The Song of the Secure Sheep
Psalms 23
January 20, 2019
Well tonight we look at that famous 23rd Psalm.
• I don’t think there’s any debate that in the world, this one is the most famous.
• For many in church it was not only the first Psalm you ever memorized, but likely one of the first passages of Scripture you ever memorized.
In the sense of familiarity, it really doesn’t need an introduction.
Our culture is very familiar with it.
It is quoted many times at funerals.
The ironic thing about that is that it is not a song
That unbelievers really have any part in at all.
It is a song only for sheep who are following the true Shepherd.
Jesus made this pretty clear in John 10.
John 10:22-26 “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.”
Jesus was pretty clear that non-believers are NOT His sheep,
And He is NOT their shepherd.
At the time of the judgment this reality will be made even more distinct.
Matthew 25:31-34, 41 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…(41) “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;”
Not all are His sheep.
• His sheep believe in Him.
• His sheep know Him.
• His sheep hear His voice.
• His sheep follow Him.
Those that don’t do those things, are not His.
• And reading Psalms 23 doesn’t change that.
• Memorizing Psalms 23 doesn’t change that.
• For honestly, a non-believer has no part in the realities that are spoken of here.
This song is for those who are following Christ.
This song is for those who have submitted their lives
To the authority and guidance of the Good Shepherd.
If that is not you, then you have no part in this song.
What we actually have here is a song
Sung by the most grateful sheep in the world.
And this sheep is grateful because its realizes the blessing
Of having the world’s greatest shepherd.
• This is the song of the secure sheep
• This is the song of the content sheep
• This is the song of the blessed sheep
• This is the song of the healthy and protected and guided sheep
Jesus said:
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,”
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
We are confronted there with a shepherd so good
• That He will do whatever it takes to care for His flock; even laying down His own life on their behalf.
• That He is intimately concerned with each and every sheep, and knows each one of them personally and by name.
• That He does whatever it takes to protect them from destruction and promises that no one is able to ever threaten the security of on His own.
That’s a good shepherd.
Psalms 23 is the song of that Shepherd’s flock.
And by the way, the analogy of God shepherding His flock
Is not an isolated analogy.
One of the first to make this analogy was actually Jacob.
Genesis 48:15 “He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,”
During the Exodus God certainly functioned in this role for Israel.
Psalms 77:20 “You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
Psalms 78:52 “But He led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;”
Asaph certainly alluded to the imagery.
Psalms 79:13 “So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture Will give thanks to You forever; To all generations we will tell of Your praise.”
Psalms 80:1 “Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth!”
Isaiah spoke of it.
Isaiah 40:11 “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”
Jeremiah referenced it:
Jeremiah 23:3 “Then I Myself will gather the remnant of My flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their pasture, and they will be fruitful and multiply.”
Micah appealed to it.
Micah 5:4 “And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.”
Micah 7:14 “Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, The flock of Your possession Which dwells by itself in the woodland, In the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead As in the days of old.”
Zechariah referenced it:
Zechariah 9:16 “And the LORD their God will save them in that day As the flock of His people; For they are as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land.”
This is clearly a favorite among those
Whom the Lord used to deliver His word to the people.
In fact, even one of the 8 covenantal names of God is: JEHOVAH ROHI
Which means “The Lord is my Shepherd”
It is an often used description of
The way God functions in the care of His own.
But to fully understand why this is such a fitting analogy,
And to fully understand the declaration of Psalms 23
We first need to grasp how IMPORTANT THE SHEPHERD is to the sheep.
You need to see how important a shepherd is to the flock
And what a profound effect a shepherd can have.
TURN TO: Ezekiel 34
The entire chapter of Ezekiel 34 deals with the nation of Israel and reveals that perhaps one of the main reasons for her judgment was because she had bad shepherds.
Look at (Verses 1-6).
He is referencing the spiritual leaders of the nation.
• It was those who functioned as “under shepherds”.
• It was those who were supposed to rule and lead with God’s authority.
They had obviously failed miserably,
And THE EFFECTS OF THEIR BLUNDERS are spelled out.
What we see clearly is:
A BAD SHEPHERD WAS DISASTROUS FOR THE SHEEP
Bad shepherds don’t:
• Strengthen the sick (spiritually weak)
• Heal the diseased (those in consequences of sin)
• Bind up the broken (guide the repentant back)
• Bring back the scattered (those out of fellowship)
• Seek for the lost (lost sheep yet unredeemed)
AND ULTIMATELY THE SHEEP SUFFER FOR IT.
And if you’ve ever worked with sheep at all then you quickly learn that SHEEP NEED A SHEPHERD.
• They are naïve to danger
• They will follow blindly
• They will eat anything
• They are mindless
• They are defenseless
If sheep are going to survive
They need someone to watch out for them continually.
In our day it has gotten somewhat easier with the institution of fences and pens and sheds, etc.
But in Bible times, they had none of those things.
It was the job of the shepherd to keep the sheep together,
To keep them fed, and to keep them safe.
A bad shepherd was disastrous for the sheep.
SHEEP NEED A SHEPHERD who will care for them 24/7
And devote his life and safety to their life and safety.
Do you remember David’s testimony about his own shepherding days?
1 Samuel 17:34-35 “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, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.”
Now that’s shepherding!
THE SHEPHERD MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE
Well, with that as a backdrop
Perhaps you now better understand David’s boast in verse 1.
“The LORD is my shepherd,”
How’s that for remarkable?
Talk about fortunate!
If you’ve ever read any books or listened to any interview from the old players from the Dallas Cowboys; those who played in the 60’s – 80’s.
They’ll all tell you that one of the reasons for their success, was that they always knew they had a chance to win, even when the game was going south.
Partly that confidence was in players like Staubach or Lilly or Pearson, etc.
But ultimately those players will tell you that they believed they would win because they knew they had the smartest coach on the planet.
THEIR GENERAL was just that much ahead of the curve…
THEIR MASTER just understood the game better than the rest…
It was the benefit of having the best leader available.
Well, in an infinitely greater sense,
That is the type of boast David is making here.
“The LORD is my shepherd”
You know…
• The LORD who created the universe in six days…
• The LORD who delivered His people from the iron furnace of Egypt…
• The LORD who parted the Red Sea…
• The LORD who rained manna from heaven and drew water from a rock…
• The LORD who made the sun stand still…
Yeah, that one…we’ll HE’S MY SHEPHERD!
He’s the one who is personally taking care of me.
He’s the one who is looking out for my best interest.
And that helps us better understand
Why David made that next statement.
“I shall not want”
It doesn’t mean that there will never be difficult or scary times,
BUT RATHER THAT REGARDLESS OF THOSE TIMES
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE IN BETTER HANDS.
You’ve got the best of the best of the best.
That is what David says.
It is the song of this highly contented and secure sheep.
Well, the remainder of the song is to SUPPORT THAT BOAST.
It’s as if one sheep is boasting to another about how great his shepherd is, and then says, “Well, I can prove it.”
Here are some of the benefits of having my shepherd.
There are 5 of them.
#1 DOESN’T WANT FOR PROVISION
Psalms 23:2
Here David says:
“He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”
Now you may already RECOGNIZE ONE DISCREPANCY with the video I showed you earlier regarding “green pastures”
• The video showed a shepherd who was leading his flock through the pastures.
• One step at a time, one mouthful at a time.
• And we understand that.
But remember, this sheep in Psalms 23
Is boasting of the greatness of his shepherd to the other sheep.
And he DOESN’T SAY that my shepherd leads me through green pastures, David says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures”
Here the sheep has been led through, has had plenty to eat,
And being full, has now laid down to rest.
IT IS A PICTURE OF FULL PROVISION.
He goes on to say, “He leads me beside quite waters.”
• Not stagnant waters
• Not rushing waters
But fresh and gentle water.
And taken together what you see there is a sheep that is boasting to other sheep that HIS SHEPHERD HAS NEVER LET HIM GO HUNGRY.
• He leads me to food, I always have enough.
• He leads me to water, there is always enough.
• My shepherd knows how to meet my needs.
Obviously as opposed to some false shepherd
Who starves the sheep and leaves them hungry.
And we are reminded of the PROMISES.
Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Or the sermon of Jesus
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”
Matthew 6:31-32 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
We have that type of Shepherd.
We don’t want for provision.
He cares for us.
And if we were to take the time tonight in the service,
I could let each and every person in here stand and you could all give multiple testimonies to the Lord’s provision in your lives.
• Times when you didn’t know how you’d make ends meet and God came
through…
• Times when you had more than enough because God had been overly
generous…
• Or maybe even the steady faithfulness of being able to look back over the
entire course of your life and seeing how God had always provided…
It is one of the easiest realities to see in our lives.
God has provided.
Always what we needed when we needed it.
And that’s what David boasts about.
I don’t want for provision because I have the LORD as my shepherd.
• He owns the cattle on a thousand hills…
• Every beast of the forest is His…
• He commands the rains to water the fields…
• He commands the seed to grow and sprout…
HE CAN CARE FOR HIS FLOCK.
Doesn’t want for provision
#2 DOESN’T WANT FOR DIRECTION
Psalms 23:3
When I was about 10 years old my family and grandparents were on a vacation to Red River, NM.
• On one day we decided to drive to Taos just to look around and on the way we stopped at a roadside park to eat a sandwich.
• We noticed a hiking trail leading up from the park and so my dad, and mom, and sister and I started up while my grandparents got the food out.
• About 6 hours later we found ourselves at a convenient store that was somewhere around 30 highway miles from where we had started begging a ride from the man in the store to take us back to where we started.
OBVIOUSLY WE GOT LOST
We had taken a trail without knowing any better and we found ourselves for most of the day in the middle of the wilderness with no clue where to go.
I still remember my grandpa getting mad at my day, not necessarily for getting lost, but for never having been in boy scouts as a kid and not even knowing which side of the tree moss grows on.
If you’ve ever found yourself lost in unfamiliar territory,
Then you understand the importance of a good guide.
Well a sheep is certainly at the mercy of its shepherd in that regard.
• A sheep is going everywhere with its head down looking for food.
• It’s just following the shepherd blindly.
And David here says that when it comes to direction,
Never has a flock had a better navigator than our shepherd.
“He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.”
That statement “He restores my soul” my be a little familiar to you.
Back in Psalms 19 when we talked about the benefits of God’s word, we read:
Psalms 19:7 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
You might remember that the word “restoring” there
Comes from a Hebrew word which means “to turn back”
We talked about it more like restoring a broken piece of furniture
Back to its intended condition.
Well that’s the same word David uses here
To describe the benefits of his shepherd.
He doesn’t just make sure I always know where to walk,
But when I misstep,
He is always there to turn me back to where I need to be.
He is watching out for me.
• We see this certainly in forms like discipline and correction and conviction.
• We gain it from His word which quickly tells us to turn around and quit walking in a certain direction.
DAVID ADDS that his shepherd also
“guides me in the paths of righteousness”
It’s NOT just paths of SAFETY, but paths of “righteousness”
He is always out to make me a better sheep.
He takes me where I need to go, not necessarily where I want to go.
And here David even says WHY.
NOT “for my well-being” though it certainly is.
David says that the LORD shepherds him like that,
“for His names sake”
ON ONE HAND we could just say that God does it for the sake of His reputation.
We hear passages like this in Ezekiel
(speaking of God’s redemption of Israel)
TURN TO: Ezekiel 36:22-32
• That is Ezekiel’s sermon on the coming New Covenant and certainly God makes it clear that His redemption of Israel is about His name no longer being profaned among the nations.
I think we can make this analogy here as well.
Certainly the health of the flock was a reflection on the shepherd.
• Several years ago when Leo and I went to the Shepherd’s Conference at John MacArthur’s church. We stayed over until Sunday, after having been through the conference all week.
• We had heard how they take roll, and how they have multiple shepherds and elders caring for and checking on each member of the flock. We heard how they led and ministered and guided the people.
• Then on Sunday, we attended and the work was apparent. What I saw was a contented and secure flock.
• And incidentally, realizing the work to be too much for one man, that’s we came back talking about elders, and I still pray that God will open that door here.
THE POINT was, the flock testified to the work of their shepherds.
Their contentment and security and faithfulness
Was a testimony to the hard work of the shepherds in that church.
And certainly that is part of it here.
God is glorified in His sheep,
When they are righteous and when they walk down the right path.
But I think there is even more here than that.
When we talk about God’s name
We are talking about the totality of all His attributes.
We are talking about who He is.
And I think David is including that too.
When I misstep, He brings me back.
He is always pushing me down the righteous path.
WHY?
BECAUSE THAT’S WHO HE IS!
• He just can’t watch His sheep fall into destruction, so He is always guiding and restoring and returning and directing.
Isn’t that our God?
He guides us.
Paul said:
Romans 8:14 “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The Spirit of God leads His children.
That’s what He does.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”
• That may include correction
• That may include discipline
• That may include conviction
But rest assured, God does not allow His sheep
To just wander aimlessly down a path of destruction.
I’m confident that just as you can testify to God’s provision in your life,
You can also testify to His direction.
We could all again stand and share stories of how the Lord
Has restored us or returned us or directed us in life.
We have a Good Shepherd.
Doesn’t want for Provision; Doesn’t want for Direction
#3 DOESN’T WANT FOR COMFORT
Psalms 23:4
First we recognize that David is NOT INSINUATING
That life is all cupcakes and tulips.
Even as the flock of God we face danger.
David here referred to it as “the valley of the shadow of death”
And David says, “I walk through” that valley.
It is danger and lethal danger.
And yet, even in the midst of that danger
We see once again the quiet confidence of the sheep.
“I fear no evil”
Instead of fear, I have confidence.
Why?
“for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
• “the rod” was the club that the shepherd used to beat off the predators.
• “the staff” was the one with the crook used to pull the sheep close.
If danger arises, my shepherd can handle it…he has a rod.
If I get too close to danger, my shepherd will pull me back…he has a staff.
Because of that I don’t fear.
I’m not worried about what’s coming.
My shepherd can handle it.
And even in this statement, notice the specific words that are used.
“through” as in the reality that my journey through death is not permanent, but temporary
“the valley” where certainly times can be hard, but we are also aware that the most fertile soil is in the valley and that is where the best fruit is produced.
“the shadow of death” not the full reality.
• No one has ever been killed by the shadow of a sword.
• No one has ever been run over by the shadow of a truck.
Indeed it may be a close call, and it may certainly feel spooky,
But there’s no need to fear for even in that close call,
The shepherd is with you.
As one preacher put it: “Christ never promised to get you out of all your trouble, but He did promise to get into all your trouble with you.”
He pulled Daniel out of the lion’s den,
But he jumped in the furnace with his friends.
And this is a confidence for us that
Our shepherd holds the keys of death and hades,
And because He lives we will live also.
We have comfort in knowing that.
Paul spoke of how he learned this comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,”
That is the “even though”
• Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego said, “even if He doesn’t deliver us from the fire, we still aren’t bowing”
The Lord’s sheep have that kind of comfort.
He’ll either keep me from it, or lead me through it.
But either way, He will handle it.
#4 DOESN’T WANT FOR BLESSING
Psalms 23:5
Here there is more of a banquet theme than necessarily a shepherd one,
But the analogy is still a beautiful one.
It is a picture of a man
• Who has been harassed and attacked and maligned.
• But at the last, at the day of victory, he is utterly vindicated.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”
• It is Mordecai being led through the streets in honor by the man Haman who wanted to hang him.
• It is Joseph seeing his brothers each kneeling before him.
God vindicates His own.
Revelation 3:9 “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie — I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.”
We have a shepherd who will not stand
For His sheep to be wronged forever.
He will vindicate them.
Colossians 3:1-4 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”
This is a promise to which every believer clings that we also
“will be revealed with Him in glory.”
God’s children get the last laugh.
And the glory poured upon them is lavish to say the least.
“You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows”
It is very simply an analogy of blessing.
• You have blessed me and blessed me and blessed me and blessed me.
• You have filled my cup beyond its capacity.
Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
It is just a picture of the Lord’s ability to bless His own.
Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,”
That is the benefit of being one His sheep.
#5 DON’T WANT FOR HOPE
Psalms 23:6
This is the outlook for the LORD’S sheep.
They certainly aren’t pessimistic.
• sure, the pasture looks like rocks and there is no water in sight.
• sure, there are trails a plenty and we don’t know which way to go.
• sure, there is a valley there where we will face death.
• sure, we face persecution and maligning and distress from the goats.
But because we know our Shepherd,
We have nothing but utter confidence and hope in the future.
“Surely goodness and lovingkindness (CHECED) will follow me all the days of my life,”
And then when life is over:
“I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
It doesn’t matter what perils we face in this life, we have the best Shepherd ever seen. We have the LORD!
• We have His goodness
• We have His loyalty
• We have His promises
We smile at the future!
This was what Paul reminded Timothy of in that 2nd letter.
2 Timothy 1:8-12 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
It is the believer’s hope that even after the shadow of death w
E will dwell with the Lord forever!
No wonder Paul could also say:
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
He knew his Shepherd.
And I remind you of yours again too.
John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”
Now, can I remind you of one more thing?
• David boasted about the goodness of His shepherd to the world!
• He understood that He was a good shepherd “for His name’s sake”
David didn’t wine…
David didn’t complain…
David didn’t lament…
He rejoiced in the great journey he was on with his shepherd.
Remember that when you go out into the world.
The behavior and attitude of the sheep
Is a direct reflection on the sufficiency of their shepherd.
Don’t sing about what a pitiful shepherd you have to the world.
Don’t sing as a neglected sheep (for you most certainly are not!)
• Sing as a secure sheep!
• Sing as a contented sheep!
• Sing as a protected sheep!
• Sing as a guided sheep!
SING:
Great is Thy faithfulness O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever will be
Pardon for sin And a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer And to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside
Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me
