Psalm 23 - Part 3 - 1/30/11
Turn with me this morning to Psalm 23. If you open your bible right in the middle, you probably will land somewhere in the Psalms or just a little right of the Psalms. We are going to continue on looking at this Psalm that has been a source of comfort and blessing to many. This is the Shepherd Psalm - The LORD is my shepherd. He knows us individually, loves us perfectly, provides for our every need. We are compared to sheep - very dumb animals that cannot provide for themselves, cannot protect themselves, and cannot save themselves. We saw in verse 1 the shepherd’s PARTNERSHIP - I belong to Him and He provides for me. The focus is not on Him or on me, but on our relationship together. We saw the idea of CONTENTMENT - I shall not be in want - The Lord takes care of all my needs. I don’t get everything I want - but I am not in want - I have been given everything I need for life and godliness.
In verses 2 & 3 we saw the shepherd’s PRESENCE. We saw a day in the life of the sheep
He makes me lie down in green pastures - REST
He leads me beside quiet waters, - REFRESHMENT
He restores my soul. - RESTORATION - he puts us back up on our feet when we fall flat on our backs
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. - REPLENISHMENT - he takes me to the best areas for feeding and growth. He has my best interests at heart.
In verse 4, we’ll look today at the shepherd’s PROTECTION
Then in verse 5 we’ll see the shepherd’s PROVISION
In verse 6 the shepherd’s PROMISE
As we come to God’s word today, let’s pause for prayer. PRAY.
The LORD is my shepherd . . . Even 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.
Last week we saw a typical day in the life of a sheep. But today we realize that there are some days that are different than other days. Today, we want to look at the shepherd’s protection. It says Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Now the first question that typically comes to our American self-centered minds is Why me? Why do we have to go through the valleys in life? Why can’t we just stay in the green pastures and rest and lie down there? We like living in our comfort zones! It is GREAT when everything is going good in life! Why does God have to let trouble come?
And in answer to that, we need to admit a few things about the valleys in life. First
• Valleys are unavoidable - whether we like it or not, trouble WILL come. Jesus - and He tends to be a reliable source of information - Jesus tells us in John 16:33 - In this world you will have trouble. Count on it - it’s coming! Job 5:7 tells us, man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward. Just as surely as the sparks from a fire come up, that surely you can count on it - you will face trouble!
Sometimes Christians like to think that becoming a Christian saves them from a life of trouble. Actually, just the opposite is true. Once you become a Christian you will probably face MORE trouble that you did before. Because Satan wants to give you trouble to make you fall; and Jesus lets you face trouble to make you GROW! But the valleys in life are unavoidable.
• Valleys are impartial - let’s realize that everyone goes through valleys in life. Sometimes we like to throw pity parties for ourselves. We think no one else has it as bad a we do. Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen; nobody knows my sorrow. But that’s just not true! Matthew 5:45 - He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Good days and bad days come to us all. & 3rdly
• Valleys are necessary - they are purposeful. We go through the valleys in life for a reason. For the sheep, there is a reason the shepherd takes them through valleys. Here in the text the phrasing reads the valley of the shadow of death. But it is not just talking about dying. We love to read this passage at funerals and think about God being with us in times of death. But this verse is about so much more than just dying.
Actually, the real phrasing of this would be something like this:
Also, because - there is a break in the thought of the sheep - he has been thinking about the daily routine, but then he breaks away to think about different times - also, because I walk in a crevice of death’s shadow. We talked last week about how the shepherd needs to rotate the grazing of the sheep. The sheep are stupid animals - just like we are - and they will eat all the grass if left in one area - roots and all - and totally destroy the value of the pasture. So the shepherd needs to keep moving them. In the summer, shepherds take the flock away from home and take them up the mountains to eat the grass in areas farther from home.
Remember when David was chosen to be king. Samuel came to the house - but they had to send someone after David because he was out with the sheep. They didn’t just call out for him over the back fence, but they had to go track him down. In the story of Joseph, in Genesis 37, Joseph goes to track down his brothers, and he goes from Hebron to Shechem, which is about 60 miles away.
Shepherd take their sheep to the best grazing land - and sometimes that means going up the mountains. And when they do, there are many dangers. They have to watch for flooding rivers, avalanches, rock slides, deep ravines, storms, poisonous plants. There are all types of dangers that the sheep face. Dangers which could mean the death of the sheep. But often the best path to the top of the mountain - to the best grazing land - is passing through the valley. And it is the presence of the shepherd that keeps the sheep at peace.
In our lives, we WILL face difficult days. How do we stay at peace? We refuse to be discouraged. What is our problem? We want to focus on the valley! And when we do, we turn to fear. We allow our heart to be filled with fear and anxiety and worry. Instead, we need to focus on the shepherd. What does David say here. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. He is not stuck in the valley, he is going THROUGH the valley. So often when trouble comes, we allow it to defeat us. We end up getting stuck in the valley. But God’s desire is to bring us THROUGH the valley to the other side.
Peter writes about the valleys in 1 Peter 1 - In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith . . . may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. . . . Even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Peter says, we don’t look at the valley, we look at the shepherd and we rejoice, because we remember that He is bringing us through the valley and bringing us salvation. No matter how bad a boss you work for - If you knew that I was wiring $100 million dollars into your bank account for every month you worked for him cheerfully, I GUARANTEE your attitude would improve greatly. It wouldn’t matter how much he yelled or cursed you or how much work he gave you. Your focus would be on the reward!
When we look past the valley, and remember our shepherd is bringing us through, we can be at peace. Trouble will make us BITTER or make us BETTER. It all depends on our response. And our response is determined by whether we are focused on the valley or on the shepherd.
A 1st-grader stood in front of his classroom to make a speech about "What I want to be when I grow up." He said, "I’m going to be a lion tamer & have lots of fierce lions. I’ll walk into the cage & they will roar." He paused for a moment thinking through what he had just said & then added, "But of course, I’ll have my daddy with me." And the same thing is true in our lives as well - when life roars its worst at us, and threatens us with death and destruction and desolation - we need not fear, for our Savior is with us. And He promises, "I’ll be there with you." Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. It is His presence with us that frees us from fear.
One of my favorite images of all time is on a shirt that Ken Davis sells on his website. The chairman of the board at our last church used to wear it a lot. It is the picture of the lion and the wolf, waiting to get the sheep, but the sheep confidently waltzes by them, holding the shepherd’s hand and saying, I’m with Him! And that is what we can do as well.
1 Peter 5:8 - Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
John 10:12 - The wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
John 16:33 - In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
What are the resources of the shepherd? It tells us here, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Typically when we see a picture or a carving of the shepherd, we see only one - either a long, straight rod, or the curved shepherd’s crook staff. But the shepherd actually carries two - both a rod and a staff.
The rod is a weapon of protection. It is his source of attack. It typically was shorter that the staff. Sometimes it was only a couple feet long. But this was how the shepherd attacked animals that would try to ravage the sheep.
In scripture, the rod is a symbol of power and judgment. Remember when Moses goes to Pharaoh, it is his shepherd’s rod that is used to show the power of God. The rod becomes a snake, and eats up the snakes formed by the sorcerer’s rods. The rod is used to show the power of God.
In fact, in our slang lingo today, if someone has a handgun or other weapon, we still refer to it as a rod.
So why would a rod comfort the sheep? Because they know that no matter what seeks to attack them, the shepherd is prepared to go to battle for them. In fact, in the account of the crossing of the Red Sea, remember what the Jews are told: Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Our God is a mighty warrior! Jeremiah 20:11 - But the LORD is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. The shepherd’s rod protects the sheep.
But the shepherd also carries a staff. This is the tall, curved rod that we typically think of shepherd’s having. It is a comfort and support to the shepherd, as he often leans on it while watching the sheep. But more than anything, it is a tool the shepherd uses in caring for the sheep.
When young lambs are born, the shepherd can use the curved hook to pull young lambs to their mother so his scent will not get on the newborn lambs. When sheep are fallen, or down a ravine, it is the shepherd’s staff, his crook, that can surround the lamb and pull it to safety. When sheep get in trouble in water or get stuck in thorns, the shepherd rescues it with the staff. The shepherd uses the staff to minister to the needs of the sheep.
In times of danger of attack from others, we can be at peace because our shepherd carries a rod. In times when we are in peril of dangerous situations we get ourselves into, we can be at peace, because our shepherd carries a staff to lift us to safety.
Even 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.
When we go through difficult valleys in life, we can be at peace, because our shepherd is with us. He has already been through the valley before; and he knows what is best for us. He takes us through the valley to bring us to a better place on the other side.
To close the service this morning, I’ll have a prayer, and then I’m going to play a song for us. The song is by a contemporary Christian singer called Ginny Owens. She is blind. But she wrote this song expressing her confidence in her shepherd. Listen to the words of the song, and let them be your testimony as well.
Let’s pray.
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play video
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I don’t know what valley you are going to have to go through - but I know the shepherd goes with you - he is there to protect you and provide for you - and he can bring you through. So this week, let His presence bring you peace. You are dismissed.
