Part 1: Yahweh is My Shepherd

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Introduction

Openning Illustration

Shepherding was considered one of the lowest jobs in the ancient world. Few were willing to spend their days and nights alone in the hills and fields, no matter the weather, tending to a flock of sheep. This role involved hard work—nourishing and feeding the sheep, guiding them, rescuing them when they wandered off, and protecting them from danger.
In ancient times, when a family needed a shepherd but couldn’t afford to hire one, the task often fell to the youngest member of the family. This was true for Joseph, the son of Jacob, as well as for David, the son of Jesse and the author of these words. It's almost surprising that David chooses to use the language and role of a shepherd to describe the King of the universe.
In verse 1, David begins with the LORD. The term "LORD" is an English translation of God’s profound name revealed in the Old Testament. He first unveiled this sacred name to Moses at the Burning Bush in Exodus 3, which translates to “I am who I am.” This revelation carries deep significance about His nature: He is the eternal God, existing before time began. He is unique—there is no other God like Him or besides Him. He alone is the I AM.
Shepherding was one of the lowest jobs in the ancient world, as it required long hours alone in the fields, regardless of the weather. This demanding role involved feeding, guiding, rescuing, and protecting sheep. Often, when families couldn't afford a shepherd, the youngest member took on the task, as was the case for Joseph, son of Jacob, and David, son of Jesse.
So then it’s striking that David uses the imagery of a shepherd to describe the King of the universe.
In verse 1, David begins with the LORD. This Psalm focuses on who God is and how He cares for His sheep. The term "LORD" is an English translation of God’s profound name revealed in the Old Testament, Yahweh. He first unveiled this sacred name to Moses at the Burning Bush in Exodus 3, which translates to “I am who I am.” This revelation carries deep significance about His nature: He is the eternal God, existing before time began. He is unique—there is no other God like Him or besides Him. He alone is the I AM.
He is self-sufficient, needing nothing and no one. He lacks no wisdom, for He embodies all wisdom. He possesses all power and doesn’t require anyone to keep Him in check. He answers only to His perfect self. Timelessness defines Him, as He exists in His fullness with all of His attributes at all times. This is why the Bible affirms that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—the great I AM.
Yet, despite His glorious might and immense power, He remains intimately close to His children. He has chosen to be our Shepherd. It’s truly amazing! The Creator of the Universe, the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Great I AM, has humbled Himself to care for you and me.
So, will you join me as we read this little Psalm that carries such a big message?

The text:

Psalm 23:1–6 LSB
1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 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 have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will pursue me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever.

Main idea

Today we will cover verses 1-3 and in this first part of Psalm 23 we will see that Yahweh is the Good Shepherd and His sheep have everything they need
God is our Good Shepherd and His sheep have everything they need.
God is our Good Shepherd and His sheep have everything they need.

The structure

As we walk through these three verses I see 4 big lessons about God our Good Shepherd.
Yahweh is My Shepherd - vs 1
My Shepherd provides for me - vs 2
My Shepherd restores me - vs 3a
My Shepherd guides me - vs 3b

Transition

Let’s begin in verse 1, where we see that, for David the author of Psalm 23, Yahweh is my Shepherd,

1. Yahweh is my Shepherd - vs 1

The Text

Psalm 23:1 LSB
1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd

Charles
Shepherding was one of the lowliest professions in the ancient world. David was a shepherd because he was the youngest of his father’s sons. And while shepherding is a lowly profession, as you read the Old Testament, you’ll also find that kings and rulers were called the shepherds of their people. And so this is a provocative way. We’ve become familiar with the language, but this is a provocative way to describe God. The Lord pictures God as both eminent and transcendent at the same time. But what does it mean for the Lord to be your shepherd? Well first of all, it’s a personal relationship. Psalm 23 begins with a confession of faith. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. What does that mean? What does it mean to have a personal relationship with the living God? Verse one gives two answers to that question. It is a life of intimacy and sufficiency.
On one hand, there is intimacy. Verse one begins with the Lord. And that title, the Lord, is mentioned again at the end of verse six. Psalm 23 is about the Lord, not David. Yet David speaks about the Lord in the most intimate terms. The Lord is my shepherd. A shepherd leads and feeds. A shepherd provides and protects. A shepherd directs and defends. This is what God is and what God does for those who trust in him. But would you know that David here does not speak corporately. He speaks personally. Saints, this don’t mean nothing unless you can speak of it for yourself. The Lord is my shepherd.
He cares for me. He preserves me. He watches over me. Is that your testimony today? The Lord is my shepherd. And as you read into the New Testament, you’ll see that the New Testament dares to reapply this metaphor from Yahweh to Jesus. In John chapter 10, verse 11, Jesus is the good shepherd who died for us. In Hebrews chapter 13, verse 20, Jesus is the great shepherd that rose for us. And in 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 4, Jesus is the chief shepherd who is coming back for us.

The words are in the present tense. Whatever be the believer’s position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah.

“The Lord is my shepherd;” if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me

There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no “if” nor “but,” nor even “I hope so;” but he says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” We must cultivate the spirit of assured dependence upon our heavenly Father

Application Question

Do you have a personal relationship with the Good Shepherd Jesus?
Did He die for you?
Did He rise from the dead for you?
Is He coming back for you?
Does He Shepherd you?
Does He care for you?
Does He preserve you?
Does He watch over you?
This verse means nothing to you unless you can join with David and say, The Lord is my Shepherd
What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?

I shall not want

This statement goes with the first half. Left to themselves, sheep lack everything. They are the most helpless animals. But if we belong to the one who is self-sufficient, inexhaustible, and utterly unchanged by time, we will lack nothing. He is sufficient for all things and will provide for us.

Charles
The text says if there is intimacy. See, there will also be sufficiency. Verse 1 begins with a positive confession, the Lord is my shepherd. Then verse 1 ends with a negative parallel, I shall not want. This self-description indicates a continual state. I shall not want whenever or whatever.
The word want has changed over the centuries, but originally it meant, the Hebrew word here means to lack, to go without, to be deprived. We use that term today, want, for desire not deprivation. Here we see that David was a wealthy man and when he says I shall not want, he is not bragging about a life of health, wealth, and success. He is saying that I am being taken care of by an all-sufficient God who is able to meet my need, whatever it is. Psalm 23 verse 1 is the Old Testament counterpart to Romans chapter 8 verse 32. He who spared not his own son but gave him up for us all, how will he not along with him graciously give us all things?
Psalms, Volumes 1 & 2 Psalm 23:1–3

When David declares that he will lack nothing in the second line of Ps 23:1, he employs the same term used in Deut 2:7, where Moses declared, “These forty years Yahweh your God was with you. You did not lack a thing

Application

Imagine the peace that comes from trusting in God this much? That He is powerful enough, and yet intimately knows you enough, to give you all that you need?
objection: he hasn’t met all my needs? Do you know better than God what you need or don’t? Trust Him!
As I attempt to teach my sons contentment, I often say to them, “you get what you get, so don’t throw a fit”
but maybe a better way of saying that is this, “you have all that you need, there is no reason for worry or greed”
Do you find yourself always wanting? Do you find yourself always worrying?
The cure for discontentment and the cure for anxiety are the same:
have an intimate, personal relationship with God, so deep that you trust Him perfectly to provide for your every need so that you can say with David
2. David declares, “I shall not want” in verse 1. How is he able to live without discontentment, worry, or greed?

Main Point Incorporation

As David writes, Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want
Yahweh is his Good shepherd, and His sheep have all that they need

2. My Shepherd provides for me - vs 2

Transition

In verses 2 and 3, David tells us exactly how, as a sheep of the Good Shepherd, he has all that he needs.
Specifically in verse 2 we see that Yahweh provides for the physical needs of His sheep.
And that is our second point: My Shepherd Provides for Me

The Text

Look at verse 2 with me,
Psalm 23:2 LSB
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

He makes me lie down in green pastures

Charles
 sheep are not self-sufficient animals. They need a shepherd to provide food and water. This is how God takes care of his people. Verse 3, he makes me lie down in green pastures. Hungry sheep are prone to eat anything. They need a good and wise shepherd to lead them to green pastures. And once there, the sheep, I think this is the key part of that statement, the sheep can lie down. They don’t have to nibble on the run. They can lie down because they are safe and they don’t need to worry about where their next meal is gonna come from.

But observe: “He maketh me to lie down.” It is the Lord who graciously enables us to perceive the preciousness of his truth, and to feed upon it

Phillip Keller is a pastor and author who for eight years was himself a shepherd. Out of that experience he has written A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It throws light on this and other statements. Sheep do not lie down easily, Keller says. In fact, “It is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Because of the social behavior within a flock sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger

Illustration

Phillip Keller is a pastor and author who for eight years was himself a shepherd. Out of that experience he has written A Shepherd Looks at

3. What four requirements need to be met in order for sheep to lie down and rest?

He leeds me beside Quiet Waters

Psalms, Volumes 1 & 2 Psalm 23:1–3

David speaks of “waters of resting places.” The term “resting place” (מנוחה) is what the Lord sought for his people when the ark set out from Mount Sinai in Num 10:33. Even further back, the cognate verb is used in Gen 2:15 and could be rendered, “And Yahweh God took the man and caused him to rest in the garden of Eden.”

Main Point Incorporation

Yahweh is the Good Shepherd and His sheep have everything they need… why?
Because He provides for all of our needs

3. My Shepherd restores me - vs 3a

Transition

Not only does He provide for all of our physical needs.
The good Shepherd provides for all of our spiritual needs too
He does this by restoring us
Which is our thrid point this morning - My Shepherd Restores Me

The Text

Let’s look at the first part of verse 3,
Psalm 23:3 LSB
3 He restores my soul…

He restores me soul

Charles
In a real sense, verse 3 interprets verse 2. Verse 2, David says, he restores my soul. Sheep get hungry and thirsty and weary along the way and the shepherd provides food and drink and rest to restore them. Isn’t that what the Lord does? John 10 verse 10 says it this way, the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy but I can, that they may have life and have it more abundantly. 

When the soul grows sorrowful he revives it; when it is sinful he sanctifies it; when it is weak he strengthens it. “He” does it.

Are any of us low in grace? Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb? He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Pray to him, then, for the blessing—“Restore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!”

4. Why do we need God to restore our soul?

Illustration

Phillip Keller explains this by the situation known to shepherds as a “cast (or cast down) sheep.” What happens is this. “A heavy, fat or long-fleeced sheep will lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that the feet no longer touch the ground. It may feel a sense of panic and start to paw frantically. Frequently this only makes things worse. It rolls over even further. Now it is quite impossible for it to regain its feet.” In this position gases build up in the body, cutting off circulation to the legs, and often it is only a matter of a few hours before the sheep dies. The only one who can restore the sheep to health is the shepherd.

Sometimes we are like cast sheep. We are spiritually on our backs, quite helpless. But Jesus comes to us when we are in this condition, as he did to Peter after Peter had denied him even with oaths and cursing (Matt. 26:72, 74), and he restores us

Gospel Application

Main Point Incorporation

Yahweh is the Good Shepherd and His sheep have everything they need
He provides for our physical needs
and He meets our spiritual need by restoring our souls

4. My Shepherd guides me - vs 3b

Transition

No our Shepherd doesn’t just meet our spiritual need of restoration and then leave us there to figure things out on our own
He doesn’t regenerate us, give us the gift of faith, justify us in His blood, and then leave us to stumble about wondering how exactly we should follow Him.
No…my Shepherd restores my soul and then, as we will see in this fourth and final point, My Shepherd Guides Me in His path

The Text

Look again at verse 3,
Psalm 23:3 LSB
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

He Guides Me

Charles
Verse 3 is the second statement about the shepherd’s leadership. Verse 2, he leads me beside still waters. Verse 3, he leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Paths of Righteousness

Psalms, Volumes 1 & 2 Psalm 23:1–3

David wrote in

Psalm 23:3 LSB
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

The Christian delights to be obedient, but it is the obedience of love, to which he is constrained by the example of his Master.

In his translation of this psalm Martin Luther rendered the phrase “paths of righteousness” by auf rechter Strasse. The connotation is not just of a straight way, but of a right way: a righteous way. We stray by sinning, but God leads us into upright moral paths.

Psalm 25:4–5 LSB
4 Make me know Your ways, O Yahweh; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; In You I hope all the day.
Psalm 119:105 LSB
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Charles
Literally, the shepherd leads in straight paths. It’s moral leadership. David is simply saying that if you follow the Lord, he’ll never lead you wrong. 
5. Where can we go to understand God’s paths of righteousness?

His Name’s Sake

Charles
His guidance is guaranteed for his name’s sake. Oh church, I’m glad I serve a God that’s got a good reputation. He’s a promise keeper. His name is his word and his word is his name and I can trust him to lead me right because his name is on the line. 

Main Point Incorporation

Yahweh is my Shepherd and as His sheep, I have everything I need…why?
my Shepherd provides for my spiritual needs
my Shepherd restores my soul from death to life
my Shepherd guides me in His paths of righteousness

Conclusion

Transition

Allow me to finish this morning by making a few closing applications

Summary

If Yahweh is your Shepherd you have everything you need

The wicked always want, but the righteous never; a sinner’s heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content.

It is not only “I do not want,” but “I shall not want.” Come what may, if famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, “I shall not want.” Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. I have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

I shall not want for spirituals, I know that his grace will be sufficient for me

I shall not lack for temporal things. Does he not feed the ravens, and cause the lilies to grow? How, then, can he leave his children to starve

I might want otherwise, but when the Lord is my Shepherd he is able to supply my needs, and he is certainly willing to do so, for his heart is full of love, and therefore “I shall not want.”

Argument

6. If Yahweh is truly your Shepherd, is He not worthy of your trust?
If Yahweh is truly your Shepherd, is He not worthy of your trust?
Is there any need for stress or anxiety?
As my friend and author Pastor Jonny Ardavanis puts it,

All our anxieties are invitations to draw closer to God by fixating our gaze on who He is

as we saw this morning, He is our Shepherd who cares for us, who provides for us, who leads us, who restores us, who guides us.
The Lord our Shepherd is a God we can trust.
Not only does He shepherd us…
He is the all-powerful God of the universe who rules the world by His sovereign decree
He is God very God, and yet He tenderly cares for each of His sheep whom He knows by name and loves so much that He gave His life up for each of us.

Gospel Call

In John 10, Jesus picks up on this Shepherd motif when He declares…

Closing Illustration

I wish to close with this story.
There once was a famous actor named Richard Burton who happened to return to his hometown. On Sunday he visited his childhood church and during the proceedings, he offered to perform something for the congregation. His aged pastor asked him to recite for the congregation the 23rd Psalm. Burton agreed, but on one condition. He said he would only read or recite that psalm on the condition that his childhood pastor would come behind him and also recite the psalm.
Burton went first and gave an impressive recitation of the 23rd Psalm that left the entire congregation in awe. When he finished, they gave him a great applause. When the applause died down, the old preacher rose and quoted Psalm 23 also. When he was finished, there was not a dry eye in the room.
Burton announced to those gathered, ladies and gentlemen, I reached your ears and eyes, but my old pastor has reached your hearts.
The difference is this, I know the psalm, he knows the shepherd.
Dear family, Do you just know the psalm, or do you know the Shepherd?
Let’s Pray
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