The 23rd Psalm Part 1

From the Pastor:

Psalm 23:1

The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

The 23rdPsalm is one of the most well-known chapters in all of the Scriptures. It is often turned to in times of trouble and loss, and certainly is a Psalm that brings comfort amid those crises in life. However, the 23rd Psalm is more than just a Psalm for those dealing with difficulties and sadness in life, it’s a chapter that recognizes God’s goodness and mercy towards His sheep every step of the way.

From the very first stanza, David assures us of God’s providential care by telling us that “Jehovah is my shepherd.” David uses the personal pronouns “I” and “me” and “my” in this Psalm, but David’s words are not for him alone. He is standing in the place of every believer as a model for how God cares for all of His sheep. And when he writes to tell us about this God who is the shepherd of his sheep, David uses the proper name for God, “Yahweh”, often translated in the Scriptures as “LORD”, with all of the letters being capitalized to show its uniqueness in identifying the proper name for God. In using “LORD” to begin his Psalm David is also displaying for the reader that it is the God who has made and rules over everything that cares for each and every one of his sheep. God knows all of His sheep by name, and in the New Testament Jesus would take this theme and say, “he calls his own sheep by name…” (John 10:3c). This is why David knows that with the Sovereign Lord as his shepherd he will never be without anything he could ever need. The God who gives life, and even better than that, who gives NEW life knows exactly what His sheep need and is constantly providing for them all that they need and more. None of the sheep of the LORD ever go without. To give understanding to this important point, David the reader with several examples of God’s shepherding care.

First, David writes, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures…” Notice David’s word usage, “He MAKES”. The Lord knows exactly when His sheep needs rest and He provides that for them. The Lord is not a heavy-handed shepherd driving His sheep to be over burdened or over worked. No! He is ...