A scripture so familiar; yet do we fully know the depths of treasures within these words? How often we fail to grasp its richness! Oh, yes, we quote it. We memorize it. But do you realize how wonderfully it relates our relationship with Jesus? Furthermore, on display in Psalm 23 are the wondrous names of God displayed as well. In those 6 verses lies the truths we need for experiencing, rejoicing, and resting in the full comfort of the Great Shepherd. My desire is to help you and I to find comfort and rest to sustain us through this journey of life. The 23rd Psalm is one song in the Scripture I believe can do just that.
Throughout scripture, God teaches us of Himself through the lens of nature, so we may understand. Since He is beyond understanding, this is His means to reach out to humanity with patience, love, and grace.
19 that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1 (NASB)
The Great Shepherd (The Lord is my Shepherd)
Who is the Lord? What does that word even mean? The word lord means one in power to whom we give our allegiance. Therefore, “The LORD” designates the only one to whom we MUST give our allegiance. He is the only one who deserves our allegiance. As the creator of the whole universe. David was a shepherd, so he fully understands the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep. Sheep require more attention and care than any other livestock. They cannot survive without the shepherd’s constant care and vigilance.
BBC News reported an incident of how foolish sheep can be. A group of shepherds met to eat breakfast. While eating they took their eyes off the sheep. Then it is said that one lamb decided to jump over the cliff. then all the others followed that one.
Turkish shepherds watched in horror as hundreds of their sheep followed each other over a cliff, say Turkish newspaper reports.
First one sheep went over the cliff edge, only to be followed by the whole flock, according to the reports. More than 400 sheep died in the 15-metre fall – their bodies cushioning the fall of 1,100 others who followed.1
But how like sheep we are with such herd mentality. We too often follow whatever fad, even if to our detriment.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way; Isaiah 53:6 (NKJV)
My Great Shepherd is the Lord
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. John 10 NASB
Isaiah goes further to tell us that He purchased us to be His sheep, knowing it was not going to be an easy task.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:
Phillip Keller wrote in His book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.
T he Lord Is My Shepherd Thus, in a second very real and vital sense I truly belong to Him simply because He has bought me again at the incredible price of His own laid-down life and shed blood. Therefore He was entitled to say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” 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. I recall quite clearly how in my first venture with sheep, the question of paying a price for my ewes was so terribly important. They belonged to me only by virtue of the fact that I paid hard cash for them. It was money earned by the blood and sweat and tears drawn from my own body during the desperate grinding years of the Depression. And when I bought that first small flock, I was buying them literally with my own body which had been laid down with this day in mind. Because of this I felt in a special way that they were in very truth a part of me and I a part of them. There was an intimate identity involved which, though not apparent on the surface to the casual observer, nonetheless made those thirty ewes exceedingly precious to me. But the day I bought them I also realized that this was but the first stage in a long, lasting endeavor in which from then on, I would, as their owner, have to continually lay down my life for them if they were to flourish and prosper. 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. It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways as will be seen in further chapters. Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance. Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own, and delights in caring for us. 2
Phillip Keller
Truly Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Also of note: This first verse of Psalm 23 reflects the name of God as Jehovah Rohi. The exact translation from Hebrew is The Lord, my Shepherd. Do you know Him that way? Can you say, The Lord, my Shepherd.
In the Care of the Great Shepherd, I Shall Not Want
As we look at the second part of this verse, we recognize Jehovah Jireh. The Lord, my provider. The Lord provides all that our hearts and souls need, therefore, I am fulfilled in Him. For that reason, I shall not want—because my heart is satisfied in Him. I know that He has given everything that I might be His, so why does my heart ever become restless.
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:32
Because I know He is the Great Shepherd willing to give everything for me, I am fully satisfied in His management of my life. Even when I do not understand, He knows the best way for me to flourish. Therefore, I will trust Him. He is most glorified by this, my contentment in Him.
Those who are not content become fence crawlers.
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 them “fence crawlers” or “half-Christians” who want the best of both worlds. I once owned a ewe whose conduct exactly typified this sort of person. She was one of the most attractive sheep that ever belonged to me. Her body was beautifully proportioned. She had a strong constitution and an excellent coat of wool. Her head was clean, alert, well-set with bright eyes. She bore sturdy lambs that matured rapidly. But in spite of all these attractive attributes she had one pronounced fault. She was restless — discontent — a fence crawler. So much so that I came to call her “Mrs. Gad-about.” This one ewe produced more problems for me than almost all the rest of the flock combined. No matter what field or pasture the sheep were in, she would search all along the fences or shoreline (we lived by the sea) looking for a loophole she could crawl through and start to feed on the other side. It was not that she lacked pasturage. My fields were my joy and delight. No sheep in the district had better grazing. With “Mrs. Gad-about” it was an ingrained habit. She was simply never contented with things as they were. Often when she had forced her way through some such spot in a fence or found a way around the end of the wire at low tide on the beaches, she would end up feeding on bare, brown, burned-up pasturage of a most inferior sort. 303
Phillip Keller
He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:0 (NKJV)
Sheep by nature are very restless, fearful creatures. They have no real mechanisms of defence. Nor can they run away from predators. Therefore, they have trouble lying down to rest. Without the shepherd they are forced to scrummage for food and water, constantly moving about. They become thin, overrun by their own wool, and covered with pestilence. But with the Great Shepherd, there is nothing to fear. He leads them into the best areas and protects them all along the way.
Jesus is our Jehovah Shalom (The Lord our Peace).
He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters
Water is an essential element without which one will die. It is also true of the Spiritual Water which is essential for us to survive in this world. Our soul thirsts for the living Word of God. Just as the sheep becomes restless in search of water, so our soul thirsts for the water of life.
It is true that in some of the arid lands, the morning dew provides the water needed for the flock to begin their day. We too need the living water of life to begin our day before facing the dry and rigid domains of life. Then, throughout the day, the shepherd leads his flock to wells of water He has prepared for them. So, should we turn to our living water whenever we begin to feel restless throughout the day.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4 (NKJV)
The Holy Spirit indwells every true believer. Therefore, we have this living water within us. But even when you have running water in your home, you will thirst unless you open the faucet to let that water run into your glass. If you never pick up the Word of God to fill your glass, your comfort will turn to restlessness again.
My Great Shepherd Restoreth My Soul (Jehovah Rapha-The Lord my Healer)
Sheep tend to sometimes look for little soft dips in the landscape to lay down and get comfortable. The problem is sometimes they tend to turn over too far and tip over. The harder they try to turn over, the farther their tiny legs move away from the ground. The term for this is “cast down.” When a sheep is “cast down” a crisis will occur leading to their death, unless the shepherd finds them and helps them to stand again. IF the sheep is cast down overweighted with too much wool, the shepherd would shear the sheep. Not a comfortable procedure, but wonderful relief afterword. Much like we are when overburdened with the cares of this world. As the Great Shepherd shears away these burdens we feel distressed, then suddenly freed from their weight we can run once more.
One might think that in the care of the Great Shepherd a Christians soul should never be cast down. But life has taught us better. We may find a spot of comfort and burrow in just like the sheep until we fall over and cannot get up. Just like Psalm 42, “Why are you cast down oh my soul? Trust in God.”
The Great Shepherd then comes and lifts us up to stand once more.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NKJV)
How often in life have I nestled into a cozy spot not so near to the Shepherd. Or other times have run so far ahead that I feel into a deep muddy pit of sin. I tend to want to lie there ashamed. Grappling with my own heart, I believe I can no longer be of service to Him.
Instead, He reaches out His Mighty hand of love. “Child, take my hand.” “I cannot, I wail, look at me. I have ruined it all. My sin covers me.” “Oh, my child, I do not see any sin” He gently says as He looks upon me covered with the blood of Christ. Then once more, He stretches out His Hand to say, “Take my hand”. He picks me up, cleans me off and says, “Now, child we have work to do, the fields are white with harvest. Let us go together.” That brings us to the second half of verse 3. Jehovah Tsidkenu–
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, Isaiah 61:10
My Great Shepherd, leadeth me in the Paths of righteousness for His Name’s Sake
Sheep are notorious creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they
will follow the same trails until they become ruts; graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is corrupt with disease and parasites. Many of the world’s finest sheep ranges have been ruined beyond repair by overgrazing, poor management, and indifferent or ignorant sheep owners.4
So, it is that God leads us in Paths of Righteousness. He does this through His Word and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Shepherd leads the way. Unfortunately, sometimes the sheep are too stubborn to follow the Great Shepherd. There are times that He must go after them to bring them back in. But what if you did not really know the Great Shepherd? What if you never surrendered to Him to begin with and only followed the others, not Him? Well, then you are not His. He has not carved His brand upon you. You are not His indentured slave nor His sheep. But if you are, He will move Heaven and Earth to lead you to better pasture. For His name’s sake, not one will be lost along this earthly journey.
Ezekiel 20 (NKJV)
41 I will accept you as a sweet aroma when I bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you have been scattered; …43 And there you shall remember your ways and all your doings with which you were defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight because of all the evils that you have committed. 44 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have dealt with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways nor according to your corrupt doings,
Oh, the grace of God who accepted a sinner such as I and clothed me in His Righteousness. The thought of this is too great for me.
In the Valley of the Shadow of Death, The Great Shepherd leads
During the winter months the sheep are moved into the lower pastures; but in the summer, they must move upward through the mountainous paths into the upper table lands. There the shepherd will stay with the sheep for the summer. The trip is treacherous because the paths are narrow with caves along the way. Those caves harbor many predators. The sheep feel safe along this path only because the shepherd is with them.
For us we have Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is There.
In the closing chapters of Ezekiel, the prophet describes what God told him in vision about this coming restoration of the land, the city, and the temple. It included detailed plans and measurements for the restored city. The final words of Ezekiel’s book are these:5
“And the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE [Jehovah Shammah]” (Ezekiel 48:35)
Even though
your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I Peter 5:7-9 (NKJV)
We have no fear because our Great Shepherd is there to protect us and He has already won the victory.
Oh Lord My Great Shepherd “thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.”
The shepherd was very skilled with both his rod and his staff. They could hurl the rod through the air and hit the ground beside the sheep to turn him away for the danger. He could use the crook of the staff to pull the sheep out of the raven he had fallen. Furthermore, he could hurl a stone against the enemy. His rod was also used to push back the wool and inspect the sheep for pestilences or sores on their skin. These were used to protect the sheep every step of the way.
Often, we do no want the eyes of God nor His rod to prod and uncover the scars beneath. Yet, with His gentle rod He does just that and heals the wounds. Sometimes, it is necessary He open those wounds so they may heal. We can trust the Great Physician of our soul.
Also, He casts His rod beside us to turn us from the danger that lies ahead.
Our Great Shepherd Prepares a Table Before Us
The shepherd goes ahead of the sheep to prepare the “mesas” high in the mountains where he will be taking his sheep for the summer. More than once, he will go to make certain that the pastures are prepared. Minerals and salts are taken. There are some plants that grow in those regions which are poisonous and will paralyze the sheep. Unfortunately, these plants are very appealing to the sheep. The shepherd meticulously clears the pastures of these plants.
Our Great Shepherd went before us. He is preparing the way for the great wedding feast.
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14
He is Jehovah Nissi-The Lord my Banner, My Victory. He has already won the victory.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O[ Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. I Corinthians 15 (NKJV)
Our Great Shepherd Anointest Our Head with Oil
Flies, gnats, tics, and bugs drive the sheep nuts. They will scrap their heads until covered with sores and run about “crazy”. The shepherd comes and anoints their heads with oils that protect them from the pests.
We humans have many annoyances that “bug” us. We let these thoughts take over our hearts and minds. For us, we need to take from last week’s lesson and remember to stop listening to our minds and preach to ourselves. The word of God can take full control of our thoughts to guide us into a right spirit with God. One in which we can enjoy the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We are told not to quench the Holy Spirit.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10 (NKJV)
Our Great Shepherd can and will anoint our heads with Oil to protect us. Let us not resist Him. He is Jehovah Mekaddishkem—The Lord Who Sanctifies.
My Great Shepherd is all that I need for hope, peace, and joy in this world.
. My Cup Runneth 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.
There is only one door. My great shepherd stands guard over that door and my heart. Thanks be to God that The Lord is my Shepherd. Chosen in Him before the world began, I am His and He is Mine. That is Grace beyond measure.
The Great Shepherd Regarding His Sheep
10 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly. NASB John 10
1 BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkish sheep die in ‘mass jump’
2 Keller, Phillip, The Inspirational Writings, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, BBS Publishing, New York, NY, 1970, page 13
3 Keller, Phillip, A Shepher Looks at Psalm 23 page 25
4 Keller, Phillip A Shepherds Looks at Psalm 23, page 58
5 What does Jehovah Shammah mean? (bibleinfo.com)
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2024
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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