THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
Text: Psalm 23:1 W. Max Alderman
INTRODUCTION: This is a statement that so graciously moves with time and I thank God that it indeed does. Where would those of us who are little dumb sheep be without our dear Shepherd? We will be looking at this beloved pastoral verse by verse, as we glean from it, learning more about both the sheep and the Shepherd. We will begin by describing the Shepherd.
I. THE LORD IS A POWERFUL SHEPHERD (V. 1) “the Lord”
The word Lord speaks of His power, ownership, and His majesty…
A. His Name Denotes How Powerful He Is:
“Lord” is the regular word for JEHOVAH and is the primary name for God in the Old Testament. According to Thomas Newberry the name JEHOVAH combines the three tenses of the Hebrew verb “to be”. Notice how this is so:
1. Yehi: Means “He will be” It is in the future tense as described in Psalms 24 when it refers to the Chief Shepherd who is coming for His sheep.
2. Hove: Means “being” It is in the present tense as described in Psalm 23 when it refers to the Great Shepherd caring for His sheep. All of the verbs are in the present tense in Psalm 23.
3. Hahyah: Means “he was” It in the past tense as described in Psalm 22, when it refers to the Good Shepherd crucified for His sheep.
When you take the first three letters of Yehi: (Yeh); the middle 2 letters of Hove (ov), and the last 2 letters of Hahyah (Ah), we then have the compound (Ye-ov-ah) or Jehovah.
B. His Nature Declares How Powerful He Is:
1. The power seen in His omnipotence
2. The power seen in His omnipresence
3. The power seen in His omniscience
4. The power seen in His holiness
5. The power seen in His love
6. The power seen in His faithfulness
7. The power as seen in His mercy
II. THE LORD IS A PERSONAL SHEPHERD “my shepherd”
A. He is Personally Investing In His Sheep “thou prepares a table before me”
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
B. He is Personally Interested In His Sheep “for thou art with me”
John 10:13 “The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
C. He is Personally Involved With His Sheep “he maketh me to lie down”
D. He is Personally Inspecting His Sheep “thou anointest my head”
E. He is Personally Inspiring His Sheep “thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (2 Corinthians 1:3-11)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. (2 Cor 1:1-11)
F. He’s Personally Identified His Sheep
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
III. THE LORD IS A PROVIDING SHEPHERD “I shall not want”
A. He Provides My Everyday Needs
1. He daily provides my substance “Give us this day our daily bread”
2. He daily provides my solace
B. He Provides My Eternal Needs (John 14:1-6)
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
1. A permanent home
2. A precious haven
CONCLUSION: 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one. (John 10:26-30)
