1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 In Psalm 23 this morning, if you have a copy of God's word, 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,640 whether in print or on your phone or whatever, 3 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:11,920 I encourage you to open it this morning. 4 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,640 The words will be on the screen as well. 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,480 Before we read from God's holy and inerrant word, 6 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,320 let's pray. 7 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,560 Father, we come to your word this morning 8 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,560 in order to see the truth. 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,180 We ask that you would provide for us through your word, 10 00:00:27,180 --> 00:00:29,440 that you would guide us by your spirit 11 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,600 and that you would give us a rich hope. 12 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,920 Sanctify us in truth for your word is truth. 13 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,300 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart 14 00:00:38,300 --> 00:00:40,000 be acceptable in your sight. 15 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,020 Oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. 16 00:00:42,020 --> 00:00:44,960 We pray this in the name of your son Jesus Christ, amen. 17 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:49,200 Psalm 23, a very memorable Psalm. 18 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,640 I imagine some of you haven't memorized. 19 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:52,700 Let's read together. 20 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,560 A Psalm of David. 21 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,600 The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. 22 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:00,760 He makes me lay down in green pastures. 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,580 He leaves me beside still waters. 24 00:01:03,580 --> 00:01:05,800 He restores my soul. 25 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,500 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. 26 00:01:09,500 --> 00:01:10,880 Even though I walk through the valley 27 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,400 of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. 28 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,240 For you are with me, your rod and your staff. 29 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:17,960 They comfort me. 30 00:01:17,960 --> 00:01:21,120 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 31 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,800 You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. 32 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:26,840 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 33 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:28,560 all the days of my life. 34 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,640 And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 35 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,140 This is the word of the Lord. 36 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,440 I have a variety of hobbies. 37 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,640 I enjoy hiking. 38 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,480 I enjoy writing letters. 39 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,560 One of my favorite things to do is seal my letters 40 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,320 with a wax stamp. 41 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:50,000 It takes time, but I find it just gives that personal touch. 42 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,360 I even enjoy playing the obscure card game P-Nucle. 43 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,280 But one of my more interesting hobbies 44 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,560 is making hand carved walking sticks. 45 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,480 Now a good walking stick can really aid a hiker 46 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,640 when you're walking on a path. 47 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,800 Just by leaning a little on a stick or a staff, 48 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,080 you take pressure off your knees and your joints 49 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:12,920 and it gives you more stamina on a hike. 50 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:15,920 A sturdy walking stick brings comfort. 51 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:18,120 One of my favorite kinds of woods to work with 52 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,000 is an invasive plant called buckthorn. 53 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:22,720 Now buckthorn is pretty nasty. 54 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:24,940 A small sprout can give off plenty of seeds 55 00:02:24,940 --> 00:02:28,160 to make a whole forest of buckthorn pretty quickly. 56 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:31,920 And if unchecked, it can grow as tall as 20 feet 57 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:33,760 and have a trunk as thick as a foot 58 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,440 all while having inch long thorns. 59 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:38,920 Just so happens that buckthorn 60 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:40,900 makes some of the best walking sticks 61 00:02:40,900 --> 00:02:44,120 because when the wood is dried, it's strong. 62 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,040 Once the dark, dangerous, rough bark is peeled away, 63 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:52,560 all that's left is a brilliant white smooth stick. 64 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,160 Something that was invasive, harmful, rough, 65 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,000 has become something beautiful, brilliant, and smooth. 66 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,880 What was seen as dangerous now brings stability and comfort. 67 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:07,160 In this psalm, we can see David writing about the comfort 68 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:10,240 and stability that is found in the presence of the Lord. 69 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,640 David was a shepherd, tending to the sheep 70 00:03:12,640 --> 00:03:14,280 most of his early life. 71 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,900 He led the sheep from areas where they could eat, 72 00:03:16,900 --> 00:03:20,200 areas where they could drink, and areas where they could rest. 73 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,800 And as David does the work 74 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,400 that God has put before him, he applies his work 75 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,880 to the work of the Almighty God, the one who created David, 76 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,680 the one who sustains David. 77 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:33,440 The theme of Psalm 23 would be this, 78 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:36,480 the presence of the Lord carries us through this life 79 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:38,080 and into the next. 80 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,120 And then I want us to see three things in Psalm 23. 81 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:45,960 First, provision, guidance, and hope, right? 82 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,760 God gives provision, God gives guidance, 83 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,560 and God gives hope. 84 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,600 First, let's look at provision. 85 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,920 Let's look at verses one and two. 86 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,240 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 87 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,080 He makes me lie down in green pastures. 88 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,040 He leads me beside still waters. 89 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,480 Now, like I said, Psalm 23 is a pretty memorable psalm. 90 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:08,480 I imagine some of you have memorized it. 91 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:11,680 We can read this psalm when we're in need of rest, 92 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:13,920 when we're in need of calming down, 93 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,780 or when all things seem hopeless. 94 00:04:16,780 --> 00:04:18,120 Oftentimes when we're stressed, 95 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,120 it's because we don't have something we need, right? 96 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,880 Whether it's more food, sustenance, right? 97 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,520 Drink, whether it's rest, 98 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,520 whether maybe it's just a moment of quietness, 99 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,120 because everything around us seems chaotic. 100 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,760 I think we need to remember that our Lord is with us 101 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,280 in that we should take our burdens to Him, right? 102 00:04:38,280 --> 00:04:41,400 We should cast our cares on Christ. 103 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,160 But in order to understand first 104 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,240 what's happening in Psalm 23, 105 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,560 I want us to look briefly at the original language, 106 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:49,400 the Hebrew, right? 107 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,440 I'm not gonna read it in Hebrew for you, 108 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:52,280 but I'm gonna tell you, 109 00:04:52,280 --> 00:04:53,440 the first thing we wanna look at 110 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:55,880 is this theme of not wanting, right? 111 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:59,360 The word here in the Hebrew is not necessarily want. 112 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:04,360 It can also mean lack, as in I will not lack, right? 113 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:05,800 Well, not wanting and not lacking, 114 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:07,920 they're kind of the same thing. 115 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,920 We see a different picture painted for us by the Hebrew word. 116 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,520 Right, when I was a child, 117 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,320 wanted shiny things, cool things, right? 118 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,120 Toys, some of us still like those things, 119 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,120 and that's okay. 120 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,800 But the word want insinuates something we desire, right? 121 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:28,320 Now as an adult, I want a house that sits on 10 acres, right? 122 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:32,400 Is it, do I need a house that sits on 10 acres? 123 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:33,400 No. 124 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,960 Is it wrong to desire a house that sits on 10 acres? 125 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:37,440 Also no, right? 126 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:42,440 But when we change the word from want or desire to lack, 127 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,440 we have a different understanding, right? 128 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,480 David is saying that because the Lord shepherds Him, 129 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,280 He will not lack anything He needs. 130 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:52,920 The sheep that David shepherds do not lack, 131 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,360 because David makes sure they have what they need. 132 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:59,600 The second thing I wanna look at is the word still, 133 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,760 in the phrase, he leads me beside still waters. 134 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,400 Now the Hebrew word here for still actually means to rest. 135 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,880 It's the same word used for a quiet place, 136 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,760 or even the dwelling place of God. 137 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:14,360 Before we jump into what this word is trying to accomplish, 138 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,520 I think it would be helpful if we talked a little bit 139 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:18,720 about sheep. 140 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,680 Now I live next to a farm for a few years 141 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,360 and I still know nothing about sheep. 142 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,440 Imagine most of you don't know anything about sheep either. 143 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,200 The average sheep needs two to three gallons 144 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:31,760 of fresh water per day. 145 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:33,840 It's a lot of water. 146 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:36,280 And a pregnant or nursing sheep needs upwards 147 00:06:36,280 --> 00:06:39,600 of five gallons of water per day. 148 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,560 Now my wife can barely get me to drink a cup of water a day, 149 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,560 unless we're counting coffee as water, which I maintain. 150 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,280 It's water, just because you add something to it 151 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:53,000 doesn't make it not water anymore, but we disagree on that. 152 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,040 Sheep need a lot of water per day. 153 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,640 But the interesting thing about sheep is that 154 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,320 they will almost always avoid running water, 155 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,480 like streams or rivers. 156 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,680 Even though they're thirsty, they will not drink, 157 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,040 because if they were to fall into this running water 158 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:13,720 or this stream, it's almost a death sentence 159 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,200 due to their thick wool coat being waterlogged. 160 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:18,040 They'll drown. 161 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,280 So when the Bible uses the word rest for water, 162 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,280 first and foremost, it's talking about water 163 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:25,720 that's not moving. 164 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,720 Shepherds would even have to go as far as blocking 165 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,880 running water with rocks in order to get their sheep 166 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,160 to drink. 167 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,640 Imagine that, an organism created by God, 168 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,000 refusing to participate in an activity 169 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,080 that is detrimental to its survival. 170 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,080 I think we can see a double meaning here, 171 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:48,960 that not only is the water at rest, 172 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:50,520 but so are the drinkers, 173 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:52,960 for there is no danger while they drink. 174 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,480 As well as having particular drinking habits, 175 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,120 sheep will not lie down if they're hungry. 176 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:01,800 They will not rest if they're hungry, 177 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:03,960 and green pastures aren't always available. 178 00:08:03,960 --> 00:08:05,960 So the shepherd would have to move their flock 179 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:07,920 from place to place to place 180 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:10,960 in order to keep the flock fed. 181 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:12,920 And while David is drawing the reader to the theme 182 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,640 of a shepherd caring for his sheep, 183 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:17,320 he is also contemplating the care 184 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,320 that God has for David, 185 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,420 for God's care is not seasonal. 186 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:24,280 Where the sheep are always in need, 187 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,080 David lacks nothing in the presence of the Lord. 188 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,200 Where the green pastures will eventually run out 189 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:30,080 for the sheep, 190 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:31,840 David doesn't have to leave the presence 191 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:33,880 of the Lord for sustenance. 192 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,480 Where the water must be rested for the sheep to drink. 193 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,120 David rests in the providing presence of the Lord. 194 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:44,720 We can see a clear progression 195 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:47,880 from verses one and two and two, verse three. 196 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:49,960 He restores my soul. 197 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,200 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. 198 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,960 Right, where the sheep are refreshed by the pasture land 199 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:00,440 and the still water and the rest they receive 200 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:02,120 in the presence of the shepherd. 201 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:04,960 David remarks not only the physical provisions 202 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:06,720 given in the presence of the Lord, 203 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,600 but also the spiritual provisions given 204 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:10,480 in the presence of the Lord. 205 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:13,320 Right, just as a cold drink of water in a hot day 206 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:16,380 not only refreshes the body, but also the mind. 207 00:09:16,380 --> 00:09:18,760 Right, it takes you from a feeling of hot 208 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,480 and sweat to coolness and joy. 209 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:28,280 David believes that in the Lord's provision he finds rest. 210 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,840 Not just the rest his body needs, 211 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,920 but the rest his soul needs. 212 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,060 Not only does the Lord refresh the soul, 213 00:09:36,060 --> 00:09:37,960 but the Lord restores the soul. 214 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:39,280 And what do I mean here? 215 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:41,480 The word used here for restore means 216 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,960 to bring back to an original existence. 217 00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:47,640 Now we humans, we love to watch restoration jobs, right? 218 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,980 We love to watch someone take a terrible beat up car 219 00:09:50,980 --> 00:09:52,760 and turn it into something amazing. 220 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,280 Right, we love to watch someone take a rundown house 221 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:56,680 that's gonna collapse on itself 222 00:09:56,680 --> 00:09:59,200 and make it into a magnificent mansion. 223 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:00,800 We love watching restoration jobs. 224 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,440 We see something that looks terrible 225 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,320 become something that looks like new. 226 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,120 Now you may not know it, 227 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,160 but I've been doing restoration jobs most of my life. 228 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:12,040 I know that I'm a pastor now 229 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:13,760 and I'm primarily speaking to people, 230 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:16,520 but I used to work with my hands a lot. 231 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:20,320 Starting as a child, I decided I was gonna restore something 232 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,400 that was very meaningful to me. 233 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:24,640 And I restored a lot of them. 234 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,360 What I'm talking about here is pennies. 235 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,160 As a kid, I love to restore pennies. 236 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:31,280 Now how did I do that? 237 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:32,120 Well let me tell you, 238 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,180 first you take a packet of Taco Bell sauce, 239 00:10:34,180 --> 00:10:36,080 you open it up and you put the penny inside there 240 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:37,880 and you let it sit for 30 minutes. 241 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:39,800 And when you take that penny out, 242 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,120 it'll be shinier than the day it was minted. 243 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:45,160 We put that stuff on things we eat. 244 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,040 Probably should think twice about that. 245 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:49,880 It's good though. 246 00:10:50,980 --> 00:10:55,180 David doesn't point to God giving him a new soul. 247 00:10:55,180 --> 00:10:58,320 David points to God restoring his soul 248 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,480 to the way it was designed to be. 249 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:04,480 David found rest and provision in the nearness of the Lord. 250 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:08,440 How much more then should we find rest and provision 251 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:09,760 in the nearness of the Lord 252 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:13,080 since the Holy Spirit dwells inside us? 253 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,560 You might think it'd be cool to live in the times 254 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:17,680 of King David or even walk the earth 255 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:19,720 when Jesus walked the earth, but I tell you the truth. 256 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,320 It is better that Christ has departed 257 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,400 because the Holy Spirit has come 258 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,440 and now dwells inside his people. 259 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,600 John 16,7 confirms this, nevertheless, 260 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:30,720 I tell you the truth. 261 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:32,440 It is to your advantage that I go away 262 00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:36,120 for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you, 263 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:38,440 but if I go, I will send him to you. 264 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,080 Because of the helper, the Holy Spirit, 265 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:45,040 we are the nearest to God than any before Christ 266 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,080 or during the time of Christ. 267 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,280 Because while those people dwelt with Christ, 268 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,080 God dwells inside us. 269 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:55,920 In the Holy Spirit, 270 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,360 the Holy Spirit provides for us, 271 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,880 cares for us, and restores us. 272 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:06,880 The Lord does all of this because it is in his namesake. 273 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:08,600 In the same way that a father and a mother 274 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:10,400 provide for their child, 275 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,840 God also provides all that his children need. 276 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,560 But more important than food, drink, rest, 277 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:23,440 through Jesus Christ, God provided reconciliation for us. 278 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:25,440 See where the woman at the well 279 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:28,440 asked for still water from the well itself 280 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:29,440 to quench her thirst. 281 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,440 Jesus gave of himself to bring forth living water 282 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,440 that no blockage could quench. 283 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,440 Nothing could stop the flow of the fountain of living water. 284 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:41,440 And it isn't the fountain of living water 285 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:43,440 that we find all the provision we need. 286 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,440 The end of verse three 287 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,440 serves as a great transition point for us 288 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:52,440 into the next part. 289 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:54,440 We'll connect verse three and verse four together, 290 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,440 and we move into our second theme this morning. 291 00:12:56,440 --> 00:12:58,440 We'll see that God gives guidance. 292 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,440 He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. 293 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:05,440 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 294 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,440 I will fear no evil. 295 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:08,440 For you are with me. 296 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,440 Your rod and your staff, they come for me. 297 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,440 David trusts the Lord. 298 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:16,440 This is evident. 299 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:18,440 The sheep trust their shepherd. 300 00:13:18,440 --> 00:13:21,440 And as David is tending the flock, leading the sheep 301 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:24,440 from pasture to pasture and water to water, 302 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,440 the sheep stay near the voice that they know. 303 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,440 This work of David leads him to dwell 304 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:31,440 on his relationship with the Lord. 305 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:33,440 If we look closely at verse four, 306 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:35,440 we see this major transition. 307 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,440 First, in the first part, 308 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,440 David talks about the Lord as his shepherd, 309 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:44,440 and in the next part, he talks to the Lord as his shepherd. 310 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:46,440 You may be thinking to yourself, 311 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,440 didn't you use verse three in the first point, 312 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:50,440 and now you're using verse three in the second point? 313 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:51,440 Yes, I am. 314 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,440 I realized something. 315 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,440 As I was preparing this sermon, I realized something important. 316 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,440 You see, there's this interesting concept here 317 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:00,440 with the valley of the shadow of death. 318 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:02,440 All the times I've read this psalm, 319 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:05,440 I've equated this as some kind of hellish place of temptation 320 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:07,440 or a place where we're under attack 321 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:09,440 or a place where we're scared. 322 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,440 But here's what I realized. 323 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,440 David believed that the Lord was righteous. 324 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,440 And that because of the Lord's great name, 325 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,440 the paths that he leads David on are righteous. 326 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:27,440 Which means the righteous path of the Lord 327 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,440 leads through the valley of the shadow of death. 328 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:32,440 Right? 329 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,440 Sure, the trial or temptation that is there 330 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:36,440 can be hideous and scary, 331 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:40,440 but the fact remains the Lord leads David through the valley. 332 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:44,440 Because of God's great name and his righteous leading, 333 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,440 he leads David into the valley for David's edification, 334 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,440 but mainly for God's glory. 335 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:52,440 Wait a minute, hold on. 336 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,440 You mean to tell me that God actually leads David 337 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,440 into the scary places of trial? 338 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:00,440 Yes. 339 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,440 Yes, he does. 340 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,440 The Lord does this. 341 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,440 And in David's words, he doesn't say anything like, 342 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:09,440 why is this trial too hard? 343 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,440 Or why are you doing this to me? 344 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:13,440 No, what does David say? 345 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:15,440 I will fear no evil. 346 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:16,440 For you are with me. 347 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,440 Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 348 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:21,440 Right? 349 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:22,440 David finds comfort while in the valley 350 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,440 because the Lord is with him. 351 00:15:24,440 --> 00:15:26,440 The Lord's rod brings David comfort 352 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,440 because the rod is a wooden cudgel 353 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,440 or a wooden sword or a bludgeoning tool 354 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,440 to keep the wolves and the enemies away from the sheep. 355 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,440 The shepherd would use that to defend the sheep from attackers. 356 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:41,440 And the Lord's walking stick or shepherd's crook 357 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,440 brings David comfort because David knows 358 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,440 that the Lord will guide him with that stick. 359 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,440 One commentator says that while people of all ages 360 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,440 love and quote this psalm, it's a message for mature Christians 361 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:59,440 who have fought battles and carried burdens. 362 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:05,440 Battles, burdens, doesn't really fit the theme of Psalm 23, does it? 363 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:06,440 It does. 364 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,440 See, from the day the Lord calls us to him, 365 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:15,440 to the day he calls us home, he's working in us day after day after day. 366 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:17,440 I'm going to use a big word here. 367 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,440 This process is called sanctification. 368 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:20,440 Right? 369 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,440 Sanctification is the process by which God refines us 370 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,440 and purifies us from our sin. 371 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,440 Now, you may be unfamiliar with the process 372 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,440 of refining precious metals, and you might be thinking, 373 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,440 well, what do you know about precious metals 374 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:35,440 and refining them, you're a pastor. 375 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:37,440 Let me tell you, it's a pretty cool process. 376 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,440 When they go to find the precious metals in the ground, 377 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,440 they don't come out like bricks like we see in movies, like gold bricks. 378 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:45,440 No. 379 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,440 It comes out in a mass of rock. 380 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,440 What must be done to get the precious metal is super heat the rock. 381 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,440 And as the rock gets hotter and the fire gets hotter, 382 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:59,440 the rock and the other garbage material separates from the metal. 383 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:01,440 The metal rises. 384 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,440 If you don't do this, you won't get to the precious metals. 385 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,440 You cannot get to the gold unless you separate the draws. 386 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:13,440 It's only through trial that draws are separated from the gold. 387 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,440 In order to rid the sin from our souls, 388 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,440 the Lord must separate the gold from the draws. 389 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:23,440 This is done through heat trials. 390 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:27,440 And we hate to imagine a world where we aren't comfortable. 391 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:29,440 I saw the weather forecast this week, 392 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:31,440 and I'm thankful for air conditioning. 393 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,440 It's going to get hot. 394 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,440 We hate to think what would happen if the air went out. 395 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:44,440 We hate to think what would happen if we weren't comfortable. 396 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:47,440 We don't have to ask God to lead us to sustenance, right? 397 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:49,440 We can just go to Aldiquik. 398 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,440 We don't have to ask God to bring us to water to drink. 399 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,440 We can just turn on our faucets. 400 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,440 We often don't turn to the Lord for the things we need 401 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,440 until we're in the valley of the shadow of death, 402 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:05,440 until we're in the places we see as uncomfortable. 403 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,440 Because we don't rely on the Lord until things get hot, 404 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,440 He should have every right to leave us be. 405 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:16,440 Because we only call out to Him when we need Him, 406 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:19,440 He should have every right to leave us by the wayside 407 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:21,440 because we don't actually trust Him. 408 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:26,440 Like a wayward child who only calls when they want money 409 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:29,440 or maybe more applicable like a toddler 410 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,440 that doesn't understand that you're providing every single thing they need 411 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:41,440 but they cannot understand why you will not let them bring four rocks home from the park. 412 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:44,440 My child is only six months. I don't have a toddler yet. 413 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:52,440 But I can imagine the good foil that a child provides for how we relate to our God. 414 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,440 Because of God's good grace and His righteousness, 415 00:18:56,440 --> 00:19:01,440 rather than leave us be, rather than leave us to our faults and our failures, 416 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:03,440 He provides all that we need. 417 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,440 And He gives us comfort in the midst of trials. 418 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:19,440 We can see a parallel in verse 4 of Psalm 23 in Luke 1.78-79 where Zachariah prophesies. 419 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:24,440 Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high 420 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,440 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death 421 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:33,440 to guide our feet into the way of peace. 422 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:39,440 The Lord, despite our failures, despite our setbacks, promises to provide for us 423 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,440 and to guide us, His word to David was that He would guide David. 424 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:48,440 His word through Zachariah is that He will guide His people. 425 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,440 Because of God's great name and His righteous leading, 426 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:58,440 He leads David into the valley for David's edification, but most importantly for God's glory. 427 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:03,440 But here's the good news, the best news. 428 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:09,440 Christ, of His own free will, entered the valley of the shadow of death. 429 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:16,440 When He's there, Christ does not find comfort that comes from the defending rod of the shepherd. 430 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:24,440 Instead, He finds pain and punishment in the rod of the judge. 431 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,440 John 10, 14-15, I am the good shepherd. 432 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,440 I know my own, and my own know me just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, 433 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:37,440 and I lay down my life for the sheep. 434 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:44,440 Christ lays down His life for the sheep. 435 00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:48,440 And because of this, Christ is the one who walks with David. 436 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,440 Christ is the one who leads by example. 437 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:54,440 And when the time was appointed, Christ walked ahead of us into the valley, 438 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:59,440 sparing us from the horror that surely awaited us. 439 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:04,440 Christ does this so that His righteousness might be yours. 440 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:11,440 That when you call upon the name of the Lord, there would be no doubt you will be saved. 441 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:14,440 Praise God. 442 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,440 But that's not it. Brothers and sisters, that's not it. 443 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,440 As you might hear in an infomercial, but wait, there's more. 444 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,440 In verse 5 and 6, we see that God gives hope. 445 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:28,440 First, verse 5, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 446 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:32,440 You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. 447 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:35,440 The Lord through David points us forward. 448 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:38,440 Right? The Lord points us forward to a banquet. 449 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,440 And we can see this imagery clear in Scripture. 450 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:45,440 Right? The Bible never takes the enemy lightly. 451 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:52,440 And therefore, in our text today, right, the enemy wouldn't be celebrated at the banquet. 452 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,440 The enemy is at the banquet because they're forced to be there. 453 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:00,440 Genesis 14, right? Abraham wins the victory. 454 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:06,440 He rescues his family lot, and he brings back all the possessions that were stolen. 455 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:13,440 He brings them. And then Melchizedek comes out and brings out a meal of bread and wine. 456 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:19,440 The king of Sodom, who represents sin, and is there as well as the enemy. 457 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:24,440 He eats and drinks. Abraham eats and drinks. Melchizedek eats and drinks. 458 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:29,440 Right? There are people at this banquet that are drinking and eating with excitement. 459 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:34,440 And some that are begrudgingly partaking. 460 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:42,440 In 2 Kings 6, Elisha leads the blinded army of the Syrians into the city of the people of God. 461 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:47,440 Right? The enemy of the people of God, they're led into the city because they're blinded. 462 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:50,440 And when God gives them back their sight, what do they find? 463 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,440 They're surrounded by the Israelites, and they surrender. 464 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:58,440 And then God gives a meal. Right? The word tells us that God provides the meal, 465 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:02,440 the people of Israel, and the people of Syria eat it together. 466 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:08,440 One group with excitement and victory, and one group in defeat begrudgingly. 467 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:10,440 Why does God do this? 468 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:14,440 Why does David use the imagery of enemies at a banquet or a meal? 469 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:16,440 Right? The enemies are not there because they want to be. 470 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,440 They are there because they have to be. 471 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:23,440 They don't have any choice. 472 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,440 Verse 5 is a message of hope. 473 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:30,440 David feels a sense of hope as he looks forward to what God is going to do. 474 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:35,440 David not only sees many victories in his lifetime, he sees many banquets in his lifetime, 475 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:44,440 but all of these themes throughout our Scripture of banquets of victory are also pointing forward. 476 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:52,440 All of these themes of banquet of victory while the enemy looks on with contempt points us forward. 477 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:56,440 Let's talk about another banquet, Luke 22, 19 through 22. 478 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,440 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave to them saying, 479 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:04,440 this is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. 480 00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:10,440 And likewise, the cup after they had eaten, saying this cup that is poured out for you is a new covenant in my blood. 481 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,440 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table, 482 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:22,440 for the Son of man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed. 483 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:28,440 Jesus, the one through whom the world was created, the one through whom the world is sustained, 484 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:36,440 sits at his last meal. He sits there showing love and compassion, all while the enemy looks on. 485 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:42,440 Where David had confidence in his victory feasts, where Abraham had confidence in his victory feasts, 486 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:51,440 where Elisha had confidence in his victory feasts, Christ had confidence in his victory feasts. 487 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:57,440 Knowing that a dreadful night in the valley was coming, and that he would be subjected to hell, 488 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:03,440 Christ had confidence in his victory feasts. 489 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:09,440 See the good shepherd, he has no hired hand. He does not flee at the first sign of trouble. 490 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:20,440 He cares not on a whim for the sheep, but he covenantally promises to provide God and to give hope to his sheep. 491 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:24,440 Currently with my senior hires, we're going through the book of Proverbs. 492 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:30,440 And as we read through the book of Proverbs, we look to see where we can find Christ. 493 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,440 When we read a chapter of Proverbs, where is Christ in that Proverb? 494 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:39,440 If we don't do that, we are becoming moralists. We should do this with the entire Old Testament. 495 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:45,440 When we read a section of the Old Testament, even in the seemingly wastelands of reading through Leviticus, 496 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:54,440 where do we see Christ? Brothers and sisters, Psalm 23 points us to Christ in the most magnificent way. 497 00:25:54,440 --> 00:26:00,440 In all the ways the shepherd cares for his sheep, Christ did the work to care for you. 498 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:06,440 For Christ knew that while you need green pastures to feed, and you needed the waters to be stilled in order to drink, 499 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:13,440 and that you need places to rest, and you need guidance along the path, Christ knew what you needed most. 500 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:18,440 You needed rescue. And rescue Christ did. 501 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:26,440 And it's because of Christ's magnificent work on the cross and His resurrection that we can read verse 6 with great confidence. 502 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:34,440 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 503 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:37,440 Now if you're reading this in your Bible, there might be some other translations here. 504 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,440 You might see at the bottom of your ESV that instead of mercy, we could see steadfast love. 505 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:48,440 Instead of I shall dwell, you could see I shall return to dwell. The message is the same though. 506 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:52,440 All the attributes of the perfect shepherd are found in Jesus Christ. 507 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:59,440 And because of that work that He did, after our time on this earth is done, after this short life is over, 508 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:04,440 we shall return to dwell with the Lord our God forever. 509 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:11,440 With a perfect and complete soul that is restored to the way it was designed to be. 510 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:15,440 Verse 6 points us forward to a future that is coming. 511 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:19,440 And what is that future? Revelation 19 verse 9. 512 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:24,440 And the angel said to me, write this, blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. 513 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,440 He said to me, these are the true words of God. 514 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:33,440 There will come a time when Jesus Christ shall return. Rather we're alive or not. 515 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:40,440 Jesus, astride a white horse, will arrive and tell the world who He is. 516 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:47,440 And all glory and all honor and all praise be to Christ, the one who will subdue the world and restore the world. 517 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:51,440 And call all His people to a great banquet of victory. 518 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:53,440 Bless you. 519 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:58,440 Now this feast, brothers and sisters, this feast will be different. 520 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:03,440 This feast will not feature enemies begrudgingly partaking. 521 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,440 This feast will not feature enemies looking on with contempt. 522 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:15,440 No, you see at this feast only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will be invited. 523 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:22,440 Those not invited will be put out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 524 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:29,440 The question is, if you're wondering, is my name written in the Lamb's book of life? 525 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:31,440 This is a good question you should ask yourself. 526 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:36,440 If you're asking that question today, if you're here and you're wondering what this is all about, 527 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:41,440 or if you're watching online and you're wondering, am I saved? 528 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,440 Look no further than God's Word. 529 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:50,440 When He says, in order to be saved, you must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 530 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:56,440 Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. 531 00:28:56,440 --> 00:29:03,440 This banquet of victory that is coming will be yours. 532 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:10,440 The work of Christ is magnificent and matchless and stands for all eternity. 533 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:17,440 For those who call upon the name of the Lord, there shall be no doubt you will be saved. 534 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:24,440 Goodness and steadfast love will follow us for all the days of eternity where we will dwell in the new Jerusalem for all eternity. 535 00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:30,440 Celebrating the honor and the glory of the victory of the Lord our God for all eternity. 536 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:36,440 Our Savior, like a shepherd, leads us in the path of righteousness for His namesake. 537 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:38,440 He leads us to provision. 538 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:41,440 He guides us and He protects us. 539 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:48,440 And He gives us hope that we will be guarded until the day we join Him in His kingdom. 540 00:29:48,440 --> 00:30:04,440 Praise be to Christ, forever and ever, amen. Let's pray.