He will never, ever, leave you! In Psalm 22 He is the foundation; in Psalm 23 He is the manifestation; in Psalm 24 He is the expectation. Nothing is outside of His control. Title: The MacArthur Bible Commentary By: John MacArthur Format: Hardcover Number of Pages: 2040 Vendor: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: 2005 Dimensions: 9.75 X 6.75 X 2.75 (inches) Weight: 3 pounds 11 ounces ISBN: 0785250662 ISBN-13: 9780785250661 Stock No: WW250662 Related Products The Jesus You Can't Ignore: Study $7.49 $9.99 Save 25% He is the shepherd that provides and His people will lack no good thing. 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). Notably, David recognized that under the shepherds leading, he may walk through the valley of the shadow of death. This gives us amazing confidence when we need it most. I think if we could just grasp this first verse alone our hearts could then rest. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Hundreds of additional study tools complement the commentary, such as. The shepherds guidance not only comforted and restored David but also led His sheep to righteousness. It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. The Old Testament The light shines the brightest in the dark. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Wisdom Literature I remember a woman who grieved every year on anniversary of the death of her infant child. Make sure your view of the 'Good Shepherd' Jesus is the right one! So many people place their trust and hope is all sorts of things. Heb 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, Psalm 2 Bible Study The Current Rebellion & The Coming King, Psalm 8 Bible Study The wonder of God and the second man, Psalm 16 Part 1: Testing's in the journey through life and death, Psalm 16 Part 2 - Hope in the journey through life and death, Psalm 22 Part 1 - Prophecy of the crucifixion and the wrath of man. 'What happened exactly to me in the dream?' David knew all about this. Thats why Psalm 23 is crucially relevant even today. As the shepherd led the sheep from oasis to oasis, this sometimes meant passing through narrow valleys that had steep cliff faces on each side. God wasnt just a shepherd to others in a theoretical sense, but He was Davids shepherd. When we get tired we take a rest. And obviously, he would then leave the lamb to die in the wilderness, eaten by its predators! We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. Later, rabbis often designated it "The Book of Praises." . My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). i. 6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahwehs house forever. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. [13] Boy it used to annoy me how church leaders and other Christians would create such confusion concerning this! Psalm 23 mainly illustrates God as a caring shepherd. The good man has his enemies. Minor Prophets The Whole Bible If you are truly saved He will never leave you all the days of your life! The Shepherd's staff: The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep in the way in which they should go, and, in the case of a wandering nosey sheep, to pull it back into line [11] . 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 analogy of a king as a shepherd is common in ancient times and is not unusual. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. There you have it. The anointing of oil to the sheep isnt just a meaningless ritual. (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. And yet through it all he could look back and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. Psalm 23 commentary is a holy piece of work that exudes different kinds of emotions. You prepare a table (Hebrew: sulhan) before me in the presence of my enemies (v. 5a). A lot of people are suffering mentally, emotionally, and financially. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck Goodness and mercy follow him alwaysall the days of his life the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. Commentaries; Sermons. 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. Pastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New . Almost 25 years ago, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Forever. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. What would you say of a pilgrim commissioned of God to travel up and down the earth singing a strange melody, which, when one heard, caused him to forget whatever sorrow he had? But he also knew something else. It is a psalm written by David who grew up as a shepherd. David envisioned God as a benevolent host who prepared a grand banquet. Pauline Epistles A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. 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. Johannine Writings But, it does entitle David to experience Gods provision and providence in their midst. The Gospels I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm. (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. But despite this I got on with her pretty well. Play. Beloved, I will ask you now a question. As I said, it wasn't all easy and plain sailing being a sheep in Israel however. Abraham's Bosom, Paradise, and Heaven 1. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point He does not say there shall not be any evil; he had got beyond even that high assurance, and knew that Jesus had put all evil away; but I will fear no evil; not even the Evil One himself; I will not dread the last enemy, I will look upon him as a conquered foe, an enemy to be destroyed, For thou art with me. In the ancient Near East, the shepherd was a royal metaphor. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. Pastor John MacArthur | The MacArthur Commentaries Grace to You. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check and all was well. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point No matter his present environment, David could look to the fact of Gods shepherd-like presence and know, You are with me and I will fear no evil.. When flies or parasites annoy them, its hard for them to be at rest. God refuses to let the godly go hungry. Psalm 23 brings encouragement and a great reminder that God is our shepherd and He will never abandon us. Basically fear tactics. However, many scholars believed David wrote it during his kingship (around 1000 BC to 993 BC). That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. That is some revelation! The noteworthiness of Psalm 23 was not lost on Spurgeon. Now mine was a recent silly example. Now I want to break this first verse up into each little section so that we can get a better grasp as to what David was saying. Share. Topical Series; DVD Series; Bible Series; Flash Drives; Bundles . a. There are few experiences in life that would be more satisfying. Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. The psalmist has been talking about God in the third person (he). It is a bit difficult to ascertain the exact time Psalm 23 was written. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master's University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. A shepherd would prepare a table for his sheep by scouting ahead to find good pastureland free from predators and poisonous plants. This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or surely is set as a seal upon it. Psalm 23:4 I will fear no evil, for you are with me, There is a switch here from 'He' to 'You'. David claimed that the same God who faithfully rescued the Israelites from Egypt and provided guidance and provision in the wilderness is the same faithful God he served. God longs to bless and prosper His people. For other references to the shadow of death, see Jeremiah 2:6 and Job 10:21-22. We have to learn to sit back and thank Him once again. e. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me: The rod and the staff were instruments used by a shepherd. With no one to turn to, we develop true and steadfast love and trust in the Lord. The idea that the LORD is a shepherd to His people is also prevalent throughout the Bible. 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). This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. When applied to Yahweh, hesed is fundamentally the expression of his loyalty and devotion to the solemn promises attached to the covenant. There is no if nor but, nor even I hope so; but he says, The Lord is my shepherd. (Charles Spurgeon). Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethrens emptier vessels. (Trapp). Which is it? A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. In light of all these truths, we must respond promptly. [3], The LORD - The first thing to note is the source of David's comfort. 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. To call God a shepherd is to acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives and submit to His will. The mercy here comes from the Hebrew word Hesed which depicts Gods covenant faithfulness. Psalm 22 speaks of the past; Psalm 23 speaks of the present; and Psalm 24 speaks of the future. You prepare a table before me: Without departing from the previous picture of the valley of the shadow of death, David envisioned the provision and goodness given by the LORD as a host, inviting David to a rich table prepared for him. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of theLordforever. It has an inexpressibly delightful application to the dying; but it is for the living, too. There is a noble tone of confidence about this sentence. [5], We need to remind ourselves of this all the time. Grace Community Church 13248 Roscoe Blvd. Everyone knows this psalm even non-Christians have heard it because it seems to be a favourite at their funerals. He had known famine. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. Companionship -- for you are with me. Included in the "better" provisions are: a better hope . I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. To eat at the Kings table in the presence of your enemies would show your enemies that the king holds you in high regard, and would demonstrate their powerlessness to hurt you. Verse 1. 'Is something bad going to happen to me?' Pauline Epistles Published by Thomas Nelson, 2005. What great confidence! Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a Together with goodness it suggests the steady kindness and support that one can count on in the family or between firm friends. (Kidner), ii. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.. Gods motivations for treating His people rightly stem from the perfection and goodness of His nature. Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. The Gospels Like the Greek word agape (love) in the New Testament, hesed (lovingkindness) involves actionkindness or love expressed through kind or loving actions rather than just feelings. And I will dwell in the house of the LORDforever: The psalm ends with the calmest assurance that he would enjoy the presence of the LORD forever both in his days on this earth and beyond. Let us stick close to Him and thank Him for His wonderful grace. It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed. We might say that the shepherds presence did not eliminate the presence of evil, but certainly the fear of evil. The primary responsibility of a shepherd is to ensure the well-being and safety of the flock. Pauline Epistles The rod and staff were comforting to the sheep, because both were intended for the sheeps benefit. (Whew!) He was the son of Jesse and a direct descendant of Abraham. 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. Thank you for registering. Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. Believe with the same confidence David had. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. God shines His light into our lives. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. The shepherd image appears not only as part of the Old Testament but as a vital part of the New Testament as well. Pastor John MacArthur. 27:1). Do you? Major Prophets This is a psalm of trust and confidence in God's goodness in the present and in the future. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, (7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Lord's Day Services. PSALM 23:1-4. In fact, he thought quite highly of it, as is evident by this especially generous compliment: Of this delightful song it may be affirmed that its piety and its poetry are equal, its sweetness and its spirituality are unsurpassed. Spurgeon once referred to Psalm 23 as the Pearl of the Psalms in his monthly magazine, The Sword and the Trowel. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' The shepherd certainly did not remove the presence of evil but removed the fear of evil. Major Prophets Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. The writer of Psalm 23 makes an analogy between God and the shepherd. Your partnership makes all we do possible. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Psalm 23 is undoubtedly one of the most well-known passages in Scripture. But do we believe it? He had not only enough, a cup full, but more than enough, a cup which overflowed. David had it right in placing his trust in the one true God who controls all things. They believed that something of the persons identity was tied up in the namethat the name expressed something of the persons essential character. On the one hand it is not quoted in the New Testament directly concerning Jesus. He wanted to depict the marvelous work of God in his life and encourage many believers with his testimony. Our God protects His people, and His presence brings comfort to eliminate the fear of evil.