Untitled Sermon (56)

Psalm 23 Bible Study - Jesus our Great Shepherd!

by I Gordon

Introduction

I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. I started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. Sure enough, someone guessed pretty quickly that it would be Psalm 23. Everyone knows this psalm... even non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favourite at their funerals. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! It is a Psalm of life, rest and peace. It is a Psalm of but 6 verses but countless sermons and entire books have been written on it.  [1]  It is a Psalm that encompasses our live here and even extends into eternity future. So though 3000 years old it is extremely relevant for our lives today!

Is it Messianic? That was a question that was once sent to me. On the one hand it is not quoted in the New Testament directly concerning Jesus. But it is alluded to such as in Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water."  And we know the Jesus Himself took upon this title of 'the good Shepherd'. What is also interesting, even before we get into the actual verses, is that this Psalm is part two of what we could call a Messianic trilogy. Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. This is seen in the following table:  [2] 

Psalm

Shepherd

Verse

Time

Theme

Psalm 22

Good Shepherd

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Past

His past death for His people The Saviours Cross

Psalm 23

Great Shepherd

Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him...

Present

His present care and provision for His people The Shepherds Crook

Psalm 24

Chief Shepherd

1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Future

His future return for His people as the King of Glory! The Kings crown

The great Shepherd

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want

King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd. That was his role growing up. He would tend, protect and care for his sheep. But he also knew, through many highs and lows, throughout his life, that he too was but a sheep with a far greater Shepherd. David had had the highs of defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from Saul. He had the honour of being King over all Israel, yet seen the lows of having his own son, Absalom, rise up against him and take the throne. He had known feast. He had known famine. And yet through it all he could look back and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. What great confidence! There is something about people who truly know their God. They know that it will be ok. They know that through all things, Jesus is a good shepherd. That is what God desires to work into your life. It is what the Apostle Paul knew when he wrote:

Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. (13) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Amazon, in the last couple of weeks (Nov 2014) released the most highlighted passages in their most popular books downloaded onto Kindle, their electronic book reader. It included the most highlighted passage in the Bible which turned out to be this passage:

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It is great advice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage because people are in desperate need to remember it! They probably are anxious about different things. It is getting harder to live on this planet - from a health point of view, from a financial point of view, from a spiritual and moral point of view, from a fear and anxiety point of view - there is much that a person could be concerned about. But Jesus is the good Shepherd. He is.

Let's break it up, word for word...

Now I want to break this first verse up into each little section so that we can get a better grasp as to what David was saying.  [3] 

The LORD - The first thing to note is the source of David's comfort. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! This name is 'Yahweh', the sovereign, almighty, delivering God. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!' So many people place their trust and hope is all sorts of things. I have a lady at my work who, after saying something that she felt may tempt fate, said 'touch wood'. David had it right in placing his trust in the one true God who controls all things. This also shows us our need of giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life.  [4] 

Is - Can you say that? Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? Not was, like He helped you in the past. Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do... but IS - present tense. David had extreme confidence in who God IS right now! Do you?

My - This is probably the best thing about this psalm... it is so personal! Grab your Bible and read this Psalm noting down the times 'I, my, me, he, his, you' etc are used. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! The wonderful discovery is that the Lord is not just a shepherd who looks after the entire flock, but He is cares for me as well. He is that interested in each of His sheep! The other thing to note on this point is that the entire psalm is only valid for those who truly have Jesus as their shepherd. It's not for the goats. The promises are for those who have been born again... not those who simply like the sound of it for a funeral!

Shepherd -  This imagery of the shepherd and sheep spans the entire Bible but is most prominent in the New Testament where Jesus speaks about His relationship with His people, His sheep. How would you describe sheep? What is characteristic of them? They are dumb, dirty, defenceless and dependant. Someone said they are the most stupid animal on the face of the earth. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. If there is a ditch, they will fall in and need to be rescued. If there is a wire fence, they'll get caught in it. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. They can't run all that fast, don't have the greatest eye sight apparently and, being basically defenceless, are timid and fearful. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. There you have it. That's the animal God choose which best represents you! They are in need of a good shepherd who will provide, protect, and guide his sheep.  [5] 

We need to remind ourselves of this all the time. God is the one who looks after our lives.  [6] 

Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Now David wasn't saying here that 'the Lord is my Shepherd, whom I do not want'! Nor is he saying that 'the LORD is my Shepherd, I get everything I want'. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! Obviously it means that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not lack that which He knows we need.  [7]  Do you have this same confidence that David had? Everyone loves this Psalm. But do we believe it? I think if we could just grasp this first verse alone our hearts could then rest. This verse doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it... God loves you too much to just make things always easy! That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. Everything will be ok. He is in control.

Look where He leads...

Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul.

In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be 'green pastures' and the sheep tend to munch all day! So life here for our sheep is one of continual green pastures. But that is not how it is in the dry arid lands of the Middle East and we need to read this Psalm with that mindset. The green pastures and waters spoken of in this verse were often some distance apart and the shepherd would have to lead his flock to these places. They would travel from oasis to oasis. Notice the following -

He makes me... He leads me  - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing you to a place of rest. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. He makes me... He leads me. Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. It doesn't mean that anything outwardly has to change. What He is leading, guiding and teaching us is firstly about the inward change to the circumstance even if outwardly things remain the same. But we need to learn to lie down. We are smart enough to do this in the physical. When we get tired we take a rest. It makes sense. It works. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. We lie on our beds yet carry on the same thoughts inside. It leads to burn out, break downs and depression.

Lie down in green pastures... quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. They are times, as the Psalm says, when He restores your soul spiritually. They are quiet waters... times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can feed and are restored. Thank God for such times! This feeding is symbolic of being fed spiritually with the word of God. (Heb 5:12-14)  [8] 

Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or 'right' paths. They will lead us to places of rest and provision. Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. As you survey your life, what path has God led and guided you through? Was it where you thought you would go? God's eternal desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory and light within them. It is expressed in this verse - Rom  8:29  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. So God will always lead us into that which is right and that which is true. It is for 'His name's sake' that He does this. Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself.  [9]  These are the paths we should desire and actively seek. David wrote about this in Psalm 25

Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. (5) Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

When things get dark...

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

As I said, it wasn't all easy and plain sailing being a sheep in Israel however. Sometimes those paths lead straight through the valley of the shadow of death. As the shepherd led the sheep from oasis to oasis, this sometimes meant passing through narrow valleys that had steep cliff faces on each side. These valleys were often dark because of the shadow caused by the cliffs, and they were a favourite place for predators to hide in. Sounds like a nice place to be for a defenceless sheep now doesn't it? Maybe this verse should have read 'though I close my eyes and sprint through the valley of the shadow of death...' This verse speaks to us of the trying times in our lives where there is darkness, confusion and fear. Notice however that the Psalmist says he 'walks through' this valley. He doesn't stop, and he doesn't give up hope. You may be in a dark place but you must keep walking. It's not somewhere that you set up camp thinking that is all you will ever know. No, press on knowing that if there are shadows, there must be light around the corner causing them!

And it is in these times that it starts getting a lot more personal!

Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil, for you are with me

There is a switch here from 'He' to 'You'. Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. It becomes more personal in this valley! The wonder of wonders is that through the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives we can actually go through these times without fear! Well, having said that I should say that you will be free from fear to the degree that you know He is with you - rain, hail and shine. The first time through the dark valley is always scary. But it is there that you learn that though you may not be able to see the shepherd as well as normal, He can see you and is still protecting you! The subsequent trips through the valley become progressively easier as trust increases. How marvellous it is that weak, fearful people can be given such confidence through a simple trust in the ability of their shepherd! 'You are with me' the Psalmist says and that is all that he needs to know.  [10] 

Psalm 23:4 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Two things gave comfort -

The Shepherd's rod: The rod which the Shepherd carried was for protecting the sheep from predators. It was never used on the sheep. (Whew!) Do we not gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd? No robber, predator or enemy ever takes Him by surprise!

The Shepherd's staff:  The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep in the way in which they should go, and, in the case of a wandering nosey sheep, to pull it back into line  [11]  . Again, there is comfort in the fact that God directs us and even discipline from the Lord (pulling us back into line!) can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6)

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Here David pictures God as a gracious host who provides all that he needs... even in times of apparent difficulty. This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. Enemies may surround David but he is saying that the provision and grace of God gives him such confidence that in a time when he should be fearful and anxious (like while in the very presence of his enemies), he is still able to sit, relax and eat! God was the one providing for him, God was the one anointing his head with oil (which was what gracious hosts did for their guests in Israel) so he knew that he would have more than enough!

You are being chased (but don't fret - it's a good thing!)

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life

Wow! That is some revelation! Can you say that about your life?  [12]  You will only be able to say that if you have truly come to know the Lord Jesus as your Shepherd. If you are truly one of His sheep (evidenced by hearing his voice and following His ways) then this verse is your verse as well! He will never, ever, leave you!  [13]  And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at some distance behind. It means to actively pursue, to chase, and normally in a negative sense as when Pharaoh chased Israel at the exodus. David knew all about this. He had been chased and pursued as he ran from his enemies who sought to take his life. But he also knew something else. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. What confidence for this life this should give us as we believe it in faith!

Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after 'the days of my life'. So our great Shepherd protects and provides for His sheep during their life on this earth. But there is a greater provision and far greater blessing still to come. One where ... 'the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' Rev 21:3-4

'Forever' is a long time, but this infinitely creative God will never fail to amaze us. So for now, let us follow our Lord where He would lead. Let us stick close to Him and thank Him for His wonderful grace. He is not just a 'good shepherd'. He is a great shepherd. He is utterly trustworthy. And when the days of this life are over, then we shall enter into that which we can only partly imagine, for

'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.'

Conclusion

Arno C Gaebelin said (with some small modifications): A good way to read this Psalm is by asking the question, 'What shall I not want?' I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm.

I shall not want for:

Rest -- for He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Peace -- for He leads me beside the still waters. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. Guidance -- for He leads me in the paths of righteousness. Companionship -- for you are with me. Comfort -- for your rod and Thy staff comfort me. Provision -- for Thou prepare a table before me. Joy -- You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over. Everything in time -- for goodness and mercy shall follow me. Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.