Still Following the Shepherd (Pt. 1)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Recently I was looking though a commentary on the 23^rd Psalm and had a number of comments really jump out at me. Since then, I have been studying the 23^rd Psalm and reading a few other books and commentaries on it and there truly is so much that can be found when taking a deeper look. Following are just a few of the things I have come across in my study.

 

-The idea of the Lord as a shepherd to His people is a common idea throughout the bible. Here are just a few: Is 40:11; Psalm 80:1; Micah 7:14; Zechariah 13:7; John 10:11-16; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25.

-Charles Spurgeon observed that David was not ashamed of his previous occupation as a shepherd.

-David has given us an analogy of a shepherd and his sheep to use as we look at our relationship with and how we can interact with God.

-Shepherd’s work was generally considered the lowest of all works in ancient times. This assignment usually fell to the youngest son. God has chosen to be our shepherd. David is telling us that the God of the universe has stooped to take just such care of us.

 

Verse 1 – A Declaration about the Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

·       David knew this in a personal sense. David did not see the Lord as just a shepherd in a theoretical sense, he saw Him a real personal shepherd.

·       This implies a profound yet practical working relationship between us and out Creator.

·        From Charles Spurgeon:

§  There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. There is no ‘if’ nor ‘but,’ nor even ‘I hope so;’ but he says “The Lord is my shepherd.”

§  The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, ‘My.’ He does not say, ‘The Lord is a shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as His flock,’ but ‘The Lord is my shepherd;’ if He is to be a shepherd to no one else, He is a shepherd to me; He cares for me, He watches over me, and He preserves me.

·         A declaration: All my needs are supplied by the Lord, my shepherd.

·         A decision: I decide to not desire more than what the Lord, my shepherd gives.

·         The sentiment of a sheep being completely satisfied with its owner.

·         We are not deficient or lacking in proper care.

 

Verse 2 – What the Shepherd Provides

“He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”

·       The shepherd is the active one, he is the leader. The sheep are to look to their leader. We are to look to and follow God.

·       To truly be at rest we must have a sense of freedom from fear, aggravation, hunger, etc. Our Shepherd will provide this if we let Him.

·        Our Good Shepherd provides us with green pastures where we can find peace.

·       A sheep does not always know what it needs or what is best for itself and so, needs help from the shepherd.  We are just like the sheep; we need to rely on our Shepherd in the same way.

·        The images of green pastures and still waters are rich with a sense of comfort and rest.

·       God is not behind us, pushing us forward. He is clearing the path and bidding us to follow Him, to come to Him.

·        Just as we need water to satisfy physical needs, our soul has needs that can only be met in looking to and following our Shepherd.

·        It is essential to allow God to lead us. He will always do the right thing at the right time.

 

Verse 3 – Where and Why the Shepherd Leads

“He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

·        Restoration is a result of the provision found in the figurative green pastures and still waters.

·        We are made anew, able to recover.

·       We live in a fallen world, just normal day-to-day living will wear on our soul, especially when we don’t keep our eyes in God. Just as the shepherd will tend to a sheep that is struggling with life’s challenges, God will draw us in and restore our soul.

·       Within restoration we can find the idea of rescuing a lost one. Picture a straying sheep being brought back to the shepherd’s care.

·        Loneliness and confusion are replaced with fellowship and direction.

·       The world does not change, we change. We change because in seeking our Shepherd, we find hope which comes from Him giving us Himself. And He will never leave, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt28:20).

·        Guidance of the Good Shepherd has a moral aspect.

·        We are strengthened in our journey in following the path of God’s commandments.

·        Displaying the glory of His grace and the goodness of His nature.