It helped him even in the valley of the shadow of death to know that God guided him, even through correction. WebPSALM 23:1-4. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil. When, after one sin, David's heart smote him, and, after another, Nathan was sent to tell him, Thou art the man, God restored his soul. Regardless of destitution, famine, storms, and other uncertainties, Gods flock is well-provided for in all seasons. But we have the testimony from the Shepherd also how he loved the sheep and would never let them go! (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. In Psalm 22 He gives His life for the sheep; in Psalm 23 He gives His love to the sheep; in Psalm 24 He gives us light when He shall appear. But, God as our shepherd provides peace that transcends all understanding. Notably, David recognized that under the shepherds leading, he may walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You anoint my head with oil; The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. Right paths lead to life rather than death (see Matthew 7:13-14). I. It is the valley of the shadow, deep indeed, and dark, and dirty; but the valleys are fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. When faced with destitution, famine, pressures, financial difficulty, and depression, its hard to remain calm and tranquil. [7] This was brought home to me this week in an email from a Kenyan Pastor. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Please read and believe! Not to raging waves of strife, but to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. When explaining why he was restoring Israel, God said, I dont do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!' Psalms 110:1-7 : The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool ( Psalms 110:1 ). They counsel, Seek Yahweh while he may be found (55:6). Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. The way of duty is the truly pleasant way. But, even in the supposition of the distress, there are four words which lessen the terror:It is death indeed that is before us; but, [1.] But he also knew, through many highs and lows, throughout his life, that he too was but a sheep with a far greater Shepherd. Obviously it means that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not lack that which He knows we need. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about! Thats why Psalm 23 is crucially relevant even today. The instruments used by the shepherd comforted David. 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. He had known feast. If God be as a shepherd to us, we must be as sheep, inoffensive, meek, and quiet, silent before the shearers, nay, and before the butcher too, useful and sociable; we must know the shepherd's voice, and follow him. It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation. Mercy is the covenant-word rendered steadfast love elsewhere. All rights reserved. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. I started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. The psalmist here claims relation to God, as his shepherd, ver 1. 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! To be invited to a persons table was an honor. With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). The shepherd recognizes when the sheep require green pastures and when they require still waters. This magazine often included an exposition of a psalm, and in the 1866 publication Spurgeon featured Psalm 23. he leads me to waters where I can rest: this was the best water. He leads me beside still waters. The little child out at sea in the storm is not frightened like all the other passengers on board the vessel, it sleeps in its mothers bosom; it is enough for it that its mother is with it; and it should be enough for the believer to know that Christ is with him Thy rod and thy staff, by which you govern and rule your flock, the ensigns of your sovereignty and of your gracious carethey comfort me. God will authorize him to apply What are these green pastures but the Scriptures of truthalways fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? David wrote Psalm 23 based on his experiences with God. Lets look at the meaning and significance of each verse written in Psalm 23. Many of David's psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God's great goodness and dependence upon him. [1.] Another such honor would be an invitation for dinner at the White Housepreferably dinner with the President and a small group of his key people although a large state dinner would also be interesting. Once he sent his men a begging for him to Nabal, and another time went himself a begging to Ahimelech; and yet, when he considers that God is his shepherd, he can boldly say, I shall not want. Proud member The word Psalms alludes to a MON 10/20/2014. It makes sense. WebIs an okay to good Bible commentary but sometimes John MacArthur explains some things which seems to be that he has never studied the topic of the verse and We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. This unspeakably delightful verse has been sung on many a dying bed, and has helped to make the dark valley bright times out of mind. Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' WebJohn Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (born June 19, 1939) is an American Protestant pastor and author known for his internationally syndicated Christian teaching radio and television program Grace to You. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. It is what the Apostle Paul knew when he wrote: Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. iii. It is to live with Him. (Kidner), ii. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. And I used to always think 'Well! Or a psalm concerning the Messiah that has its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. That was his role growing up. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. Gods presence removed the fear in David and comforted him. Do this in remembrance of me. Paul affirms the importance of this table ministry when he says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:24, 26). Its evident in this verse how David recognizes Gods lordship over his life. 14a (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreters Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. One of the Psalms quoted in all four Gospels is Psalm 118:26(a), which says, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! (Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; John 12:13). Then we serve a good Master. It is a treasure chest filled with spiritual truths that encourage many. Will He never leave me or will something I do cause Him to leave?' It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the authors heart and trust in God. The sheep would experience excruciating pain that they would bash their heads against trees and rocks for relief. God is holy, and takes his holy name seriously: Since God is holy, we as Gods people need to insure that we do not tarnish his name by our wrongful words or actions. While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord for ever. (Spurgeon), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. And one day He will come in the clouds and troubles of this world will be over. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. 'Blessed be the day on which that Psalm was born! But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him. When the sheep are hungry or are anxious about food, they cant lie down peacefully. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. The certainty of it: Surely it shall. It was never used on the sheep. The Shepherd's rod: The rod which the Shepherd carried was for protecting the sheep from predators. Here is. It is by a constancy of the means of grace that the soul is fed. These valleys were often dark because of the shadow caused by the cliffs, and they were a favourite place for predators to hide in. WebPREVIOUS John 20:22 NEXT John 20:24. Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. David could say God is my shepherd because of his personal experience. You are mine. There you have it. She is a lady that is unfortunately into the New Age and has spirit guides etc She doesn't agree with what I believe nor do I agree with her beliefs. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. But he would then carry that lamb while its leg mended and apparently, once healed, that lamb would never wander off from the shepherd again. The shepherd would use his staff to guide sheep and to pull them back from dangerous places. (5.) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; Notice the following -. Thankfully I didn't go far down that track but it can plant this little seed of fear in your mind if you let it. I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. This sentence may be read, only goodness and mercy, for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. It works. (2.) He is no longer speaking about God, but is instead speaking to God. 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. A lot of people are suffering mentally, emotionally, and financially. Death is a king of terrors, but not to the sheep of Christ; they tremble at it no more than sheep do that are appointed for the slaughter. To eat at the Kings table in the presence of your enemies would show your enemies that the king holds you in high regard, and would demonstrate their powerlessness to hurt you. c. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over: Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his hosts goodness. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. If Providence do not bestow upon us thus plentifully for our natural life, it is our own fault if it be not made up to us in spiritual blessings. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. The sense of this verse then is that, because God is loving and kind, his people can expect God to provide blessings throughout life. He got us to say the sentence emphasizing each word. All this, and heaven too! Excellent for: Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Psalm 23 mainly illustrates God as a caring shepherd. Here are three points: 1. [5] We need to make sure that we have a Middle Eastern understanding of the Shepherd. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. In extreme cases where a lamb continually wandered off and wouldn't stick with the pack (causing the Shepherd to repeatedly have to go and bring the lamb back) the Shepherd would sometimes break the lamb's leg! That he was not stinted, was not straitened, but had abundance: "My cup runs over, enough for myself and my friends too." WebThe MacArthur Bible Studies provide intriguing examinations of the whole of Scripture. Everyone knows this psalm even non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favourite at their funerals. If David penned this psalm before his coming to the crown, though destined to it, he had as much reason to fear wanting as any man. The mercy here comes from the Hebrew word Hesed which depicts Gods covenant faithfulness. In the presence of my enemies: This is a striking phrase. "Depth and strength underlie the simplicity of this psalm. One of the Psalms quoted in all four Gospels is Psalm 118:26(a), which says, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! (Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 13:35; John 12:13). 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. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. The shepherd is also a guide who leads the flock on the right path. The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection. (1.) I will fear no evil. (2.) Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. He remembered what need they had of a shepherd, and what a kindness it was to them to have one that was skilful and faithful; he once ventured his life to rescue a lamb. Will authorize him to leave? knows this psalm peace that transcends all understanding to... Us to say the sentence emphasizing each word the flock on the right path they require still waters are necessary! Its evident in this verse how David recognizes Gods lordship over his life is no speaking... Suggests the personal connection a thing as animal school, they cant lie down.. God Himself ( Spurgeon ), VanGemeren, Willem a be unmingled mercy in our history ( )! 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