The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He
makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads
me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for
his namesake. Even though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil,
for you are with me, your rod and your staff.
They comfort me. You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my
head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely, goodness
and loving kindness will follow me all the days
of my life, and I will dwell in the house of
the Lord forever. Let's go to the Lord in prayer.
Father, we come to you this Lord's Day. Father,
we thank you that we can gather together and
worship you, and we thank you that we can gather
together and hear from your word. Lord, we ask
at this time that you would bless the ministry
of your word. Lord, we know that if you don't
bless your word, if you don't accompany your
word, if the influence of your spirit is not
present within our hearts and our minds, if He
does not bear witness to the truth of the Scriptures,
then everything that is preached and everything
that is said is useless and vain. So, Lord, we
ask that Your Spirit would bless the ministry
of Your ordained Word to our edification, strengthening,
encouragement, contentment, and courage, Lord.
Father, we ask that you would use your word to
pierce the hearts of unbelieving men, to draw
them to yourself, that the Spirit of God would
give them new life in their souls. Lord, we ask
these things not in any right or authority that
we possess in and of ourselves, but Father, we
ask all of these things on the basis and in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray these
things in his name. Amen. You may be seated.
Today we're going to consider Psalm 23. If you
remember, a couple summers ago I preached through
Psalm 51. And we just hunkered down there for
a bit and studied the psalm. Sought to be faithful
and exposit it and apply it in our lives. So
several months ago I started prepping and thinking
about and feeling led to do Psalm 23. I think
it will be edifying and encouraging and strengthening
for us as a church and us as individuals in the
body. Psalm 23 pictures the Lord as... a great
shepherd of his sheep, his people. It's an individual
psalm of thanksgiving. Some may consider it as
a part of a triplet of psalms, Psalm 22, 23,
and 24. I'm not sure exactly where I lie on that.
But the psalm does encourage comfort, peace,
courage, strength, And security in the knowledge
that God providentially cares and watches over
his people. That he strengthens them. That he
guards them. That he keeps them. That he protects
them. That he blesses them. That he is full of
lavish and abundant favor toward his people.
So we're going to consider... Today, we're going
to consider the reality that God is called a
shepherd. We're going to consider the fact that
God acts as a shepherd toward his people. And
then we're going to consider the fact that the
Lord, who is called a shepherd, is also recognized
as a king in the second half of the psalm. So
we're going to do an overview of the psalm today,
and then we'll pull some applications at the
end. Consider a few other things. And then for
the next several weeks, next couple of months
most likely, we're going to break the psalm down
more precisely and spend time on each theme and
part of the verse and portion of the scripture.
So first this morning, let's consider that God
is called a shepherd. We think about the Bible.
and the word of God, and think about all the
various ways that the scriptures use language
to convey who God is, and how he treats and how
he relates to his people. There's all kinds of
different images that probably come to mind.
One of the most prominent metaphors are... uses
of language in the Bible to describe God and
his relation to his people is that of a shepherd
and sheep. So today, we're going to begin considering
this theme throughout the scriptures. We're going
to consider the reality that David here sees.
Yahweh, his covenant God. As a shepherd to him.
As his shepherd in his life. Who watches over
him, guides him, directs him, protects him, preserves
him, and blesses him in his life. Now, in the
context of ancient Israel, shepherding was a
big thing. Because of the nature of that culture,
their region, the agriculture. So this was something
that the people knew very, very well. They understood
the nature of a shepherd and his sheep. They
understood the unique interactions and the unique
intricacies and the dynamics of that relationship.
They were always around it. It was... It was
something that was close to home for them. They
could understand this language very, very well.
And what about David himself? King David. King
David was what, brothers and sisters? He was
a shepherd before God called him and while God
called him and anointed him to be the future
king of Israel. We can turn to Psalm 78, 70.
And we'll see this. In Psalm 78. Starting in
verse 70. Listen to this. Speaking of King David.
He also chose David his servant and took him
from the sheepfolds. So God. calls David to be
king, and he calls him from the business of shepherding.
From the care of the ewes with the suckling lambs,
he brought him to shepherd Jacob, his people,
and Israel, his inheritance. So he shepherded
them according to the integrity of his heart
and guided them. with his skillful hands. So,
in some ways, David is in a uniquely specific
place where he can write this psalm because he
understands a shepherd and a shepherd's outlook,
what is required of a shepherd, a shepherd's
heart, in a sense. And so we find... That David
was a shepherd. He knew the ins and outs of that
work. He knew the ins and outs of sheep. He knew
the ins and outs of the shepherd's heart. But
we also find in scripture that God himself willingly
takes upon himself the role of shepherd. Or the
title of shepherd. We could look at Ezekiel chapter
34. Starting in verse 11, where the Lord calls
himself a shepherd to his people. For thus says
the Lord God, Behold, I myself will search for
my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd cares
for his herd in the day when he is among his
scattered sheep, so I, speaking of the Lord,
so I will care for my sheep. and will deliver
them from all the places to which they were scattered
on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them
out from the peoples and gather them from the
country and bring them to their own land, and
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel by
the streams and in the inhabited places of the
land. I will feed them in a good pasture, and
their grazing ground will be on the mountain
heights of Israel. There they will lie down on...
Good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture
and mountains of Israel. That's God himself saying,
I am a shepherd to my people. I will watch over
my people. I will shepherd them. They are my
sheep. Nobody else's. I take care of them. That's
God willingly identifying himself. As a shepherd.
Now think about that for a moment brothers and
sisters. Think about the condescending love.
And grace of God. That he would willingly identify
himself. As the one who rounds up those wayward
sheep. Think about the reality of God's condescending
mercy. And his condescending care. to stoop to
the place of a shepherd to watch over his people.
It wasn't the most glorious of tasks that a person
could have in their life. Yet the Lord, in his
grace, in his mercy, in his loving kindness,
willingly chooses to identify himself as a shepherd
to his people. And we find that David's most
likely emulating. And he's learning from Jacob,
his forefather, as well. When at the end of Jacob's
life, he calls God the shepherd of his life all
his days. Because he sees God's providential
hand and God's guidance and his care at work
so clearly throughout his life. So we find that
God is called a shepherd. But consider also,
secondly, that God acts as a shepherd towards
his people. He treats his people as a shepherd.
It would be one thing if a person says, I'm a
shepherd. I will call myself a shepherd. But
they're unwilling to actually treat the people
like a shepherd. It's like a person who would
say, yes, I'll be a pastor. I would love the
name and the title of pastor, but I refuse to
love the people. I refuse to shepherd the people,
to treat them as in accordance with the title
or the rule. We don't find that with God. God
says, yes, I am a shepherd. But then we find
that God treats his people like a shepherd. That
he acts like a shepherd towards them. We see
this in verses 2 -3 and verse 4 of this text.
We find that he provides for his people. Notice
he says, I shall not want. Meaning, God's going
to provide for me. God has provided for me and
God will provide for me. He takes care of my
needs. I'm not going to need anything. I'm not
going to want anything. He recognized that God
provides for him. And how does God provide for
the psalmist, for David? How does God the Great
Shepherd provide for his lowly, needy people?
We find according to the text that he nourishes
his people. He cares for them. Listen to this.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads
me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness. That's
God concerned about the welfare. Of his people.
Their condition. Their well -being. Their safety.
Their peace. Their contentment. We read in Psalm.
19. Just a few chapters before this. Starting
in verses 7 and 8. The law of the Lord. Is perfect.
Restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord.
Is sure. Making wise the simple. The precepts
of the Lord are right. Rejoicing the heart. The
commandments of the Lord. The commandment of
the Lord. Is pure. Enlightening the eyes. It's
not just that he nourishes his people. That he
cares for his people. But God gives His people
rest and He works in their heart to bring healing
and restoration and strength and joy and contentment
and peace and security and safety in their souls
so that they are conscious and aware of it, brothers
and sisters. This is the work of a shepherd.
He nourishes His people. He gives rest to His
people. But we also see that He leads and guides.
His people. In this text. Consider where the
shepherd. Is leading. The sheep to. And what
he's doing. The shepherd. In Psalm 23. Leads
them beside. Quiet waters. Now sheep. Because
of their. Easily frightened nature. They don't
like fast. moving waters. They don't find rest
near rivers. They can't cross rivers because
they're incapable of it. They would die. The
water would drown them. It frightens them. In
that day and age, I found a chuckle of this when
I was studying for this. Do you know what a shepherd
would carry with them? They had various things
that they would have with them. But one of the
things the shepherd carried with him was a flute.
Now why in the world would a shepherd need to
carry a flute for his sheep? To calm their nerves.
And to keep their spirits up. Think about that,
brothers and sisters. That says something about
the nature of the sheep, the neediness of the
sheep, but also It says something about the heart
and the kindness and the care of the shepherd.
He doesn't lead them to waters that frighten
them. He brings them to green pastures where
they can freely roam in safety, where they can
lie down and rest, and he brings them by waters
that don't frighten them, that don't threaten
them. The shepherd cares for his sheep. And God
cares for his people. And we know that because
he treats his people like a shepherd treats his
sheep. He leads them and he guides them. And
David says that he does all of these things for
his name. For his namesake. Because of who he
is. He doesn't so much do it because the sheep
are so pretty, because the sheep are so cute.
He does it because of who he is, because of his
good name, because of his goodness, because of
his character. So in that, brothers and sisters,
there's great encouragement because there is
promise in the reality that God performs the
role and function of a shepherd in the life of
his people. for His good name and not for our
name. Will God mar His name? Will God bring disrepute
upon His name? Absolutely not. There is promise
found in those words. We can gain assurance and
confidence that God will perform His role as
provider, providential caretaker for his people.
As sovereign over their lives. As a sovereign
shepherd in the lives of his people because of
his name. Because of who he is and what he is
like. He provides for his people. So we know
that he treats his people in accordance with
this metaphor and the language that David uses
as a shepherd to sheep. But we also see that
it's not just that he provides for his people.
He guards and keeps his people as well. Look
at verse 4. Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you
are with me. And here it is. You're wrong. and
your staff, they comfort me. The rod and the
staff of the shepherd. Two other items that a
shepherd of that day would carry with him. The
rod was a shorter piece of wood with a large,
almost bulky, round knob on the end. Now, we
can imagine what the rod was used for. When bears
or lions or predators would come at the sheep,
the shepherd sheep, he would take out his rod
and he'd beat them back. He'd take out the rod
and he'd whack them in the head. He'd take out
the rod and he'd strike them hard and he'd run
them off. He would defend the sheep. He'd protect
the sheep. He'd keep the sheep that were his.
But what about his staff? The staff was a longer
stick and most likely had a hook or what would
be called a crook on the end. We probably heard
the shepherd's crook. This wasn't used so much
for protection against outside forces, we could
say. The shepherd's crook or the shepherd's staff
was used more to keep the sheep. in line. If
a sheep started veering to the right and getting
wayward and going this way and say there's a
cliff or there's danger over there, we would
take his shepherd's crook and he'd reach out
with that loop on the end and he'd grab him by
the leg and yank him back. He'd pull him back
in close to the flock. He wouldn't let him get
too far. Or, if he's in the middle of the sheep
and they start getting nervous, maybe thinking
that he's not present and in their midst, he
tapped them lightly. Letting them know that he's
present and that he's with them, that he's in
their midst, that they are close to him and that
he is close to his flock. So the author of Psalm
23, King David, who was a shepherd, he knows,
brothers and sisters, that God is not just with
him in the green pastures of his life. He knows
that God is not just with him by the still waters.
He knows that God is with him in the deep, dark
valleys of his life as well. And he looks to
the rod and the staff, the protection and the
keeping power of his king. of his God, of his
shepherd, to protect him and preserve him in
the midst of this valley of the shadow of darkness,
this trial, this hardship, whatever it might
be in his life. He looks and he finds comfort
in the rod and staff of God. The protection and
preservation and security of the Lord is the
source of great comfort, encouragement, and courage
for the psalmist, for David. Why do I say encourage?
Because, listen, he says, even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death. The
psalmist... Still says he walks through the valley
of the shadow of death. He's not running like
a frightened boy. He's calmly walking through
the darkness. He's calmly and steadily taking
one step after another, even though he doesn't
know what's in front of him, even though he doesn't
know what's around the corner. He's looking to
the rod and staff of the shepherd for his peace,
but also for his courage to walk through the
darkness in his life, whatever it might be. David
had a really balanced view. This is one of the
things I appreciate about the psalm so much.
David had a really, really balanced view of himself
and God's providence and God's care. in his life.
Why do I say that? Well, here's what I mean by
that. David knew that God would provide for him.
He knew that the Lord would care for him, that
he would nourish him, lead him, guide him, and
he knew that the Lord would be with him. But
he had no expectation that he was exempt From
those dark valleys. He had no expectation that
he was exempt from the reality that all men endure
and experience. The valley of the shadow of death.
Trial. Hardship. Suffering. Difficulty. Pain.
Sickness. Loss. Hopelessness. Trial, brothers
and sisters, David knew because he's a man living
in a fallen world that was full of sin. He knew
that he would go through trials in his life.
He knew that he would go through hardships in
his life. But he knew that his God would be with
him in and through those trials. And he found
great, strong encouragement and comfort in that
reality. But he also knew that the shepherd would
bring him through the valley. The shepherd wouldn't
exempt him from these trials either. The shepherd
knew what was best for the sheep. And so David
had a very well -balanced view of himself. and
a very well -balanced view of providence and
God's care in his life. There's an idea oftentimes,
I think, and it's not even associated with the
prosperity gospel and modern Christianity. I
think there's the idea, at times, that people
think, well, I'm going to become a member of
the church. I've been saved. The Lord has given
me a new life. He's regenerated my heart. I love
the Lord. I desire to seek the Lord. God is so
good. God is so faithful. And I think there's
the idea sometimes that because that has taken
place, because God has saved you and brought
you into the flock, that all of a sudden our
problems are going to disappear. The hardships
are going to go away. The trials and the struggles
are going to gradually dissipate in life. But
brothers and sisters, that's not how Christianity
works. The reality is that God saves us in a
fallen world. God rescues us from our sins and
the penalty of our sins as a result of Christ's
work. But listen, brothers and sisters, He does
not deliver us from the presence of sin in this
life. We are still surrounded by sinful men.
We are still surrounded by sinful people. We
are still surrounded by a sinful culture. And
we still have a remnant of sin within us. Christianity
doesn't fix all the problems in the world. Brothers
and sisters, Christianity saves us while we're
in the world. And Christ keeps us in the world.
This is why he prays in John 17 to protect them
from the evil one while they're in the world.
Do we respond to things differently as believers?
Yes. Do we solve a great deal of issues in our
life? Because we've been awakened and our faculties
have been alive and we start being who God made
us to be in life? Yes. But that does not deal
with the presence and reality of sin in our lives
and in our world. David knew this very well.
But he knew that no matter what came his way,
no matter what came at him, God, his great shepherd,
would be with him. And he could find great comfort
in that reality. So God acts like a shepherd
toward his people. Now, we find that the imagery
and the tone of the psalm changes now. When we
get to verse 5, the pictures start to change.
He's been playing off of this image of a shepherd
and sheep, and now we find in verse 5, you prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You have anointed my head with oil. My cup overflows.
This leads us to the third thing. We have to
consider that the Lord, who is a shepherd to
his people, as a king who abundantly blesses
his people as well. So there's still continuity
in the psalm between verses 1 -4 and 5 -6. But
there's also some discontinuity in the text as
well. But we can't tear these two things apart,
and I don't think David wants us to tear these
two things apart. Shepherd? And king who's hosting
his subjects for a banquet. So what do we find
in Psalm 23? We don't just find a shepherd who
cares for his people. But brothers and sisters,
we find a sovereign. A king who blesses his people.
So we have, when we bring those two things together,
the shepherd king of Israel. The one who rules
over his people. as a kind, loving, caring shepherd
in their lives. As a shepherd king, God serves
his people. We see this in verse 5. You prepare
a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
What's he doing? He's hosting his subjects. He's
feasting with his subjects. He's welcoming them
in to his home, to his palace maybe. He's welcoming
them to the table. And he's feeding them food.
He's serving them. And he anoints their head
with oil. He shows favor and honor to them. And
then David says, my cup overflows. Speaking about
the abundant. lavish nature of the king's blessing,
of the king's grace and his mercy that he's bestowed
upon him. Now this is amplified in a sense because
it's juxtaposed and it's taking place in the
presence of enemies. Think about that. David
is saying God favors me. God blesses me. God
is with me. God anoints my head with oil. God
gives me blessing in the presence of enemies
who hate me. It's amplifying the character and
the nature of God's grace and his mercy and the
life of his people. Because, he says, there's
those around him who despise him, who oppose
him, who are enemies to him. As a result of David
considering the Lord's faithful provision, his
leading, his guiding, his direction, his nourishment,
his preservation, his protection, as a result
of these things, we find that David comes to
this point of crescendo in verse 6, where he
says, Surely, Goodness and loving kindness will
follow me all the days of my life. And I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever. What
we find here is that David, as a result of contemplating
and dwelling on the glorious character of God
and how he relates to his people, the abundant
blessing of God upon his people, of being a sheep,
in his flock, what it does is it persuades him,
it convinces him that God's loving kindness and
his goodness will pursue him and will continue
with him all his days. He's been so faithful
to me in the past. He's been with me through
the darkness. He was there when I fought the
giant. He was present with me. He was there when
I was in the caves of Adullam. And the military
warriors served me and brought me water because
I was thirsty. And brothers and sisters, David
is confident and he's persuaded that God was
not just with him in the past, that God was not
just with him in the dark days, but that God
would be with him in the future. That God would
be with him all the days of his life. He's convinced
of it because he's been dwelling on these realities.
He's persuaded of it. Now, there's a progression
in this psalm, if you've noticed that. It starts
out with him saying, I'm not lacking anything.
And it ends with him almost in jubilation where
he says, surely goodness and loving kindness
will follow me all the days of my life. It's
progressing. It's building. Why? Because he's
considering the benefits and the blessings of
being in a covenantal relationship with the living
God who is a covenant -keeping God. He's been
considering who God is and how God treats him,
just as a shepherd treats sheep. So consider
with me, lastly, the presuppositions, the relevance
and the applications of these things. Just a
few things that are really important as we consider
this psalm. There's a few necessary presuppositions
that we have to grasp when we think about this
text. The first is the psalm presupposes. A benevolent,
covenantal relationship between God and his people.
Think about a shepherd and sheep. The shepherd
doesn't do what he does for the sheep because
he hates the sheep. The shepherd doesn't do what
he does for the sheep. He doesn't treat the sheep
as he does because he dislikes the sheep. Because
he doesn't care for the sheep. No, he does it
because... There's benevolence in that relationship.
He cares for them. He loves them. He has their
best interest in mind. And the same is true of
God and his people. God loves his people. God
cares about his people. He has their best interest
in mind. But you have to be in that benevolent
covenant -keeping relationship if you are to
be the benefactor of that relationship. Meaning,
God's not benevolent toward all men, is he? God
doesn't love all men with a saving love. Otherwise
all men would be saved. Is that not correct,
brothers and sisters? An effective saving love?
A particular, benevolent, good, kind, merciful,
saving, effectual love which delivers them from
sin. God does not love all men like that, but
he does love some men like that undeservedly.
So this... begs the question, are you in a benevolent
covenant relationship with God? Because Psalm
23 is only for those in this benevolent relationship.
Or are you one of the enemies spoken of in Psalm
23? One of the threats and the dangers to the
flock of the living God. You see, in John chapter
10, Jesus is called the good shepherd that lays
down his life for the sheep. And if you don't
know the good shepherd by faith and repentance,
and if the good shepherd has not laid his life
down for you, if the good shepherd has not known
your name, if he does not know your name and
call you by name, and you hear his voice and
respond and come to him, then you are not in
a benevolent, loving relationship or a covenantal
relationship in that sense with God. Everybody
is in a covenantal relationship with the living
God. Every single person. But not every single
person is in a benevolent relationship with Him.
God either relates to you in Adam with condemnation
and wrath Or he relates to you through Christ.
In Christ. With Christ as your head. With love.
And mercy. And grace. And benevolence. Psalm
23 is for those in Christ. Psalm 23 benefits
and blesses and edifies and strengthens those
in Christ. Those who are a sheep, and he is their
shepherd, they can say, he is my shepherd. And
he can say that they are my sheep. But this psalm
doesn't just presume or presuppose a benevolent
relationship. It also, if we are to benefit from
it, as believers, it presupposes That we as the
people of God are what? Where do we fall at in
the metaphor? We are the sheep. Now some of you
hear that and you think and you say, I don't
want to be a sheep. I would much rather be a
bear. A big, strong, mighty bear. Some of you
hear that and you say, no, I want to be a roaring,
powerful, bold lion. But, And the analogy that
David uses here, you are a sheep. And you have
to be a sheep. And you must see yourself as a
sheep if you are to be blessed and to benefit
from this psalm. Why? What good does this psalm
do you if you're the shepherd in your own store?
What good does this do you if you're the one
in charge of your own life? What good does this
psalm do, brothers and sisters, for you if you're
not wayward like a sheep? What good does this
psalm do you if you are not weak and frightful
and fearful like a sheep? What good does this
psalm do you, brothers and sisters, if you are
not weak and helpless and needy in need of God
who is your shepherd? You have to think about
yourself rightly if you are to be benefited and
blessed and strengthened and edified and encouraged
and comforted by this psalm. Listen. Recognize
your weakness and give yourself to it. Look at
your inadequacies and say, Lord, I am not in
control of my life. I am not the captain of my
own ship. I don't know what's going to come tomorrow.
But Lord, your rod and your staff. Give in to
the weakness and let it drive you and compel
you to him and his mighty strength. Him and his
mighty power. to sustain you and strengthen you
and preserve you. You must see yourself as a
weak, needy, frightened, wayward sheep with all
those tendencies that you might recognize and
see him rightly as the one with the rod and the
staff and the one who leads and guides, the one
who nourishes. Now, understanding these presuppositions,
we can see how relevant this text is. Because
of the universality of pain, suffering, hardship,
trial, and need in the life of every believer.
Every single one. Do you know why a person Is
saved. Do you know why salvation is by grace.
And not by works of the law. Do you know why
God saves you according to his loving kindness.
And his mercy. And not according to your deeds
and your works. It's because you are incapable
of saving yourself. It must be by grace. It must
be according to his works. The works of Christ
and his righteousness. It must be according to
him. Every single believer can benefit from Psalm
23. Every single one. Because every single believer
will go through times of darkness. And every
single believer will walk through green pastures.
All of them. Now I think that younger believers
will struggle more with Psalm 23. Why? Because
many times younger people haven't walked through
the valley of the shadow of death as those who
have more experience have. They won't necessarily
see the beauty and the grandeur of Psalm 23,
but you will need it, young person. The day will
come when hardship will come upon you. The day
will come when trial is your time. The day will
come when testing is in your life. And you'll
look to Psalm 23 for hope and strength. Now,
there's two simple, straightforward applications
of this text. The first is that the knowledge
of God as our shepherd king keeps us from waywardness
in our life. It keeps us from excesses in our
life. It keeps us from presumptuousness in our
lives. It reminds us where our help comes from.
It reminds us where our comfort comes from. Not
in here. And it keeps us from presumptuousness
in that we provide for ourselves. We care for
ourselves. We take care of ourselves. No, brothers
and sisters, that's the job of the shepherd.
That's the job of our great shepherd king. But
it also, if we... Take this knowledge from Psalm
23. When we meditate on it and we dwell upon
it, when the Spirit of God applies it to our
hearts, just as the psalm has a progression,
this truth can bring us to great comfort, strength,
security, peace, joy, and courage in our lives
as believers.