Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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

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

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

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

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

>11

The Great Shepherd

Heb.13.

The Chief Shepherd

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?

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.”

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)

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

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

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.