The Twenty-third Psalm

     March 19, 2006

    

     Introduction

    

         The 23rd Psalm:  why is it such a favorite?  Why is quoted so many time and in so many places?  Why is it that it is quoted as a “stand alone,” without comment?  Why, Why, Why?  Why is it so special? 

 

(Psalms 23 NKJV)  The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. (4) 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. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

 

            On April 19th, 1998, I preached my first sermon after my aorta dissected on March 4 of that year.  I still have my notes of that sermon, and I won’t repeat everything this morning that I said at that time, but I preached on the 23rd Psalm, especially verse 4.  I would like to say some things this morning that I did not say at that time.

    

Body

    

I.  David begins by saying, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”

 

  1. I don’t know what that means to you, but David was a shepherd.

 

1.      David risked his life to save the sheep. 

 

(1 Samuel 17:32-37 NKJV)  Then David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." (33) And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." (34) But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, (35) I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. (36) "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God." (37) Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"

 

  1. Jesus was, and is our Shepherd.

 

(John 10:11-14 NKJV)  ""I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. {12} "But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. {13} "The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. {14} "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."

 

1.      Jesus did give His life for the sheep.

 

(John 10:17-18 NKJV)  ""Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. {18} "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.""

 

2.      He was the good Shepherd; He was also the Lamb of God.

 

(John 1:29 NKJV)  "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

 

II.     The Lord will provide.  (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

 

  1. David says the Lord will provide.

  2. Jesus assures us that God will provide for us as well.

 

(Mat 6:31-33 NKJV)  ""Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' {32} "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. {33} "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

 

III.   He will restore my soul: (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

 

  1. “He restores my soul.”

 

(Isa 40:28-31 NKJV)  "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. {29} He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. {30} Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, {31} But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint."

 

  1. “He leads me in the paths of righteousness.’

 

1.      His is the way of truth and love.

2.      His is the way of honor and uprightness and integrity.

 

  1. “For His name's sake” – not my name sake!

 

1.      God does these things because of Who He is, not because of who I am.

 

IV.  (4) “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.”

 

  1. Eight years ago, I walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

 

1.      I think the peace and calm that God gave me helped save my life and make it the shadow, and not the real thing.

2.      The day after I was dismissed from the hospital, I sent this e-mail to family and friends:  It basically began:

 

Thank God Who is still Almighty--Who never sleeps--Who knows the very hairs of our head--which must means He know if anything has gone wrong.  He still hears prayers--He still cares beyond our abiity to comprehend-- Who hears us in our hours of greatest need.  I feel a little like King David, in his telling the greatness of  God, and his close walk with Him, but so inadequate to put it into words

 

3.      David said, For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

  1. Many here this morning have walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

 

  1. David had experienced the valley of the shadow of death several times.

 

1.      First with the lion and the bear.

2.      Then as he faced Goliath.

3.      Then as he fled from Saul at least twice.

 

(1 Samuel 20:3 NKJV)  Then David took an oath again, and said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."

 

Conclusion

 

I.                    The 23rd Psalm.  No wonder it is such a classic and known by so many.

II.                 Is the Lord your Shepherd?

 

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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