Psalm 23 Part 2

Psalm 23:4-6

Introduction

This morning we discussed the first three verses of this wonderful Psalm and tonight we will look at the last 3 verses. You’ll remember we talked at length about the Lord as our Shepherd and what that means to us. It means that he is with us, he cares for us, and he watches over us. You’ll also remember that we are the sheep and He is the Shepherd, that seems obvious but too many times we reverse those roles and think that we are the captain of our ship, when in reality God is the Captain. We talked about how obedience is an essential part of the Christian life and now we move into verse 4.

Form Change

English Standard Version Psalm 23

4  Even 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.

Now as we come to verse 4 we see a shift. A shift in what is going on in the life of the Psalmist writing here, but also in how the Psalm is constructed. I don’t want to spend too much time here, but it is important that we see this.

See in verse 4 he begins using “You” instead of “He” for God. Do you see that? In the first few verses we get - He makes me, He leads me, He restores me, He leads me. Now in verse 4 it changes. We see - You are with me, your rod and staff, you prepare, you anoint.

So why the change? Well, I think it because it is important for us not to speak too much ABOUT God without speaking TO God. Have you known that in your own experience? I have. I have known this to be true. If I am going to teach and talk about God, then I had better balance that with talking TO God. Prayer is such an essential part of the Christian life. And in this transition to verse 4, David’s life gets more difficult and that typically ramps up our prayer lives doesn’t it? Don’t we typically become better in our prayer lives when we are experiencing difficulty? That is true for me anyway.

In The Valley

English Standard Version Psalm 23

4  Even 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.

As we begin to look at verse 4, it will be difficult for me to move from this verse for the rest of our time here tonight. I don’t want to linger, but this is so important for us to digest this truth.

Maybe today you are in a valley. Maybe you just came through a valley, or someone you know is in a valley. God has something to say to us when we are in the valley.

God Is Sovereign In the Valley

First of all, let’s not take the valley experience lightly. This is not some trivial matter in our lives. This is a difficult situation that we feel trapped or overwhelmed in. This is something that is pulling us under and taking our breath away.

David knew this experience well. He knew what it was like to be in the valley. He had many experiences where he was in deep trouble and God was his only refuge, his only help.

David knew the experience of an enemy (King Saul) breathing down his neck trying to kill him at every turn. David had to literally hide in caves and go on the run to escape from Saul’s great jealously and anger towards David.

Then David had to deal with the valley experience of his great sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. That was a very deep valley. So much hurt and so much soul crushing damage was done by David that he had nowhere to turn but to God after Nathan rebuked him. Psalm 51 is the outcome of that rebuke.

This would be a good time to make sure that we don’t differentiate between valleys of our own making and valleys that come to us without our own sin involved. The shepherd was equally concerned about the sheep whether it was their fault that they wandered off, or whether there was some external danger that was threatening them. So, if you are in a valley of your own making - don’t think that God doesn’t want to redeem you from that also. He still leaves the 99 in search of the 1 who has sinned and gone astray.

But the main point I want to make here is that God is sovereign in the valley experiences of our lives. I have seen that to be true in my life for sure. I have had some deep valley experiences and I know the Lord to be faithful in those times. I know the Lord to be sovereign in my circumstances even when I don’t know why things are happening or what is going on.

And let me tell you that is SO important. It is SO IMPORTANT to know that there is a Shepherd who is in control of all things and directing all things for our good and His glory. That is important because in the valley experiences you have to have an ANCHOR, a solid foundation to hold you in that trial. You have to have a solid belief that God is working even in that difficulty to bring you something good and beneficial that you need (Remember verse 1? I shall not want. He will provide for my needs).

Romans 8:28 is one of the most important verses in my life because it weaves together the story of my good days and my bad days. It reminds me that God can take even something that hurts at the time, and use it to mature me spiritually or bring a blessing that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. I could talk about this for hours. This has been a tremendous experience in my own life. It is part of my testimony that God is FAITHFUL. And He will be faithful to you as well. Maybe you have the same testimony.

Be Patient In The Valley

Another lesson that we must learn is to be patient in the valley experiences of our lives. God allows things to happen to us for a reason. God doesn’t do things by chance or fate. That’s what we just got through saying about Romans 8:28 right? God uses even the bad stuff to shape us into something better. I can think of many illustrations of this. The best is the potter and the clay, but we will save that for another time.

But be patient in the valley. Believe me, this is difficult for me to do. I am learning patience, but I am not a patient person by nature. But God works things out in HIS time when it comes to our trials and our valley experiences, our job is to be patient and trust Him. Many times we get impatient and want God to act RIGHT NOW, and what we don’t understand is that God has to refine us for a little while before he accomplishes His will for us in that valley.

Do Not Fear, For He Is Near

Verse 4 says that we are walking THROUGH the valley. Don’t expect God to come in with a helicopter and a rope and pull you out of the valley like some Rambo movie. God may do that for you (I’ve asked before but he’s never done it for me), but most of our experience is a “through the valley” experience. God many times makes us walk through the valley, but it isn’t alone that we walk. Look at what this says “I will fear no evil, for you are with me”. Why don’t we fear? Not because the trouble is gone, not because the danger isn’t near, not because the illness is gone, or the relationship is restored - it is because HE IS WITH ME.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV

It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

When danger comes, the shepherd calls the sheep close to him and the sheep come so close they can feel his presence. The shepherd wants the sheep close to him when danger comes so he can protect them from the danger and walk through the dark valley.

That’s when the rod and the staff come in handy. The shepherd uses the rod and staff to do two things.

The rod is used for protection. The rod was made out of the trunk of a tree to get the strongest wood possible. It would be a big thick piece of wood that the shepherd would use to protect the sheep from wolves or lions or other predators that came near the sheep and tried to devour them.

The staff is used for correction. The staff had a crook in the end of it, so if a sheep started wandering off or fell in a river the shepherd could take that staff and reach out and pull that animal back into line where it should be.

What you need to understand is that God is FULLY CAPABLE of defending you. He is willing and he is able to defend you. Don’t let Satan tell you that you are alone and that God has forgotten about you, that you are too far gone and that God has given up on you. GOD LOVES YOU! And He cares about your life and your experience in the valley.

Another thing about the valley experience is that we see it is a THROUGH the valley, not a STUCK in the valley. Now, if we are talking about physical illness here sometimes God delivers us through the valley to be with Him in Heaven. That is the assurance of the believer in death. Jesus beat death on the cross for us who believe in Him. That is definitely up to Him and not us. But if we are talking about circumstantial issues, this is most definitely a through the valley thing. You will come through the valley, and come out on the other side.

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a great promise. Such a great truth from our good Shepherd!

God As Host

English Standard Version Psalm 23

5  You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

We see here a great imagery that even in the most difficult of situations, God is providing for us once again. He is preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies. What is your enemy? Is it fear? Is it doubt? Is it anger? Is it lust? Is it loneliness? Of course we all have a common enemy in Satan, he is constantly our enemy. Whatever your enemy is right now, he is preparing you a feast in the midst of your enemy.

What does this mean? Prepare a table with my enemies?

Well, here is a crude example. Ever been to a rodeo and seen those crazy guys who sit at a card table playing poker all the while an unhappy bull is running around terrorizing their card game? Have you ever seen that? Well, just imagine that your enemy is the bull. You are sitting there in the middle, only you aren’t playing poker - you are eating a feast. Not some water and crackers deal, this is a real feast.

The only difference between their card game and your life is that there is a protective shield around you that the enemy cannot penetrate. The enemy that is coming against you is powerless to penetrate the power and love of Jesus that He has for his children. Kinda like a glass, soundproof barrier that you can just sit right there and eat and drink in peace and the enemy has to sit there and watch you being protected by your faithful God.

That is why the Psalmist has the attitude here in the latter part of the verse that “his cup overflows”. When God is protecting and guiding us, no matter what comes our way we can have the deep abiding joy and comfort of the Holy Spirit in our lives that circumstances can’t take away. That is the cup running over. Your cup can run over no matter what your situation is, and that is TRUE JOY found only in God. You can’t get that kind of peace or joy anywhere else.

Forever With Our Shepherd

So, how does the Psalm end? It ends in a fantastic way, the same way every Christian life ends. It ends in GLORY. Look at it:

English Standard Version Psalm 23

6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

This Psalm starts with green pastures and still waters, then turns to trouble in the valley of the shadow, then ends up better off residing with God forever. Isn’t that how our lives are? Our lives are a mixture of peaks and valleys, but God is in control of them all.

But no matter what this life gives us, we can look forward to a life with Jesus that will be forever filled with great things and blessings that we can’t even begin to imagine.