The Lord's care for His people
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Introduction
Introduction
Maybe you have heard the story of a weak and helpless people delivered from Israel and guided by the Lord all the way to the promised land?
That story is part of the historical backdrop for this Psalm.
In this Psalm we see the Lord’s care for His people.
As we get started I would like to point out the position of this Psalm,
“It follows the 22, which is peculiarly the Psalm of the cross. There are no green pastures, no still waters on the other side of the 22 Psalm. It is only after we have read, ‘My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!’ that we come to the Lord is my Shepherd.”
“We must see the sword awakened against the Shepherd before we shall truly be able to know the sweetness of the good Shepherd’s care.”
Spurgeon
Notice also the structure of the Psalm
In vv.1-4 we have these shepherd theme with really an inclusio beginning and ending this theme.
Shepherd
rod and staff
so that you could read The LORD is my Shepherd, his rod and his staff comforts me.
Then in vv.5-6 the LORD is pictured as a host.
The LORD is my Shepherd (v.1-4)
The LORD is my Shepherd (v.1-4)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The LORD
The LORD
psa.23.
1. The Lord
One might say that this one word that begins the Hebrew text Yahweh is the theme of this psalm. This beautiful Psalm tells us who Yahweh is to His covenant people.
But again let us remind ourselves who David is talking about here.
Yahweh:
Covenant Keeping God (gracious, merciful, and faithful)
Creator of all things
The self existent One, the One who is Independent
The Omnipotent One, the Omniscient One, the Omnipresent One
The Holy One, the Righteous One, the All Wise One
is my
is my
Notice what David says about Yahweh
2. is
He is my
That is He belongs to me and I belong to Him.
This is covenant language here.
I think of the great blessings of the Covenant that we see in the OT and the greatest of all is this
Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
It is an awesome thought that Yahweh, the One True God, would take a sinful and rebellious people who deserve nothing but His wrath and that in Kindness and Mercy He would make them His people and pour out good in their lives so much good that He makes them His people, that He enters into a gracious relationship with them.
This was true of Isreal, this was true of David and it is true for us here today.
The only way David could say this was because of the gracious initiative of God to enter into relationship with David.
You know this is one of the most quoted and beloved of Psalms in the psalter but the reality is that this Psalm is not for everybody.
Not just anybody can say, the Lord is my Shepherd.
The only ones who can say the Lord is my Shepherd are those who have been brought into a right relationship with God by God’s grace.
And who are those who have been brought into a right relationship with God?
Those who having turned from sin have turned to the Salvation provided by the Good Shepherd at calvery
Notice again, One cannot get to psalm 23, the Lord is my Shepherd without having to go through where the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
3. my Shepherd
Shepherd
Shepherd
This is imagery that we see throughout the Bible of course the shepherding culture of that time and place but also Yahweh being the Shepherd of His people
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Then he led out his people like sheep
and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid,
but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
And as Christians we see the fulfillment of this in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ
In the NT Jesus is referred to as
The Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
>11
The Great Shepherd
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Heb.13.
The Chief Shepherd
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Let’s put this together, In the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep and that is what we see in . The Good Shepherd dying for His sheep.
Calvin:
“God is Shepherd only to those who, touched with a sense of their own weakness and poverty feel their need of His protection, and who willingly abide in His sheepfold, and surrender themselves to be governed by Him.”
What is the result of this truth?
What is the result of this truth?
I shall not want
I shall not want
I shall not want
I shall not want
The next few verses expound upon this truth but I will say this.
Spiritual
Our joy depends upon and consists in God being our Shepherd.
As He stretches forth His hand to govern us
As we live under the shadow of His care
As He providently watches over us
We cannot have true joy or contentment unless God mercifully counts us as part of His flock.
Calvin:
“Those who enjoy the greatest abundance of outward good things are empty and famished if God is not their Shepherd; so it is beyond all doubt that those whom he has taken under His charge shall not want a full abundance of good things.”
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
P
Here Paul is able to say this because He knows the Lord as his Good Shepherd.
Now v.2-4 expound upon verse 1.
The Shepherd’s care (v.2-3)
The Shepherd’s care (v.2-3)
Here in these verses we see the Lord’s care, the Lord’s guidance, and the Lord’s provision.
Some observations here:
There are four active verbs used here, The Lord is the One who is acting and He is acting on behalf of His people and He is acting for His Name’s sake, that is for His glory.
V.2
gives a picture of peaceful provision.
In the original text
In green pastures He makes me lie down
Beside still waters He leads me
We have pictured a place of rest
I think of Jesus words, Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest
The picture we have here is that of deliverence from the enemy, this is not a place of fear, the sheep do not feel threatened here.
The verb used here for leads is a verb used to speak of leading or guiding to a place of rest and refreshment.
It speaks of tender care and provision. This verb is translated supplied, carried, provide in other places
LXX uses a word that carries this same idea and this is the verb used in
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
In light of all this, I think we can say that the picture we have in v.2 is that of protection and provision so that one florishes and grows.
V. 3
He restores my soul
This same verb is used
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
There is picture of having gone astray, of being in danger, of being in a place of death, or a place leading to death and the Lord comes and rescues and restores.
I thought of , all we like sheep have gone astray and how does the Lord restore our souls through the redeeming and restoring work of the Suffering Servant of the Lord.
In other words, again there is no restoration in without .
As our Good Shepherd He is able to restore our souls because He came into our darkness and death to rescue us out of our darkness and death.
Individual believer, know this, it is the Lord who restored your soul.
The Lord uses means, but it is the Lord who does it.
Not only does He restore our souls but He leads us in paths of righteousness.
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Ps.
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!
ps.139.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!
The Lord leads us by His Word and His Spirit and He leads us in the way of righteousness, the the way of life, He leads us in the path of Sanctification.
There are a few other places that we see some of these verbs together
For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;
“You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
is the song of Moses
No doubt David would have known this song, would have been very familiar with it.
David says what, just as you delivered Israel from Egypt and ultimately lead them to the promised land so also you are my Good Shepherd who has delivered me from the enemy and led me to the place of rest in your presence.
This is true for us brothers and sisters in Christ.
Why does God do this? Ultimately why does God redeem?
For His Name’s sake
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
that he might make known his mighty power.
Let me put it this way brother and sister in Christ, God does not redeem us to make much of us but He redeems us so that we might make much of Him.
Any presentation of the gospel or the Christian life that puts you in the center is not Biblical, the gospel and the the Christian life is always to make God central and to glorify Him, not make much of us.
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
There is debate on the best way to translate the first part of this verse.
valley of the shadow of death
or
valley of deep darkness
The point is this, when the darkest and the most difficult seasons of life come if the Lord is my Shepherd I have nothing to fear.
Notice, even if the Lord is my Shepherd I go through dark times
But
The Lord is with me.
What if I lose my way in the valley? The Shepherd has His staff to guide you through.
What if I am destroyed by the enemy in the valley? The Shepherd has His rod to protect me in the valley.
Oh brother and sister in Christ if we could but lay hold of this truth how much unnecessary grief and sorrow it would spare us.
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
What can separate us from the love and the care of our Good Shepherd?
tribulation, distress, persecution, danger, sword, depression, anxiety, death?
Notice two things here brother and sister
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, with His staff He will lead me and guide me, (v.2-3)
The Lord is my Shepherd I will fear no evil, with His rod He will destroy me enemies (v.4)
The Lord is my Shepherd I am comforted.
One more thing here, the Greek word used at the end of this verse for I am comforted is the word parakaleo
This verb is used in the NT, I will mention just one place
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Who will the mourning ones be comforted? Because they have the Lord as their Shepherd.
This root is also found in the noun paraklatos
Which is where we get the word translated Helper or Comforter referring to the Holy Spirit in , , and 16
The Holy Spirit comforts God’s people as He guides them in truth
The Shepherd’s care (v. 2-3)
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
This is beautiful imagery and I hope you feel that we are only beginning to scratch the surface of the glory here in this passage.
Finial bit of application
Who are those who belong to the Good Shepherd?
Jesus says in , My sheep hear my voice and they follow me.
Are you a sheep?
Do you hear His voice today in the Scriptures?
Do you know your need for Him? you can be His sheep
2. If we are His sheep.
There is nothing to fear
We are to find comfort in His
Rod: He will destroy all enemies
Staff: He will provide for us and guide us all the way home
This does not mean there will not be dark times.
The LORD is my Host (v.5-6)
The LORD is my Host (v.5-6)
There is a shift in vv.5 and 6.
Here the Lord is pictured as the host at a banquet prepared for His child.
The table is laden with food and drink.
And as a host he anoints His honored guest with oil.
We will notice a few things here
A gracious Host (v.5)
A gracious Host (v.5)
The Lord will vindicate His people before the world that hated them
The world will see that we belonged to the Lord.
This speaks of the Lord’s love for His people and the victory that we will have over our enemies.
The overflowing cup pictures that the Lord will give His best to His child.
Earlier we saw green pastures and quiet waters and know we see an overflowing cup, both are a picture of God’s abundant provision.
The anointing with oil, the overflowing cup, and the silence presence of one’s enemies gives us a picture of victory, celebration, abundant provision.
An eternal Host (v.6)
An eternal Host (v.6)
A couple of key things here
The word chesed
Mercy or steadfast love
This speaks of God’s covenant love for His people.
God has entered into covenant relationship with me and He will not let me go.
He is not s Shepherd who abandons His sheep
He is not a Host who runs out His guest
David never has to fear having to say well the Lord was my Shepherd or at one time the mercy of the Lord was with me
Story of young boy with family that abused him, did not provide for him, and told him he was not wanted.
He learned not to trust, he learned he had to provide for himself so he would hide food.
Boy was eventually given up for adoption.
At first he did not trust their care for him, he did not trust their provision for him, he did not trust their faithfulness to him
He had to learn that they cared for him, that they would provide for him, and that he was safe in their family, he would never be kicked out.
Oh brothers and sisters,
Let us learn to trust our Good Shepherd, Let us trust our Good Father
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The Sheep’s comfort (v.4)
The LORD is my Host
The LORD is my Host
