Psalm 23 We Have a Shepherd

Introduction

Possibly the most famous Psalm, and maybe one of the most famous passages of the Bible, Psalm 23 is packed with truth. It is full of truth about God and about us.

For me personally it has been a very important Psalm throughout my life. From memorising it as a child, through God speaking to me and comforting me with it through my teenage years and beyond, to reading it at my Nan’s funeral, and singing my children to sleep with it when they were babies. This Psalm has comforted and encouraged me, and as we study it together I’m sure it can continue to speak, lead and challenge us.

It is always worth coming back to familiar passages of scripture, looking at them again and pausing to wait on God. He can often speak new things, and reveal fresh insights when we take time to look beyond the familiar.

Personal Question

• Read Psalm 23 slowly and meditatively. What is God saying to you today?

We have a shepherd

This is clear from the start:

“The Lord is my shepherd”

Psalm 23: 1

Clearly we have a shepherd, that much is obvious. What does this mean for us?

First, at the most surface level, it shows that the Lord cares, leads, and provides. The psalm goes on to say those things explicitly in the coming verses.

It speaks of a relationship that is ongoing, and that is happening right now; “The Lord IS MY shepherd”. We see this image of the shepherd elsewhere in scripture, in Isaiah for example:

“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.”

Isaiah 40: 11

Here we see Isaiah prophesying comfort to Israel and using the image of the shepherd.

David, the Psalmist, understood this image perfectly. He knew what it meant to tend and lead sheep. He knew what it meant to be a good shepherd and he is saying that the Lord, that Yahweh, is his shepherd.

This infers two things:

1. We can trust God

2. We are sheep

We will look at the first of these as we continue to read through the Psalm. The second implication, that we are sheep, is worth exploring.

“All sheep have a tendency to congregate close to other members of a flock”

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep)

As sheep it is important that we are in a flock, sheep do not do well on their own. We are meant to live and follow Jesus in community. The main role of sheep is to follow their shepherd. Something we can see from reading John 10.

“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

John 10: 3-5

As the shepherd calls we are to listen and follow, and we are to do it in community.

Jesus is our good shepherd. It is His voice we are listening for, it is Him we are following, as a flock, as a community of believers following Jesus together.

Personal Question

• Are you part of a community of believers? If so, thank God for them. If not, ask God to lead you to one.

• Thank Jesus for his good shepherding throughout your life.

• Spend time now listening to Jesus, waiting to hear His voice.

He protects and provides

Most of us are not shepherds, and not farmers so we can lose some of the power of this picture. The shepherd has a loyalty and devotion to the sheep, a responsibility to provide for them, and protect them. This we see in the next part of the Psalm.

“... I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.”

Psalm 23: 1-3

In ancient times the role of the shepherd was hard work. Living in a dry and dusty land, shepherds would lead their sheep many miles to find pasture. They would then lead them back before nightfall. Each sheep would be counted into the fold, each sheep known and made safe. The shepherd, having counted the sheep into the fold, would lie across the entrance, he would be the gate. In this way the sheep were protected from wild animals and thieves. (The Lion Handbook to the Bible, 1973, p 93)

When we understand this we get a greater sense, not only of what David is saying here in Psalm 23, but of what Jesus was saying in John 10.

“Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.””

John 10: 7

As a shepherd himself David understood this role and its responsibility. The shepherd did not own the sheep, he looked after them for his master. If a sheep were lost the shepherd had to repay the master. David, knowing this, knowing the risks of shepherding, (see 1 Samuel 17: 36-54) was able to call God his good shepherd with full knowledge of what that meant.

In this portion of the Psalm we see something of that laid out for us.

What are the needs of sheep? They need food, water, protection, and to be led. David spells out the provision of God for His sheep. We are not to take verse one of this context; “I shall not be in want” does not mean I can expect everything I want.

Sometimes we can view this word, “want”, like children at Christmas, browsing the toy catalogue and deciding what they want. The context of this verse is about need not desire. It is David saying that when he trusts God he needs nothing more.

Verses 2-3 moves this idea on, it considers practical outworking of the truth of verse 1.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psalm 23: 2-3

Sheep need food and water. In a dry and rocky land this can be hard to come by. Something David knew from experience. Here we see that no matter our context, no matter how dry and rocky our situation may seem, we can trust the Lord to bring us to green pastures and quiet waters.

This leading of God is there for us all if we, like sheep, will listen to His voice and follow Him. As we saw earlier the shepherd would lead the sheep to fresh pasture every day. Each day guiding the flock and ensuring the safety of every sheep. Here David is saying that every day the Lord leads him. This leading is along right paths, it is towards the provision of needs. We can trust God to lead and guide us because He is doing it for His name’s sake. He is, in other words, putting His reputation on the line. Just as the shepherd's reputation is on the line as he tends the flock. If the shepherd led the sheep to a night away from the fold, or to a day without pasture he would struggle to find work. His reputation would be ruined. (Interpreter's Bible Volume 4, 1978, p 126).

In verse 3 David is saying to himself, and to us, we can trust God. God has far more at stake than we do, much like the shepherd has more at stake than the sheep.

In John 10 Jesus picks up on this theme of God as the shepherd. He is stating that He is the good shepherd. Jesus is taking this statement of provision even further. Just as sheep need guiding, feeding, and watering so we, as sinners, need saving.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

John 10: 11

We all need a saviour. We can all know the salvation of Jesus. We can all know that the good shepherd is enough. In every area of life, on every part of the journey, we can trust our Lord, the good shepherd.

Personal Question

• Ask Jesus to lead you to places of peace in times of trouble.

• Commit again to trusting and following our good shepherd.

Trusting when it’s tough

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”

Psalm 23: 4

It can be easy to trust when we are in green pastures and beside still waters. This Psalm calls us to trust even when it is tough.

As we have already seen, the shepherd would lead their flock out each day. Every day there was a journey from the fold, where they slept, to pastures where they could graze. Then they would journey back again before nightfall. Each day that journey could pass through treacherous lands, valleys with wild animals, and rocky places where thieves could be hiding. Protecting the sheep on this journey was the shepherd’s job.

While writing this Psalm David is mindful of his own journey in life. He has known green pastures and still waters, and he has known the dark and dangerous valley. His response is always the same; to trust God and follow Him.

There are some key points in this verse that are worth observing. Points that can help us on our own journey with God.

First of all we “walk through”. This means we can trust God in those dark places, we can trust that He will lead us through them. As Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians, these troubles are only for a moment.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

2 Corinthians 4: 17-18

This passage from Paul also connects back to Psalm 116. That Psalm speaks over and over of God’s rescue in times of trouble. Much like our current verse, Psalm 23: 4, it shows that we can trust God no matter what. It also reminds us that while our present troubles are very real, and may be very hard to endure, they are only for a moment and we can continue to follow where God leads.

On a personal note, I will admit that this is easier said than done. But when I’ve let my gaze shift from my good shepherd and on to the valley and the shadows around me, the troubles only grow worse in appearance. When I fix my eyes on Jesus once more I see the troubles for what they are; shadows that I am passing through with my saviour.

This is the next point from the verse that I think can help us. It is only the “shadow of death”. Death now, thanks to Jesus, has no power and so as His sheep we have nothing to fear. As we follow Jesus through the valley we know He can lead us through, for He has already been through death and come out victorious.

The final part of this verse that I find helpful to consider is the rod and the staff. These are the tools of the ancient shepherd. The staff is used to lead, to rescue, and to gently bring back to the safety of the flock those sheep prone to wandering. At the end of the day the flock would pass under the staff, counted by the shepherd as they entered the fold for the night. Each sheep identified as it passed the shepherd, for the shepherd knew his flock, like our God knows His (Matthew Henry’s Bible Vol 3 p188). Shepherds also carried a rod, or club. This was used to protect the flock. It was a weapon of offence for use against those that would harm the flock. David knows the truth of these, knows the importance and use of the tools.

Our shepherd has, and uses both. We can count on His leading and His protecting, even in the darkest places, even in the valley.

Personal Question

• Do you face difficulties now? Then take time to fix your eyes on Jesus.

• Ask Jesus to lead and protect you.

• Thank Jesus for being the good shepherd.

Our shepherd is our generous host

In verse 5 there is a shift in the picture. No longer is the Psalmist considering just the humble shepherd. Now the image shifts to that of the divine host. It is as though, in these last two verses, the shepherd has led the flock home. To a final place a provision and protection.

When we read these verses and pause to reflect upon them we see great care, abundant provision, and confident protection.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows”

Psalm 23: 5

The table is prepared, meaning it is arranged with care, and laid in order. This meal has not been thrown together as for an unexpected guest. Rather, much care has been taken in its preparation.

“In the presence of my enemies”, this does seem odd, but it does bring us comfort. In the middle of trial and suffering our God has prepared provision for us. God is not frightened or scared by our trouble. He provides for us during that time.

Not only provision but refreshing too. Anointing the head with oil is an ancient custom of the region.

“... is not an image which means much to us, but in the ancient Near East it was a means of refreshment to weary travellers”

(Interpreter's Bible Volume 4, 1978, p 128)

We see this provision and refreshment is brought forth in abundance, “my cup overflows”. The implication is that I have been blessed with so much that my needs are more than met, there is a running over. Our shepherd is a generous host who we can trust and depend upon.

There is a sense in verse 5 of David talking about eternity, a place of permanent provisions, as well as provision here and now. Verse 6 does a similar thing.

“Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”

Psalm 23: 6

Here we read David declaring what it is like as we follow God in the here and now. Some translations have this as “goodness and mercy”, I think both are fine, one translation reads

“Yes, goodness and commitment pursue all the days of my life”

Psalm 23: 6 Bible For Everyone, John Goldingay, 2011, p 537

This translation continues the shepherding theme, God is committed to us, His flock, and He pursues us with goodness. Then, having been led by God, and pursued by His goodness, love, and mercy we come to a place of ultimate assurance,

“I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 23: 6

This is the ultimate statement of belonging and it is a statement we, as believers, can depend upon. We will forever be with our God, members of His household.

Personal Question

• Where do you need to know the refreshing of God?

• Thank God for His goodness and commitment to you, ask Him to make it real again.

• Praise God for His leading and guiding you through life so far, and commit again to following Him.