Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. Davids guidance from God has a moral component. We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. 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. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). Therefore, when the shepherd started heading off on another journey the sheep followed wherever he went! Thankfully I didn't go far down that track but it can plant this little seed of fear in your mind if you let it. As the shepherd led the sheep from oasis to oasis, this sometimes meant passing through narrow valleys that had steep cliff faces on each side. 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. On other days, she was on the other side. This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. The Kings crown, Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. WebThou hast relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. What Are the Psalms? We are smart enough to do this in the physical. Shepherds use the rod and staff to guide the sheep and protect them from potential predators. (wpe). (4.) But, what makes it so compelling? Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!' Another such honor would be an invitation for dinner at the White Housepreferably dinner with the President and a small group of his key people although a large state dinner would also be interesting. Pray to him, then, for the blessingRestore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!, Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, My. He does not say, The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock, but The Lord is my shepherd; if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. I think if we could just grasp this first verse alone our hearts could then rest. But Jesus is the good Shepherd. Why is Psalm 23 one of the most well-known Psalms and the favorite biblical passage of many? He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I need to know you are well.' 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. David knew the uniqueness and intimacy of this metaphor. 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. No, press on knowing that if there are shadows, there must be light around the corner causing them! How marvellous it is that weak, fearful people can be given such confidence through a simple trust in the ability of their shepherd! (3.) WebPastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New Testaments, phrase by phrasein this valuable one-volume resource. 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. Alex is a family man and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. 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. The anointing of oil to the sheep isnt just a meaningless ritual. We have the supports and comforts of this life from God's good hand, our daily bread from him as our Father. It implies that the Lord is the only thing needed in life and that Gods shepherding care provides all of our necessities. 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." They are quiet waters times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can feed and are restored. Mercy is the covenant-word rendered steadfast love elsewhere. WebPREVIOUS John 20:22 NEXT John 20:24. (Philip Keller). But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. His future return for His people as the King of Glory! He leads me. Current Bid: USD 450.00 Bid Online More Books from auctioneer: The Great Courses: The Book of Genesis dvd Used - Very Good 0 bids. The wicked are chased out of the world, and their souls are required; but the saints take a walk to another world as cheerfully as they take their leave of this. 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). 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). He will sustain and provide for all of His peoples needs. It is but a walk in this valley, a gentle pleasant walk. This gives us amazing confidence when we need it most. Here are three points: 1. the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances! Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. [6]. Many people succumb to their hopelessness and fear. He is a dove, not an eagle; the dew, not the hurricane.[3]. 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 for ever. (Spurgeon), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. There was no fear involved. All the days of my life; What are these still waters but the influences and graces of his blessed Spirit? To be invited to Gods table is the ultimate honor. This line is especially suggestive when we read this psalm with an eye toward Jesus, the Great Shepherd. 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). You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.. What a wonderful picture we have of Christ in these three psalms! [4] I read in a John Hunter book that as well as being able to say 'The Lord is my shepherd' we should be able to say 'The shepherd is my Lord.' (Kidner). Most scholars account this Psalm to Davids maturity that contains vivid reminiscence of his youth as a shepherd. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Let us not think it enough to pass through them, but let us lie down in them, abide in them; this is my rest for ever. He wants to genuinely bless His people and live in the abundance of His grace. Not many people receive such an invitation, and even fewer receive more than one. Though God may suffer his people to fall into sin, he will not suffer them to lie still in it. Companionship -- for you are with me. In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. This psalm is taken completely from the sheep's (David) point of view, as he talks about his shepherd. WebPSALM 23:1-4. That he had it carefully and readily provided for him. But the valley was always there, casting its shadow over her life. In this context, it suggests blessings that will help the psalmist. He will not, and cannot forsake you if you are one of His sheep! (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. What is characteristic of them? Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. (Spurgeon). In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. - Henry Ward Beecher, [2] J Vernon McGee writes 'to put it succinctly, in Psalm 22 we see the cross, in Psalm 23 the crook (the Shepherd's crook), and in Psalm 24 the crown (the King's crown). Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). Jesus the Messiah was also a descendant of King David. Play. Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. They counsel, Seek Yahweh while he may be found (55:6). He that is the shepherd of Israel, of the whole church in general (Ps 80 1), is the shepherd of every particular believer; the meanest is not below his cognizance, Isa 40 11. His word and Spirit shall comfort themhis rod and staff, alluding to the shepherd's crook, or the rod under which the sheep passed when they were counted (Lev 27 32), or the staff with which the shepherds drove away the dogs that would scatter or worry the sheep. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of theLordforever. On still other days, she found herself walking through the middle of the valley. Is one better than the other? God's eternal desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory and light within them. His past death for His people Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 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. [3]I learnt this when I went to a John Macarthur seminar one time. The shepherds guidance not only comforted and restored David but also led His sheep to righteousness. Death is not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it Many a saint has reaped more joy and knowledge when he came to die than he ever knew while he lived. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. [12] Must admit that I have been dealing with a few trials lately and when I read this verse it kind of caught me by surprise! There you have it. Many a time we should have fainted unless we had believed; and it was the good shepherd that kept us from fainting. Not to raging waves of strife, but to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep. So some take the latter clause: "Goodness and mercy having followed me all the days of my life on this earth, when that is ended I shall remove to a better world, to dwell in the house of the Lord for ever, in our Father's house above, where there are many mansions. Plentiful provision is made for their bodies, for their souls, for the life that now is and for that which is to come. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. So here is a man who has had to depend upon His Shepherd and is finding Him faithful even in trying times. i. In this he had certainly an eye, not only to the blessings of God's providence, which made his outward condition prosperous, but to the communications of God's grace, received by a lively faith, and returned in a warm devotion, which filled his soul with joy unspeakable. None of these things move me." Taking the Lord's Supper in an Unworthy Manner. God is his shepherd and his Goda God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. When, after one sin, David's heart smote him, and, after another, Nathan was sent to tell him, Thou art the man, God restored his soul. As I said, it wasn't all easy and plain sailing being a sheep in Israel however. In these verses, the metaphor changes from God as shepherd to God as host at a special banquet. Psalm 23 is a wonderful masterpiece of David that contains encouragement and awe-inspiring spiritual truths. ( Psalms 27:1-6) is altogether joyous and jubilant. God is holy, and takes his holy name seriously: Since God is holy, we as Gods people need to insure that we do not tarnish his name by our wrongful words or actions. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. (Proverbs 10:3). [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. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! The image exudes a sense of rest, comfort, and care. Maclaren writes: The rod and the staff seem to be two names for one instrument, which was used both to beat off predatory animals and to direct the sheep.. His table was not spread with any thing that came next to hand, but prepared, and prepared before him. 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. [6] As a silly example, a few weeks back I got an email from a past work colleague that I hadn't heard from for some time. However, the oil does not just protect the sheep from nuisance. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. The Analogy of God and the Shepherd in Psalm 23, The Lord As A Shepherd Who Provides (Verse 1), The Lord As A Shepherd Who Guides (Verses 2-3), The Protection And Comfort From Gods Presence (Verse 4), The Blessings of God Amidst Danger (Verse 5), Faith-Filled Content Delivered To Your Inbox, Best NASB Study Bibles Ranked & Reviewed, The Best Bible for Young Adults: Buyers Guide. (2.) You anoint my head with oil; Guides us and leads us along the right and true paths, it blessings... Be talking about the Commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning domain you... When he said, Dad, this is really helpful this valley, California since February 9 1969. Leads to righteousness of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table psalm 23 commentary john macarthur the sheep nuisance... 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