Psalm 23 Readings

by Ruth Wilkinson

“An hour is coming, and is already here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and Truth.
The Father wants such worshipers.”
~ Jesus

 

To worship “in truth”, we must know who it is we worship.

So who is he?

He is our Sustainer.
The one who provides what we need, who carries us when we’re weak, who comforts us in our dark times.
Who helps us to understand our past, to live well our present and to have faith for our future.

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The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes green pastures,
He makes me lie down in them.

He calms and quiets the waters,
He leads me beside them.

He carves out the right paths
and guides me along them for his name’s sake.

Even when the path goes through the darkest place,

I will 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 your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord

For ever.

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Heavenly Father,

Thank you that you come alongside us, bringing your comfort for our past, your peace in our present, and not only that – but your hope that we will live this life to the full, and come out the other side alive.

Thank you that you, when the dark road is the right road, you never leave us alone, give us strength to keep on going and not only that – but to stand, to walk, to run toward the gates of hell and, no matter what defenses they throw up against us, no matter what attacks – not only to survive, but to overcome.

Thank you that you battle in this world against sin, hunger, fear, enslavement, loneliness, revenge and not only that – but you choose us to do battle in your name.

To walk in your footsteps, to follow your voice and to be your hands and feet, to be bold, be strong, be courageous and to be yours because as long as we are with you, you are with us.

Thank you.

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We’ve looked at Psalm 23 before:

• May, 2013 — Comfort From The Word
• January, 2011 – Psalm 23 Continues to Comfort
• July, 2008 – Phrase by Phrase Response to Ps. 23 at Thinking Out Loud
• August, 2018 — The Psalms as Narrative

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For Psalm 23 in all English translations at Bible Gateway, click this link to get to verse 1, and then change the very last character in the URL in your browser to move to the multiple translations of verse 2, etc.

If He Calls Himself the Shepherd, That Makes Me A Sheep

The Lord is my Shepherd Guess that makes me a sheep. Sheep know their master’s voice and follow it. Do I? I shall not want I have lots of wants. But few actual needs. Some translations say, “I lack nothing.” He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters Notice he has to MAKE me lie down; life is too hectic; too stressful most times He restores my soul Ever felt that you needed a soul restoration? Probably thought more about getting an oil change. He leads me in the path of righteousness And then frequently, my sin nature leads me right OFF the path of righteousness Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me Amen, positionally anyway. Practically: Couldn’t we walk AROUND the shadow of death? Your rod and staff comfort me The signs of your authority over me should make me feel secure You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies In a world of people who neither respect me or believe in You, You have me singled out as Your special guest… You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows …and set apart to do something special; even on days when nothing special is on the agenda Truly, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life Your love pursues me, in good days and bad And I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Our relationship continues beyond this life into the next Paul Wilkinson (the added part, not the original; that belongs to King David)

From the Reformation Study Bible:

This psalm is perhaps the best known example of a psalm of confidence (Introduction: Characteristics and Themes). It is a literary unity, with two governing metaphors expressing God’s care and goodness: the shepherd and the banquet table. The image of God as shepherd is inexhaustibly rich. The shepherd stays with the flock (Is. 40:11; 63:9–12). His sheep are totally dependent upon him for food, water, and protection from wild animals. In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as the shepherd of His people (John 10:11, 14), fulfilling the prophecy that God will come to shepherd His people (Ezek. 34:7–16, 23).

On BibleGatway.com there is also a resource titled The Dictionary of Bible Themes, where we read this outline:

God, as shepherd

The image of God as a shepherd points to his continual direction, guidance and care for his people.

Shepherd as a title for God

Ps 80:1 See also Ge 49:24; Ecc 12:11

God’s people are his flock

Israel is God’s flock Ps 95:7 See also Ps 79:13; Ps 100:3; Jer 50:7; Eze 34:31

The church is God’s flock 1Pe 5:2 See also Lk 12:32; Ac 20:28-29

The tasks undertaken by God the shepherd

The shepherd leads and guides Ps 23:2-3 See also Isa 40:11

The shepherd provides Ps 23:1 See also Ge 48:15; Ps 23:5-6; Hos 4:16; Mic 7:14

The shepherd protects Ps 28:9 See also Ge 49:23-24

The shepherd saves those who are lost or scattered Jer 31:10 See also Ps 119:176; Isa 53:6; Eze 34:11-16; Mt 18:12-14 pp Lk 15:3-7

The shepherd judges Eze 34:17-22 See also Jer 23:1; Zec 10:2-3; Zec 11:16; Mt 25:32-46

God gives shepherds to be leaders over his people

He gives David’s line Eze 34:23 See also 2Sa 5:2 pp 1Ch 11:2; Ps 78:70-72; Eze 34:23-24; Eze 37:24; Mic 5:4; Mt 2:6

He gives individual leaders Isa 44:28; Isa 63:11

He gives faithful leaders Jer 3:15 See also Jer 23:4; 1Pe 5:2-4

Finally, BibleGateway has a small excerpt from the NIV Application Commentary:

That Yahweh is “shepherd” is consistent with claims elsewhere that he is “king,” since ancient Near Eastern monarchs also described themselves as shepherding their people and understood their gods as fulfilling this role as well. As shepherds, such kings understood their responsibility to provide protective order for their people and to administer just and effective laws.

That last part is interesting, because over Christmas, you probably heard sermons about how lowly Shepherd’s were in the larger scheme of things. And yet here we see shepherd = king. Another one of the many mysteries of God and of scripture; how can one be a shepherd and a king? How could one be Lord and be a servant? Yet we find this here in the Psalms spoken of God, and again much more illustrated in the life of Christ.

 

The Shepherd’s King

Today we look at the basics of Psalm 23. The author is Allan Connor, author and retired missionary. This is actually the first three of a number of shorter devotions; we’ll run the balance as Allan makes them available.

David, great King of Israel, had known the rugged life of a common sheep farmer – the hectic, 24 hour-a-day lambing season at the end of winter; the search for good summer pasture on far away fields, bedding down in a make-shift tent; the care of sick and wounded sheep; the never-ending battle with wild animals. He had cared for his sheep. Now, in the 23rd Psalm, he sees his experiences as a metaphor for God’s care.

The Bible Society’s Contemporary English Version of the Psalm provides a fresh translation so I thought it good to include it in full. Read it slowly and refresh your spirit. Take a few minutes to reflect on how these verses apply to your own life over the years.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

You let me rest in fields of green grass.

You lead me to streams of peaceful water,

And you refresh my life.

You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.

I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid.

You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe.

You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.

You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows.

Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life,

And I will live forever in your house, Lord.”

Note the words “shepherd’s rod” in verse 4. The Hebrew text actually mentions two items carried by the shepherd: a club to defend against wild animals and a long pole to guide and control the sheep.

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David writes in Psalm 23 that the Lord leads him “along the right paths.” But look how it’s done – from the front! When the shepherd has brought his sheep out of the sheepfold, “he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice” (John 10:4). No cajoling or beating here; just solid leadership. The sheep follow automatically because they have learned to trust their master.

Think of the meaning for us! The great God, the God who built the universe and everything in it, will go on ahead of us, if we are his sheep. He’ll search out the places and the circumstances so nothing happens by accident. What a tremendous comfort – being in his will! But there is an important caution: The shepherd must have control. Here is a story:

John D. Rockefeller, America’s richest industrialist, owned a large oil refinery in Cleveland, Ohio. Not far away stood a shabby wooden shop where an older man sold peanuts and penny candy. As Rockefeller passed the store day after day, he felt sorry for the vendor. One late afternoon he stopped for a chat.

“My good fellow,” he began, “why don’t you come and work for me. I’ll give you a decent wage, holidays with pay, health benefits and a pension.” “I don’t know,” the man replied. I’ll have to think about it.” Rockefeller’s brow registered his surprise .

“Alright, take your time, then.“ Rockefeller answered.

A couple of week later, the industrialist stopped in again. “So,” he said, expecting a positive answer this time, “what’s the verdict?”

“Well, sir, it’s like this. Your offer is a fine one but I have to turn it down. I’ve decided that I want to run my own business.” Rockefeller knew by the tone that persuasion would fall on deaf ears. He pulled at the brim of his hat and strode briskly to the door. Now compare this:

Jim Elliot, while studying at Wheaton College in 1949, wrote in his journal, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim was killed in 1956 by Huaorani Indians of Ecuador , the very people he had come to share the Gospel with.

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King David tells us, “I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe” (Psalm 23:4). David may well have been thinking of the numerous times his enemies had tried to kill him; yet he wasn’t afraid. He knew how to deal with fear. How does this apply to us?

We don’t have to face such life-threatening situations. But there is a universal fear that can harass us. It crosses all human barriers; no social group, class or country is immune. It is the fear of death.

The CEV translation above uses the words, “valleys as dark as death.” This phrase may also be rendered, “valley of the shadow of death,” as in the King James Version. The fear of death really is more like a shadow – it hangs around. It clings.

So how do we shake this fear? What is the shepherd’s rod that makes us feel safe? We get rid of the fear of death by receiving life – the life that Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, will give us under his own terms.

John 3:16 is one of the best known verses of Scripture. Here it is: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” For years I read this verse thinking only of its application to death and eternal life in heaven. It means that, of course; it is the Shepherd’s rod. But it also means much more.

The apostle Paul says, ”if anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17). I receive this brand-new life the very moment I place my faith in Christ as savior! So it’s like a two-for-one deal! I become a child of God, receive a new nature and at the same time don’t have to wait to become comfortable with death. As I learn to trust Jesus on earth I become comfortable with trusting him about my eternal life in heaven.

~Allan Connor