Davids former occupation was a humble shepherd. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. God is like a shepherd to David. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. The noteworthiness of Psalm 23 was not lost on Spurgeon. A servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth ever. While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber, I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord forever. He will never, ever, leave you! Notice how in times of trials, we become more aware of Gods presence. There you have it. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Then from the pulpit you would hear the same person say that if you didn't do this, this, and this you could lose your salvation or the Holy Spirit would leave you etc. God does not eliminate the risks and hazards but will illuminate His presence. Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Comfort -- for your rod and Thy staff comfort me. Poetical Books This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or surely is set as a seal upon it. (1 Pet 5:1-4, Acts When the psalmist says that God has anointed his head with oil, he means that God has marked him as specialhas set him apart for a significant role. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. But there is a greater provision and far greater blessing still to come. So for now, let us follow our Lord where He would lead. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 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. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. I will fear no evil, for you are with me (v. 4b). But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. ), Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. Prophets (23) Seller Location . The Hebrew word, sulhan (table), could refer to an animal hide spread on the ground like a picnic blanket. But despite this I got on with her pretty well. Follow John MacArthur: Contact Information: Phone: 800-55-GRACE Fax: 661-295-5871 Email: [email protected] . (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. It is for His name's sake and His glory that this is done! Later, rabbis often designated it "The Book of Praises." . Other than the president and family, only a handful of people have been invited to make the White House their homeand then only for a few years. John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point My cup runs over. In the ancient Near East, the shepherd was a royal metaphor. 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. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a mans pathway even for a moment. David knew the uniqueness and intimacy of this metaphor. Sheep are easy targets for parasites, lice, and flies. 27:1). It is expressed in this verse - Rom 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! God's Testimony to the Scriptures. That symmetric bracketing was a literary device intended to focus attention on the middle phrase, for you are with me. Gods saving presence is the focal point of this psalm. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. You anoint my head with oil; They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. 'You are with me' the Psalmist says and that is all that he needs to know. The psalmist doesnt speak of going into the valley, as if it were a box canyon or a final destination. Pauline Epistles Notice however that the Psalmist says he 'walks through' this valley. They believed that something of the persons identity was tied up in the namethat the name expressed something of the persons essential character. Solid Joys. It is for 'His name's sake' that He does this. Why the double standard of confusing messages? Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. However, Gods care for David doesnt remove the presence of his adversaries. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of theLordforever. The book of Psalms is so unique because it focuses on the character of God. Grab your Bible and read this Psalm noting down the times 'I, my, me, he, his, you' etc are used. Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? God is the one who looks after our lives. 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. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. The wonderful discovery is that the Lord is not just a shepherd who looks after the entire flock, but He is cares for me as well. But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. It will go singing to your children and my children, and to their children, through all the generations of time; nor will it fold its wings till the last pilgrim is safe, and time ended; and then it shall fly back to the bosom of God, whence it issued, and sound on, mingled with all those sounds of celestial joy which make heaven musical for ever. i. Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Poetical Books Verses 1-6. Our children were still quite young. Share. This one-volume commentary on the entire Bible from one of America's foremost Bible expositors offers instead a minilibrary of understandable resources designed to convey the Bible's overarching message with historical and theological clarity. Verse 1. Email / username or password was incorrect! This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at some distance behind. Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. He is a popular conference speaker and the president of both The Master's College and The Master's Seminary. Peace -- for He leads me beside the still waters. The word PSALM literally means praise and it features works of various characters the majority of which were written by David. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. Pentateuch It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the authors heart and trust in God. Ouch. God refuses to let the godly go hungry. He would tend, protect and care for his sheep. 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. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Psalm 23 Bible Study - Jesus our Great Shepherd! Text: Psalm 23 Ministry: Anchored. Excellent for: personal and family devotions pastoral study preparing Sunday-school lessons using with a small group simply readingeach volume draws you in (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do but IS - present tense. It is a Psalm of but 6 verses but countless sermons and entire books have been written on it. In Psalm 22 He dies; in Psalm 23 He is living; in Psalm 24 He is coming. The Hebrew word for staff (mishaynaw) seems to speak of a support in the sense of a walking stick. It is a valley of the shadow of death, facing what seemed to David as the ultimate defeat and evil. How would you describe sheep? 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. This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. Almost 25 years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. God ultimately protects and provides for His flock and does everything in His power to care for them. On still other days, she found herself walking through the middle of the valley. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. (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. Forever. Davids song is portrayed in non-religious circles too, making appearances in many secular movies and other entertainment mediums.