Introduction:

The 23^rd Psalm is not a simple poem to understand although it is only six verses long.  Not every commentator interprets in the same way.   There are at least three interpretations. 

(1) The entire poem is about sheep and the shepherd.  This is the interpretation we will follow taken from a book by Haddon W.  Robinson

             (2) Only the first three verses are about sheep.  The last three describe a dinner host and his guest. 

(3) Others see three pictures.  Verses one and two are about a shepherd ans his sheep; verses three and four are about a guide and a traveler; and verses five and six are about a host entertaining a guest.

 Psalm 23 is one of three Psalm arranged together in the Psalter: Psalm 22, Psalm 23 and Psalm 24.  Each Psalm portrays a different work of Christ for His people.  Psalm 22 sketches a prophetic picture of the death of the Savior on the cross.  Psalm 22, therefore deals with the “good shepherd [who] lays down His life for the sheep” that we read about in John 10:11.  Psalm 23, however, deals with the “great shepherd” resurrected for the sheep, described in Hebrews 13:20.  Psalm 24 tell of the chief shepherd who will return to reward those who care for the sheep, as promised in I Peter 5:4.  

 Understanding this poem can be difficult because its imagery is foreign to city folks and because it relates to the habits of a shepherd a thousand years before the birth of Christ.  We cannot appreciate the poem unless we understand that David wrote from the standpoint of a sheep.  We can only experience the benefits of the Psalm if we are willing to admit that we too are sheep.  The same imagery is used many times in the New Testament.  Christ said, “I am the good Shepherd ...”.  The Lord is my Shepherd compares God to a weather beaten shepherd.  Not a hireling, but the owner of the sheep.  We value the 23^rd Psalm because it is personal.  God cares for us just as a good shepherd cares for his flock.  It affirms a profound faith in God - the kind of faith David had.

 First lets look at the psalm as it appeared in the Scottish Psalter of 1650.

                        The Lord’s my Shepherd - I’ll not want;                          My table thou hast furnished

                        He makes me down to lie                                               In the presence of my foes;

                        In pastures green - he leadeth me                                  My head with oil dost anoint,

                        the quiet waters by.                                                        And my cup overflows.

                        My soul He doth restore again,                                       Goodness and mercy all my life

                        And me to walk doth make                                             Shall surely follow me:

                        Within the paths of righteousness,                                   And in God’s house for evermore

                        E’en for His own name’s sake.                                       My dwelling place shall be.

                        Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale,

                        Yet will I fear no ill,

                        For thou art with me, and thy rod,

                        And staff me comfort still.

                                                                                            -1-

 “The Lord is my Shepherd;”

When David sang of Christ as a shepherd, he was praising the living God, present in his daily life and supplied his deepest needs.  God, who inhabits eternity is the One David speaks of as “my shepherd.”  He is the God whom Christians trust as well.  The Christ in whom we trust as a personal savior is the same God by whom and through whom and for whom all things were created.  How can you know that the God of the universe is actually your shepherd?  In John 10:27 Jesus declares; “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

 “I shall not want;”

A sheep is defenseless, dependant, helpless and not very smart; all of the things we do not like to admit about ourselves.  When David wrote -  “I shall not want” - he was implying that he was also helpless and defenseless.  David meant that because the Lord is my  shepherd, I shall never want for anything I really need.  We have a God who hears us, the power of love behind us, the Holy Spirit within us, and all of heaven ahead of us.  We have the shepherd , we have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm.  We have everything we need.

 When we admit that we are like sheep and in need of the shepherd’s guidance and care, then we must trust our life to Him.  When we place every detail of our lives in Christ’s care, then we can say with certainty - as David did - the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures;”

The shepherd knows that sheep need rest.  For sheep to sleep, everything must be just right.  No predators.  No tension in the flock.  No bugs in the air. Hungry sheep will not lie down. Everything must be just right.  So after the sheep have eaten, the shepherd moves among them and with his staff forces them to lie down and rest.  Without a shepherd they cannot rest. 

 Without a shepherd neither can we.  The sheep’s job - our job is to watch the shepherd.  God not only gives us physical rest but he provides rest for our spirit.  Living by faith gives rest to our spirit.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you.” [Isaiah 26:3]

 Green pastures are not natural terrain in Judea.  Any green pasture in Judea is the work of some shepherd.  He has cleared the rough, rocky land.  Stumps have been torn out, and brush has been burned.  Irrigation.  Cultivation.  All the work of a shepherd. 

 Hence when David says; He makes me to lie down in green pastures”, he is saying, “my shepherd makes me lie down in his finished work.  With His sacrifice, Jesus created a pasture for the soul.  He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation.  He pried loose the boulders of sin.  In their place he planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy.  This is not a pasture we have made; nor is it one we deserve.  It is a gift of God.

 “He leads me beside the still waters;”

Sheep have a deathly fear of moving water.  Even in the stifling heat of the day, when the sheep come to a rushing stream, they will not drink.  They know instinctively that should they fall in the water, their coats will become waterlogged and they will drown.  So the shepherd pries loose a few large stones and dams up a quiet place where his sheep may drink in safety.

 Have you ever felt that you were being led into some situation you cannot seem to control? - that you will drown in the flow of life.  If our imagery is correct, the Lord not only leads us beside still waters but also a rushing stream.  He would not lead us to such a place if He did not intend to protect us.  While we may pray - “ All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” - [Romans 8:28] - we may still be afraid.  Then the shepherd works in those situations we fear and makes them a place of spiritual refreshment.

 Note the statement, “He leads me.”  God isn’t behind the sheep goading them on.  He is out in front, bidding “come” He leads us .  God leads us.  God will do the right thing at the right time.  So leave tomorrow’s problems for tomorrow.  We cannot see the future.  God promises a lamp unto our feet, not a crystal ball into the future. [Psalm 119:105] We do not kneed to know what will happen tomorrow.  We only kneed to know he leads us and   “We will find grace to help us when we need it.” [Hebrews 4:16]

                                                                                    -2-

“He restores my soul;”

Sheep continuously wander away and some sheep get lost every day.  When this becomes a habit, the shepherd will break the sheep’s leg.  Then he will put a splint on it and carry the sheep until it is able to limp along on its own.  The sheep will then have learned hid lesson and will stay near the shepherd.

 David sinned and when he realized the Lord was aware of his sin, he repented crying out for mercy and begging God to forgive him. [Psalm 51] But David figuratively walked with a limp the rest of his life.

 When we stray, God seeks us out and brings us back to Himself.  He will do whatever is necessary to restore us.  In the letter to the Hebrews, the writer says; “My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth ..... .”  Repentance, as well as remorse, is required for the Lord to restore us to Him.  David experienced God’s chastening, and as one of God’s flock we will experience it too.  It is the mark of the shepherd’s love and concern for us.

 “He leads me in the paths of righteousness;”

That is, in the right path.  There are many paths the shepherd can follow - some worn by the wind, some worn by the feet of many travelers, some constructed by robbers to confuse the journeyman.  The good shepherd knows the right path to lead the sheep to the next field.  David testifies; “He leads me in the right paths.”  Sheep aren’t smart.  They tend to wander off and get lost.  They are helpless.  They need a shepherd with a “rod and ....... walking stick” to protect them.  They have no sense of direction.  They need someone to lead them “on paths that are right”.So do we.  “We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way.” [Isaiah 53:6]

 We need a shepherd to care for us and to guide us.  And we have one.  One who knows us by name.  When God leads us it is not simply to the right places but to the right kind of life.  What is God’s plan for us?  We are to worship Him, serve Him, and obey Him.  Scripture tells us; “Pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” [I Thessalonians 5:17,18] We are set aside for His purpose.  If we stay close to the shepherd, he will lead us in the right path.

 In Israel, a shepherd would carry a piece of succulent fruit with him, as he walked before the sheep.  The sheep would crowd close to him to get a taste of this tidbit.  The shepherd thus fed them as he led them and led them as he fed them.

 God leads us by feeding us with His word.  As we “read, mark, learn and inwardly digest” the scripture, the Holy Spirit opens His truths to us and shows us the way to go.

 “For His names sake;”

A shepherd is jealous of his good name and values his reputation If a shepherd were to take a flock into the wilderness and lose that flock, he would be disgraced..  We can trust God, the good shepherd, not to lead us astray.  He; “leads us not into temptation;” All the sheep who follow Him, He guides safely home.  Meditating on the names of God reminds us of the character of God.  God is:

            The shepherd who guides

            The Lord who provides

            The voice who brings peace in the storm

            The physician who heals the sick, and

            the banner that guides the soldier.

 “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death;”

In the summer the shepherd leads his flock up into the mountains for better grazing.  However they must go through dangerous ravines.  The valley the psalmist has in mind is a deep ravine, faintly lighted with steep slopes and a narrow floor.  A dangerous place for sheep.  Hidden in the shadows are snakes coiled to strike and wolves ready to pounce on a stray.  Some shepherds choose the security of the barren pasture below.  But the good shepherd doesn’t.  He is prepared.  Staff in hand and rod attached to his belt.  With his staff he will nudge the flock; with his rod he will protect and lead the flock.

 The sheep learned to trust David and David had learned to trust God.  When we come to the deep, shaded valley of life, we are not afraid, because we have the shepherd to protect us.  The sheep have the courage to trust the shepherd, even in the dark valleys.  As Christians we also need courage to trust our shepherd.  If we know he is nearby we simply trust in him and go on grazing.  As Paul wrote to the Philippians; “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  [Philippians 4:6,7]

 What the shepherd does with the flock, our shepherd will do for us.  He will lead us to the high country.  When the pasture is bare down here, God will lead us up there.  Some day our shepherd will take us up to the mountain by way of the valley.  He will guide us to His house through the valley of the shadow of death.  We must trust God.  We must trust not only that He does what is best but that He knows what is ahead.

 “I will fear no evil, for thou art with me;”

David may not have had death in mind when he wrote this phrase.  He was saying that he had the courage to go through life’s experiences because he had a shepherd to lead him.

 Notice the change in pronouns.  In the first three verses David has been talking about the shepherd.  Now he speaks directly to him, - “for thou art with me,” - the psalm has changed from praise to prayer.  As long as he thought about rest and green pastures he talked about the shepherd.  But when he thought about the dark valley of life , and the darkest valley through which he was sure to go, he spoke to God directly.  We may face death, but we are not alone.; we may face unemployment, but we are not alone; we may face the loss of a loved one, but we are not alone; the Lord is with us.  Paul announced it: “He is not far from each one of us.” [Acts 17:27] We are not alone.

 Sorrow and death can make the presence of the Shepherd very real.  He knows the way to death and through death.  Because He is with us , we can be certain that He can do the same for us. 

 In Revelations we read; “And He laid his right hand upon me saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last;: I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.”          [Revelations 1:17,18]

 “Thy rod and thy staff comfort me;”

David describes his relationship to God as that of a sheep to the shepherd.  And he declares that because he is God’s sheep and God is his shepherd, he will not lack for comfort.

 The rod and staff symbolize God’s power. The rod was a wooden club about two feet long with a round head or knot at the end.  Sharp bits of stone and metal were hammered into the head.  A skilled shepherd not only wielded the club to smash the head of the attacker, but he could also hurl the club like a missile.

 The staff or crook was bent on one end.  With this he could restrain the sheep, or hook them in the legs to pull them out of a hole.  It was a universal instrument that could open a thicket or beat down the high grass to drive out snakes.

 The sheep take comfort from the shepherds power.  Like the sheep, God offers us his power and strength.  But while we may be awed - the thought of His power may not be comforting to us.  When we consider the universe God has made, we may be awed but not comforted.  But David’s shepherd and our shepherd is as tender as He is powerful. He cannot use His power outside His love, just as He cannot exercise His Holiness apart from His grace. From the rod and staff of the shepherd we derive comfort.  We can comfort others when we share the comfort God has given us.  Paul writes to the Corinthians; “Blessed be God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” [II Corinthians 1:3,4]

                                                                                     -4-

 “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;”

When a shepherd enters a new field, he inspects it for adders and insects.  He must prepare the Pasture.  Of special concern to the shepherd is the adder, a small brown snake that lives underground. When he finds an adder hole, he uses a bottle of thick oil to pour a circle of oil around the top of every  hole he can find.  Then he anoints the head and nose of each sheep with oil.  When the adders attempt to crawl out of their holes, the oil keeps them from getting out.  The oil on the sheep’s head acts as a repellent for both snakes and insects.  Literally, the sheep graze in the presence of their enemies.

 God sometimes sends us to live in dangerous places.  Jesus told his disciples; “I send you in the midst of wolves.”   [Matthew 10:16]7

 “Thou anointest my head with oil;”

The oil has two other purposes in addition to protecting against vipers.  First it heals wounds.  Second, the oil spread around the sheep’s nose keeps insects such as nose flies from depositing their eggs in the soft membrane of the sheep’s nose.  If that should happen the sheep will beat its head against trees and rocks for relief and may kill itself.  For these reasons the shepherd anoints the sheep.  He covers their heads with an oil-like repellent.  The fragrance keeps the insects at bay and the flock at peace.  Sheep still tend to get hurt.  Most of the wounds the shepherd treats are simply the result of living in a pasture.  Thorns prick, or rocks cut or a sheep rubs too hard against a tree.  Sheep get hurt.  As a result, the shepherd regularly inspects the sheep searching for cuts and abrasions.  He doesn’t want the cut to worsen.  He doesn’t want today’s wound to become tomorrow’s infection.

 Neither does God.  Just like sheep we have wounds, but ours are wounds of the heart.  If we are not careful, these wounds lead to bitterness. And so like sheep we need to be treated. “ He made us, and we belong to him: we are his people, the sheep He tends.  [Psalm 100:3]  God will do for us what the shepherd does for the sheep.  How?  First: go to Him.  You anoint my head with oil.  Second: Assume the right posture - bow to God.  In order to be anointed the sheep must stand still and lower their heads.  Peter urges us to; “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” [I Peter 5:6] The sheep doesn’t understand how the oil works.  All he knows is that something happens in the presence of the shepherd.  And that is all we need to know. [Psalm 25:1,2]

                                                             GO _ BOW _ TRUST

 “My cup runneth over;”

David was not just thinking of a host and his treatment of a guest, although this is a legitimate reading.  David was thinking about how a considerate shepherd treated his sheep.  When the shepherd draws water from a well, he pours the water into stone cups beside the well.  The mark of a good shepherd was to keep the stone cups filled to the brim so each sheep could drink with ease.  Keeping the cups filled might take the shepherd two or more hours, especially if the cistern was very deep.

 God is a great giver.  According to David, our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that God wants to give. He not only gives us abundantly above what we ask; He gives us exceedingly abundantly above our asking.  He not only gives us abundantly, He is abundant in His forgiveness.  That is the glad message of the bible.  As Christians we are forgiven fully, freely, finally forever.  In the words of the hymn, “It is well with my soul:” “My sin, O what bliss of that glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole; is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul.”

 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the day of my life;”

In this final sentence, the Psalmist moves from past experiences to his present and future life with God.  David knew of God’s faithfulness through the years and he had faith in the future.  He believed in a sure God who makes sure promises and provides a sure foundation.

 The Lord is the shepherd that leads the flock; goodness and mercy are the sheep dogs that guard the rear of the flock.  Not goodness alone - not mercy alone; but goodness and mercy all the days of our lives.  The Hebrew word for mercy is sometimes translated, “loving kindness” or  “loyal love.”  The new testament would render it as “grace.”  Mercy is the grace given to us who do not deserve it.

                                                                                     -5-

 Surely goodness and mercy will pursue us.  Surely because God never forsakes us.  He is the Lord our Shepherd and we are His sheep.  He walks before us and goodness and mercy follow us all our days.

 “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever;”

The twenty third Psalm is about David’s personal relationship with God.  David did not have heaven in mind when he wrote these words.  He was not thinking about where he would be but with whom.  In Psalm Twenty Seven David says; “One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”  David expected to live in the Lord’s house both during his life and afterward, because there he would be in the Lord’s presence.

 We who are Christ’s sheep can be sure that our Shepherd, who has led us safely through life, will see us safely home with Him. God never did say that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival will be worthwhile. Trust him.  He will get you home.  And the trials of the trip will be lost in the joys of the feast.  What ever else heaven may be, it is primarily a place where we will be with Christ.

 When we place our confidence in Christ personally, we can say with David; “The lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want;” and then we can affirm with conviction based on God’s promise; “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

 Excerpted from: Trusting the Shepherd, Insights from Psalm 23; By Haddon W. Robinson and

 Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms, Hope and Encouragement from Psalm 23; By Max Lucado

 New Testament References to the Shepherd and His Sheep

 Matthew 9: 36 - “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted and were Mark 6:34 scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.”

 Matthew 10:16 - “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves,”        

 Matthew 15:24 - “But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

 Matthew 26:31 - “Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written I will smite Mark 14:27            the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

 John 10:2,3,4    - But he that entereth by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  To him the porter openeth;  and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and he leadeth them out.  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”

 John 10:7,8,9    - “Then Jesus said unto them again, Verily, verily, I sat unto you, I am the doorof the sheep.  All that ever came before are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door: by me if any man enter in , he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

 John 10:11,12,13 - “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:                  and the wolf catches them, and scattereth the sheep.  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling and careth not for the sheep.”

 John 10:14,15,16 - “I am the good shepherd and know my sheep, and am known of mine.  As the Father knoweth me, even  so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep, And other sheep I have, which are not of this                 fold:  them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice;  and there shall be one fold and one shepherd.”

                                                                                    -6-

 John 10:26,2728 - “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither                       shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

 Acts 8:32  - “The place of scripture which he read was this, He was lead as a sheep to the slaughter;”

 Hebrews 13:20 - “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep,through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”

 I Peter 2:25 - “For ye were as sheep gone astray; bit are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.”