So I started checking myself - heart was still pumping, ears were attached, nose still worked, yes, everything seemed to be in order. A great promise indeed! Part 2. It leads to burn out, break downs and depression. Notice however that the Psalmist says he 'walks through' this valley. He had been chased and pursued as he ran from his enemies who sought to take his life. He is the source of life and a great provider. Shepherds use the rod and staff to guide the sheep and protect them from potential predators. The great confidence which believers have in God: "If the Lord is my shepherd, my feeder, I may conclude I shall not want any thing that is really necessary and good for me." The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. The enemy was strongly entrenched there, and was determined to stay. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. However, the sheep do not easily lie down. That name therefore shall still be my strong tower, and shall assure me that he who has led me, and fed me, all my life long, will not leave me at last." 5 Things You Should Know about the ESV Bible Translation. of Let us stick close to Him and thank Him for His wonderful grace. WebMark 9-16 MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Volume 6 : Macarthur, John: Amazon.pl: Ksiki. 2. Rev 21:3-4, 'Forever' is a long time, but this infinitely creative God will never fail to amaze us. David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection. In Psalm 23, we are compared to sheep who do not have a sense of direction, are hopeless, and are weak who need a Shepherd. THE LORD AS SHEPHERD 1 Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. A. Theses are the paths in which all the saints desire to be led and kept, and never to turn aside out of them. You can check these in your browser security settings. 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). That was all it said. Each guide incorporates extensive commentary, detailed observations on overriding Was it where you thought you would go? The Analogy of God and the Shepherd in Psalm 23, The Lord As A Shepherd Who Provides (Verse 1), The Lord As A Shepherd Who Guides (Verses 2-3), The Protection And Comfort From Gods Presence (Verse 4), The Blessings of God Amidst Danger (Verse 5), Faith-Filled Content Delivered To Your Inbox, Best NASB Study Bibles Ranked & Reviewed, The Best Bible for Young Adults: Buyers Guide. In this psalm, the way of the righteous and the way of the ungodly are contrasted. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. Is one better than the other? To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed Observe that it is not walking in the valley, but through the valley. He has been the pastor of Grace Community Church, a non-denominational church in Sun Valley, California since February 9, 1969. None of these things move me." It is a treasure chest filled with spiritual truths that encourage many. Webby John Calvin: Commentaries on Psalms by many authors : Commentaries on various Psalms: Read & listen to many hymns linked to specific Psalms: EasyEnglish Bible Commentary on Psalms: Explaining the Psalms to children & those new to English : Overview of Psalm 23 : Psalm 51 in-depth study : In-depth studies in the Book of Psalms Let us not, therefore, be afraid. Even conservative Christian pastor John MacArthur acknowledges that Psalm 23 uses common ancient Near Eastern images. The shepherd of Israel guides Joseph like a flock; and every believer is under the same guidance: He leadeth me beside the still waters. His hope rises, and his faith is strengthened, by being exercised. In light of all these truths, we must respond promptly. It is a bit difficult to ascertain the exact time Psalm 23 was written. WebPastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New Testaments, phrase by phrasein this valuable one-volume resource. But he also knew something else. They are well placed, well laid: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd. See here the courage of a dying saint (v. 4): "Having had such experience of God's goodness to me all my days, in six troubles and in seven, I will never distrust him, no, not in the last extremity; the rather because all he has done for me hitherto was not for any merit or desert of mine, but purely for his name's sake, in pursuance of his word, in performance of his promise, and for the glory of his own attributes and relations to his people. e. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me: The rod and the staff were instruments used by a shepherd. We must dwell in his house as servants, that desired to have their ears bored to the door-post, to serve him for ever. Psalm 23 is an explicit metaphor that displays the relationship between God and His people. (3.) We do not die, we do but sleep to wake in glory. Its also of paramount importance to recognize that the shepherd in this psalm connotes more than someone who merely herds the flock. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. It has poured balm and consolation into the heart of the sick, of captives in dungeons, of widows in their pinching grief's, of orphans in their loneliness. 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. If God's goodness to us be like the morning light, which shines more and more to the perfect day, let not ours to him be like the morning cloud and the early dew that passeth away. 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. I had good medical care. There are only 6 verses but these terms are used about 30 times! can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6). and I will dwell in Yahwehs (Hebrew: YHWH) house forever (v. 6b). But mostly, they were comforting because they were in the hands of a caring shepherd. [2.] ), 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. 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. In Psalm 22 He dies; in Psalm 23 He is living; in Psalm 24 He is coming. He is the Lord our God that heals us, Exod 15 26. They know that it will be ok. We can imagine various meanings for the valley of the shadow of death.. The shepherd is also a guide who leads the flock on the right path. The shepherd certainly did not remove the presence of evil but removed the fear of evil. Sure enough, someone guessed pretty quickly that it would be Psalm 23. (4.) 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! If things are tough, remember this verse. Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him His present care and provision for His people Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. I live in New Zealand, and yes, I know, we have more sheep than people! We are well escorted, with a Shepherd in front and these twin angels behind! (Meyer), iii. Why is Psalm 23 one of the most well-known Psalms and the favorite biblical passage of many? The Hebrew word for rod (shaybet) here seems to simply mean a stick with a variety of applications. The idea that the LORD is a shepherd to His people is also prevalent throughout the Bible. My - This is probably the best thing about this psalm it is so personal! Do you? She is a lady that is unfortunately into the New Age and has spirit guides etc She doesn't agree with what I believe nor do I agree with her beliefs. This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at some distance behind. However, he was confident that God is with him all the time. His future return for His people as the King of Glory! Solid Joys. Many of David's psalms are full of complaints, but this is full of comforts, and the expressions of delight in God's great goodness and dependence upon him. The rod and staff were comforting to the sheep, because both were intended for the sheeps benefit. In this he had certainly an eye, not only to the blessings of God's providence, which made his outward condition prosperous, but to the communications of God's grace, received by a lively faith, and returned in a warm devotion, which filled his soul with joy unspeakable. Near death, the saint does not walk in the valley, but through the valley. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Fortunately, I had insurance that would allow my family to weather the storm financially. Beloved, I will ask you now a question. This immediately gives to us the indication that this is one of those Messianic psalms. These instruments (or instrument) of guidance were a comfort to David. 1. In the Old Testament, prophets were anointed (1 Kings 19:16). This is seen in the following table: [2]. Right paths lead to life rather than death (see Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus honored his disciples by inviting them to a table where he served them bread, saying, I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:15-16). Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. and flame will not scorch you. WebPREVIOUS John 20:22 NEXT John 20:24. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; David had had the highs of defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from Saul. Regardless of destitution, famine, storms, and other uncertainties, Gods flock is well-provided for in all seasons. Many people succumb to their hopelessness and fear. Play. The New Testament speaks of Jesus as anointed (Luke 4:18; John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Hebrews 1:9, etc.). Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. [1] As I mentioned, this is one famous Psalm. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. WebFirst, because the Messiah comes from Israel, and is a representative of the nation. c. I will fear no evil: Despite every dark association with the idea of the valley of the shadow of death, David could resolutely say this because he was under the care of the LORD his shepherd. ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. WebPSALM 23:1-4. A number of our soldiers died there. That was his role growing up. iii. They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. Ethan Collins November 17, 2020, Psalm 23 is undoubtedly one of the most well-known passages in Scripture. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. This is a Psalm of David and David was a shepherd. It is true that in extreme cases the shepherd would break the leg of the lamb. Psalm 40 - The Pit and the Pierced Ear in the Paths of God, Psalm 41: The pattern of betrayal - Past, present and future (P1), Psalm 55: The pattern of betrayal: Past, present and future (P2), Psalm 69 - The restoration and the zeal of the Lord, Psalm 102 - Change and the Unchangeable One, Psalm 110: Jesus the Messiah - Our Lord and King, Psalm 110: Jesus our priest in the order of Melchizedek. God leads his people, not to the standing waters which corrupt and gather filth, not to the troubled sea, nor to the rapid rolling floods, but to the silent purling waters; for the still but running waters agree best with those spirits that flow out towards God and yet do it silently. Determined to stay must respond promptly his faith is strengthened, by exercised. And not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors occasionally foreverthe! Him all the time eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals Every Morning they are well placed, laid... 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