A. David made one of the great contributions to the world when he wrote Psalm 23.
1. “They tell me that David wrote the 23rd Psalm; I believe that I could have written it, David just beat me to it.” (Angel Martinez)
2. He wrote the Psalm in the twilight years of his life. After he had experienced all the sorrows, and the heartbreaks of life.
3. This Psalm has been memorized more than any other. It has blessed more people than any other. It has brought more comfort to breaking hearts more than any other.
B. This Psalm divides into three parts:
1. First David takes us into the GLEN, then he takes us down into the GORGE, and finally on into GLORY.
2. In the first part of the Psalm he introduces us to the One who can take care of our FRAILTY, then to the One who can take care of our FOES, and finally to the One who can take care of our FUTURE.
C. Someone outlined this Psalm:
1. Beneath Me - “green pastures”
2. Beside Me - “still waters”
3. With Me - “my shepherd”
4. Before Me - “a table”
5. Around Me - “mine enemies”
6. Upon Me - “anointing”
7. After Me - “goodness and mercy”
8. Beyond Me - “the house of the Lord”
D. Psalm 23 is found in a very peculiar place in the Bible. It is located between Psalm 22 and 24.
1. Psalm 22 tells about the cross; Psalm 24 about the crown.
2. Psalm 22 presents Christ in the Past; Psalm 23 presents Christ in Present; Psalm 24 shows Him in the Future.
3. Psalm 22 we see the justification of the believer; Psalm 23 we see the sanctification of the believer; Psalm 24 we see the glorification of the believer.
I. THE SHEPHERD’S PERSON (1)
A. A Person Regarded. “The LORD “LORD” is translated “Jehovah”. Jesus is the Perfect Shepherd.
1. The Good Shepherd – His Dying For Me. “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” (Jno 10:10)
2. The Great Shepherd – His Living For Me. “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,” (Heb 13:20)
3. The Chief Shepherd – His Coming For Me. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” (1 Peter 5:4)
B. A Possession Revealed. “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
1. David sounds a note of possession here. He doesn’t say Allah is my shepherd. He doesn’t say Buddha is my shepherd. He says Jehovah is my shepherd.
2. It is not enough to say that He is a Shepherd; not enough to say that He is the Shepherd. We must be able to say “The Lord is my Shepherd.”
3. He is more than “Pie in the sky, bye and bye.” He is my Shepherd now.
C. A Promise Remembered. “I shall not want.”
1. Several versions translate it differently. The New American Standard says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I do not want.” The Living Bible says, “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.” The New Jerusalem Bible says, “I lack nothing.” Petersen’s Translation says, “I don’t need anything.” That’s the shepherd’s provision. That means if you will come to Jesus and let Him be your shepherd, you will be supplied.
2. People lack everything that makes life worthwhile and heaven sure.
“For there is no lack to them that fear Him”
“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
“I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.”
“No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
3. The devil has no happy old men. They have fame and fortune, but lack peace of heart.
4. If Jesus is your Shepherd - He’s all you need and He is all that matters. Max Lucado told about a man who had had a severe financial catastrophe. He came to his pastor and said, “I’ve lost everything.” The pastor said, “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you’ve lost your character.” He said, “Oh, no, I haven’t lost my character. I’ve just lost everything.” “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear you’ve lost your faith.” “Oh, no, I still believe in God. I haven’t lost my faith.” “I’m so sorry you’ve lost your salvation.” Oh, no, preacher, I haven’t lost my salvation.” The pastor said, “Well, it seems to me if you haven’t lost your character and you haven’t lost your faith and haven’t lost your salvation, you haven’t lost anything that really matters.”
II. THE SHEPHERD’S PROVISION (2-3a)
A. He Provides Nutrition. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.”
1. To be at rest there must be freedom from fear, tension, aggravation, and hunger.
2. Modern life can be spelled with three words: “Hurry, Worry, Bury.”
3. Jesus provides a peace and rest that passes all understanding. “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)
B. He Provides Hydration. “He leadeth me beside the still waters.”
1. Sheep won’t drink from a rushing stream. Sheep are afraid to get close to rushing, turbulent waters.
2. The soul needs water. Too many of us are like sheep. Some sheep have the tendency not to go to the still, clear pools of water provided by the shepherd, but rather they would find themselves in the mud holes around. They would drink out of those old filthy, polluted, stagnant mud holes where the parasites were.
3. People are like that. Jeremiah 2:13, “My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and have hewn themselves out broken cisterns that can hold no water.”
4. . Some sheep insist on getting their water from the filthy polluted potholes of this world.
C. He Provides Restoration. “He restoreth my soul.”
1. “Restoreth” means he brings back my soul.
2. A sheep is not strong like a lion; it is not swift like an antelope; it is not smart like a dog. The outstanding characteristic of a sheep is that it is stupid.
3. When a sheep goes astray it does so for no reason, and once it goes astray, it cannot find its way back home.
4. The Shepherd will use means to bring back His sheep. A ram while grazing would get as close to the precipice as he could, the ram in so doing led the other sheep with him. The Shepherd decided to teach his ram a lesson; as the ram gazed close to the cliff, he came up behind him and with his crook broke his front leg. The ram went down and began to blate, and the shepherd picked him up and carried him back to the fold and put splints on his leg. The Shepherd fed him for many days and when the leg was healed the ram never grazed anywhere near precipice again.
D. He Provides Direction. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name sake.”
1. We’ve already learned that sheep like to do it their way. “All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone into his own way.” We want to do it our way and that’s why we are in the mess you are in. We have a stained personality. We have a wrecked life. We have family that’s a disaster. We’ve been doing it our way and we’ve been making a real big mess.
2. He wants to lead you in some new directions. IF you will follow Him, He’ll lead you. I read that at the Florida Singing Towers there’s a plaque which says, “I come here to find myself. It is easy to get lost in this world.”
III. THE SHEPHERD’S PRESENCE (4)
A. It Produces Confidence. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
1. This is only the valley of the shadow of death. The shadow of a dog cannot bite, the shadow of a sword cannot kill, the shadow of death cannot harm a Christian.
2. There was a great preacher once whose wife died. Their little girl didn’t fully understand all that had happened. But one day while she was in the car with her father, she saw the shadow of a truck passing by. The setting sun made the shadow huge, much bigger than the truck.
The little girl said, “Daddy, look at the big shadow.”
He said, “Sweetheart, would you rather be hit by the shadow of the truck or by the truck?”
“That’s easy,” she said, “I’d much rather be hit by the shadow.”
He said, “That’s right, darling. And it was only the shadow that hit Mama. The truck hit Jesus two thousand years ago at Calvary.”
That’s why David calls it “the valley of the shadow of death.” Jesus has taken the sting out of death, the dread out of the grave! He has become our victor!
3. Where there is a shadow, there must be a light. This makes the difference between the saved and the unsaved. Gibbon said, “All is dark and doubtful.”
B. It Permeates Communion. “For thou art with me.”
1. The Psalmist no longer talks about the Shepherd, he is talking to the Shepherd.
2. “Ere you left your room this morning,
Did you think to pray?”
C. It Promotes Comfort. “Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
1. The shepherd’s rod and staff were used for directing, correcting, and protecting the sheep.
IV. THE SHEPHERD’S PREPARATION (5)
A. For Us A Banquet. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”
1. In the former days the victors of war would hold a great feast. While the conqueror ate and made merry, their enemies were made to watch the victory feasts.
2. One day the world, the flesh, and the devil will stand by as I eat at the King’s Table.
B. Upon Us A Bestowal. “Thou anointest my head with oil.”
1. This was the time when the shepherd would treat the sheep for cuts, wounds, and scratches.
2. He would clean them carefully and cover them with oil.
C. To Us a Blessing. “My cup runneth over.”
1. There is nothing niggardly or skimpy about the salvation Jesus gives.
2. Living for Jesus gets dooder and dooder, and tweeder and tweeder!
V. THE SHEPHERD’S PROSPECT (6)
A. The Shepherd’s Highway. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
1. Goodness takes care of my steps; mercy takes care of my stumbles.
B. The Shepherd’s Home. “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
1. A woman lay dying in the poorhouse. The doctor bent over and heard her say, “Praise the Lord.’ “Why,” he said, “How can you praise the Lord when you are dying in a poor house?” “Oh, doctor,” she said, “it’s wonderful to go from a poorhouse to a mansion in the skies!”
2. Will you let Christ be your Shepherd? Are you willing to take the position of a sheep?
