In this Psalm trilogy, Psalms 22-24 present a wonderful view of our Savior. In the twenty-second Psalm, we witness the redeeming work of our Suffering Servant. In this Psalm, we experience the love and care of a Good Shepherd. In the twenty-fourth Psalm, we will rejoice in the finished work of our Glorious Savior! But today, let’s examine what God’s Word has in store for us.
A Psalm of David.
THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, 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.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
Forever.
Introduction – A third grade Sunday school teacher asked her class to memorize the 23rd Psalm. Nearly everyone had memorized and quoted it except for Dustin. He worked and worked on it determined to recite it for the teacher. Finally, one Sunday morning Dustin told his teacher he was ready to quote Psalm 23. As he stood before the class and teacher he nervously said, “The LORD is my shepherd…and that’s all I need to know.”
In reading this Psalm, we really don’t need to know much except the Shepherd! It is all about the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep! In the Old Testament, the sheep were always giving their lives for the sins of the people. But here we see the Shepherd who has already paid the price. As we examine this great 22nd Psalm, notice three things about this shepherd in verses one through six. We see the Shepherd’s CHARACTER, the Shepherd’s COMPASSION, and the Shepherd’s COMFORT.
Let’s look first at the Shepherd’s CHARACTER in verse one.
It is here that everything hinges upon this first verse. This verse is the key to understanding the following verses. God’s character is revealed to all of us. He allowed His Son to die in our place that we could have a relationship with Him. So, it all begins with His NAME. The LORD, as recorded by David, is the personal name of God. His name is YHWH. It is the unpronounceable name. According to Thomas Newberry the name YHWH is a derivative of the three Hebrew tenses of ‘to be’. He states that Yehi means ‘He will be’ which is a future tense. Hove means ‘being’ or ‘He is’ and is a present tense. Then Hayah (Ah) means ‘He was’ which is a past tense. This describes God as the One who is, who was and who is to be. The LORD is the Eternal, Timeless and Self-Sufficient One! What is really outstanding about this is the word ‘is’. He is not JUST the God of the past or future. But He is the God of the eternal present! This is how we know that He loves us and desires a loving relationship with us. We can place our trust in Him.
ILLUSTRATION - Minister & girl on airplane
A minister was on a Trans-Atlantic flight when the flight encountered some violent turbulence. Through the great confusion and panic it brought, a minister noticed one little 5 year old girl who remained calm and composed through the ordeal. After the plane landed and as people were leaving the plane, the minister asked the little girl how she could stay so calm when many of the adults were terrified by the turbulence. Her response was, "Oh, I didn’t worry because my daddy is the pilot and he always gets me home safe!"
How much we should be like the little girl that we always know that our Father is the One who has carried His children through every concievable difficulty that life can throw at you. He is the Almighty God who was and is and always ’gonna’ be!
Then we discover His NATURE. We find that He is our shepherd. A shepherd in those days had a difficult job. They had to watch over and care for dim-witted animals. It was a twenty-four hour a day job with few, if any, breaks. The shepherd had to be caring, diligent and tireless. He really had to love about his profession. Although shepherds during Jesus’ time were considered uncultured and dangerous, they had a loyalty to their flocks. The sheep knew and trusted their shepherd. They listened and responded to his voice. He would be willing to give his life for his sheep. Because of His character, we can state with confidence that we are content. Content in Him and the direction He leads. Because He loves us and we belong to Him, the Shepherd makes His mark. Every sheep had a mark of ownership placed on him. The shepherd would take his sharp knife and notch the ear of his sheep so he could recognize it from a distance. Shepherds did not brand their sheep. They notched their ears. God has placed His seal or mark only on His sheep.
That is the picture here. Jesus is the good shepherd! His character is impeccable. His nature is incredible. His love is indelible. His sheep have no wants. As His sheep, we are to trust Him because He has been proven trustworthy. We love Him because we belong to Him.
Our character ought to reflect the character of the Good Shepherd. Now reputation and character are two different things. One’s reputation is what others think about you while character is what you do when no one else is looking. Ask your kids or your wife what your shortcomings or character flaws are and they will be honest and tell you. Here is a thought what character is.
ILLUSTRATION – Character is revealed in people…
1. who cannot be bought;
2. whose word is their bond;
3. who put character above wealth;
4. who possess opinions and a will;
5. who are larger than their vocations;
6. who do not hesitate to take chances;
7. who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
8. who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
9. who will make no compromise with wrong;
10. whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
11. who will not say they do it” because everybody else does it”;
12. who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
13. who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
14. who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
15. who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”
Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, pp. 107-8
Second, let’s examine the Shepherd’s COMPASSION in verses 2-4.
In these verses we have a description of the sheep and why the shepherd is so important. In Philip Keller’s book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, he writes about the nature of the sheep. I discovered five characteristics about sheep that intrigued me. First we find that sheep are DEPENDANT. They must have a shepherd care for them. They cannot fend or fight for themselves. They cannot find a place to eat without their enemies or the elements destroying them. “He makes me lie down in green pastures.” The shepherd must find a safe place for his flock to feed and rest. Here we discern the importance of the shepherds leading. The verb “makes me lie down” means He causes me to lie down. It is a picture of the shepherd providing wonderful conditions for his flock to rest and restore themselves. There were four common enemies that kept sheep from resting. Often they could not sleep because of fear. If they sensed danger, it would keep them restless and awake. Neither could they rest if there was ‘bad blood’ between the sheep. Friction with other sheep spoiled their sleep. And there was the constant annoyance of flies. Flies, gnats and bugs flew around their eyes and ears provoking restlessness. Lastly, there was the constant threat of famine. The shepherd was always on the lookout for fertile ground to feed the sheep. Interestingly, humans are much like sheep in that we are completely dependant upon God’s blessings and grace. We do not rest well when we are stirred by fear, friction, flies and famine. Second, we notice that sheep are DUMB. Sometimes I will use the word dense to describe sheep. But dumb is probably the more descriptive word. Some have suggested that sheep are the dumbest animals which God created. In verse two, we find that the shepherd ‘leads’ his flock. One can drive cattle but one will not drive sheep. The word ‘lead’ means one that is constantly being lead. The sheep would not drink out of a running body of water. The sound frightened them and the rapid running water would carry them off to destruction. The shepherd would stop up the running water so his flock could drink deeply from the ‘still waters’. It has been said that if a lead sheep sees an imaginary stick while following the shepherd, that he would jump over the stick and every sheep that followed would jump over that same imaginary stick. Mankind is much like sheep in that we also follow fads and trends. Look at the clothing cycles and notice how often we simply remarket the styles of twenty-five or thirty years ago. Humans are just plain dense. Then we find that sheep are DELICATE. In verse three, we notice that the shepherds ‘restores’ my life. The word restore does not mean make new, as in restoring an old car, but rather to lift up or make right. The sheep often suffered from a ‘lay down’ syndrome. They would lie down and get in a position where they could not get back up. If the shepherd was not watching the sheep would bake to death after the sun rose. But the shepherd, who knows his sheep, would place his hands under them and ‘lift them up’ thus restoring their life. Again it has been said that at the end of a sheep’s life that their hide could be cured and tanned and every cut, bruise and injury would be left on the inside of its hide. Words of cruelty or kindness are also marked on children when they are told their worth. We may not see them but they are there. The adage of “sticks and stones’ are not true because words DO hurt and damage. Fourth, we see that sheep are DIRTY. Righteousness is not earned but given. A sheep will attract dirt, sticks and leaves in its wool. Sheep cannot clean themselves like a dog or cat. So the shepherd extracts foreign items from the sheep’s wool. We too are like sheep in that we cannot cleanse ourselves. We must have a shepherd do the cleaning. Jesus accomplished that some 2,000 years ago on the old rugged cross and a new unused tomb. Finally, we ascertain that sheep are DEFENSELESS. Notice that it is the shepherd who leads the sheep through the valley. We do not always travel ‘over’ the valley. Life’s problems cannot be escaped. Nor does He leave us ‘in’ the valley. That would overwhelm us and lead to our destruction. Rather He leads us ‘through’ the valley. Why do I say the sheep are defenseless? Notice what comforts the sheep besides His presence. It was the rod and staff that comforted them. The rod was an instrument of warfare for the shepherds. It was used to kill the enemies of the sheep. It was also used as a rod for discipline. The shepherd also used the shepherd’s staff to rescue his flock or to lean upon as they journeyed together. You might notice a change in the personal pronouns here. It moves from ‘he leads etc’ to ‘you’ are with me. When we approach life’s greatest challenges like death, disease, and difficulties, it is then that we sense His compassion and care.
ILLUSTRATION – Sheep, Shepherd & I.T. man
A shepherd was looking after his sheep one day on the side of a deserted road, when suddenly a brand new Porsche screeches to a halt. The driver, a man dressed in an Armani suit, Rockport shoes, Oakley sunglasses, Rolex watch, and a Versace tie, gets out and asks the shepherd: "If I can tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?"
The shepherd looks at the young man, and then looks at the large flock of grazing sheep and replies: “Okay." The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to his mobile, enters a NASA Webster, scans the ground using his GPS,
opens a database with 60 Excel tables filled with logarithms and pivot tables, and then prints out a 150-page report on his high-tech mini-printer.
He turns to the shepherd and says, "You have exactly 1,586 sheep here."
Rather surprised the shepherd replies, "That’s correct, you can have your sheep." The young man takes an animal and puts it in the back of his Porsche.
Just as the man is about to drive off, the shepherd asks him: "If I guess your profession, will you return my animal to me?" The young man answers, "Yes, why not?" The shepherd says, "You are an IT consultant."
"How did you know?" asks the young man. "Very simple," answers the shepherd. "First, you came here without being called. Second, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew, and third, you don’t understand anything about my business. (PAUSE) Now please, can I have my dog back?"
We have discovered in life that sheep are not the dumbest of God’s creations.
After discovering the Shepherd’s character and compassion we finally witness the Shepherd’s COMFORT.
In verses five through six, we notice two facets of His comfort. First are His PROVISIONS. These items may seem excessive. But note what David writes. First he says the shepherd prepares a ‘table’ for me in the presence of my enemies. Although some scholars believe that this is a reference to the King’s table, I believe the imagery of the sheep continues here. The shepherd would travel ahead of his sheep and prepare a safe haven for them on a mountainous plateau. This is the ‘table’ David speaks of. Jesus is preparing that place for us right now according to John 14. Jesus also describes the lost rich man in Luke 16:23 where he watched the saved in God’s Presence. The enemies of Christ and His flock have no part in God’s kingdom. We also find that David writes about anointing the sheep’s head with oil. This is a picture of the shepherd pouring an oil and sulfur mixture on the sheep keeping the flies, gnats and bugs away from the eyes and ears of the sheep. The cup was a tool the shepherd used to water his flock when there were no still waters. He had to carry and provide the sheep with water in the areas where no water was abundant. In heaven, we will drink from the living waters which proceed from the throne (Revelation 22:1).
ILLUSTRATION – My Grand mom’s breakfast
I remember years ago as a little boy when my grand mom would get up at 5 AM in the mornings to prepare my granddad his breakfast. She would fix him 3 fried eggs, sausage, ham and bacon. She fixed homemade biscuits from scratch as well as both red-eye and brown gravy. She fixed both because she didn’t know which one he would want that morning. She would then take a deep saucer and place his coffee cup in the saucer. My grand mom would pour his coffee into the cup all the way to the top and let it overflow into the saucer. He would sit at the table and stir his cream and sugar into his coffee, eat his breakfast, drink his coffee and then get to the best part where he would slurp the coffee out of the saucer.
I thought how unique and odd that was until I read the 23rd Psalm. It was then I began to understand the blessings God has provided for us. It is an overflow of His blessings. He prepares ALL of it. He makes ALL the provisions. And it is He who wants to share it ALL with us!
Notice not only His provisions, notice also His PRESENCE. It is because of His Presence that we are able to view life from two viewpoints. The first is temporal. Notice in verse six where ‘goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life’. This speaks of our earthly time. Brief, short and temporal, we do leave a legacy behind us. Our character should reflect that of our Masters. Goodness is the blessing we leave others with. It is where we have reflected positively of a changed life. But mercy is the ‘chesed’ love that changes lives. It is the covenantal love we hold from God. We share that love with the lost while we journey on earth. Our purpose is for the lost to become a part of ‘the flock’, the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Our time on earth is short. Because we are content with our Master on earth, our next transition is eternal. The promise of a believer’s next dwelling place has been resolved. It is His house. Jesus has been preparing this for some time now. The Father will tell Him when it is time to call us home. Since we know the Master, our Shepherd, we get to move to a better location.
ILLUSTRATION – Hovering Over Us
Some time ago there was a fascinating story on the Nature Channel. An explorer had made a tremendous accomplishment. He managed, for the first time in history, to record on videotape the birth of a panda cub in the wild. This was amazing, in part, because of how violent the mother panda bear can be when intruders are near their young. The newborn cub was no larger than a gerbil. He could fit in the palm of your hand. The most amazing thing happened after this cub was born. In order to protect the cub from the elements, and to give the cub an opportunity to grow sheltered from the dangers of the outside world, she spread her enormous body across this tiny cub and did not move for twenty-eight days. She did not eat, sleep, or even defecate at all during this time. Her massive presence remained steadily hovering over this tiny being. It has since been discovered that this is a common practice when the panda bear is protecting her young. So it is with God, as His omnipotent presence hovers over us as a shield from our circumstances in life.
SOURCE: Rev. K. Michael Bryant in "Protection From God" www.sermoncentral.com
Scripture validates what David writes in this 23rd Psalm. We are like sheep. We need a shepherd. John tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He is preparing a place for His sheep. Are you a member of His flock?
