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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;[a]
3 he restores my soul.[b]
He leads me in right paths[c]
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest
valley,[d] I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
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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[e] goodness and mercy[f] shall
follow me all the days of my life, and I shall
dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life
long.[g]
(NIV)
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Psalm 23 A Psalm of David.
This psalm has been a favourite of God’s people through the ages and with good reason: it expresses simply and clearly as any verse in the bible, the role of God our protector and provider in life. The psalm rests on two figures of speech: The Lord is compared to a shepherd and His believer are His sheep (verses 1-4). The psalm is, thought to have been used, in a religious ritual (chanting for the future of what is to come). And in (Jer. 31:10),
The image our Lord, as shepherd is a frequent one, in both the Old Testament
In Isa. 40:11; He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young. (NIV)
In New Testament (John 10:11-16;). Jesus calls himself the Shepherd that leads his flock. Believers who are like sheep who are dependent on their Shepherd for His provision and protection. But the believer is more than a dependent sheep, he or she are workers for His kingdom. When our life is over, we will be like an honoured guest, where the Lord has prepared a table for him (verse 5).
The Hebrew word for “shepherd” is rohi. One of God’s names is Jehovah-Rohi, meaning “The Lord my shepherd” David recognized that God cared for him the same way that he cared for his sheep (Gen. 48:15; John 10:7-18; 1 Pet. 2:25). We know that the sheep of a good shepherd do not want for anything. The shepherd takes care of their needs. We also know from scripture Matt 25:31-46 that on judgement day the great Shepherd (Jesus), will separate His sheep from the goats.
The Creator of heaven and earth desires intimate involvement with His people, wanting to lead them, not just point the way. Jesus became our substitute for our sin on the cross and gave us His righteousness. He restored our soul not only that but, He actually clothes us with His righteousness. We are set free from sin by our baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (and we become Christian).
Jesus directs us in paths of righteousness that we must follow. Sheep who knows the voice of their Shepherd will follow Him.
The valley of the shadow of death - is not a state, a condition, or an abiding place. The servants who follow Jesus, pass “through” death to get to the other side, where they experience eternal privileges, pleasures and joy. A shepherd used his “rod”, an oak club about two feet long, to defend the sheep against wild beasts. An enemy first must go through the Shepherd before they can reach the sheep. The protection of the sheep is the Shepherd. Death may be all around us, as it is when the wolves come to attack the sheep, but if you stay near the Shepherd, you are safe. There is an end to the valley above, because it says (through the valley). We must walk through a valley, before we can appreciate the mountain top. In general mankind, fears death. The Christian has hope in Jesus to led them through the rough areas and guide them home. Our hope of the resurrection is that Jesus defeated death for us when He rose from the grave.
We are comforted to know that Jesus will never leave us, even in the transition from this life to life eternal. The rod and staff of the shepherd was two-fold. It was used to nudge the stray back into the fold, and it was also used as a weapon to keep the enemy away from the sheep.
Notice the cup is not just full but is overflowing. When we are filled with God, this is what happens, we cannot contain it all. His love overflows.
David looks beyond the pasture into the future and is heartened by the glorious prospect of dwelling “forever” with the Lord.
Does the thought that we could dwell in the house of the Lord forever, be awe-inspiring? that God thinks so much of us. God gives us goodness and mercy and His mercy that endures forever. From this we see, that not only do we receive them when we are saved, but they remain with us forever. One of the greatest promises to all believers is found in the following Scriptures.
John 14:1-3 "Do not let not your heart be troubled: trust in God, trust also in me." "In my
Father's house are many rooms: if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to
prepare a place for you." "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
take you with me that also may be where I am”. (NIV)
What I amazing thought, that before we were born, before our parents or grandparents were born God had made a place for His flock in His home, and when our work on earth is done, He will come and take us home.
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