2020.05.03 Yahweh Is My Shepherd
Notes
Transcript
1 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because with a strong hand he will release them, and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land.”
2 And God spoke to Moses, and he said to him, “I am Yahweh.
3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai, but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.
4 And I not only established my covenant with them to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in which they dwelt as aliens,
5 but also I myself heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are making to work, and I remembered my covenant.
6 Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the forced labor of Egypt, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great punishments.
7 And I will take you as my people, and I will be your God, and you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of Egypt.
8 And I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.”
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord 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 follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Yahweh Is My Shepherd
Yahweh Is My Shepherd
This week, the Twenty-third psalm is the prescribed Lectionary psalm. Although I use Psalms in sermons, I rarely preach on a psalm. Intrigued, I looked through some of my writings and study notes on Psalm 23, and looked at a sermon I preached a few years back. The more I looked at that sermon, the more it sounded like something that might be helpful in the world of today’s pandemic, quarantine, stay-at-home uncertainty.
So I’d like to “walk through this passage” today. As we walk through, if you’re watching this on video, you’ll see less of me and more of the Word on the screen. Since this is one of the most familiar passages of Scripture, it’s easy to hear it without really hearing what it actually says. So, I want to focus on the actual words David uses, and recapture what David is really saying about his God … and ours.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
1 Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall not want.
YAHWEH vs. Adonai – name vs. title - a bit of history
• Many think…"God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament"
• God was very personal in the early books of the Old Testament - Moses
• 2 Kings 25, Babylon destroys Temple and exile
• 2Chron 36, allowed to return to Jerusalem
• Temple rebuilt in 515 BC...convinced Yahweh is too holy a name to be spoken
• Imagine...my wife, husband, son, daughter...nameless
• No wonder we think of the Old Testament God as distant...we can't even call Him by name.
Listen to what our passage from Exodus says about God’s name:
3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, Lord, I did not make Myself known to them.
3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai, but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.
Exodus 6:3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty (El Shaddai) , but I didn't reveal myself to them by my name 'Yahweh.' [CEB]
• You may have heard someone refer to Jehovah – English variation of Yahweh
When you put God’s name back into this psalm, you can discover how very personal this song is to David
Names on slide
He doesn’t say “El Shaddai” “God almighty” is my shepherd
Adonai – Lord
El Elyon – Most High God
El Olam – Everlasting God
Yahweh is my shepherd!
YAHWEH is my shepherd.
I shall not want...
Yahweh is my shepherd, and that's all that matters
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul.
Ranchers lead from behind...shepherds lead from the front
We follow!
He provides green pastures...food
still waters...safe drink .. sheep’s wool is easily saturated, in moving water, sheep can become saturated and be carried into the current and drowned
Why does he do take me to food and safe water? ...to restore my soul
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Why does he do that? ...to restore my soul
Yahweh leads us to places that will sustain and restore us
Yahweh wants to restore you...heal you
He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
The relief He provides is to empower us to answer the imperative call to righteousness!
Maxie Dunnam "Following the shepherd will include those experiences of deep communion when we rest in the Lord...But all this must lead to a deeper commitment to walk the paths of righteousness, to take greater risks in love."
Imelda Marcos complained about the media's coverage when she and her husband were being ousted from the presidential palace in the Philippines back in the 1980s. The media, she accused, only showed the excesses. “If only they would have shown the prayer room in the palace, they would see how pious we are.”
This is why so many politicians want to be seen either going to worship or meeting with Christian leaders. They want to be SEEN as righteous, and they think they can get that by being physically CLOSE to righteousness.
"If only they would see me go to church every Sunday, they would know how righteous I am."
Donald Shelby "unless the ecstasy of God's indwelling presence becomes the agony of sacrifice and obedience – working for God's kingdom by going the second mile, turning the other cheek, fulfilling our moral imperatives, and serving the least and the lost – then our ecstasy is pure baloney, our piety is a rank form of idolatry, and our religious talk is mere rhetoric."
Yahweh, our God, brings rest and restoration, so that we will follow Him into paths of righteousness! He stands ready to lead...are you willing to be led? Or are you afraid of where he may lead you?
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.
"darkest valley" – the worst life has to offer is not worthy of our fear or worry because YAHWEH IS WITH US!
Rod and Staff – shepherd’s tools of discipline and protection
Phillip Keller - Staff is the only defensive weapon a shepherd carries...thrown with great speed and accuracy.
Rod is used to "discipline and correct any wayward sheep that insisted on wandering away."
Parents…“Spare the rod…spoil the child”
Rod is also used to separate the fleece to look for disease or skin problems.
Not only is God's protection comforting, but His discipline also brings comfort. The two are not separated. God’s care for us is total and complete. He cares for us in every way imaginable! We easily accept God's protection. Are you willing to submit to Yahweh's discipline?
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Yahweh turns from leader to host...we turn from sheep to guest!
Context: Honor/Shame Culture of the Old Testament Hebrews
God may not directly shame my enemies, but He will honor me if I follow Him, and that, in an Honor/Shame culture will shame my enemies.
[consider possibly talking about Scott…shamed/judged by my lifestyle]
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
...you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Middle Eastern culture...the guests are anointed with oil as they enter a special feast.
God is not only a good host...He is an extravagant host:
Extravagance – My cup is not poured into … my cup is not full … my cup overflows!!!!
Are you familiar with the 1973 song "Tie a yellow ribbon"? [ADD GRAPHIC]
The song’s co-author L. Russell Brown wrote that the song is based on an “… age old folk tale about a Union prisoner of war--who sent a letter to his girl that he was coming home from a confederate POW camp in Georgia.” If you still want me, tie a yellow ribbon around the old oak tree and I’ll come home. If I see no ribbon, I’ll know you’ve moved on and I’ll continue on.” The song relays that as the bus turns the corner, the guy covers his eyes and asks the bus driver to tell him what he sees, and as the bus explodes in cheers and applause, the man looks to see
a hundred yellow ribbons on the tree. [ADD GRAPHIC]
Our God is an extravagant God. The oil he pours over our heads is the richest of oils, and our cup overflows with his blessings!
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
If we follow the paths of righteousness the Shepherd is leading us through, we will leave trails of goodness and mercy behind us!
Yahweh leads in front…and goodness and mercy are left behind as a witness to our lives!
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.
David concludes the Psalm the same way he began it...by claiming the personal god Yahweh as his own. "I will dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life."
Do you need protection and discipline? Do you need rest and restoration...healing? Are you afraid of what the future holds? Do you want your life to be remembered as good and merciful?
Yahweh awaits your request. He has His rod and staff in hand. He is ready to anoint your head and bless your life with His extravagant love!
Is Yahweh your shepherd? That's all that matters!
Prayer
Friends, The Love Feast, or Agape Meal, is a Christian fellowship meal recalling the meals Jesus shared with disciples during his ministry and expressing the koinonia (community, sharing, fellowship) enjoyed by the family of Christ.
John Wesley first experienced it among the Moravians in Savannah, Georgia, in 1737. His diary notes: "After evening prayers, we joined with the Germans in one of their love–feasts. It was begun and ended with thanksgiving and prayer, and celebrated in so decent and solemn a manner as a Christian of the apostolic age would have allowed to be worthy of Christ."
The Love Feast has often been held on occasions when the celebration of the Lord's Supper would be inappropriate—where there is no one present authorized to administer the Sacrament, when persons of different denominations are present who do not feel free to take Holy Communion together, when there is a desire for a service more informal and spontaneous than the communion ritual, or at a full meal or some other setting to which it would be difficult to adapt the Lord's Supper.
One of the advantages of the Love Feast is that any Christian may conduct it. Congregational participation and leadership are usually extensive and important, especially involving children.
So, if you have any children who can read in your home, I’d like to have you invite them to lead your home in the responsive parts of this liturgy by reading along with me. Everyone else in the house can read the responsive parts.
OK, kids, let’s lead the Love Feast
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
AND ALSO WITH YOU
The risen Christ is with us.
PRAISE YAHWEH!
Lift up your hearts.
WE LIFT THEM UP TO THE LORD.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE OUR THANKS AND PRAISE.
Thanks for your help, kids.
Now, let’s all sing our table grace followed by a Love Feast Prayer
Wesley’s Grace
Love Feast Prayer (sung)
Brief instructions