This magazine often included an exposition of a psalm, and in the 1866 publication Spurgeon featured Psalm 23. There is some debate among commentators as to whether David had the idea of two separate instruments (the rod and the staff) or one instrument used two ways. Then from the pulpit you would hear the same person say that if you didn't do this, this, and this you could lose your salvation or the Holy Spirit would leave you etc. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Not was, like He helped you in the past. 2. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. But he also knew, through many highs and lows, throughout his life, that he too was but a sheep with a far greater Shepherd. John MacArthur: Worship is our innermost being responding with praise for all that God is, through our attitudes, actions, thoughts, and words, based on the truth of God as He has revealed Himself ( The Ultimate Priority [Moody Press], p. 127). Scripture: His anointing set him apart for his unique role as prophet, priest, and king. But Jesus is the good Shepherd. There you have it. Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. For a shepherd, the healing purpose would be significant. (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. We understand that a shadow is not tangible but is cast by something that is. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. Whatever be the believers position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah. People need to know this beautiful Psalm of David to reorient and renew their thinking. [4.] Its interesting to note how David used the word shepherd in this psalm instead of a more distant term like a king or a deliverer. Psalm 23 mainly illustrates God as a caring shepherd. With this verse, he begins to use the second person (you and your). A poor man may say this as well as those in higher circumstances, What, all this, and Jesus Christ too?[6]. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.. It is getting harder to live on this planet - from a health point of view, from a financial point of view, from a spiritual and moral point of view, from a fear and anxiety point of view - there is much that a person could be concerned about. God longs to bless and prosper His people. i. In Psalm 23, we are compared to sheep who do not have a sense of direction, are hopeless, and are weak who need a Shepherd. The writer of Psalm 23 makes an analogy between God and the shepherd. The primary responsibility of a shepherd is to ensure the well-being and safety of the flock. Shepherds feed the flock and herd them to good forage areas. Time was when David was himself a shepherd; he was taken from following the ewes great with young (Ps 78 70, 71), and so he knew by experience the cares and tender affections of a good shepherd towards his flock. It is a Psalm of life, rest and peace. We are well escorted, with a Shepherd in front and these twin angels behind! (Meyer), iii. to it. The sucking child may play upon the hole of this asp; and the weaned child, that, through grace, is weaned from this world, may put his hand upon this cockatrice's den, bidding a holy defiance to death, as Paul, O death! To call God a shepherd is to acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives and submit to His will. It is milk for babes, pasture for sheep, never barren, never eaten bare, never parched, but always a green pasture for faith to feed in. the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances! When the end of the Babylonian Exile and Israels salvation was nigh, God told Israel: Dont be afraid, for I have redeemed you. Plentiful provision is made for their bodies, for their souls, for the life that now is and for that which is to come. He is a great leader who leads people to righteous living. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about! Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. He is their shepherd, and they may call him so. WebFirst, because the Messiah comes from Israel, and is a representative of the nation. But we need to learn to lie down. Believe with the same confidence David had. It is the valley of the shadow, deep indeed, and dark, and dirty; but the valleys are fruitful, and so is death itself fruitful of comforts to God's people. Shepherd - This imagery of the shepherd and sheep spans the entire Bible but is most prominent in the New Testament where Jesus speaks about His relationship with His people, His sheep. [7], 5001 North Oak Trafficway The other thing to note on this point is that the entire psalm is only valid for those who truly have Jesus as their shepherd. ), Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And he awaits the day when the great shepherd will become the chief Shepherd and shall come in the skies. The Hebrew word rewayah suggests abundanceeven superabundance. Even conservative Christian pastor John MacArthur acknowledges that Psalm 23 uses common ancient Near Eastern images. The good shepherd will not only conduct, but convoy, his sheep through the valley, where they are in danger of being set upon by the beasts of prey, the ravening wolves; he will not only convoy them, but comfort then when they most need comfort. Lets look at the meaning and significance of each verse written in Psalm 23. Anyway, we might have been being a tad naughty but the principle can be quite helpful and this is what I will do with this first verse. (13) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. The center point of this psalm is for you are with me. In the original Hebrew language, there are 26 words before this phrase, and 26 afterwards (Limburg, 74). WebPsalm 23:4. WebThou hast relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. He doesn't stop, and he doesn't give up hope. From God's being his shepherd he infers that he shall not want anything that is good for him, v. 1. This sentence may be read, only goodness and mercy, for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. $10.00 USD. Many of David's psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God's great goodness and dependence upon him. It talks about humanity, our experiences, and even our emotions. WebPsalm 23. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. They will not lie down if they are afraid. Obviously it means that with the Lord protecting and providing for us then we shall not lack that which He knows we need. [4]. Almost everyone, whether religious or not, has heard Psalm 23 because it is quoted so frequently. The word Psalms alludes to a [1], It is not only I do not want, but I shall not want. Come what may, if famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, I shall not want. Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. 1. I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy between Jesus and His sheep today. Almost 25 years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. The psalmist has been talking about God in the third person (he). He will not, and cannot forsake you if you are one of His sheep! SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The word through is important. This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or surely is set as a seal upon it. God provides for his people not only food and rest, but refreshment also and pleasure. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. What he promises himselfgoodness and mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy. Just like the sheep, its difficult for us to be at rest when life throws a lot of problems. he leads me to waters where I can rest: this was the best water. Together with goodness it suggests the steady kindness and support that one can count on in the family or between firm friends. (Kidner), ii. i. Rev 21:3-4, 'Forever' is a long time, but this infinitely creative God will never fail to amaze us. Nor is he saying that 'the LORD is my Shepherd, I get everything I want'. Historically, the psalms range in time from the origin of life to the Everything will be ok. Witamy, zaloguj si. We read the last clause as David's covenant with God: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever (as long as I live), and I will praise him while I have any being." Nay, some think he still looks upon himself as a sheep, but such a one as the poor man's ewe-lamb (2 Sam 12 3), that did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom; not only thus nobly, but thus tenderly, are the children of God looked after. When faced with destitution, famine, pressures, financial difficulty, and depression, its hard to remain calm and tranquil. Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. In the Old Testament, prophets were anointed (1 Kings 19:16). They have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD would shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death. Kansas City, Missouri 64118, 2017 The Spurgeon Center and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. So God will always lead us into that which is right and that which is true. David claimed that the same God who faithfully rescued the Israelites from Egypt and provided guidance and provision in the wilderness is the same faithful God he served. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. To be invited to the Kings table was a great honor. He will never, ever, leave you! Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a mans pathway even for a moment. On the one hand it is not quoted in the New Testament directly concerning Jesus. They probably are anxious about different things. How resolutely he determines to cleave to God and to his duty. It wasn't a nice dream at all '. See here the courage of a dying saint (v. 4): "Having had such experience of God's goodness to me all my days, in six troubles and in seven, I will never distrust him, no, not in the last extremity; the rather because all he has done for me hitherto was not for any merit or desert of mine, but purely for his name's sake, in pursuance of his word, in performance of his promise, and for the glory of his own attributes and relations to his people. His Spirit attends us in various operations, like watersin the pluralto cleanse, to refresh, to fertilize, to cherish. From three very comfortable premises David, in this psalm, draws three very comfortable conclusions, and teaches us to do so too. Hundreds of additional study tools complement the commentary, such as. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. (Spurgeon). David wrote about this in Psalm 25. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. And it is in these times that it starts getting a lot more personal! The Kings crown, Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. In either case, the sulhan represented an intimate table fellowship, just as a dinner table does today. The light shines the brightest in the dark. God makes his saints to lie down; he gives them quiet and contentment in their own minds, what ever their lot is; their souls dwell at ease in him, and that makes every pasture green. WebJohn Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (born June 19, 1939) is an American Protestant pastor and author known for his internationally syndicated Christian teaching radio and television program Grace to You. The instruments used by the shepherd comforted David. WebPauls statement that believers will be holy, and blameless, and above reproach if they continue in the faith ( 1:22, 23) has led some to teach that believers can lose their salvation. 'What happened exactly to me in the dream?' For them, it truly was the valley of the shadow of death. A. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. A servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth ever. While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber, I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord forever. It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. The shepherd would use his staff to guide sheep and to pull them back from dangerous places. (6.) God refuses to let the godly go hungry. The sheep may crack their skull just to ease the suffering to get rid of the brain-eating parasites. Though not often recited in its entirety, few are unfamiliar with the famous valley of the shadow of death.. 3 He One can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! He would not be like his Lord if he had not. 1.Jehovah is my shepherd. With family of say, a mother, a father, 3 or four children, and only one in the family working and bringing in 3 dollars (a day), it would takes ages before one can afford to buy anything extra, even clothes or even a blanket. My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). Click on the different category headings to find out more. Now David wasn't saying here that 'the Lord is my Shepherd, whom I do not want'! (Whew!) He had said (v. 1), I shall not want; but now he speaks more positively, more comprehensively: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. He was afraid and worried to go back into bed on his own. After talking with him, I asked him to read Psalm 23. After he read it, he said, Dad, this is really helpful. Even when I walk in a dark valley God will be with me and protect me. It's not for the goats. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. 'You are with me' the Psalmist says and that is all that he needs to know. He is utterly trustworthy. Abraham's Bosom, Paradise, and Heaven 1. And obviously, he would then leave the lamb to die in the wilderness, eaten by its predators! There is no fear of biting the bare ground where the grass is long enough for the flock to lie down in it. Pastor John MacArthur | The MacArthur Commentaries Grace to You. [3.] Psalm 23 symbolizes the human race as a flock and God as their Shepherd. 'Do I need to be extra careful?' Because there is no evil in it to a child of God; death cannot separate us from the love of God, and therefore it can do us no real harm; it kills the body, but cannot touch the soul. It is a psalm which has been sung by good Christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. Let us not, therefore, be afraid. Comfort -- for your rod and Thy staff comfort me. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. So life here for our sheep is one of continual green pastures. The Middle Eastern shepherds in Israel didn't drive their sheep their sheep followed them. He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation. Once he sent his men a begging for him to Nabal, and another time went himself a begging to Ahimelech; and yet, when he considers that God is his shepherd, he can boldly say, I shall not want. This is the joy of the Christian! It may portray the straying sheep brought back. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! Witamy Wybierz adres dostawy Wszystkie kategorie Wyszukaj Amazon.pl. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' [5], We need to remind ourselves of this all the time. He is the source of life and a great provider. We are saved by hope, and that hope will not make us ashamed, because it is well grounded. The Psalms are Hebrew poetry, and the title of the book comes from the Greek Septuagint. 1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. What is also interesting, even before we get into the actual verses, is that this Psalm is part two of what we could call a Messianic trilogy. How would you describe sheep? 2. You are not your own but were bought with a price! He is no longer speaking about God, but is instead speaking to God. God is the one who looks after our lives. He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Someone said they are the most stupid animal on the face of the earth. However, he was confident that God is with him all the time. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! (Proverbs 10:3). The Hebrew word, sulhan (table), could refer to an animal hide spread on the ground like a picnic blanket. Notice how in times of trials, we become more aware of Gods presence. Always lead us into that which is right and true paths the old,! Can not stop a mans pathway even for a moment to die in the house for,! Will never fade away. support that one can count on in the old Testament, prophets were anointed 1. And your ) David was n't a nice dream at all ' ashamed, because the comes... Says and that which is true him to read Psalm 23 of each verse written in Psalm.... My head with oil ; my cup runs over our experiences, and he awaits day... 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