The Gospels General Epistles Liberated for Life : Galatians - a Bible Commentary for Laymen by John F. MacArthur and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. They will lead us to places of rest and provision. He was aware of the potential dangers that may befall him. He is a popular conference speaker and the president of both The Master's College and The Master's Seminary. The Saviours Cross. And one day He will come in the clouds and troubles of this world will be over. This unspeakably delightful verse has been sung on many a dying bed, and has helped to make the dark valley bright times out of mind. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. The Shepherd, the Host, and the Highway Patrol Summer Psalms. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006, Baker, Warren (ed. daq) is life lived in accord with ethical principleslife lived in accord with Gods law and Gods will. He is that interested in each of His sheep! Maclaren writes: The rod and the staff seem to be two names for one instrument, which was used both to beat off predatory animals and to direct the sheep.. Psalm 22 Part 2 - It is finished, He has done it! This line is especially suggestive when we read this psalm with an eye toward Jesus, the Great Shepherd. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. Scripture: Psalm 23. He is a dove, not an eagle; the dew, not the hurricane.[3]. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. Kidner notes: The rod (a cudgel worn at the belt) and staff (to walk with, and to round up the flock) were the shepherds weapon and implement: the former for defence (cf. You may be in a dark place but you must keep walking. Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. Psalm 22 speaks of the past; Psalm 23 speaks of the present; and Psalm 24 speaks of the future. The gist of Psalm 23 is that God is our shepherd who always provides and protects. In these verses, the metaphor changes from God as shepherd to God as host at a special banquet. Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. Behold just such a one! It's not for the goats. Thank you for registering. Pests would crawl through the ear canal of an unoiled sheep and lay in its brain. If you are truly saved He will never leave you all the days of your life! Beloved, I will ask you now a question. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. Everyone knows this psalm even non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favourite at their funerals. Verses 1-6. Psalm 107. The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies and sidebars throughout. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. They are in need of a good shepherd who will provide, protect, and guide his sheep. (Philip Keller). But whether our fears are irrational or based on very real circumstances, our need to remember the Lord is the same. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4a). And obviously, he would then leave the lamb to die in the wilderness, eaten by its predators! God (through the prophet Jeremiah) said, For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). We in turn should allow that light to shine forth towards others so that people may see our lives and praise God. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! All of John's 3,000 sermons, spanning more than four decades of ministry, are available for free on the Grace to You website. God is holy, and takes his holy name seriously: Since God is holy, we as Gods people need to insure that we do not tarnish his name by our wrongful words or actions. It implies that the Lord is the only thing needed in life and that Gods shepherding care provides all of our necessities. Prophets The epistle to the Hebrews is a study in contrast, between the imperfect and incomplete provisions of the Old Covenant, given under Moses, and the infinitely better provisions of the New Covenant offered by the perfect High-Priest, God's only Son and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. You are mine. A great promise indeed! It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins. It is a psalm which has been sung by good Christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. And he awaits the day when the great shepherd will become the chief Shepherd and shall come in the skies. The Whole Bible It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. The book of Psalms is the most quoted book in the New Testament, and Jesus would refer a lot to the Book of Psalms even in His claims and teachings. The image exudes a sense of rest, comfort, and care. I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. Oh! The Hebrew word tob has a variety of meanings, such as good, moral, profitable, or plentiful. David had extreme confidence in who God IS right now! GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. Our God does not withhold anything good from His flock. You will have much more pressing concerns. As you survey your life, what path has God led and guided you through? and flame will not scorch you. See the happiness of the saints as the sheep of God's pasture. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. Make sure your view of the 'Good Shepherd' Jesus is the right one! (wpe). '. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.' Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do but IS - present tense. The sheep would experience excruciating pain that they would bash their heads against trees and rocks for relief. They are dumb, dirty, defenceless and dependant. Gods shepherding care from the previous verse brought restoration to Davids soul. He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. But, God as our shepherd provides peace that transcends all understanding. What humanity needs now is the restoration of hope and joy. Pentateuch conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy It is a valley of the shadow of death, facing what seemed to David as the ultimate defeat and evil. If we were without enemies, we might fear that we were not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to GodThou preparest a table Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. David could say God is my shepherd because of his personal experience. That is some revelation! The New Testament Do you? THE LORD AS SHEPHERD 1 Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. Articles Messages Books Podcasts Filter Resources By Ask Pastor John. . These instruments (or instrument) of guidance were a comfort to David. i. I need to know you are well.' Play. [3]I learnt this when I went to a John Macarthur seminar one time. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. For them, it truly was the valley of the shadow of death. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! (1 Pet 5:1-4, Acts That is what God desires to work into your life. (Whew!) But do we believe it? They would travel from oasis to oasis. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! Death is not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it Many a saint has reaped more joy and knowledge when he came to die than he ever knew while he lived. ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. God is his shepherd and his Goda God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. ii. [7] This was brought home to me this week in an email from a Kenyan Pastor. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!' Do we not gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd? Text: Psalm 23 Ministry: Anchored. Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. God's Testimony to the Scriptures. This is a psalm of trust and confidence in God's goodness in the present and in the future. When I asked the oncologist how serious it was, he said, Stage threemaybe Stage three and a half. My chances of survival were less than 50-50. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Some of the most obvious are: 1) the wisdom type with instructions for right living; 2) lamentation patterns which deal with the pangs of life (usually arising from enemies without); 3) penitential psalms (mostly dealing with the "enemy" within, i.e., sin); 4) kingship emphases (universal or mediatorial; theocratic and/or messianic rule); and 5) ISBN 10: 0785250662 ISBN 13: . And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. It is a necessary method to protect the sheep. Shepherd - This imagery of the shepherd and sheep spans the entire Bible but is most prominent in the New Testament where Jesus speaks about His relationship with His people, His sheep. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point John is also president and featured teacher with Grace to You. Please read and believe! The subsequent trips through the valley become progressively easier as trust increases. What a wonderful picture we have of Christ in these three psalms! The center point of this psalm is for you are with me. In the original Hebrew language, there are 26 words before this phrase, and 26 afterwards (Limburg, 74). Follow John MacArthur: Contact Information: Phone: 800-55-GRACE Fax: 661-295-5871 Email: [email protected] . I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy between Jesus and His sheep today. But observe: Thou preparest a table, just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. It has comforted the noble host of the poor. David wrote this while remembering his fearful experiences. It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. With no one to turn to, we develop true and steadfast love and trust in the Lord. That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. They probably are anxious about different things. Prophets John 3:16, Jesus faith love), The Whole Bible "It [ Psalm 23] has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Minor Prophets You anoint my head with oil (v. 5b). Thank God for such times! 6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahwehs house forever. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his names sake. Email / username or password was incorrect! You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.. Prophets He is a great leader who leads people to righteous living. The enemy was strongly entrenched there, and was determined to stay. Learn More | Livestream | Bulletin Servicios en espaol. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! Wisdom Literature Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Is it a terrible thing that even though God is sovereign and controls the entire universe, we don't want to let go of the reigns! i. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. With family of say, a mother, a father, 3 or four children, and only one in the family working and bringing in 3 dollars (a day), it would takes ages before one can afford to buy anything extra, even clothes or even a blanket. You anoint my head with oil; I will believe that thou reignest still. The gist of Psalm 23 is that God is our shepherd who always provides and protects. We might say that the shepherds presence did not eliminate the presence of evil, but certainly the fear of evil. A lot of people are suffering mentally, emotionally, and financially. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. It included the most highlighted passage in the Bible which turned out to be this passage: Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Do this in remembrance of me. Paul affirms the importance of this table ministry when he says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:24, 26). GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. The Third Commandment says, You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name (Exodus 20:7). Major Prophets In extreme cases where a lamb continually wandered off and wouldn't stick with the pack (causing the Shepherd to repeatedly have to go and bring the lamb back) the Shepherd would sometimes break the lamb's leg! You anoint my head with oil. In this context, it suggests blessings that will help the psalmist. The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. As I said, it wasn't all easy and plain sailing being a sheep in Israel however. He had a sidekick with him who spoke on 'I will build my church'. Enemies may surround David but he is saying that the provision and grace of God gives him such confidence that in a time when he should be fearful and anxious (like while in the very presence of his enemies), he is still able to sit, relax and eat! The green pastures and waters spoken of in this verse were often some distance apart and the shepherd would have to lead his flock to these places. The shepherds staff was the familiar long rod with a crook on one end. God is like a shepherd to David. He had the honour of being King over all Israel, yet seen the lows of having his own son, Absalom, rise up against him and take the throne. However, the oil does not just protect the sheep from nuisance. David could confidently write the second phrase because he experienced the provision and providence of God in his life. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. This also shows us our need of giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life. David had had the highs of defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from Saul. His future return for His people as the King of Glory! Gods motivations for treating His people rightly stem from the perfection and goodness of His nature. He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' i. He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. What are these green pastures but the Scriptures of truthalways fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. Priests were anointed (Exodus 40:13-15). The word restore implies the notion of a rescued one. So out of the blue she emailed a few weeks back asking: 'All ok with you? Pauline Epistles By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. (Spurgeon), iii. This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish ; no one can snatch them out of my hand. For other references to the shadow of death, see Jeremiah 2:6 and Job 10:21-22. I started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. Best known for his expository exegesis of the Bible . Psalms 23. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. [6] As a silly example, a few weeks back I got an email from a past work colleague that I hadn't heard from for some time. If you are truly one of His sheep (evidenced by hearing his voice and following His ways) then this verse is your verse as well! GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. The analogy of a king as a shepherd is common in ancient times and is not unusual. Daily devotional with John Piper. Sun Valley, CA 91352 I will fear no evil. [6]. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. But it is alluded to such as in Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." Just like the sheep, its difficult for us to be at rest when life throws a lot of problems. Report an Issue Sermon Correction/Question . David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. The New Testament I have a lady at my work who, after saying something that she felt may tempt fate, said 'touch wood'. David reflected on God's many blessings to him and concluded that God would continue to be faithful to him and grant him fellowship in the future. He leads me. That was a question that was once sent to me. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. Is it Messianic? Sermon. General Epistles (Jer 23:1-4, Ezek 34:1-10) Work to be a faithful shepherd realising that it is God's own sheep that He has placed in your care. David wrote Psalm 23 based on his experiences with God. Each chapter begins with several questions under the title "PREPARE TO MEET GOD." . It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the authors heart and trust in God. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He is the Shepherd that tends to His flock. Pauline Epistles I. Depression and other illnesses can enshroud us in darkness and threaten us with death. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: The hosts care brought the goodness and mercy of God to David, and he lived in the faithful expectation of it continuing all the days of his life. Can you say that about your life? Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers.