The Good Shepherd

Summer Psalms - Psalm 23  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Past, Present, and Future The Lord is our Good Shepherd

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Psalm 23:1–6 ESV
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 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.
– Jesus our Great Shepherd!
Introduction - Read together
Amazon, in (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:
Amazon, in (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 ESV
6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
phil
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.
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.
In an answer to these fears I want to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. . Everyone knows this psalm... even non- Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favorite at their funerals. What is to weddings, 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. Technically its a Psalm of Confidence. It is a Psalm of but 6 verses but countless sermons and entire books have been written on it. It is a Psalm that encompasses our life here and even extends into eternity future. So, though 3000 years old it is extremely relevant for our lives today!
Let’s take a look at it verse by verse.
Psalm 23:1 ESV
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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 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 honor 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, and 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!
In fact that is the genre of this Psalm… A Psalm of Confidence! It is a Hymn of Trust in the Lord! 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 The Good Shepherd.
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 in the rest of the Psalm.
Psalm 23:1 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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. 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.
Psalm 23:1 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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?
Psalm 23:1 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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 26 times!
Psalm 23:1–6 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
ps23
Psalm 139:1 ESV
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
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 this Psalm for a funeral!
Psalm 23:1 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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.
In fact for me… the verse in was a confirmation to Pastoral ministry. When I read this I knew the Lord was calling me to Pastor his people.
Matthew 9:36 ESV
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matt9.
Please understand that the image of a shepherd is one we get here from scripture, and it is a beautiful picture our relationship to our Lord. However, in the church Elders and Pastors are called to a ministry that is shepherding God’s people as under-shepherds to the Good Shepherd our Lord Jesus Christ!
So while there is great meaning here for every Believer, there seems to be an added weight for those who would desire to help Shepherd God’s people.
And while We know Jesus is our Good Shepherd, we must understand that we are his Sheep.
How would you describe sheep? What is characteristic of them? I asked a Farmer and he said - Sheep are dumb, dirty, defenseless and dependent.
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.”
And let’s not forget they are prone to wander. 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 and, being basically defenseless, they are timid and fearful.
There you have it. That’s the animal God choose which best represents you and I! They are in need of a good shepherd who will provide, protect, and guide his sheep.
While we are talking about Shepherds we need to make sure that we have a Middle Eastern understanding of the Shepherd.
In New Zealand they have more sheep than people! But the shepherds there use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. Basically fear tactics.
The Middle Eastern shepherds in Israel didn’t drive their sheep... their sheep followed them. There was no fear involved. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. Because of this, when the shepherd started heading off on another journey the sheep followed wherever he went!
We need to remind ourselves of this all the time. God is the one who looks after our lives.
In the end, in whatever it is that places you in fear or unease, you have to come back to this very thought we are speaking of here – ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ – He is in control of all things. Nothing is outside of His control.
Psalm 23:1 ESV
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
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.
Do you have this same confidence that David had? Everyone loves this Psalm. But do we believe it? Do we believe that our Good Shepherd will provide everything he knows we need so that we will be in want?!
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 our Good Shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. Everything will be ok. He is in control.
Look Where and How He leads...
Please take special note of Where our Good Shepherd leads and How he leads. Think of a Shepherd leading his sheep. Think of David feeling like a sheep that God was leading. Then think of you own life as you have to know the Lord and see how he is leading you. See the picture scripture gives us, think about the original audience, and then think about your own life.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul.
Psalm 23:2–3 ESV
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Psalm 23:2 ESV
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
In New Zealand all of their farms and fields seem to be ‘green pastures’ and the sheep tend to munch all day! So life there for their 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 mind-set. 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. If you Follow him, he will make you and will lead you.
We often try to work things out in our 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.
He makes me... He leads me
But we need to learn to lie down, to Submit to the Shepherd.
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.
He makes me... He leads me WHERE???
Lie down in green pastures... Still waters – But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and still waters. They are times, as the Psalm says, when He restores your soul spiritually. The next verse where it says restores your soul, that language in Hebrew means to revive your heart, in Greek it is to make you take a deep breath. Restore your soul...
12 For though by this time you ought to be
They are quiet waters... times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can feed in security and are restored. Thank God for such times!
teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic
principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid
food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of
Psalm 23:3 ESV
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the
mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained
by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
He restores my Soul, He Leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
2 things here… First, Paths of righteousness means he is showing us the way of Salvation. We are dressed in Christs Righteousness alone, not our own. He, the Good Shepherd is Leading us through life in a path that is standing in him and his righteousness.
Secondly, think about how The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or ‘right’ paths. The right direction in our lives, no matter whether we think they are or not, he knows they are. We must trust that 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. Think of King David’s life… He certainly didn’t always have it easy.
As you survey your life, what path has God led and guided you through? Was it where you thought you would go? I never thought I would be living in the Pacific Northwest!
But he leads us in paths of Righteousness for HIS NAMES SAKE! Not ours.
We are being lead in His Righteousness for his names sake, so God will be Glorified by us as we follow where he leads.
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 Romans –
Rom8
Romans 8:29 ESV
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order 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. These are the paths we should desire and actively seek. David wrote about this in
Psalm 25:4–5 ESV
4 Make me to 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 long.
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 long.
May God be Glorified in our lives as we Follow where he leads and serve him right where we. We must trust that our Souls will be restored as he Leads us.
But what about when things get dark...
Psalm 23:4 ESV
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 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 favorite place for predators to hide in.
Sounds like a nice place to be for a defenseless 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...’ That would’ve made more sense for many of us.
This verse Gives us Hope that even in Death we will not have to FEAR. So for those that death may seem imminent and close, you have nothing to fear!
This verse also 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. You must keep trusting your Good Shepherd knows where you are going and is able to protect you.
The dark valley of the shadow of death is 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!
I will fear no evil, for you are with me
Psalm 23:4 ESV
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.
There is a switch here from ‘He’ to ‘You’. He leads me, He restores me to… I will not fear because YOU are with ME!
Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. It becomes more personal in this valley!
The Beauty of Jesus in our life is that through the presence of the Holy Spirit 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 realize He is with you – rain, snow or 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, he is leading you out, and is still protecting you!
The subsequent trips through the valley become progressively easier as trust increases. How marvelous 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.
We have another source of confidence in our shepherd Jesus that even David didn’t have when he wrote this psalm 3000 years ago. This psalm is taken completely from the sheep’s (David) point of view, as he talks about his shepherd. But we have the testimony from the Shepherd also... how he loved the sheep and would never let them go!
John 10:27–30 ESV
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 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. 30 I and the Father are one.”
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30 I and the is greater than all, and no Father are one.”
He will not, and cannot forsake you if you are one of His sheep! This gives us amazing confidence when we need it most. This gives us Confidence in life and death!
Psalm 23:4 ESV
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.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
WE HAVE SEEN WHERE HE LEADS AND NOW WE SEE HOW HE LEADS!!!
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. (Thank God!) 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! No matter where he leading us we are safe with him. He is able to keep true harm away from his Sheep.
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.
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.
Think about how the Lord beat all of David enemies and he even used circumstances in his life to bring him back to where he needed to be!
Think about your own life? Can you say the same about the Lord in your life?
No matter what we will face, our Shepherd will beat our enemies and keep us coming back onto His path for our life!
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 ...
Hebrews 12:6 ESV
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Do you find Comfort in that today? Do you need to kn ow that the Good shepherd is watching and protecting you?
How about his under-shepherds? They, we, must protect the flock with a Rod and a loving Staff that pulls people back on his path. Through accountability and even Church discipline we model the love and care that our good shepherd shows us.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Take comfort in know that God does this and he also gives gifts to the church who can physically do the same under his leadership!
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psalm 23:5 ESV
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.
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, so he knew that he would have more than enough! God is the giver of true Joy that overtakes us even in the presence of our enemies.
What a gracious Host who cares for his own!
You are being chased (but don’t worry – it’s a good thing!)
Psalm 23:6 ESV
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.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
Wow! That is some revelation! Can you say that about your life? If things are tough, remember this verse. Believe with the same confidence David had. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about!
Wow! That is some revelation! Can you say that about your life? If things are tough, remember this verse. Believe with the same confidence David had. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will, and he was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so he knew what he was talking about!
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! Notice it says ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE!!!
Boy it used to annoy me how church leaders and other Christians would create such confusion concerning this! When things were hard for Joe Christian you would hear the pastor encourage him saying ‘Jesus will never leave or forsake you – take heart!’ A great promise indeed! Then from the pulpit you would hear the same person say that if you didn’t do this, this, and this you could lose your salvation or the Holy Spirit would leave you etc. And I used to always think ‘Well! Why the double standard of confusing messages? Which is it? Will He never leave me or will something I do cause Him to leave?’ Be assured! If you are truly saved He will never leave you all the days of your life!
And His Goodness and Mercy 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 by 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 ESV
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.
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after ‘all the days of my life’. So our great Shepherd protects and provides for His sheep during their life on this earth.
The eternal nature of the sheep shepherd relationship is one that has enriched my understanding of God.
listen to this Quote from Timothy Witmer...
“One important distinction between the metaphor of God as our father and God as our shepherd is this: Children grow up and become less dependent on their earthly fathers, though the relationship continues. Sheep on the other hand, are always completely dependent on their shepherd. they never outgrow their need for the Shepherd to care for them, feed them, lead them, and protect them. The Shepherd cares for new born lambs and is still there when the sheep grow old and weak. Therefore, the imagery of the shepherd-sheep captures the comprehensive Sovereignty of the shepherd over the sheep and the need of the sheep to yield completely to his care.”
And as great as that provision is, there is more… not so much in quality but quantity of his care...
There is a greater provision and far greater blessing still to come.
One where this happens...
rev21.3-4
Revelation 21:3–4 ESV
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
‘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.”
Arno C Gaebelin said this: 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 your staff comfort me.
Provision -- for you 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.
Let’s pray!
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