Who wrote Psalm 23?
David but it is always intriguing to read liberal commentaries that
still question the literal rendering in Hebrew & in the Greek Septuagint
"A
Psalm of
David"
When in his life did David write?
One cannot be dogmatic but mention of valley of shadow of death &
enemies recalls to mine those enemies like Saul (1Sa 18,
etc) & Absalom who sought his life (2
Sa 15-17,
see "The
Darkest Days of David’s Life").
This would at least suggest that this song was written later in his life
and not necessarily when he was a shepherd lad pasturing his flocks. He
undoubtedly never forgot his "roots".
What are David's "credentials"?
As alluded to above David was a shepherd (cf
1Sa 16:11 "There
remains yet the youngest, & behold, he is tending (shepherding) the
sheep." cf also 1Sa 17:15,28, 2Sa
7:8)
Did David
understand the responsibility the shepherd had to defend his sheep?
(see passage below)
1Sa 17:34-37
(explaining to Saul why he should be allowed to defend the" flock"
of Israel from the "predator" Goliath) But
David
said to
Saul, "Your
servant was
tending his
father's
sheep. When a
lion or a
bear
came and
took a
lamb from the
flock, I
went out
after him and
attacked him &
rescued it from his
mouth & when he
rose up
against me, I
seized him by his
beard &
struck him &
killed him. Your
servant has
killed
both the
lion & the
bear &
this
uncircumcised
Philistine will be like
one of them,
since he has
taunted the
armies of the
living
God." &
David
said, "The
LORD (Jehovah)
Who
delivered me from the
paw of the
lion & from the
paw of the
bear, He will
deliver me from the
hand of
this
Philistine."
What are the the metaphors David uses in Psalm 23?
Sheep (implied) & Shepherd. A
metaphor (see
synopsis of figurative Language
or
click here)
is a word or phrase with one distinct meaning used in place of another
word, to paint so to speak a "word picture" of the word it is used in
place of. So for example In Psalm 23 what is David picturing himself as?
Obviously as a "sheep". In the first 4 verses he speaks from the
perspective of a sheep, a metaphor which brings to our mind many
comparisons as almost everyone is familiar with sheep. It is interesting
to note that "sheep" are the most commonly mentioned animal in the Bible &
are used some 400x (including the term "flocks") with "shepherd(s)" being
used >100x.
Does God
characterize men as "sheep" anywhere else in scripture? Again the
obvious answer is "Yes" and we'll look at several of those passages in
these notes.
How does Is 53:6 characterize men(2)?
Is 53:6
All of us like
sheep have
gone
astray.
Each of us has
turned to his own
way; but the
LORD has caused the
iniquity of us
all to
fall on Him."
(Spurgeon
devotional)
Men are like sheep.
What do "sheep" do?
They stray. Notice the "all" which
takes care of all humanity, but then the use of "each"
brings it to a very personal level. So God says mankind is like sheep,
which should be a humbling revelation when we consider the nature of
sheep. Dogs can often find their way home but not sheep. But no matter how
far the sheep wander -- if they are truly His sheep -- He will find them &
bring them home. This truth should encourage us all, for as the hymn
writer says below, we are "prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to
leave the God I love." Praise God for His seeking, restoring grace.
You are never so lost that the Good Shepherd cannot find you.
"Straying" sheep are also seen in (Ps 119:176,
Spurgeon's note;
Mt 18:12,13, 14, Lk 15:4, 1Peter 2:25
[note]) (Click
illustration of potential cost of
straying)
From "Come Thou
Fount of Every Blessing"
(play
midi)
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love,
Here's my heart. O take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wand'ring from the fold of God,
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let they goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee
WHAT ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEEP? HOW DO THESE APPLY TO MANKIND?
Webster's definition for "sheep" is interesting:
"a timid and defenseless
creature"
Dumb (You won't find sheep acts in the circus because they can't be
trained to perform). Sheep are singularly unintelligent & they don't learn
from mistakes but in fact often repeat them. They tend to wander &
go astray & are unable to find their way home to the sheepfold even when it is
within sight! Now that is dumb! But knowing this the shepherd never takes
His eyes off His wandering sheep (cf Ps 32:8,
Spurgeon comments...
As servants take their cue from the master's eye, and a nod or a wink
is all that they require, so should we obey the slightest hints of our
Master, not needing thunderbolts to startle our incorrigible sluggishness,
but being controlled by whispers & love touches. The LORD is the great
overseer, Whose eye in providence overlooks everything. It is well for us
to be the sheep of His pasture, following the guidance of His wisdom.
Defenseless (No quills like porcupines, scent like skunks, claws like
cats or teeth like lions). A sheep's bite is harmless. Most have no horns.
Unable to defend themselves against attacks. Lambs are especially
vulnerable & in need of protection.
Shepherds on the Bethlehem hillsides still
use a sling, made of goat’s hair or leather and immortalized by David
against Goliath (1Sa 17:49).
Drown easily (wool soaks up the H2O & they sink to the bottom).
If they get on their backs they cannot right themselves. Kicking &
bleating doesn't help although their cries can alert the shepherd who sets
them on their feet again.
Danger poorly perceived (Poorly developed instincts to
warn them of potential danger) Often a sheep will wander into a briar
patch or fall over a cliff in the rugged Palestinian hills. The shepherd
tenderly searches for his sheep and carries it to safety on his shoulder,
wrapped in his own long cloak (Luke 15:3, 4, 5, 6).
Depend TOTALLY upon their shepherd.
Need meticulous care: Phillip Keller(1)
writes that
"Sheep do not "just take care of themselves" as some might
suppose. They require more than any other class of livestock, endless
attention and meticulous care."
In
water-hungry Syria and Palestine, shepherds have always had to search
diligently for water, sometimes for hours every day for they know that the
sheep must be watered daily.
Sheep have actually been known to nibble themselves over the cliff!
That is dumb! But as you say it or think it, remember that "sheep" are a
metaphor for men! So what is the great need for mankind? Clearly without a
tender, caring shepherd willing to lay down his life for the sheep, they
would surely perish & so it is with all men who do not have a "Good
Shepherd" (discussed
more fully in the next column)
WE ARE THE "SHEEP".
CONCLUSION:
SHEEP NEED A SHEPHERD
Sheep
need their shepherd's touch daily. Sheep answer his call, rub against his
leg & wait for a pat. Personal attention is better than food.
Satisfied sheep eat drink and get fat & fulfill their purpose. They
will only answer to the herdsman's call, except when sick.
Spurgeon adds in a
sermon
(The Blood of the Covenant)
sheep have nothing to do
with their own feeding, guidance, or protection; they have only to follow
their Shepherd unto the pastures which he prepares, and all will be well
with them
John
Walvoord writes that...
"Sheep are
utterly dependent upon the shepherd for almost everything pertaining to
their well-being. In the work of Christ for His sheep, there is
accordingly the ministry of leading the sheep in the path of the will of
God. Only as sheep are willing to follow Christ will they find their
complete spiritual needs supplied. It is their privilege to follow the
shepherd, completely trusting Him for all the things that characterize
their needs, such as food, water, shelter, and protection from their
enemies. Just as natural sheep follow their shepherd, so believers in the
Lord should follow Christ as the Great Shepherd and have their spiritual
needs completely supplied....The
green pastures and still waters are to be found by those who are near the
shepherd....(In sum we see) on the one hand, the wonderful divine
provision and on the other hand, the utter need of the sheep for that
which God alone can supply." John Walvoord:
Bibliotheca Sacra Vol 121: p298
What is the state of the sheep of the Good Shepherd according to
Psalm 23:1?
They shall not want (lack for anything they need). The Greek word for
"want" (lack, be without, have need) is
hustereo which means to "fall
short of the end" including falling short of expectations. Like the little
girl recalled who was memorizing Ps 23 "I shall not want- I've got all I
need". But not necessarily everything I want. The Shepherd
knows some things are not best for my spiritual health. This phrase
indicates that the Shepherd is committed to meet the needs of the sheep.
It could be paraphrased "The LORD is enough"! John D.
Rockefeller, the billionaire oil man, was once asked, "How much money is
enough?" He replied, "Just one more dollar." He was never satisfied &
the word "enough" eluded him all his days. For us who are His
sheep, the Lord is enough...but is He?...if we should have to declare
bankruptcy? Is the Lord enough... if we don't get that job we
desire? Is the Lord enough...if our husband or wife leaves us, or if they
die suddenly, or our children get sucked into the drug & alcohol scene? Is
the Lord enough...if we remain single all our life? Is the Lord
enough...if we are never a success by worldly standards? Pithy points
worth pondering.
Spurgeon writes
Does He not feed the ravens, and cause the lilies to grow? How, then, can
He leave His children to starve? I shall not want for spirituals, I know
that His grace will be sufficient for me. Resting in Him He will say to
me, "As thy day so shall thy strength be." I may not possess all that I
wish for, but "I shall not want." Others, far wealthier and wiser than I,
may want, but "I shall not." "The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger:
but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing." (Ps 34:10)
It is not only "I do not want," but "I shall not want." Come what may, if
famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, "I shall
not want." Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and
even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. I have all things
and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank,
not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because
"The Lord is my shepherd." The wicked always want, but the righteous
never; a sinner's heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit
dwells in the palace of content." (Ref)
Why do the sheep of Jehovah Roi not want?
1) PROVISION
(Ps 23:2):
He makes them lie down
(to lie stretched out)
in green pastures -
Green pastures and quiet waters are mentioned first because they are
priority needs of the sheep if they are to survive and grow. The idea here
is "He makes me rest" (the tense of the verb suggests He
repeats this action over & over) & the
Septuagint
uses a verb picturing "pitching a tent", "tabernacling" or tarrying.
Am I taking time to "pitch my tent" & "tarry" in the presence of the
pastoral provision of my Shepherd? Or am I so busy, in such a hurry, that
I hardly hear His voice? The Shepherd went before the sheep & searched out
the places of repose but the sheep had to follow Him. Are you following
the Shepherd's lead or going your own way, to pastures of your own making
(Pr 14:12)? Notice that the implications of the psalm are that sustenance is
discovered only as the sheep follow the shepherd. He will lead them to
quiet waters and green pastures, but if they fail to follow the Shepherd,
they may well find themselves with unresolved needs. Have you noticed
that your satisfaction level is directly related to your proximity to the
Good Shepherd? Remember also that Israel was an arid land so it took a
wise experienced shepherd to find the oases. Any disturbance or intruder
scares sheep. They are very fearful & cannot lie down unless they feel
totally secure as the were here in the setting of green pastures & in
the presence of their watching Shepherd. Similarly hungry sheep
would not lie down. So when sheep are lying down in green pastures, it
means their tummies are full. They are content with the Shepherd's
provision. Are you?
What are the "green pastures"? Although, we cannot be dogmatic,
surely this picture includes the nourishment found in the Word of God (cf
Jer 15:16 ) which alone satisfies the Good Shepherd's flock. As the Good
Shepherd of the sheep He meets every need of His flock (Php 4:19note),
and there is no want to those who trust him. When we follow the Shepherd
closely, His will and desires will become our will and desires. We can
trust the Good Shepherd to be consistent with His own nature. As someone
has well said, the "Secret" of growing in grace is to be like a sheep &
to FILL UP, LIE DOWN & RUMINATE (Meditate) A hungry, ill fed
sheep is ever on its feet, on the move, searching for another scanty
mouthful of forage to try and satisfy its gnawing hunger. Such sheep are
not contented, do not thrive & are no use to themselves nor to their
owners. They languish and lack vigor and vitality. Can we not see the
clear spiritual application? ARE YOU RESTING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE
SHEPHERD OR RESTLESS BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR GREENER PASTURES of
INFERIOR FORAGE?
In his "Farm
Sermons" Spurgeon comments that
Just as the sheep
has nourishment according to its nature, and this nourishment is
abundantly found for it by its shepherd, so that it not only feeds, but
then lies down in the midst of the fodder, satiated with plenty, and
perfectly content and at ease; even so are the people of God when Jesus
Christ leads them into the pastures of the covenant, and opens up to them
the precious truths upon which their souls shall be fed. Beloved, have we
not proved that promise true...My soul has sometimes fed upon Christ till
I have felt as if I could receive no more, and then I have laid me down in
the bounty of my
God to take my rest,
satisfied with favor, and full of the goodness of the Lord.
2) PEACEFUL REST (Ps 23:2):
He leads me beside quiet waters.
Lit. "waters of resting places," i.e., restful waters--waters that provide
refreshment and well-being (Is 49:10). Sheep are afraid of fast flowing
streams. God’s provision of still waters has a soothing effect & calms the
sheep. The root word for "quiet" (hold pointer over
"quiet" for Septuagint or Lxx word)
in
Hebrew = "absence of movement" w/ the idea of being settled
next to the waters to which He leads me. The verb
hodegeo
is used by the
Septuagint
(or Lxx) is) to translate the Hebrew word for "leads"
& interestingly is the same verb used by John to describe the
leading of the Holy Spirit
(Jn 16:13) & is also used to describe the leading of the
Lamb in (Rev 7:17
[note]:
the
Lamb in the center of the throne will
be their
Shepherd, and will guide (hodegeo)
them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from
their eyes.").
Similarly the Lxx word for "quiet"
(anapausis)
is used by Jesus Himself in His invitation for all those who are weary &
heavy laden to come to Him (Mt 11:29).
Spurgeon adds
Our Lord leads us beside these "still waters;" we
could not go there of ourselves, we need his guidance, therefore it is
said, "he leadeth me." He does not drive us. Moses drives us by the law,
but Jesus leads us by his example, and the gentle drawing of his love.
3) POWER RESTORED: He restores my soul.
(Ps 23:3)
He
revives me &
refreshes my spirit, where the Hebrew word "shuwb" (shuv) describes
movement back to the point of departure, a reversal of direction
(literally in 2 Ki 20:10) so one sense of restoring our souls may be that
He restores us from our wandering way (cf Ps 51:12 where David prays to be
restored; cf Ps 85:4, 5, 6, 7). In addition our "spiritual battery" tends
to run down with the toil & testing of each day & thus we find ourselves
in daily need of restoration & revival (2 Cor 4:16, cf Ps 119:25
-
Spurgeon note).
But how? Thru disciplined regular intake of His life giving Word (cp Ps
19:7
"The
law of the
LORD is
PERFECT,
restoring the
soul" -
Spurgeon note)
& thru the
ministry of the Spirit of Christ. While a shepherd provides his sheep with
food, rest & restoration, God provides His sheep with His Word, which is
the principle means of giving spiritual nourishment, rest & restoration.
Do you feel rested & restored? Are you daily taking in the Word? (if you
having difficulty w/ this discipline let me encourage you to begin reading
brief devotional in the
Daily Bread along
w/ the Scriptural passage. The more you eat "good food" the
more you will desire it.)
Spurgeon: "Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb?
He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Pray to
him, then, for the blessing--"Restore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!"
(cf Ps 119:176-
Spurgeon note)
4).
PURPOSE REVEALED: He guides me in the paths of righteousness
(Psalm 23:3):
When we follow the Good Shepherd we will always be on the right paths,
which are safe & productive because of His leading. How does He
"guide" us today? A central aspect of this guidance comes from His Word
(Pr 6:22, 23, 2Pe 1:19
[note], Ps
17:4)
as well as from our "Helper",
the Holy Spirit Who
"will
guide (us) into
all the
truth" (Jn 16:13, 1Co 2:12, 13, 14)
Hemphill writes
Being on the right path does not mean that we
will not face danger or difficulty as we follow the Shepherd. In verse 4,
the reader is reminded that the sheep may have to travel through the
valley of death, yet the sheep are assured that no evil will befall them
if they remain near the shepherd. We frequently desire and plead that we
might avoid the difficult circumstances of life, when in truth our
greatest concern should always be our proximity to the Shepherd. (Ref)
Four
characterizing activities of the Lord as Shepherd (i.e., emphasizing His
grace and guidance) are followed by the ultimate basis for His goodness,
i.e., “His name’s sake” (cf. Ps 25:11; 31:3; 106:8; Is 43:25; 48:9; Ezek.
36:22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32) God guides us for the sake of his reputation. The prosperity of the Lord's
servant brings honor to the Lord's name. The professional guide’s “name”
or reputation was the traveler’s only guarantee of protection and safe
arrival, as it was the guide’s main claim to employment.
The measure of a shepherd is the condition of his flock. God’s reputation
rests upon His ability to guide and care for His people.
Ken Hemphill
adds:
Don't overlook the
fact that the green pastures and the still waters are the essential
provision by which the shepherd restores the sheep for their journey. It
is important for us to remember that the journey is not complete when the
sheep reach the green pastures and the still waters. The sheep are only
being restored so that they might continue the journey, which may well
lead them through dark valleys before the day is done. Rest is always a
means to an end. The Shepherd renews the sheep so that they might follow
Him as He leads them in the paths of righteousness. (Ref)
5)
PROTECTION RIGHT BY MY SIDE:
Our Shepherd
goes before us when the path is smooth, but He stands beside us when the
way is dangerous and frightening. In a way the best 2 words in the entire
Psalm are "WITH ME". How often the assurance of
His presence has encouraged the hearts of tremulous saints walking through
valleys with dark shadows (cf Moses Ex 3, Joshua Dt 31:6-8, Josh 1:5,9,
the remnant of believing Israel Isaiah 43:1, 5, every saint of every age
Ps 46:7, Heb 13:5,6, Mt 28:18, 19, 20) The presence of the shepherd also
offers comfort to the flock. Sheep are content merely to be in the same field
with their shepherd; Christians are comforted by the very presence of the
Lord. This thought is especially comforting when darkness overshadows the
believer.
It is the Shepherd's presence which dispels our fears. (See
Spurgeon's devotional) How often we turn a corner (even when being
led in the paths of righteousness) & find ourselves plunged into
deep darkness against our will! The fact that God was David’s shepherd did
not keep him from many trials and tribulations (1 Sa 18:6-9)
nor will it shelter us from similar dark valleys. Life is full of "deep
darknesses". In these tight & suffocating places, the walls begin to close
in, the light is expelled, & our vision becomes very dim.
But in the valley of deep darkness in Ps 23:4, we "see" our Good Shepherd
in a much more personal way. (Click real life example during US Civil War) We may not be able to
literally see Him, but He is present. This Lord Who Is Here, Yahweh, is
indeed with us in those times of darkness. Notice the shift in the
pronouns from "HE" ("he makes me", etc) in (Ps
23:1, 2, 3) to
"Thou" when he entered the valley of deep darkness.
David clearly reaffirms the sufficiency of His Great Shepherd as he
exclaims "Thou art with me!" Is there any other place more fitting for
us to find Him this intimately than in the moments of darkness & despair?
Don't despise the dark valleys for in them you will discover sweet
communion with
"Shepherd
&
Guardian of your souls"
(1Pe 2:25-note),
no longer ahead, to lead, but alongside to escort. And so in keeping with
David's opening affirmation, we will never “want” or lack for the comfort
which comes from the Shepherd's presence, power & protection. While we are
never promised there will be no evil, we can be assured that we need “fear
no evil”
(v4), for we will always be in the Shepherd’s presence if we follow Him in
His paths. How did David qualify the valley of death? It was only a "shadow"
for to the LORD's sheep death is but a doorway into the Shepherd's
presence. The Good Shepherd in laying down His life was then
brought up from the dead as the "Great
Shepherd"
(Heb 13:12,21note)
thus conquering
death. (1Cor 15:24,25, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
This
section is often applied to death of a saint to which Spurgeon writes
Observe
that it is not walking IN the valley, but THROUGH the
valley. We go through the dark tunnel of death and emerge into the light
of immortality. We do not die, we do but sleep to wake in glory. Death is
not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it." (Ref)
Elsewhere Spurgeon adds
Behold, how independent of outward circumstances the Holy Ghost can make
the Christian! What a bright light may shine within us when it is all dark
without! How firm, how happy, how calm, how peaceful we may be, when the
world shakes to and fro, and the pillars of the earth are removed! Even
death itself, with all its terrible influences, has no power to suspend
the music of a Christian's heart, but rather makes that music become more
sweet, more clear, more heavenly, till the last kind act which death can
do is to let the earthly strain melt into the heavenly chorus, the
temporal joy into the eternal bliss! Let us have confidence, then, in the
blessed Spirit's power to comfort us." (Click
for full devotional)
Chuck Smith from Calvary Chapel had the following interesting note
in a message on Psalm 23 especially the section referring to "death". He
says
Death doesn't hold any terror or fear for the child of God. A survey was
recently done among morticians 2000 of them responded to it. And it was a
survey that dealt with the preparation of bodies of those people who they
knew to be truly born again and those who were not, and you can ask a
mortician to put a smile on a persons face when they are dead. Did you
know that? Next to impossible, unless the person was a born again
Christian! And they had observed this phenomena and so they made a survey
among morticians, and it all came back, yes, they had all observed the
same phenomena.
Interesting
isn't it?
What gave David comfort? (Psalm 23:4)
"Thy
rod & Thy
staff".
The shepherd's
ROD was generally a short club used to fight off wild beasts &
clearly pictures PROTECTION. The "STAFF" was a slender
pole with a little crook on the end used to aid the sheep & depicts
GUIDANCE (how many times have we seen the idea of guidance in Ps 23?
Why so frequent?) The crook of the staff could be hooked around the leg of
a sheep rescue him from harm.
Has He ever rescued you from harm?
Gentle taps of the staff on the sheep's side provided direction & even
discipline for sheep that were prone to wander from the "narrow path". In
sum the Shepherd's
rod and staff comfort the us as "sheep" because they convince us he has
the necessary equipment to dispose of any evil or enemy we may meet in the
darkness. What is your impression of God? A gentle Shepherd or an angry
ogre eager to beat us? Note that the shepherd was not waiting for the
sheep to take one false step so he could whap them. Our Shepherd is gentle
in His directing & even in His disciplining of His sheep. Note also that
while God may not always use His power to keep us out of trials, His
presence and His power will always be with us to keep us through our
trials.
At times the
shepherd will throw his rod at a stubborn, straying sheep that refuses to
hear his voice. At other times he gently nudges the stray with the end of
his six-foot staff, crooked at one end to fit his strong hand.
(1)
A
Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by Phillip Keller, Zondervan
(2)
NOTE: As alluded to above,
God frequently uses the metaphor of
sheep to describe mankind, but be aware that most of the Old
Testament sheep metaphors refer to Israel. I personally think that
many of these passages can be legitimately applied to believers today
and that is the general approach of these notes (cf Jn 10:16). I do
not believe however that the church has replaced Israel (cf
Jer 31, esp Jer 31:36; see also
Ro 11:11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,
25, 26, 27 -
see notes)nor that God's covenant
promises & plans for Israel will culminate & be brought to fruition until
Messiah returns to reign in Jerusalem as the King of kings & LORD of
lords.
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