Psalm 23
Before us this morning is a great Psalm of restoration, of guidance and protection. We find a Psalm of overflowing grace, of mercy and of intimacy. Turn to Psalm 23 with me in whatever copy of God’s Word you have. It’ll be on the screen as well.
Read Psalm 23
Big Idea: We have a Shepherd who leads us through pastures and valleys, providing everything we need along the way.
There are really 2 main sections to this Psalm. In verses 1-4 we have this picture of a shepherd leading His sheep, and in verses 5-6 there’s this victorious banquet involving a guest of honor.
1. The Role of the Shepherd
In order to understand this passage, we’ve got to understand a little bit about sheep. We all kind of have this idea of dumb animals wandering aimlessly, which is kind of true. But David wrote this Psalm from the perspective of being a shepherd. He knows these animals better than most, so when he writes this he is most likely bringing to mind personal experiences from his childhood.
See sheep are completely helpless without the guidance of a shepherd. As soon as a sheep wanders off, it is at the mercy of it’s surroundings. There are predators, plants that are poisonous to them, natural elements like heat and rain, insects, and so many dangers that can ultimately kill the sheep. They are timid and unable to find their way home. If they approach running water to drink from, they can fall in and drown because of their heavy wool coats. Some might wander into another flock, but the shepherds voice will be strange, and will take a while to finally become a part of its new family.
Is this not our condition? Left to our own humanity, to our own devices. We will wander. We will encounter predators, elements that will break us, metaphorical food that will poison us, life situations that beat on us, cause us to grow restless and paranoid. We are incapable of finding our way home. We may even wander into a new flock with strange voices leading the way, not really feeling like we belong.
But isn’t it also cause for celebration that we have the perfect Shepherd keeping watch over His flock? While there are many roles a shepherd fills, we see a few specific ones laid out here.
In verse 1, David starts with the big idea. “Because the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be left wanting.” The Lord is a shepherd that will give us what we need, when we need it. We will not be left lacking. How does He accomplish this?
A. Provides Restoration (1-3a)
Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures
We often picture somewhat of a Scottish or English countryside, with rolling hills of lush grass. But remember that David was writing this from around the region of Jerusalem, which is much more arid, with rocky hills and desert landscapes. The rainy season brings about sprouts of grass between the rocks where moisture gets trapped. There is typically enough for the sheep to graze and feed for a day, but then the shepherd must lead his flock elsewhere the next day to find the days meal. Because of the terrain, a green pasture on which to lay would have been a welcomed rest for the sheep, used to wilderness living. The shepherd must bring the sheep through rough terrain to find a place to rest.
But even then, says Philip Keller, “sheep do not lie down easily unless 4 conditions are met. Because they are timid, they will not lie down if they are afraid. Because they are social animals, they will not lie down if there is friction among the sheep. If flies or parasites trouble them, they will not lie down. Finally, if sheep are anxious about food or hungry, they will not lie down. Rest comes because the shepherd has dealt with fear, friction, flies and famine.”
Another way the shepherd provides restoration:
Leads Me Beside Still Waters
I don’t know what it is about still water that is so calming. We used to take our students up to a camp in Michigan every Summer, and the camp sat on a lake. One of my favorite things to do early morning was to go sit by the lake with a Bible and my thoughts. Just the sound of nature, the crisp cool Michigan air, and perfectly still water. Anyone have a similar memory of still waters?
And while David is evoking this calming, idyllic setting, he is speaking as well about the sheep and their inability to find still waters from which to drink. Sheep will drink whatever water source they come across, even if it is stagnant, even if it is a danger to them. They NEED the shepherd to lead them. The shepherd knows where the good water source is, and for their safety he will lead them, sometimes through difficult terrain, to reach that source.
Let’s just pause here for a moment and consider what this means for us. Sometimes before the Lord provides the green pastures on which to lay we have to deal with fear, friction, flies and famine. We have to hand over the things that are weighing us down before our souls feel permission to rest. Sometimes the journey to get to a place of calm and peace is rocky, and painful, and exhausting. Notice that the shepherd is the one leading the sheep on this journey to a place of peace, to a place where their spirit can feel a sense of calm.
And the result comes next:
Restores My Soul
This can have 2 different meanings based on the Hebrew language. In Isaiah 49:5, there’s the idea of people that have strayed and are being brought back, being restored back into relationship with God. This implies the repentance and conversion of one who becomes a follower of Jesus. There is also another meaning of restoration found in places like Isaiah 58:12 that speaks to a physical restoration, and often a psychological restoration as well.
Either way, there is a restoring of the soul by the shepherd. It can be that conversion restoration, or a hard season marked by brokenness that needs healing. Rest in the pasture, and peace by still waters.
B. Provides Guidance (3b)
Leads Me in Paths of Righteousness
For sheep, this is simply keeping them on the right path, the safe path. But, of course the implication for us as Christians is a spiritual one. When we follow the Shepherd, He does not lead us down paths of destruction, but paths of righteousness. His words and His ways create the standard by which we walk, and in obedience and commitment to Him, we don’t stray, but stay walking on solid ground. When the sheep recognize the shepherds voice, they follow. When we are in tune with the Spirit, and discern what is the voice of truth, we follow.
We find this idea of walking a path elsewhere in Scripture.
Isaiah 59:8 – “The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Our path, scripturally speaking, is our journey through this life. The crooked path is walked by one who is wicked, and that path does not lead to peace. Trusting in and following God keeps us on the straight path.
It’s like in swimming. The black lines at the bottom of the pool keep the swimmers in their lane. If they deviate from that path, they are disqualified from the race. But if they keep their eyes on that guide, they are sure to reach the finish line.
We have an interesting change here by David. He goes from talking about God in the 3rd person, to talking about Him in the 2nd. He goes from talking about God, to talking TO God. John Piper offers some great perspective on this:
“Why didn’t he just go on to say, ‘Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, he is with me; his rod and his staff, the comfort me’? I think the switch to the more intimate ‘you’ precisely when he enters the valley of the shadow of death is a universal experience among God's people, indeed among all men in one form or another. The crises of life draw us closer to God. We are more prone to talk about God when we are in the green pasture and more prone to cry out to God when we enter some fearful ravine. I have learned that it is good not to talk very long about God without talking to God.” So good.
C. Provides Protection (4)
As we talk about this, know that the valley of the shadow of death is a part of the straight path that the Lord leads us on. We’re still talking about the Shepherd who leads us. I think often we think of the valleys as something that we go through, and we cry out to God to meet us there, to pull us out, to come and save us, rather than recognizing that many of the valleys we walk through are part of the path that the Lord is leading us down.
This is an oft-used passage when speaking encouragement to someone who is at the end of their life. And while this is one situation that applies, that isn’t what David had in mind. He wasn’t at the end of his life when he wrote this, but he had walked through the valley of the shadow of death. The more important application for us comes in the form of ANY type of suffering that we face. And troubles will come. We WILL walk through dark valleys, but what David says next shows us the protection that is offered up.
It all ties together. “I will not fear, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me.” For a sheep, the rod and the staff fend off anything that would instill fear. They would be used to fend off predators, they would be used to poke and swat them if they veer off course. And when there is one in complete control leading the way, fighting away evil for us, correcting us and pointing us in the right direction, what do we have to fear? In fact, it isn’t just that our fear disappears, but we are comforted by the sight of it.
And this is the big application point here, right? We have a shepherd who fights for us. We have a shepherd who protects us. We have a shepherd that gently steers us back to the path of righteousness. We have a shepherd who sometimes swats us with conviction to help course correct. The world is waging war for control of our hearts, but Jesus died to put an end to that. John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” We mustn’t fear evil, for our Shepherd defeated evil and will ultimately and forever defeat evil when He comes back for us. Even though I walk through difficulties in this life, I have a shepherd who protects my mind from the lies of the Devil. Even though I fight through seasons of suffering, I have a shepherd who keeps me moving in the right direction.
And then we get to verses 5 and 6. The shepherd imagery has come to completion, and a great banquet is taking place. It almost feels like a final victory at the end of the valley. In fact, one commentator suggests that David, knowing full well what war and victory celebrations looked like, had in mind the captive enemies looking on as the celebration commenced. Whatever picture David had in mind, one thing is clear. God not only provides restoration, guidance and protection, but pours out an abundance of blessing on His own.
David is the honored guest at the Lord’s table, a cup overflowing with goodness and mercy. An anointing that shows intimate relationship.
Application:
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.” Jesus, our Shepherd:
1. Provides Restoration – Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He also says, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in also, and they will listen to my voice.”
2. Provides Guidance - Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…my sheep hear my voice.”
3. Provides Protection – Jesus said, “I will give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
If you’re tired, if you are burdened, if you are feeling wayward, if you have drifted off the path, if you are feeling fear of what the future holds, if you can’t see the light through the darkness, trust in Jesus, our Shepherd who never leaves us wanting, but always comes through with exactly what we need, at the exact moment that we need it.
