Psalm 23

 

1.   Ps 23:1      The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

a. The Lord is my… The writer here is David. David is one of God’s people. My is to have possession or ownership. That makes this psalm for a Christian. David makes this psalm personal. I shall not want.

b. Shepherd. Jesus is described many times a shepherd to His people:

Is 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. 

John 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 

15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

c. I shall not want.

Phi 4:19   But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ    Jesus.

Mt 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

2.   Ps 23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

a. Why are we here?  In Gen 1:26 God said “let us make man in our image.”  We are made to fellowship with the Lord. Sin breaks that fellowship. God desires that fellowship.

Eze 34:11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.
13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.
14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.
16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

b. We must let God lead in our lives. With Him there is peace in the waters, without them are the waves.

Mark 4:37  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? 

3.   Ps 23:3      He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

a.  Restore is to bring back that that was taken away. Paul said in Romans 7:9 that when sin revived, I died. Sin took away the relationship that we have with God, that’s why John 3:7 says: Ye must be born again! We must be restored to god’s family with a new birth.

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Psalm 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

b.  If you let Him, God will then lead and guide you through life, helping you to be better for Him and yourself.

Psalm 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Psalm 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

4.   Ps 23:4      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.

a.  Trials are going to come in life. We call them valley’s. This is where God’s deals with us mostly.  God takes these situations in our life and shows us how we can have victory if we do it His way. Job was in this valley which seemed hopeless and endless.  It came a point where Job’s wife told him to just curse God and die. But Job weathered the valley because he knew that God was powerful. God wanted to show Job that his trusting in his own righteousness was wrong.  So Job stayed faithful in the valley until he understood. It is important to say again that he stayed faithful in the valley, inspite of his trial.

Job 10:21  Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

b. fear no evil…

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Psalm 118:6  The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

c. Rod if for judgement and correction. The rod was used be a shepherd to chastise and reprove, it was coarse and hard.

2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

d. Staff is for guidance and direction.  A staff is used by a shepherd to gently nudge and direct the flock.

Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

e.  There is comfort in the rod and staff because as a child of God I know that the rod will be there to let me know when I am wrong and the staff will guide me so that I won’t do those things again.

f. The Bible is our Rod and Staff. Through reading God’s word we can have comfort.

5.   Ps 23:5      Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Why is it so important for the world to see Jesus in us?  David is speaking of prophecy, but just think; how powerful of a testimony is it for the world ( the enemy ) to see God in us?

2 Kings 1:8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

9 Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down.

10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

11 Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly.

12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.

13 And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

15 And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king.

 

1 Kings 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.

26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:

32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.

35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.

 

Psalm 92:10  But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

b. thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  God is not just the God of supply, but resupply. God will always bless when times seem the most desparate. Usually you’ll not only get what you need, but a little extra.

John 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

6.   Psalm 23:6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

John 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2   In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
3   And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 
4   And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5   Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6   Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.