Believe 2
Psalm 23
September 21, 2014
Well, we’ve moved into week 2 of Believe. And I believe this series is going to be great. I’ve heard some really good comments from many of you about what you’re reading, the hope you’re experiencing and that’s great! Last week we took a look at God! That was a big, overwhelming topic. And today narrows it down, just a bit. We’re looking at the fact that God is a personal God.
There are about a gazillion scriptures we can look at to talk about God being a personal God, and I played over a bunch in my head, and narrowed it down to one scripture that most people are already familiar. This should take me about 5 weeks to finish, but we’re going to do it in one week. So, this will take a few minutes, I’ve got my coffee, I hope you’ve had yours.
We’re going to look at Psalm 23. So . . . let’s jump in!
I love the way David describes God. In verse 1 He exclaims, The Lord is my Shepherd. In Hebrew the name Lord is “Yahweh.” This was the same name God revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14, when God said, “I am who I am.”
Most Jewish people consider this name too holy to be spoken by human lips. In fact, it was so revered that it was only pronounced once a year on the Day of Atonement, and then only by the high priest in the most holy place of the Temple.
If the name needed to be written, the scribes would take a bath before writing it and then destroy the pen afterward. It’s difficult to define what the name really means, yet, we trust that God is who He says He is. He’s the One who is all powerful, never changing, all knowing and everywhere at the same time.
Jesus also revealed Himself to the Jewish people in John 8:58, when He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM!” That was so blasphemous to the Jews that they tried to kill Jesus, because He equated Himself as God. Jesus wanted us to know He is a personal God. He is our Shepherd.
In Psalm 8 we read, “O Lord [“Yahweh”], our Lord.” He is creator and yet He is present. He is powerful and He is personal. He is majestic and He is my friend. He is a consuming fire and yet He is my personal shepherd. Isaiah 40:11 ~ He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
We see God as being personal as we move throughout this Psalm ~
God provides and leads us to be content. The last part of verse 1 tells us that since the Lord is my shepherd I will not lack anything that is necessary and good for me: I shall not be in want.
If Jesus is your shepherd, everything else is secondary. Since God is our shepherd all of our needs are taken care of. It becomes a matter of contentment. There are lots of things we want, but God provides for our needs. And when we have God, our wants become secondary.
In todays world, it’s not the norm to hear someone say, “I shall not want.”
Max Lucado refers to our discontment as the “prison of want.” Its prisoners want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then you’re in the prison of want. Are you hoping that a change in circumstance will bring a change in your attitude? If so, you’re locked up. You’re in a cell of discontentment. Allow the powerful simplicity of verse 1 to dwell within you ~ what you have in your Shepherd is greater than what you don’t have in life. Do you believe that?
God nourishes us. 2 “He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.” Notice the shepherd “makes” me lie down. The shepherd would take the sheep and fold their legs in such a way that they would become paralyzed for a while and therefore had to lie down and get their much- needed rest. Some of you have been made to lie down as a result of a broken bone, some other health problem, heartbreak, or even the loss of your job. The shepherd has slowed you down for a reason.
While the shepherd would force his sheep to rest sometimes, the best way to get his flock to chill out was to make sure four conditions were met.
Fear. Sheep are nervous and fearful. When they know the shepherd is with them, they relax. Isaiah 43:5 reminds us ~ “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
Friction. If there is friction in the flock, a sheep can’t sleep. Instead of lying down, they stand up and keep themselves on high alert. The shepherd tries to minimize the tension and distractions.
Frustrations. Things like gnats and flies and parasites can distract sheep and keep them from lying down. A good shepherd keeps an eye out for those small things that can frustrate a flock.
Famine. A hungry sheep is forever on its feet, foraging for food. The shepherd makes sure that they are in “green pastures,” where they can feed among the rich, sweet grass and then chew their cud while lying down on the carpeted pasture.
Some of us never slow down enough to chew on the green pastures of God’s Word. We’re filled with fear or we’re in friction with others in the flock. We’re good at allowing the small frustrations of life to knock us off center and we don’t consider the richness and sweetness of Scripture like we should. God wants us to lie down in the midst of abundance.
A sheep that is lying down in the meadows of the Master has no worries. So many of us are filled with anxiety today. There are over 70 million Americans suffering from insomnia. The major cause is stress, anxiety and worry. I read about a guy who was so overcome with worry that He decided to hire someone to do his worrying. He found a man who agreed to worry for him . . . And he was going to pay him $200,000 per year. After accepting the job, the first question to his boss was, “Where are you going to get $200,000 to pay me?” The boss said, “That’s your worry, not mine.”
Back to the sheep, after being fully fed, the sheep were then led to still waters. Sheep are afraid of running water and will refuse to drink unless everything is still and quiet. Shepherds would often make a private pool of water. Even though there is clean water, sheep will drink from diseased water, because it’s still.
We’re a lot like that, aren’t we? God has provided so much for us and yet we often drink from places that will only harm us. We’re so restless that we can’t settle down. We’re nervous and anxious, even though God is calling for us to find rest for our weary souls in His grace, power and love.
God’s provisions restore us. Because sheep are careless, curious, and skiddish, they often need to be restored. David wrote: “He restores my soul.” The word, “restore” means to “bring back to a former or normal state, to make new.” Sheep can get lost very quickly. This can be serious. They may fall and get hurt. A predator may kill them. Or they may simply tip over, and become “cast down.” That means the sheep is lying flat on its back, with its feet flailing in the air.
If that happens, death can be quick to the sheep. The shepherd will look for the sheep and gently turn the sheep over and help it become reoriented.
That’s also a great picture of what God does for us. He looks for us when we’ve wandered and restores us when we are cast down. God is the God of the 2nd - 3rd and beyond chances. I’m so thankful Christianity is a series of new beginnings. If you’re cast down today, or have strayed from the flock, allow the shepherd to restore your soul. He’ll restore your soul . . . if you’re willing.
God’s provision guides us. “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” The word used for “paths” refers to a “well-defined and well-worn path.” This is one more bit of evidence about how sheep are not really smart. Even when the path is perfectly clear, sheep will still stray.
God longs to lead us in paths of righteousness. Most of us know the right road we should take but our selfishness and sinfulness leads us astray. We need the shepherd to guide us in the right way because like sheep, we often have no sense of direction. As we submit to the shepherd He will lead us in paths of righteousness. And He does this for the sake of His name. God guides us for His sake, not for ours. His reputation is at stake. His character is on display. His name is Yahweh and He will accomplish His purposes and lead us on proper paths.
Now, when we come to verse 4, we notice a couple changes. In verses 1-3, the sheep are in the sunshine. Now the sheep enter the shadows. God not only takes care of us through the great times, He guides us through the dark seasons of life.
The pronouns even change. Now, David speaks to the Shepherd directly: “You are with me, your rod, your staff, you prepare, you anoint.” When times are tough, God becomes more real to David. Have you experienced that? The promise- keeping God guides us through times of gloom and despair. God is present!
We see that God’s protection covers every aspect of life, from green pastures to the shadows of death. Because God will protect us.
There is no need to fear death. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil… This is a picture of the shepherd leading his sheep back home in the evening. As they go through the rocky ravine and narrow gorges, shadows easily frighten the sheep. The shepherd knows predators like bears, wolves and lions can take cover in these cliffs as they wait in ambush for some fresh lamb chops.
Notice David said, we walk “through” the valley. That means . . . we won’t stay there. We’re passing through. Through the blackness there is brightness. Through the gloom there is glory. Notice also the word “shadow.” In one sense the shadow of something is more ominous than what it represents. On the other hand, the shadow of a dog cannot bite and the shadow of death cannot harm us if we stay close to the shepherd. When there is a shadow there also must be light.
David continues, For you are with me, Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. What a great statement! YOU are with me. It is a statement of trust and belief. It’s a statement of confidence! It’s a powerful statement to know, to trust, to believe that even when we walk through the difficult times of life, God, the Good Shepherd will always be there with us. It stems from last week’s discussion about God’s love. He loves us so much, He won’t fail us, leave us or forsake us. That’s great news from a personal God.
The rod was like a club that often hung from the shepherd’s belt. It was used to protect the sheep. Shepherds would use their club to throw at predators or use to beat the predator. The staff was a slender pole, with a little crook on the end. It could be hooked around the leg of a sheep to pull him from harm. It was also used to direct the flock, and occasionally to discipline the sheep. The sheep had to completely rely on the shepherd for safety and direction. In the same way, we must lean on the Lord for all that we need as we find comfort in His power.
And the word “comfort” comes from the Latin. It’s where we get the idea, of “strength through companionship.” We can be strong in the face of death because we have a companion who has victory over the grave.
There’s no need to fear enemies. David wrote, You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. He’s using a common expression to describe what a shepherd does to “prepare a pasture.” The best place for the sheep to graze on is in flat pastureland. The shepherd would inspect the pasture for poisonous plants, predators and snakes. Once safe, the sheep can eat and rest even though there are enemies nearby.
And the shepherd would anoint their heads. You anoint my head with oil.” Shepherds used oil for 3 reasons: to repel insects, to prevent conflicts, and to heal wounds. Sheep are really bugged by bugs. Flies will their eggs into the moist area of a sheep’s nose. When the eggs hatch, larvae would drive the sheep crazy, causing them to beat their heads against rocks and trees or shake their heads up and down for hours. So, the shepherd covers their heads with an oil-like repellant.
This oil is also used to prevent injury to the rams as they butt heads in their battle to win the affection of the ewes. Whenever the shepherd would hear two guys say to the same lady, “I want ewe,” he knew there was going to be a rumble. He’d quickly smear this slippery substance over their noses and heads so the gladiators would glance off each other rather than splitting their heads open. The third reason for the oil is because the flock gets a lot of wounds and cuts simply from living in a pasture. They get pricked by thorns and receive abrasions from the rocks. This oil serves as an ointment to protect their sores from getting infected.
That’s a powerful picture of what the shepherd does for us. He deals with our problems by protecting us from those things that can wipe us out. He helps us have harmony with others. And, He comforts us and heals us when we’re beat up. Do you have any wounds today? Then call on the Good Shepherd.
Because God is personal and seeks to give us His protection, we don’t have to fear, we don’t have to be anxious about what enemies may do to us, and we don’t have to be paralyzed by our problems.
As we move towards the end of the Psalm, we see that God gives us more than we need. David wrote My cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” This picture has two meanings. The shepherd would carry something to drink and would share it with his sheep when they needed it. He would be generous because he knew they had to have some liquid or they would perish.
The other meaning may be that of dinner hosts who would serve drinks in cups and would pour until the cup literally overflowed. This was a common way to tell your guests that they could stay as long as they wanted. But when a cup sat empty, the host was hinting that it was time to leave. When the host really enjoyed the company of the person, he filled the cup to overflowing. He kept pouring until the liquid ran over the edge of the cup and onto the floor.
And God’s goodness and love will follow us. The word “follow” literally means, “pursue.” It’s a picture of God pursuing us. Picture goodness and love pursuing us all the days of our life. That’s really cool! We’ve been given much more than we deserve and we have more than we need. That’s God’s goodness.
God’s goodness and love led Jesus to the Cross, where the Good Shepherd gave His life for His sheep. Why does the Lord do all this for us? It brings Him great pleasure to overflow in goodness and love toward needy sheep-like people. He’s pursuing you right now in order to give you more that you need and certainly more than you deserve.
And finally, God is preparing us for everything we’ll need later. We have more than we need right now and we’ll have everything we need for eternity. Look at the last phrase And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. The psalm begins with hope and ends with hope. “The Lord is my shepherd” and closes with “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” The sheep have been following the shepherd to green pastures and through shadowy valleys. The seasons have changed and now they’re coming home. The flock is satisfied. All is perfect. And one day, we believe we will dwell in the house of the Lord, not for a bit, but permanently, forever. That’s when we will realize the fullness of God’s grace, mercy, love, strength and power!
THE CALL
If you have never asked Jesus save you from your sins and shepherd your life, you are not yet in His flock.
Do you know the shepherd? If not, join His flock right now.
Stay close to the shepherd. Many of us like to stray. And then we wonder where the Good Shepherd is. Stay close to Him, don’t stray, stay next to Him. Because when you stay close to the Shepherd, all of your needs will be met.
When you know the Shepherd and you experience Him, you will want to follow Him wherever He leads you. Sometimes it’s through the valley. Other times you experience green pastures. The shepherd has a plan for you and wants to lead you in paths of righteousness. Are you willing to follow Him, regardless of the direction He takes you?
