That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. A sheep unoiled is an easy target for the infestations of such pests. Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? David knew all about this. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. Why is Psalm 23 one of the most well-known Psalms and the favorite biblical passage of many? Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. 3 He restores my soul. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD b. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: This line from the psalm and the psalm as a whole has proven itself precious to many a dying saint through the ages. 20:28 ) If this is you, then please don't starve God's flock and please don't feed them rubbish. Like the Greek word agape (love) in the New Testament, hesed (lovingkindness) involves actionkindness or love expressed through kind or loving actions rather than just feelings. The Old Testament The New Testament speaks of Jesus as anointed (Luke 4:18; John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Hebrews 1:9, etc.). 27:1). 'You are with me' the Psalmist says and that is all that he needs to know. But whether our fears are irrational or based on very real circumstances, our need to remember the Lord is the same. He leads me beside still waters. It is what the Apostle Paul knew when he wrote: Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. On some days, she was on one side of the valley. iv. Now David wasn't saying here that 'the Lord is my Shepherd, whom I do not want'! Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. The Third Commandment says, You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name (Exodus 20:7). (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. The word through is important. [3], The LORD - The first thing to note is the source of David's comfort. i. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point Almost 25 years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. The Hebrew word rewayah suggests abundanceeven superabundance. Basically fear tactics. daq) is life lived in accord with ethical principleslife lived in accord with Gods law and Gods will. The shepherds staff was the familiar long rod with a crook on one end. 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. For instance, we would emphasize 'I WILL build my church' or 'I will BUILD my church' etc. Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Most scholars account this Psalm to Davids maturity that contains vivid reminiscence of his youth as a shepherd. The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. He leads me. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' This is the joy of the Christian! We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. He is no longer speaking about God, but is instead speaking to God. But do we believe it? (Proverbs 10:3). He is the shepherd that provides and His people will lack no good thing. 'Do I need to be extra careful?' If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. The sense of this verse then is that, because God is loving and kind, his people can expect God to provide blessings throughout life. Notice however that the Psalmist says he 'walks through' this valley. They believed that something of the persons identity was tied up in the namethat the name expressed something of the persons essential character. The New Testament The Shepherd, the Host, and the Highway Patrol Summer Psalms. This one-volume commentary on the entire Bible from one of America's foremost Bible expositors offers instead a minilibrary of understandable resources designed to convey the Bible's overarching message with historical and theological clarity. Psalm 23 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. God (through the prophet Jeremiah) said, For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). It means to actively pursue, to chase, and normally in a negative sense as when Pharaoh chased Israel at the exodus. If there is a wire fence, they'll get caught in it. Pastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New Testaments, phrase by phrasein this valuable one-volume resource. [5] We need to make sure that we have a Middle Eastern understanding of the Shepherd. He talks about going through it, showing that he expects to emerge from its shadows into the light on the other side. In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be 'green pastures' and the sheep tend to munch all day! Oh! It has poured balm and consolation into the heart of the sick, of captives in dungeons, of widows in their pinching grief's, of orphans in their loneliness. To call God a shepherd is to acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives and submit to His will. i. He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' [9] These are the paths we should desire and actively seek. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. David wrote about this in Psalm 25. Anointing with oil was used for various purposes (healing, burial, expressing grief or joy). . In the ancient Near East, the shepherd was a royal metaphor. It has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. And, then, it is not the valley of death, but the valley of the shadow of death, for death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a mans pathway even for a moment. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. David envisioned God as a benevolent host who prepared a grand banquet. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. We understand that a shadow is not tangible but is cast by something that is. It makes sense. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (v. 4c). ii. ), Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. It is a great comfort to know that God will correct us when we need it. That is what God desires to work into your life. Below are some of his most touching and eloquent comments on each verse. Why the double standard of confusing messages? To be invited to the Kings table was a great honor. Pentateuch e. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me: The rod and the staff were instruments used by a shepherd. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. Psalm 40 - The Pit and the Pierced Ear in the Paths of God, Psalm 41: The pattern of betrayal - Past, present and future (P1), Psalm 55: The pattern of betrayal: Past, present and future (P2), Psalm 69 - The restoration and the zeal of the Lord, Psalm 102 - Change and the Unchangeable One, Psalm 110: Jesus the Messiah - Our Lord and King, Psalm 110: Jesus our priest in the order of Melchizedek. God longs to bless and prosper His people. Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb? Johannine Writings (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. The word PSALM literally means praise and it features works of various characters the majority of which were written by David. Johannine Writings Though not often recited in its entirety, few are unfamiliar with the famous valley of the shadow of death.. Yea, though I walk, as if the believer did not quicken his pace when he came to die, but still calmly walked with God. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. Amazon, in the last couple of weeks (Nov 2014) released the most highlighted passages in their most popular books downloaded onto Kindle, their electronic book reader. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Psalms 23. Mercy is the covenant-word rendered steadfast love elsewhere. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Pastor John MacArthur. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. Priests were anointed (Exodus 40:13-15). The sheep may crack their skull just to ease the suffering to get rid of the brain-eating parasites. They also enjoy the enthusiastic company of their fifteen grandchildren. Enemies may surround David but he is saying that the provision and grace of God gives him such confidence that in a time when he should be fearful and anxious (like while in the very presence of his enemies), he is still able to sit, relax and eat! On other days, she was on the other side. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. He leads me - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing you to a place of rest. b. We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. Death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains.