This name is 'Yahweh', the sovereign, almighty, delivering God. In Psalm 22 Christ is the Saviour; in Psalm 23 He is the Satisfier; in Psalm 24 He is the Sovereign. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me (v. 4c). Later, rabbis often designated it "The Book of Praises." . How marvellous it is that weak, fearful people can be given such confidence through a simple trust in the ability of their shepherd! He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.. This verse doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it God loves you too much to just make things always easy! The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. Everyone loves this Psalm. David wrote Psalm 23 based on his experiences with God. They are in need of a good shepherd who will provide, protect, and guide his sheep. Scripture: Psalm 23. Although God, by his benefits, gently allures us to himself, as it were by a taste of his fatherly sweetness, yet there is nothing into which we more easily fall than into a forgetfulness of him, when we are in the enjoyment of peace and comfort. Email / username or password was incorrect! (1 Pet 5:1-4, Acts And when the days of this life are over, then we shall enter into that which we can only partly imagine, for, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.'. b. What are these still waters but the influences and graces of his blessed Spirit? Below are some of his most touching and eloquent comments on each verse. In Psalm 23, God has answered this prayer God has led him in paths of righteousness. They have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD would shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death. We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. Johannine Writings This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! Pastor John MacArthur. 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. range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness. And one day He will come in the clouds and troubles of this world will be over. The Believer's Confession of Sin. The book of Psalms is so unique because it focuses on the character of God. Articles Messages Books Podcasts Filter Resources By Ask Pastor John. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point But the valley was always there, casting its shadow over her life. This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or surely is set as a seal upon it. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006, Baker, Warren (ed. 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. Are any of us low in grace? We seek more of God and depend on Him further when we encounter problems. On some days, she was on one side of the valley. It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed. [8] If you are someone that God has placed in a position of leadership or teaching then you should also remember that you are called shepherds and are called to feed the flock of God. And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after 'the days of my life'. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Because the sheep have this tendency to wander and get lost, a shepherd must always guide them in the right direction. (5) Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Cookie Notice: [13] Boy it used to annoy me how church leaders and other Christians would create such confusion concerning this! Now this place of rest is, first and foremost spiritually speaking, right in the midst of the problem. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. So out of the blue she emailed a few weeks back asking: 'All ok with you? God is his shepherd and his Goda God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. But the love for our Saviour is great, with us waiting patiently for a time all these woes will come to an end. The word hesed also has a variety of meanings kindness, lovingkindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness, or love. He is the Shepherd that tends to His flock. Make sure your view of the 'Good Shepherd' Jesus is the right one! Do you? Luke-Acts Right paths lead to life rather than death (see Matthew 7:13-14). Entdecke The Macarthur Bible Commentary by John MacArthur (2005, Hardcover) in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! See here, 1. The Hebrew word tob has a variety of meanings, such as good, moral, profitable, or plentiful. May God grant us grace to dwell in the serene atmosphere of this most blessed Psalm! If you are truly saved He will never leave you all the days of your life! Oils and ointments can salve wounds and insect bites. 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. John MacArthur brings you a complete Bible commentary in one volume. The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. David wrote this while remembering his fearful experiences. I will fear no evil, for you are with me (v. 4b). David knew all about this. The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. He had known famine. Amazon, in the last couple of weeks (Nov 2014) released the most highlighted passages in their most popular books downloaded onto Kindle, their electronic book reader. - Henry Ward Beecher, [2] J Vernon McGee writes 'to put it succinctly, in Psalm 22 we see the cross, in Psalm 23 the crook (the Shepherd's crook), and in Psalm 24 the crown (the King's crown). Poetical Books My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4a). 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. Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. 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] . On other days, she was on the other side. His passion is to serve the global Church and bring people of diverse backgrounds together to learn & grow. He will never, ever, leave you! (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. It is to live with Him. (Kidner), ii. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. In that culture, people considered a persons name to be more than a simple label to identify that person. Pauline Epistles 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. The Old Testament These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. It would stick right by the Shepherd's side! He is. Depression and other illnesses can enshroud us in darkness and threaten us with death. He will sustain and provide for all of His peoples needs. The good man has his enemies. ii. What are these green pastures but the Scriptures of truthalways fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? General Epistles I recently did a study on this psalm for a home group church meeting. 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. 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. But do we believe it? Text: Psalm 23 Ministry: Anchored. 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. No, we are not talking here about genuine needs, not greed'! He leads me beside still waters. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. The anointed writer of Psalm 23 was King David. Welcome to FaithGiant, where you can find everything you need to live a life of faith, hope, and love. c. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over: Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his hosts goodness. Johannine Writings 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control since discipline is security., iii. ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. 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. Dying soldiers have died easier as it was read to them; ghastly hospitals have been illuminated; it has visited the prisoner, and broken his chains, and, like Peter's angel, led him forth in imagination, and sung him back to his home again. But we need to learn to lie down. But there is a greater provision and far greater blessing still to come. He would tend, protect and care for his sheep. That is some revelation! We need 2 cookies to store this setting. A number of our soldiers died there. Location. Priests were anointed (Exodus 40:13-15). David envisioned God as a benevolent host who prepared a grand banquet. Title The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. The wonder of wonders is that through the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives we can actually go through these times without fear! Psalms 23. [10] We have another source of confidence in our shepherd Jesus that even David didn't have when he wrote this psalm 3000 years ago. God longs to bless and prosper His people. There are no halfway measures when it comes to the Lords provision for our lives. God shines His light into our lives. His future return for His people as the King of Glory! Historical Books He is a great shepherd. Why the double standard of confusing messages? Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. The mercy here comes from the Hebrew word Hesed which depicts Gods covenant faithfulness. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Play. He was refreshed by a head anointed with oil; his cup was over-filled. If things are tough, remember this verse. It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. The sense of this verse then is that, because God is loving and kind, his people can expect God to provide blessings throughout life. Though not often recited in its entirety, few are unfamiliar with the famous valley of the shadow of death.. We might say that the shepherds presence did not eliminate the presence of evil, but certainly the fear of evil. It is a treasure chest filled with spiritual truths that encourage many. I have a lady at my work who, after saying something that she felt may tempt fate, said 'touch wood'. Psalm 23 is a wonderful masterpiece of David that contains encouragement and awe-inspiring spiritual truths. God does not eliminate the risks and hazards but will illuminate His presence. David could confidently write the second phrase because he experienced the provision and providence of God in his life. We do not die, we do but sleep to wake in glory. The psalmist genuinely expressed his understanding and experience with God as his shepherd. It is well to know, as certainly as David did, that we belong to the Lord. To call God a shepherd is to acknowledge His sovereignty over their lives and submit to His will. Taking the Lord's Supper in an Unworthy Manner. But it is still the path that leads to righteousness. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. belgian malinois ears back,