I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am Yahweh, says the Lord Yahweh, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes (Ezekiel 36:22-23). Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. What would you say of a pilgrim commissioned of God to travel up and down the earth singing a strange melody, which, when one heard, caused him to forget whatever sorrow he had? So many people place their trust and hope is all sorts of things. Rev 21:3-4, 'Forever' is a long time, but this infinitely creative God will never fail to amaze us. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethrens emptier vessels. (Trapp). Davids guidance from God has a moral component. I have called you by your name. He first spoke them for Israels sake, but he caused Isaiah to record them for our sake. It implies that the Lord is the only thing needed in life and that Gods shepherding care provides all of our necessities. Is - Can you say that? Which is it? The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. In Psalm 23, we are compared to sheep who do not have a sense of direction, are hopeless, and are weak who need a Shepherd. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. "Depth and strength underlie the simplicity of this psalm. How would you describe sheep? i. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The word through is important. 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. John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. (1.) 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. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. 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. When explaining why he was restoring Israel, God said, I dont do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went. People need comfort and encouragement. 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. Sometimes those paths lead straight through the valley of the shadow of death. You can check these in your browser security settings. You prepare a table (Hebrew: sulhan) before me in the presence of my enemies (v. 5a). He does not say there shall not be any evil; he had got beyond even that high assurance, and knew that Jesus had put all evil away; but I will fear no evil; not even the Evil One himself; I will not dread the last enemy, I will look upon him as a conquered foe, an enemy to be destroyed, For thou art with me. But he would then carry that lamb while its leg mended and apparently, once healed, that lamb would never wander off from the shepherd again. Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. So God will always lead us into that which is right and that which is true. Would you prayerfully consider a gift of support today? Date: 1/31/2021. David knew the uniqueness and intimacy of this metaphor. 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 is the shepherd that provides and His people will lack no good thing. April 17, 2011. Luke-Acts and I will dwell in Yahwehs (Hebrew: YHWH) house forever (v. 6b). Ok, I'm being naughty. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about! 1TheLordis my shepherd; I shall not want. They are still waters, for the Holy Ghost loves peace, and sounds no trumpet of ostentation in his operations. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. They probably are anxious about different things. This verse doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it God loves you too much to just make things always easy! To eat at the Kings table in the presence of your enemies would show your enemies that the king holds you in high regard, and would demonstrate their powerlessness to hurt you. Joy -- You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. 6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahwehs house forever. The subsequent trips through the valley become progressively easier as trust increases. I live in New Zealand, and yes, I know, we have more sheep than people! There was no fear involved. He would not be like his Lord if he had not. And obviously, he would then leave the lamb to die in the wilderness, eaten by its predators! He is in control. But despite this I got on with her pretty well. It works. Gods shepherding care from the previous verse brought restoration to Davids soul. In the Old Testament, prophets were anointed (1 Kings 19:16). Anderson, A.A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms 1-72 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), Broyles, Craig C., New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, Brueggemann, Walter, The Message of the Psalms A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1984), Clifford, Richard J., Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 1-72 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Craigie, Peter C., Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50, Vol. He wants to genuinely bless His people and live in the abundance of His grace. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master's University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. They are well placed, well laid: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. The writer of Psalm 23 makes an analogy between God and the shepherd. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. Psalm 23 distinctively stands out compared to other chapters in the Book of Psalms and receives a larger magnitude of respect. It's not for the goats. . ), which the WEB has updated. As someone who worked as a shepherd before, David knew that shepherds live with their flock and are everything to it: guide, protector, and source of provision. [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! The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. If we could be saved from wrath, and yet remain unregenerate, impenitent sinners, we should not be saved as we desire, for we mainly and chiefly pant to be saved from sin and led in the way of holiness.[4]. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' This unspeakably delightful verse has been sung on many a dying bed, and has helped to make the dark valley bright times out of mind. The Kings crown, Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Shepherds feed the flock and herd them to good forage areas. Johannine Writings It has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. The shepherd image appears not only as part of the Old Testament but as a vital part of the New Testament as well. Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? He lived in the confident hope that it would continue for the rest of his life. The Middle Eastern shepherds in Israel didn't drive their sheep their sheep followed them. This is a psalm of trust and confidence in God's goodness in the present and in the future. conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy God's Testimony to the Scriptures. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck Goodness and mercy follow him alwaysall the days of his life the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. a. It would stick right by the Shepherd's side! Be assured! GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. i. Play. However, Gods care for David doesnt remove the presence of his adversaries. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. So though 3000 years old it is extremely relevant for our lives today! Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. He is a great leader who leads people to righteous living. Psalm 19. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil. Excellent for: personal and family devotions pastoral study preparing Sunday-school lessons using with a small group simply readingeach volume draws you in Prophets It makes sense. Poetical Books There are no halfway measures when it comes to the Lords provision for our lives. With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd. He was aware of the potential dangers that may befall him. God is. The word PSALM literally means praise and it features works of various characters the majority of which were written by David. It leads to burn out, break downs and depression. He would tend, protect and care for his sheep. Below are some of his most touching and eloquent comments on each verse. You will have much more pressing concerns. John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible It becomes more personal in this valley! Major Prophets