That is what God desires to work into your life. and flame will not scorch you. But we have the testimony from the Shepherd also how he loved the sheep and would never let them go! Its interesting to note how David used the word shepherd in this psalm instead of a more distant term like a king or a deliverer. This one-volume commentary on the entire Bible from one of America's foremost Bible expositors offers instead a minilibrary of understandable resources designed to convey the Bible's overarching message with historical and theological clarity. These instruments (or instrument) of guidance were a comfort to David. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. We seek more of God and depend on Him further when we encounter problems. [7], 5001 North Oak Trafficway The Kings crown, Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. The concept dates back to the Book of Genesis when Jacob referred to the LORD as the Shepherd and the Rock of Israel (Genesis 49:24). But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. Many people were praying for me. Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Sun Valley, CA 91352 It is a Psalm of life, rest and peace. Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. He had been chased and pursued as he ran from his enemies who sought to take his life. The anointed writer of Psalm 23 was King David. There you have it. It has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. One can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. The Shepherd's rod: The rod which the Shepherd carried was for protecting the sheep from predators. i. We lie on our beds yet carry on the same thoughts inside. a. So for now, let us follow our Lord where He would lead. Sometimes those paths lead straight through the valley of the shadow of death. For I am Yahweh your God, But observe: Thou preparest a table, just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. The epistle to the Hebrews is a study in contrast, between the imperfect and incomplete provisions of the Old Covenant, given under Moses, and the infinitely better provisions of the New Covenant offered by the perfect High-Priest, God's only Son and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Is it a terrible thing that even though God is sovereign and controls the entire universe, we don't want to let go of the reigns! Report an Issue Sermon Correction/Question . What humanity needs now is the restoration of hope and joy. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In these verses, the metaphor changes from God as shepherd to God as host at a special banquet. Though not often recited in its entirety, few are unfamiliar with the famous valley of the shadow of death.. David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. You anoint my head with oil (v. 5b). (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. Maybe this verse should have read 'though I close my eyes and sprint through the valley of the shadow of death' This verse speaks to us of the trying times in our lives where there is darkness, confusion and fear. Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. His anointing set him apart for his unique role as prophet, priest, and king. Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. No, press on knowing that if there are shadows, there must be light around the corner causing them! In verse 1, David expresses his thoughts about God. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check and all was well. Published by Thomas Nelson, 2005. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. God as our shepherd not only leads but restores as well. Grab your Bible and read this Psalm noting down the times 'I, my, me, he, his, you' etc are used. Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do but IS - present tense. Major Prophets To be invited to a persons table was an honor. The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. Not to raging waves of strife, but to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep. Excellent for: personal and family devotions pastoral study preparing Sunday-school lessons using with a small group simply readingeach volume draws you in Below are some of his most touching and eloquent comments on each verse. Poetical Books Historical Books He will sustain and provide for all of His peoples needs. The hosts care and concern doesnt eliminate the presence of my enemies but enables the experience of Gods goodness and bounty even in their midst. Right paths lead to life rather than death (see Matthew 7:13-14). But whether our fears are irrational or based on very real circumstances, our need to remember the Lord is the same. God saved (Israel) for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power known (Psalm 106:8). Anyway, we might have been being a tad naughty but the principle can be quite helpful and this is what I will do with this first verse. - Henry Ward Beecher, [2] J Vernon McGee writes 'to put it succinctly, in Psalm 22 we see the cross, in Psalm 23 the crook (the Shepherd's crook), and in Psalm 24 the crown (the King's crown). You will have much more pressing concerns. in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. [11] I have heard of more extreme cases of discipline amongst Middle Eastern Shepherds. April 17, 2011. 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. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a Nor have I ever heard an audible voice that was clearly God's telling me which decisions to make. It is a valley of the shadow of death, facing what seemed to David as the ultimate defeat and evil. Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself. John is also president and featured teacher with Grace to You. John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher. Pastor John MacArthur | The MacArthur Commentaries Grace to You. The sheep would experience excruciating pain that they would bash their heads against trees and rocks for relief. The shepherds staff was the familiar long rod with a crook on one end. They would travel from oasis to oasis. can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6). In Psalm 23, God has answered this prayer God has led him in paths of righteousness. David found him so, and so have we. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, The Hebrew word tob has a variety of meanings, such as good, moral, profitable, or plentiful. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. Amazon, in the last couple of weeks (Nov 2014) released the most highlighted passages in their most popular books downloaded onto Kindle, their electronic book reader. Ok, I'm being naughty. and I will dwell in Yahwehs (Hebrew: YHWH) house forever (v. 6b). This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. ), The Complete WordStudy Old Testament (Chattanooga; AMG Publishers, 1994), Baker, Warren and Carpenter, Eugene, The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament (Chattanooga: AMG Publishers, 2003), Bromiley, Geoffrey (General Editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised, 4 vols. b. Psalm 22 Part 2 - It is finished, He has done it! There is no fear of biting the bare ground where the grass is long enough for the flock to lie down in it. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes (Ezekiel 36:22-23). I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy between Jesus and His sheep today. . (1 Pet 5:1-4, Acts David could confidently write the second phrase because he experienced the provision and providence of God in his life. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. THE LORD AS SHEPHERD 1 Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. [10]. Historical Books A great promise indeed! He lived in the confident hope that it would continue for the rest of his life. Jesus honors us by inviting us to his table, saying, This is my body that is for you. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. [9] These are the paths we should desire and actively seek. He had known feast. This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or surely is set as a seal upon it. 'What happened exactly to me in the dream?' i. In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be 'green pastures' and the sheep tend to munch all day! Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Sure enough, someone guessed pretty quickly that it would be Psalm 23. His past death for His people Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him His present care and provision for His people Text: Psalm 23 Ministry: Anchored. We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. 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. Wisdom Literature He is that interested in each of His sheep! What a wonderful picture we have of Christ in these three psalms! Nor is he saying that 'the LORD is my Shepherd, I get everything I want'. What great confidence! In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. Play. You may be in a dark place but you must keep walking. The Hebrew word for rod (shaybet) here seems to simply mean a stick with a variety of applications. The New Testament It implies that the Lord is the only thing needed in life and that Gods shepherding care provides all of our necessities. Luke-Acts When things were hard for Joe Christian you would hear the pastor encourage him saying 'Jesus will never leave or forsake you - take heart!' God's Testimony to the Scriptures. Likewise, we also need God to guide us to the right places and opportunities. ), Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. The Old Testament The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.. John and his wife, Patricia, live in Southern California and have four married children: Matt, Marcy, Mark, and Melinda. 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. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after 'the days of my life'. Location. In terms of how it is loved, look at how one old theologian from the 1800's spoke of it. The Gospels The word hesed also has a variety of meanings kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, or love. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point He would tend, protect and care for his sheep. of Scripture. We might say that the shepherds presence did not eliminate the presence of evil, but certainly the fear of evil. On some days, she was on one side of the valley. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. It is great advice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage because people are in desperate need to remember it! Here the second allegory begins. Sheep are easy targets for parasites, lice, and flies. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. [12] You will only be able to say that if you have truly come to know the Lord Jesus as your Shepherd. I need to know you are well.' For them, it truly was the valley of the shadow of death. As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God (Psalm 42:1). Major Prophets In my experience I have never seen a visible manifestation of God going before me at a fork in the road. With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Yea, prosperity not only so intoxicates many, as to carry them . (Kidner). That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). Was it where you thought you would go? It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the authors heart and trust in God. [12] Must admit that I have been dealing with a few trials lately and when I read this verse it kind of caught me by surprise! The word PSALM literally means praise and it features works of various characters the majority of which were written by David. They have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD would shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death. 'Blessed be the day on which that Psalm was born! The psalmist genuinely expressed his understanding and experience with God as his shepherd. It is a necessary method to protect the sheep. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary is now completethirty-three volumes that take you through the whole New Testament, detail by detail, verse by verse. Why is Psalm 23 one of the most well-known Psalms and the favorite biblical passage of many? My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.' Usernames should only contain letters, numbers, dots, dashes, or underscores. You are not your own but were bought with a price! The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. It has comforted the noble host of the poor. It will go singing to your children and my children, and to their children, through all the generations of time; nor will it fold its wings till the last pilgrim is safe, and time ended; and then it shall fly back to the bosom of God, whence it issued, and sound on, mingled with all those sounds of celestial joy which make heaven musical for ever. Minor Prophets He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' i. i. (Whew!) On other days, she was on the other side. Can you say that about your life? Lets look at the meaning and significance of each verse written in Psalm 23. (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. How would you describe sheep? Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. (Spurgeon). What are these still waters but the influences and graces of his blessed Spirit? They are still waters, for the Holy Ghost loves peace, and sounds no trumpet of ostentation in his operations. When applied to Yahweh, hesed is fundamentally the expression of his loyalty and devotion to the solemn promises attached to the covenant. They know that it will be ok. God anoints His people with oil just like how shepherds anoint their sheep with oil. Fortunately, I had insurance that would allow my family to weather the storm financially. The MacArthur Bible Commentary. [4]. Email / username or password was incorrect! 1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of theLordforever. His future return for His people as the King of Glory! 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. The Gospels The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Be assured! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He leads me beside still waters. The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. These valleys were often dark because of the shadow caused by the cliffs, and they were a favourite place for predators to hide in. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters., God as a shepherd knows where to lead His flock to rest. God wasnt just a shepherd to others in a theoretical sense, but He was Davids shepherd. Prophets Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. We need to hear those words as if God intended them for usbecause he did. He is utterly trustworthy. Then from the pulpit you would hear the same person say that if you didn't do this, this, and this you could lose your salvation or the Holy Spirit would leave you etc. Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Pastor John MacArthur. Oh! 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. [6]. The paths that the Shepherd takes us on are the righteous or 'right' paths. It included the most highlighted passage in the Bible which turned out to be this passage: Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. When the end of the Babylonian Exile and Israels salvation was nigh, God told Israel: Dont be afraid, for I have redeemed you. With family of say, a mother, a father, 3 or four children, and only one in the family working and bringing in 3 dollars (a day), it would takes ages before one can afford to buy anything extra, even clothes or even a blanket. Shepherds use the rod and staff to guide the sheep and protect them from potential predators. PSALM 23:1-4. They can't run all that fast, don't have the greatest eye sight apparently and, being basically defenceless, are timid and fearful. God's eternal desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory and light within them. God shines His light into our lives. (5) Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Your partnership makes all we do possible. The anointing of oil to the sheep isnt just a meaningless ritual. 27:1). Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Masters University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. Pentateuch Pastor John MacArthur. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. I think if we could just grasp this first verse alone our hearts could then rest. Title The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. What would you say of a pilgrim commissioned of God to travel up and down the earth singing a strange melody, which, when one heard, caused him to forget whatever sorrow he had? Psalm 107. You prepare a table (Hebrew: sulhan) before me in the presence of my enemies (v. 5a). When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; The sheep may crack their skull just to ease the suffering to get rid of the brain-eating parasites. It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed. He does not say there shall not be any evil; he had got beyond even that high assurance, and knew that Jesus had put all evil away; but I will fear no evil; not even the Evil One himself; I will not dread the last enemy, I will look upon him as a conquered foe, an enemy to be destroyed, For thou art with me. Although God, by his benefits, gently allures us to himself, as it were by a taste of his fatherly sweetness, yet there is nothing into which we more easily fall than into a forgetfulness of him, when we are in the enjoyment of peace and comfort. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: The hosts care brought the goodness and mercy of God to David, and he lived in the faithful expectation of it continuing all the days of his life. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. When God anoints us with His oil, He guards us against the parasites of this world that seek to destroy us. Most importantly, I understood that God is with us in life and in deathand so I can truly say that I was not frightened. And we know the Jesus Himself took upon this title of 'the good Shepherd'. David had had the highs of defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from Saul. The wonder of wonders is that through the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives we can actually go through these times without fear! Near death, the saint still calmly walks he does not need to quicken his pace in alarm or panic. 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! It leads to burn out, break downs and depression. Luke-Acts He had a sidekick with him who spoke on 'I will build my church'. Alex is a family man and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Guidance -- for He leads me in the paths of righteousness. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. b) John MacArthur; MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 5:18 - "Be filled" translates the present passive imperative of "pleroo", and is more literally rendered as "be being kept filled." We are "indwelt" by the Holy Spirit at the moment of justification (professing our faith in Christ). The Hebrew word for staff (mishaynaw) seems to speak of a support in the sense of a walking stick. God is his shepherd and his Goda God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. God longs to bless and prosper His people. And yet through it all he could look back and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. Receive uplifting scriptures, inspiring articles & helpful guides to encourage your faith. David knew the uniqueness and intimacy of this metaphor.
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