Psalm 23

Psalm 23

He’s All We Want

1. We must trust God alone to meet our every need; He leads us rightly and provides for us fully (Vv. 1-3)

2. “Jehovah”, the covenant making, promise keeping, and relational God of the universe is the eternal, self-sufficient, and Great “I AM”. That means He’s all powerful, all knowing, all present, and has always been and will always be like that. He needs no thing, from no being, at no time, and has no equal. Yet He condescends to take on the role of shepherd, the lowest position in Israelite and other ancient near eastern cultures, to lovingly care for and walk with His flock. But this is a difficult picture for us to grasp, because we’re not well acquainted with the role of a shepherd or the nature of sheep. An easier picture for us to identify with might be Jesus’ symbolic act of selfless service when He washed His disciple’s feet on the eve of His arrest and crucifixion. Jesus’ statement to Peter when he objected to Jesus’ lowly act, illuminates the same truth as God’s role of Shepherd, if Jesus doesn’t cleanse people, they can’t clean themselves and have no part with Him, and if God doesn’t guide and provide for people, to give them all they need by being all they need, they’ll never have enough, they’ll never be content, and they’ll always be in bondage to their flesh. God’s role of Shepherd, fully revealed and fulfilled in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, isn’t a universal truth that applies to all people. He is certainly LORD of all, but He is only Shepherd to those who submit to Him in repentant faith because, like sheep who easily go astray, they see their inability to provide for themselves. Because of this amazing fact, all who belong to the LORD, “shall not want”. That’s not to say God gives us everything we want, but that we’re never in need because of who God is and the fact that we belongs to Him! Perhaps the little girl who misquoted this verse in Sunday School describes it best, “The LORD is my Shepherd, I’ve got all I want.” (v. 1; Exod. 3:10-15; John 13:8; 10:2-4, 11-16, 25-28; Ps. 37:4-5)

David draws a picture of how God alone, as our Good Shepherd, provides for our complete spiritual contentment, by likening it to four ways in which a good earthly shepherd guides and provides for their sheep. (Vv. 2-3)

1. “He makes me lie down in green pastures”. Our relationship with God begins with rest. Sheep won’t lie down if they’re not full and content, instead they’ll wander around discontentedly, and stray away from the flock into danger. A good shepherds leads their sheep to abundant green pastures where they find enough good food to fill them and give them peaceful and contented rest. All of humanity is restless, struggling for peace, purpose, and fulfillment but never being able to find it. Their souls are tormented within them as struggle to find rest. The Good Shepherd promises to remove our burden of sin and give us rest. (v. 2a; John 6:27, 35a; 14:27; Matt. 11:28-30)

2. “He leads me beside quiet waters”. Sheep can’t be driven and herded like cattle; they must be led. Sheep won’t drink from turbulent waters; they must be led to still water before they’ll drink. But sheep become impatient when thirsty and will drink water from puddles that are contaminated with fecal material and parasites that can kill them. The Good Shepherd calls us to come to Him and follow Him, but He never forces us. Jesus promises us that He is the Living Water which quenches our spiritual thirst forever through the Holy Spirit who indwells us, nourishes us, and quenches us. The thirsty world who seeks refreshment, settles so easily for water from contaminated pools that only brings pain and death, when only the Good Shepherd can lead us to Living Water. (v. 2b; 4:10-14; 6:35b; 7:37-38; Jer. 2:13)

“He restores my soul”. The word “restores” means “turns back” or “refreshes” our “souls”, which is to say our lives. This speaks to “reviving” our lives or “setting us back upright”. Sheep often rest by laying down in depressions in the ground. When a sheep becomes heavy, in weight or in fleece, they sometimes lay down, turn onto their side to stretch, and accidently roll over onto their backs and become “cast”. Unable get back upright, gasses build up in their bodies cutting off their circulation, and if not “set back upright” by the shepherd, they can die within a few hours. Sometimes we get a little too fat and happy with the world, weighted down by the world, neglect God’s Word and His people, and become “cast”. But when we call out, the Good Shepherd is faithful to restore us and set us back upright. (v. 3a; Ps. 19:7; Matt. 26:69-75; John 21:15-17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Gal. 6:1; Heb. 10:24-25; Jas. 5:19-20)

1. “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”. Apparently, sheep are among the most utterly stupid creatures on the planet. Even sheep who enjoy the best shepherd, who leads them to all the right place and provision, are easily confused and will still wander away and into danger. The intention of comparing us to sheep is not try to make us feel stupid and inept, but remind us that we’re stubborn and headstrong people who’ll regularly turn the wrong way, to our own strength and provision, which will always prove inadequate, instead of following the Good Shepherd who guides us into rest, nourishment, and refreshment. The great and total need of the sheep serves to highlight the Good Shepherds complete sufficiency to guide and provide. God has chosen to identify His Name with His children, and reveal Himself through us. He accomplishes that by leading us in the right paths to accomplish His will, we must trust Him and follow Him. (v. 3b; Isa. 30:21; 53:6; Matt. 5:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:19)

2. We must trust God alone to meet our every need; He sustains us abundantly in all life’s circumstances (Vv. 4-5)

3. There are few things that become evident as we consider our relationship with our Great Shepherd. First, God is amazing and we’re not, but He loves us and desires to be in close relationship with us. Second, we need Him desperately, like helpless sheep, and He’s faithful to lead us rightly and provide for us completely. Now we see that He’s not going to provide for us by removing us from trouble, but like a good and faithful shepherd, He leads us through all the circumstances of life by walking with us and providing peace and certainty in even the darkest and most ominous times of life. A shepherd leading sheep from winter to summer grazing lands, will lead them through the valleys, which provide the easiest and smoothest path, and the most abundant grazing lands and water. But through the deep mountainous walls, the way is dark, dangerous, and frightening. This path provides all the sheep need, but also brings fear, isolation, and danger. The sheep were comforted in these stressful and frightening times because of

4. the presence and power of the shepherd. They were able to calmly walk through the dark valley because the shepherd led them and never left them. His rod was used to fight off predators that would attack and kill the sheep and his staff was used to gently direct the sheep and draw them in to himself. (v. 4; Matt. 28:19-20)

5. The term “table” literally means “something spread out”, and was a common reference to high flat plateaus of grass lands in the hill country. As the shepherd led his flock back to the fold, he would go ahead of them to prepare these “rest stops” by scouting for predators and removing poisonous plants. He would stand watch over the flock as the rested up. When the sheep returned to the fold, the shepherd would put a mixture of olive oil, sulfur, and spices on their heads to keep the insects away, because sheep won’t lie down if they’re irritated by pests. He’d fill their trough with food so that they had all they needed in abundance and could rest. The fold was protected from predators that surrounded them by a stone wall and the shepherd would stretch out across the door protecting them throughout the night. Like sheep, we need the safety and assurance of the Good Shepherd. He alone is able to walk with us and go before us. He provides for our every need and sustains us abundantly in all circumstances. It’s most often not the wolves of life that drag us away and destroy our peace, it’s the little irritants that build up and weigh us down. The Good Shepherd is faithful to anoint us with the oil of His Spirit that comforts us and gives us rest while He guards the door of our lives during the night. (v. 5; John 10:7-9)

6. We must trust God alone to meet our every need; He keeps us forever (v. 6)

As David looks back on his life and sees how God has guided him and walked with him, he’s more certain than ever that the goodness and lovingkindness of God will characterize the rest of his life and all of eternity. Life can have moments that seem extremely low and dark, but God is faithful to His Word and faithful to meet our every need in Himself. He sustains us in every way, promises to cause all things to work together for our good, and even though the world would desire to slaughter His sheep, we’re more than conquerors through Him. (v. 6; John 14:1-6; Rom. 8:28, 31-39; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:1-2)