PSALM 23

This is probably one of the most popular of all the Psalms and one of the most popular passages of the Bible. A possible theme of this Psalm is God's faithfulness. It pictures a pastoral setting of a shepherd and his sheep. The Lord is the shepherd, and we are the sheep. The Lord is pictured as our shepherd in other places of the Bible.

In John 10:10, Jesus is referred to as the good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. In Hebrews 13:20, He is referred to as the great Shepherd. In 1 Peter 5:4, He is referred to as the Chief Shepherd.

We are obviously the sheep, and this is not necessarily a compliment. Sheep are dumb helpless animals and are entirely dependent upon the shepherd. They have a poor sense of direction and get lost easily. They cannot protect themselves from wild animals. They must depend on the shepherd to protect them.

Just as sheep are helpless and entirely dependent on the Shepherd. We too are helpless to live the Christian life in our own strength. We must depend upon the Lord to help us live as He would have us to. That is why He sent us His Holy Spirit.

Of course David is the author of this Psalm, and was a shepherd before he became King of Israel. He grew up tending his father's sheep.

vs. 1  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Another possible way to view this verse is: The Lord is the one who constantly shepherds me.

Philippians 4:19 says, And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Sometimes what we want and what we need are two different things. God knows what our needs are better than we do. A sheep might want to eat some weeds that are not good for him. The shepherd will not let him. The sheep needs good grass. That is what the shepherd will provide. Sometimes we may want things that aren't good for us. God in His grace will not let us have it, unless He chooses to do so to discipline us.

God will supply our needs. Because the Lord is our shepherd, we will not want for any good thing. Psalm 84:11 says, For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. NASB.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. (v. 2a). The pasture is the place where the sheep find food. What is our food? Our spiritual food is His Word. Just as the sheep need regular intake of grass for health, we need regular intake of God's Word for our spiritual health.

He leads me beside the still waters. (v. 2b). (or waters of rest.) Water is refreshing. God's Word is refreshing to us.

Verse two provides a very peaceful scene -- lying down in green pastures beside quiet waters. We can experience inner peace in our lives as we trust in the promises of His Word -- as we rest in the promises of His Word.

He restores my soul. (v. 3a). The word restore means to renew or to bring back. When we as believers rebel against the Lord’s will, we need to be brought back. We need to be brought back to fellowship with the Lord. We are still His sheep, but we are not enjoying the benefits of fellowship with Him. 1 John 1: 9 says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we confess our sins, when we agree with God that we have sinned, God returns us to fellowship with Him.

Sometimes a sheep will get down and cannot get up (a caste sheep). They roll onto their side or back and just can't get up. If the shepherd did not help the sheep get up, it will die. It would either starve to death or an animal would kill it. When we are out of fellowship with the Lord, we are like a sheep that is down. But when we confess our sins, our shepherd picks us up and returns us to fellowship with Him. We never lose our salvation, but we do not enjoy fellowship with Him when we are in sinful rebellion.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. (v. 3b-c). Sheep cannot guide themselves well. They have a poor sense of direction. They are pretty dumb animals. The shepherd must lead them to new grazing lands. Our shepherd guides us along the paths of righteousness. He gives His Word to show us how to live, and He gives us His Holy Spirit to help us live in accordance with His will.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. God has a vested interest in us. He created us. He desires for us to reflect His glory. He desires for us to be the salt of the earth and cause others to thirst for Him. He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake, but of course we also benefit tremendously. Our lives have purpose -- to glorify the Lord. This gives our lives eternal value.

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. (v. 4). Since the Lord is our Shepherd, we do not need to fear adversity. When it comes, it is because the Great Shepherd has decided that it is what is best for us at that particular point in our life as part of God's overall plan to conform us to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. James 1:2-4 says, Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials; knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. NASB

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Evil could be translated valley of deep darkness. This would seem to be a reference to death. A Christian does not need to fear death. As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have eternal life and thus victory over death. 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, Where, 0 death, is your victory? Where, 0 death, is your sting?" Verse 57 says But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." NIV

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me. We need have no need to fear of death, or anything else, because the Lord will be with us always. Isaiah 41:10 says, Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." NASB

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. The rod was a short club which the shepherd used to discipline the sheep. For example, if a sheep started to stray from the path the shepherd wanted it to follow, he might bop it over the head to get its attention and keep it on the right path. The Lord does that to us as well from time to time in order to keep us going in the direction He wants us to go. And of course His direction is always best. Bopping us over the head is a sign of His love for us and His desire for us to stay in His will. Hebrews 12:6 says, For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, NASB. Hebrews 12:11 says, All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. NASB

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. The staff was also a stick with a prong on the end used to snag and deliver sheep from cactus, ledges and other dangerous areas. God delivers us many times when we begin to go off the track. Psalm 37: 23-24 says, The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in His way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. NASB

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. (v. 5). This seems to picture a guest of honor at a dinner. This guest's enemies cannot do anything about the honor he is receiving. God does this for us. He sets before us His word and we are allowed to feed from it in spite of our enemies -- the world, the flesh and the devil.

You anoint my head with oil. (v. 5b) This was a custom in David's time, and it was a tribute to an honored guest. Oil could be a reference to the Holy Spirit. We are anointed as believers with the Holy Spirit.

My cup runs over. v. 5c. We have more than enough provisions from God to live an abundant life on earth. There is no way we can use up the blessings God has for us.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (v. 6a) Goodness could refer to God's blessings. These blessings He constantly gives us are based on His grace, not on our merit. Lamentations 3:22-23 says, The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness. NASB

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (v. 6c) How long is forever? It is for all eternity.