INTRODUCTION
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (NASB)
Certainly the most familiar psalm, and perhaps the most familiar passage in the whole Bible, Psalm 23 is a challenge for the interpreter.
On one hand, its familiarity and obvious power seem to make commentary superfluous.
On the other hand, its very familiarity invites the attempt to hear it in a fresh way.
The challenge in this regard is the fact that Psalm 23 has become what William L. Holladay calls, “an American secular icon,” and it is almost exclusively associated with a particular contemporary setting: the funeral service. To be sure, it is appropriate that Psalm 23 be read and heard in the midst of death and dying.
It may be more important, however, that this psalm be read and heard as a psalm about living, for it puts daily activities, as such as eating, drinking, and seeking security, in a radically God-centered perspective that challenges our usual way of thinking.
Furthermore, it calls us not simply to claim individual assurance but also to take our place with others in the household of God.
Psalm 23 is divided into two sections.
The first section, verses 1 to 3, might be call the “He” section, which describes the way the Shepherd cares for His sheep.
He does everything for us; we are not required to do anything but follow. He protects and provides for us as we stay close to Him. So we could say that the theme for these first three verses implies relationship.
He is my Shepherd and Lord.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
The second section, verses 4 to 6, tells us what the sheep receive.
The relationship between the sheep and the Shepherd is two way. In the first half of the Psalm we see all the great and wonderful things our Lord does for us, without having to do anything.
The second half of the Psalm is the “I” section. Because the Shepherd has done everything for me, I am now responsible to follow Him closely so He can provide for me and protect me.
What does this mean for me His sheep?
I will fear no evil.
I will have Him with me always.
I will be comforted by His rod and staff.
I will eat from a prepared table.
I will have my head anointed with oil.
I will have goodness and mercy follow me.
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
While there has been no election or contest to determine our society’s favorite Bible passage, the 23rd Psalm is clearly the most beloved passages of Scripture because of the way it has become woven into the fabric of our lives.
We often hear it quoted at funerals, baptisms, and other religious services. Many people can quote it word for word, while others, both inside and outside the Church, who do not know the Psalm by heart nevertheless recognize it when they hear it.
Let’s begin our journey into this Psalm of David and find out what he learned about YAHWEH ROHI.
Verse 1: The Lord Is My Shepherd I Shall Not Want
The Lord.
The problem with most of us is that we have no clear picture of the God we worship.
Our image of Him is clouded by the memory of cold cathedrals and bitter religion, by pastors and priests who put the fear of God in us, or by all that we suffered as children from fathers who were absent, emotionally detached, brutal or weak.
All of us have inexact notions of God.
So this leads us to some questions:
Who is God?
Who is the Lord?
What is His character?
Does He have adequate credentials to be my shepherd, my manager, my owner?
And if He does, how do I come under His control?
In what ways do I become the object of His concern and diligent care?
These are penetrating, searching questions and they deserve honest and basic examination.
The question, “Who is the Lord?” to which all other questions lead, is the question God Himself has put into our hearts. And if He put it into our hearts, there must be an answer in His heart waiting to be revealed.
David gives us a comforting and compelling answer: “ The Lord is my shepherd.”
When David stated explicitly. “The Lord is my shepherd,” to whom did he refer?
David’s opening statement in Psalm 23 introduces the controlling image that appears throughout this Psalm.
He referred to “YAHWEH”, the Lord God of Israel.
This is the personal name of God. It means “I AM WHO I AM.” It means, “I will be Who I will be,” and “the Self-existent Being.”
This is the name He gave Himself in Exodus 3:4 when Moses asked Him whom shall I say sent me.
God’s name identifies His nature, so that a request for the “Name” is equivalent to asking about His character: Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, Jehovah Rophe. The Lord our Healer; Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner.
The name YAHWEH (JEHOVAH) is used for God instead of another name or title.
Why is it used instead of another name for, God? Why not ELOHIM? Why not EL SHADDAI?
Why not EL-ELYON? Why not ADONAI?
Do a word study of “God” and “Lord” in the book of Psalms. You will find YAHWEH or JEHOVAH is used more than any other name for God.
EL Shaddai and El Elyon were the names revealed to Abraham.
YAHWEH was the name was given to Moses as a memorial in Exodus 3:4.
The personal name of God used here denotes God being “ I Am the Shepherd, YAHWEH ROHI."
Of all the names that describe the character of God, JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is most descriptive.
JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is the most frequently used names of God in Scripture. It occurs 6,823 times.
JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) describes for us a God that is absolutely self-existent. It literally means “One who is what He is.” JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) possesses essential life and permanent existence. That is why He could say to Moses to tell them, “I AM THAT I AM, has sent you.”
JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is that name which reveals to us that god is holy above all else. The seraphim in Isaiah 6:3 cried, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord (JEHOVAH)(YAHWEH) of hosts.”
His very essence is holiness. JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) loves righteousness in His people and blesses them accordingly. (Deuteronomy 11L13, 14) By contrast, JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) hates sin and will judge iniquity. (Exodus 20:4-6)
JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is that name of God that is concerned with revealing new truth. It is not “thus saith God “ (ELOHIM). It is, “thus saith the Lord (JEHOVAH)(YAHWEH). Hundreds of times JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) reveals new truth to His servants. (Jeremiah 1:4, 7, 9, 11) JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is the God of special revelation.
JEHOVAH (YAHWEH) is above all else holy and because of His eternal holiness, He is grieved by the sins of His people. (Psalm 95:10)
To know the name of God is to witness the manifestation of those attributes and apprehend that characters which the name denotes. The name signifies the active presence of the person in the fullness of the revealed character.
It is a known fact that when David was growing up in his father’s household he had the responsibility of shepherding his father’s sheep. What a great training ground for the future shepherd of Israel. I would not be surprised if the Lord revealed Himself to David as YAHWEH ROHI while he was out taking care of his father’s sheep, and as a result wrote the 23rd Psalm.
Shepherd
Why is YAHWEH described as a shepherd?
“Shepherd” is a modest metaphor, yet one that is loaded with meaning.
The Bible mentions shepherds and shepherding over 200 times. However, the Hebrew word for shepherding is often translated “feeding.” Shepherds led sheep to pasture and water and protected them from wild animals. They guarded their flocks at night whether in the open fields or in sheepfolds. They took care of their sheep.
Shepherd came to designate not only persons who herded sheep, but also kings and God Himself. Later prophets referred to Israel’s leaders as shepherds.
In reading about shepherds I came across something very interesting. There were occasions where one or more flocks would be gathered at a waterhole. When the shepherd got ready to leave he would start walking off and as he was leaving he would call out to his sheep, and only those sheep that knew his voice would follow him. The rest of the sheep there only followed the voice of their shepherd.
In describing the Lord as a shepherd, David wrote out of his own experience because he had spent his early years caring for sheep. (1 Samuel 16:10-11) Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The New Testament calls Jesus the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20); and the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). As the Lord is the Good Shepherd, so we are his sheep—not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and in right ways. This psalm does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep, but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow. When you recognize the Good Shepherd, follow him!
Ancient shepherds knew their sheep by name.
They were acquainted with all of their ways:
Their peculiarities
Their characteristic marks
Their tendencies
Their idiosyncrasies
How do you get acquainted with a person and come to know his or her ways? It comes by spending quality time with him or her. Shepherds spent a lot of time with their sheep. This is how they knew each one individually.
A good shepherd never left his flock alone.
They would be lost without him, and his presence was their assurance.
To the sheep the shepherd was their:
Provider
Protector
Healer
Comforter
Rescuer
There are others who used the “shepherd” metaphor:
Jacob: GOD ACCEPTS US (Genesis 48:15):
And 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,"
The patriarch Jacob was a shepherd and the first person in the Bible to make use of the shepherd metaphor for God. As he lay dying, he looked back over his life and summed it up with these words: “God has been my shepherd all my life to this days.”
Isaiah: GOD KNOWS US INTIMATELY (Isaiah 40:26)
Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name.
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power
Not one of them is missing.
Isaiah envisioned a stellar Shepherd who each night called out His star-flock by name. It’s not only by chance that the stars have their assigned orbits and places in the universe. They do not rise at random, nor do they wander haphazardly through space. They rise at God’s beck and call. He brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. Not one is forgotten. Not one is overlooked. Not one is left behind.
It’s terrible thing to be unknown. We live in fear we will never be known enough, that others will never know who we really are, what our desires are, and where our thoughts are taking us. Yet we have nothing to fear. God knows every one of His sheep by name.
He’s aware of each personality and peculiarity. There are the little ones that have to be carried, the cripples that can’t keep us, the nursing ewes that won’t be hurried, the old sheep that can barely get along. There are the bellwethers that always want to be out front, the bullies that butt and push to get their way, the timid ones (he sheepish) that are afraid to follow, the black sheep that are always the exception. There are those who graze their way into lostness and others more deliberately on the lam. The Good Shepherd knows us all.
God knows our pace. He knows when grief, pain, and loneliness overwhelms us. He knows when the full realization of our limitation comes dome to us. He knows when we’re shamed and broken and unable to go on. God does not drive His sheep. He gently leads them. He allows for hesitation and trepidation. He gives credit for decisions and resolutions that are strenuously tested. He understands courage that falters in the face of terrible odds. He can accommodate a faith that flames out under stress. He takes in account the hidden reasons for failure. He feels the full eight of our disasters. He knows our pain as no one else knows it. Our bleating reaches His ears. He even hears our inarticulate cries.
When we lag behind, He does now scold us. Rather, He gathers us up, encircles us with His strong arm, and carries us next to His heart. The essence, the central core of God’s character, lies here: He has the heart of a tender shepherd.
Jeremiah: GOD PURSUES US IN LOVE (Jeremiah 50:6, 19)
"My people have become lost sheep;
Their shepherds have led them astray.
They have made them turn aside on the mountains;
They have gone along from mountain to hill
And have forgotten their resting place."
And I shall bring Israel back to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead.
The prophet Jeremiah saw a flock of ruined sheep.
We readily forget God, our “resting place,” and wander away. Yet He pursues us wherever we go, with no complaint of the darkness, the cold wind, the heavy burden, the steep hill, or the thorny path over which He must pass to rescue one lost sheep. His love does not count time, energy, suffering, or even life itself.
His pursuit is not a reward for our goodness but the result of His decision to love. He is driven by love, not by our beauty. He is drawn to us when we have done nothing right and when we have done everything wrong. Jesus said: “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little one should be lost. “ (Matthew 18:12-14)
Lost sheep are not doomed. They are the ones He came to find.
Ezekiel: GOD TENDERLY CARES FOR US (Ezekiel 34: 6, 11, 12, 14-16)
"My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there was no one to search or seek for them."
For thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. "As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day.
"I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down in good grazing ground, and they will feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. "I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God. "I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment. "
Ezekiel announced the birth of that best of all shepherds long before He was born. He said that when He came He would tend God’s flock with tender loving care.
It was Ezekiel’s task to care for scattered exiles far from home. He described them as sheep that were scattered “because there was no shepherd and no one searched or looked for them.”
Israel’s disbanding was their own fault, the result of years of resistance to god. They had looked to their idols and shed blood, and they had defiled their neighbor’s wives and done other detestable things. That’s why they were estranged. Yet God said: “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. Good shepherds don’t look down on lost sheep; they look for them.
Sheep don’t have to go looking for their shepherd; it’s the other way around. He’s out looking for them. Even if the sheep aren’t thinking about the Shepherd, He pursues them to the ends of the earth. Simon Tugwell wrote: “He follows them into their own long, dark journey; there, where they though finally to escape Him, they run straight into His arms.”
There is, in fact, no way to escape Him except by running into His arms. Though we are stiff-necked and stubborn, He is equally stiff-necked and stubborn. He will never give up His pursuit. He cannot get us of His mind.
Furthermore, Ezekiel said, when the Good Shepherd finds His sheep he looks after them; “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after My sheep.” “Look after” suggests careful examination of each animal. Our Shepherd god is a good shepherd. He knows well the condition of His flock. He sees the marks of sorrow on each face. He knows every cut and bruise, every ache and pain. He recognizes the sings of hounding, misuse, and abuse, the wounds that others have given u and the residue of our own resistance.
He promises to do what other shepherds cannot or will not do. “I will bind up the injured and the handicapped, on those wounded by their own sin. He understands sorrow, misfortune, broken homes, shattered ambition. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3) He applies the balm that makes the wounded whole. That’s the comfort of God to our beleaguered hearts.
But there is more. Another Good Shepherd was on the way, One who would be with the Father in pastoral compassion.
God was speaking of David’ long awaited Son, our lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
My Shepherd
Shepherd is qualified by the possessive pronoun “my.” The Psalm does not say “a shepherd,” but “my shepherd.”
What is involved in the relationship implied by the word “my?”:
A knowing
Intimacy
A belonging to
It implies a relationship
Think about this for a moment. If you have a wife, do you introduce her as “a wife,” which she is? No, you introduce her as “my wife.” How about your pastor? Do you introduce him as “a pastor, which he is, or do you introduce him as “my pastor?” By telling me that he is “my pastor” you are saying that you have a relationship with him.
Why the emphasis on personal possession?
It is one thing to say, “The Lord is “a shepherd.” It is another thing to say the Lord is “my” shepherd.
Which one is He to you? Is he “a shepherd” to you or is He “my” shepherd?
Martin Luther observed that faith is a matter of personal pronouns.
Consider what Thomas said when the Lord appeared to him and the other disciples after His resurrection. He said, “My Lord and My God.”
To profess, “the Lord is my shepherd” is to declare ones loyalty to God and intention to live under His reign. It is submission to His authority.
That makes it His responsibility to “pasture” or “feed” His sheep. I like to put it this way; it is His responsibility to “pastor” His sheep. This authenticates His rule over His sheep.
This is what a pastor does. He is the shepherd over a flock of sheep. His responsibility is to feed the flock the Shepherd has entrusted him with.
I have a good friend who is a pastor and I remember him telling me this one-day. He was praying about the fact that he was an associate pastor and wanted to be a senior pastor. He said that while he was praying the Lord spoke to him and told him that he would always be an associate pastor. This implied that the Lord is the Senior Pastor.
The word “shepherd” carries with it thoughts of tenderness, security, and provision, yet it means nothing as long as I cannot say, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The use of the expression “my shepherd” implies that the writer classified himself as one of the sheep.
Yahweh is likened to a shepherd. What are the characteristics, attitudes and functions of a shepherd?
The shepherd is faithful to the sheep.
The shepherd has a heart for the sheep.
The shepherd exhibited strength.
The shepherd exhibited tenderness.
The shepherd is will to sacrifice for the sheep.
The shepherd exhibited a caring heart.
The shepherd also had certain functions that were characteristic of his job:
He was their Provider.
He was their Protector
He was their Healer
He was their Rescuer
The shepherd exhibited certain attitudes:
He knew each sheep by name.
He was acquainted with all the ways of his sheep; their peculiarities; their characteristic marks; their tendencies; and all of their idiosyncrasies.
He didn’t drive His sheep, but lead them.
He guarded the sheep at all times and never left them alone.
He always went after the strays.
Does this sound like Someone we know?
The use of the expression “my shepherd” implies that the writer classified himself as one of the sheep.
Sheep
Everybody say BAA BAA
Psalm 79:13 says, “We are the sheep of His pasture”.
Well, if we are His sheep, we need to find out exactly what the characteristics of sheep and why we need a shepherd.
They are easily frightened
By nature, they are unclean and cannot clean themselves.
They are virtually defenseless and cannot protect themselves.
They cannot find their food and water.
They lack a sense of direction and they cannot guide themselves.
Sheep cannot do anything for themselves.
They are helpless.
Why do sheep need a shepherd?
Without the shepherd they can do nothing.
Jesus said in John 15:5 “Without Me you can do nothing.”
Confirmed in Christ
Twice in the gospel of John Jesus said:
"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
"I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me,” (John 1014
Who is Christ?
What is our view of Him?
Too small
Too cramped
Too provincial
Too human
Because it is, we feel unwilling to allow Him to have authority or control… much less outright ownership of our lives.
If we pause to reflect on the person of Christ, on His power, and upon His achievement, suddenly like David we will be glad to state proudly, “The Lord is my shepherd.”
What does Colossians 1:15-20 have to say about Him:
“And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created by Him and for Him. [17] And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [18] He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. [19] For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, [20] and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (NASB)
If we put the underlined passages together it will read like this:
“For by Him all things were created; all things have been created by Him and for Him so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.”
The “all things” would include you and me. We were created by Him and for Him so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. Basically what it says is the He owns us.
There is more to this.
When the simple, though sublime statement is made by a man or woman that “The Lord is my shepherd”, it immediately implies a profound yet practical working relationship between a human being and his Maker. It links a lump of common clay to divine destiny. It means a mere mortal becomes the cherished object of divine diligence.
To think that God in Christ is deeply concerned about me as a particular person immediately give great purpose and enormous meaning to short sojourn upon this planet.
The greater, the wider, the more majestic my concept is of Christ, the more vial will be my relationship to Him. We can say to the world, “Look who my shepherd is, my owner, my manager, the Lord is.
If the Lord is my shepherd I should know something of His character and understand something of His ability.
The Creator of such an enormous universe of overwhelming magnitude desires to call Himself my shepherd and invites me to consider myself His sheep, His special object of affection and attention.
Who could better care for me?
Why are we under obligation to recognize His ownership of us?
There are three senses of ownership:
FIRST:
His ownership of me is legitimate, simply because it is He who brought me into being and no one is better able to understand or care for me. I belong to Him because He deliberately chose to create me as the object of His own affection.
SECOND:
In a very real and vital sense I truly belong to Him simple because He has bought me again at he incredible price of His own laid down life and shed blood.
So there remains the moving realization that we have been bought with a price, that we are really not our own and He is well within His rights to lay claim upon our lives.
It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep.
The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways:
Our mass mind (or mob instinct)
Our fears
Our timidity
Our stubbornness
Our stupidity
Our perverse habits.
¨ Yet despite these adverse characteristics, Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own, and delights in caring for us.
THIRD:
¨ He literally lays Himself out for us continually:
He is ever interceding for us.
He is ever guiding us by His gracious Spirit.
He is ever working on our behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His care.
The entire 23rd Psalm goes on to recount the manner in which the Good Shepherd spares no pains for the welfare of His sheep.
Marking
For the man or woman who recognizes the claims of Christ and give allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark.
The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Him for all time.
The question is; Does it?
What does Jesus have to say?
Luke 9:57-62
And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." And another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (NASB)
Luke 14:25-35
Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (NASB)
Matthew 10:32-39
"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. [33] "But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
[34] "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. [35] "For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; [36] and a man's enemies will be the members of his household. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. "He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it. (NASB)
What does this amount to?
A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living a life by sheer whimsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure of being guided by God.
It is a tragic truth that many people who really never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my shepherd.” They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their shepherd, somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life.
One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t. There is no middle ground.
It is a sobering and most serious thought, which should make us search our own hearts and motives and personal relationships to Him.
Do I really belong to Him?
Do I really recognize His right to me?
Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
Do I find freedom and complete fullness in this arrangement?
Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction?
Do I know rest and repose besides a definite sense of exciting adventure in belonging to Him?
The Psalm begins with a positive and unequivocal statement: “The Lord is my shepherd.”
There are not “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts”.
It does not say “I wish” or I hope”. It is a statement of assurance and certainty.
It says in effect “It is a present reality beyond question of doubt that “Yahweh is my shepherd.”
How many of us can say with assurance and certainty that “Yahweh is my shepherd”?
I Shall Not Want
The Psalmist says, “I shall not want.” He does not say “I shall lack anything” or “I shall not need.”
What is the importance of the word “want.”
The Hebrew word for “want” is “chacer.” It is most frequently used to express the sufficiency of God’s grace to meet the needs of His people. They never lack.
Psalm 34:10 tells us this:
“The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord (YAHWEH)(JEHOVAH) lack no good thing.”
Isn’t that interesting. Those who seek “YAHWEH” (JEHOVAH) lack no good thing.
What does this include? I would venture to say that it includes both the physical needs as well as the spiritual. There is nothing left out.
What proud, positive, and bold statement to make. Obviously this is the sentiment of a sheep utterly satisfied with its owner and perfectly content with its lot in life.
The idea of “want” includes the main concept of not lacking, nor deficient, and in proper care, management or husbandry.
Another idea is of being utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more.
One of the fallacies that is common among Christians today is the assertion that if a man or woman is prospering materially it is a significant mark of the blessing of God on their lives.
One can be materially wealthy yet spiritually poor.
“I shall not want. I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master.”
To grasp the inner significance of this simple statement it is necessary to understand the difference between belonging to one master or another… the Good Shepherd or an imposter.
Jesus Himself took great pains to point out to anyone who contemplated following Him that it was with quite impossible to serve two masters. One either belongs to Him or you belong to another. There is no middle ground.
When all is said and done, the welfare of the flock is entirely dependent upon the management afforded them by their owner. It is the boss…the manager…the Master in people’s lives that make the difference in their destiny.
Contentment should be the hallmark of the man or woman who has put his or her affairs in the hands of God. This especially applies in our affluent age.
But the outstanding paradox is the intense fever of discontentment among people who are ever speaking of security. Despite an unparalleled wealth in material assets, we are outstandingly insecure and unsure of ourselves and well nigh bankrupt in spiritual values. Men are always searching for safety beyond themselves.
They are restless, unsettled, covetous greedy for more, wanting this and that, yet never satisfied in spirit.
By contrast the simple Christian, the humble person, the Shepherds sheep can stand up proudly and boast, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Am I completely satisfied with His management of my life?
Why or why not?
If I am satisfied under His management, it is because:
He is the shepherd to whom no trouble is too great as He cares for His flock.
He is the rancher who is outstanding because of His fondness for sheep… who loves them for their own sake as well as His personal pleasure in them.
He will, if necessary, be on the job 24/7 to see that they are properly provided for in every detail.
Above all, He is jealous of His name and high reputation as “The Good Shepherd.”
He is the owner who delights in His flock.
For Him there is no greater reward, no deeper satisfaction, than that of seeing His sheep contented, well fed, safe, and flourishing under His care.
This is indeed His very “life”.
He gives all He has to it.
He literally lays Himself out for those who are His.
He will go to no end of trouble and labor to supply them with the finest grazing; the richest pastures, ample feed, and clean water.
He will spare Himself no pains to provide shelter from storms, protections from ruthless enemies, and the disease and parasites to which sheep are so susceptible.
In spite of having such a master and owner, the fact remains that some Christians are still not content with His control.
They are somewhat dissatisfied; always feeling that somehow the grass beyond the fence must be a little greener.
These are carnal Christians. One might almost call the “fence crawlers” or “half-Christians” who want the best of both worlds.
That is not only the first statement of this song, it is its inclusive statement. Everything that follows interprets the glory and sufficiency of the fact thus declared.
When this is said, all is said.
Whatever may be added, is only to help us to understand the fullness of this great truth.
An adequate interpretation of this affirmation demands recognition of the fact that in all Eastern thought, and very definitely in Biblical literature, a king is a shepherd. This is the supreme song in the Psalter concerning the Kingship of God in its application to the individual soul.
Other songs set forth the wonders of His Kingship of the nation, and over all peoples.
There are only two persons in this Psalm, Jehovah and the singer, save where enemies are referred to.
The personal note is immediately struck, ”YAHWEH is my Shepherd!” This eternal King, ruling over the entire universe, is also the direct, personal, immediate King of every individual soul.
When this is recognized, the glory of the song is discovered.
It is a revelation of the nature and method of the divine government of the individual life.
Pondered in this way, the Psalm becomes a beautiful interpretation of that wonderful phrase of Paul, “The good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12)
Under His sway there is no lack.
Our peaceful days He creates.
If we wander, we are not abandoned.
In the darkest hours He is still with us.
He upholds us and delivers us in conflict.
He entertains us on the pilgrimage, and receives us into His house forever.
All the uttermost of value in this song has been interpreted to us through Him who said of Himself, “I Am the Good Shepherd.”
