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Introduction:
One of the most widely known Bible passages is Psalm
23. It has been sermonized and taught over and again. It is
read at almost all funerals. And is referred to in every situation
where comfort is needed. Yet, the meat of its meaning is probably
lost on us. For the most part, we modern urbanites miss the thrust
of David’s pastoral poem because we are unfamiliar with
shepherding. In 1970, Phillip Keller, who was raised in East
Africa around shepherds and was himself a shepherd for some time,
wrote a book entitled A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23. I want us to read Psalm
23 with new ears, learning what David’s statements would
mean to one intimately acquainted with shepherding. As we examine
this information, I realize each of us will be listening with
different needs. Some will be listening as the Lord’s sheep,
finding reassurance in the Lord’s shepherding. Others will be
listening as the Lord’s sheep, seeing for the first time that
this Psalm says as much about their responsibility as sheep as it
does of the provision of our Shepherd. Some will be listening from
the standpoint of sheep on the other side of the fence, starving,
weak and diseased, seeing with what care Jesus shepherds His flock
and longing to enter this fold. Others, who are already or desire
to be shepherds within this congregation or within their homes,
will be seeing the model they are to emulate. Because of the
constraints of time, I will be unable to describe the meaning
behind David’s statements and make application to all the
different listeners. But, I believe when the shepherd’s
explanation is given, each of us will easily recognize the
application to our particular needs. During this lesson we will
examine Psalm 23:1-3
and we will complete the Psalm tonight. Discussion: I.
The Lord is my Shepherd. A.
David knew firsthand that the destiny of any
particular sheep depended greatly on the one who was its shepherd.
Under the care of some shepherds, the sheep would struggle,
starve, and suffer disease and endless hardship. Under the care of
another, they would flourish and thrive contentedly. B.
David was proud to proclaim, “Look who is my
Shepherd. Look at who is my owner, my master. Jehovah is.” Those
who enter Jesus’ fold, know their master and are glad (John
10:14). C.
Jesus has the right to be our Shepherd because He
created us (John 1:1-3).
David speaks of the Shepherd’s work in his own creation in Psalm
139:13-14. Additionally, He has the right to be our Shepherd
because He laid down His life for us. With His own blood, sweat
and tears He bought salvation for us, if we would only submit to
be His sheep (John 10:14-18). D.
Phillip Keller described his feelings the day he
bought his first 30 ewes, “They belonged to me only by virtue of
the fact that I paid hard cash for them. It was money earned by
the blood and sweat and tears drawn from my own body during the
desperate grinding years of the depression. … Because of this I
felt in a special way that they were in the very truth a part of
me and I a part of them.” E.
His neighbor handed him a knife and said, “Well,
Phillip, they’re yours. Now you’ll have to put your mark on
them.” While cattlemen brand their herd, shepherds cut a
distinctive earmark so all can tell to whom the sheep belong. We
too must wear the mark of Jesus. It is not enough simply to say,
“The Lord is my Shepherd.” We must be marked by a life that is
different from the world (Romans
12:2). We must be marked by a life of love (John
13:35). A life marked by complete obedience to the will of God
(Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus proclaimed we cannot have two shepherds (Matthew
6:24). Whose mark do you wear? II.
I shall not want. A.
Coming from David, this statement is astounding.
Here was a man who had been mistreated by family. He had been
hounded and harried repeatedly by Saul. He had seen hard days. One
of his sons would rape one of his daughters. Another son would
murder the rapist. Then that son, Absalom, would rebel and steal
the kingdom for a time and eventually be killed. Yet this same man
claims he will not want. B.
This statement is actually more about the sheep
than the Shepherd. Yes, it explains clearly that our Shepherd
gives all we need. It calls to mind Jesus’ statement about
God’s provision in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew
6:25-34). Most importantly, it describes the contentment of
the sheep, trusting that their Shepherd knows what is best and
will be ever vigilant to provide for them. As Hebrews
13:5-6 describes, we are content that the Lord is with us.
David’s statement emphasizes our utter contentment with the Good
Shepherd’s care and our consequent lack of craving and desiring
anything more. C.
Yet, some Christians are in fact, not content with
their Master. They are discontented thinking the grass may be
greener elsewhere. Phillip Keller described one ewe that was a
fence-crawler. Despite his care of his pastures, she had a
seemingly ingrained habit of trying to find the loophole in the
fence to the neighbor’s pasture. Ironically, when she escaped,
she often ended up feeding on bare, brown, burned up pasture
inferior to her own fold. The real problem came because she taught
her lambs to behave the same way and eventually led other sheep to
escape. In the end, despite the positive qualities she had, Mr.
Keller had to kill her. It was the only way to save the other
sheep. If we are not content with Christ and His shepherding,
death awaits us too. That is the message of the seed sown among
thorns in Luke 8:7, 14.
If other pastures distract us, we will be choked to death. III.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. A.
We read this today and think of the leisure and
comfort we would have if we were able to take some time and just
lie down in a green pasture somewhere. But, to the shepherd’s
mind this entails so much more. B.
According to Phillip Keller, “The strange thing
about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost
impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four
requirements are met.” They must be free of fear from outside
attack, free of tension and friction with the other sheep in the
fold, free from torment of flies and pests and they must be free
of hunger. Without these four conditions, the sheep will never lie
down in the green pasture. But Jesus is the Good Shepherd who can
fulfill all the requirements and pave the way for the sheep to be
able to lie down and rest. 1.
Fear from outside attack: Sheep have little or no
means of self-defense and are therefore helpless, timid, feeble
creatures whose only recourse is to run. A stray jackrabbit has
been known to stampede a whole flock. The Shepherd however,
maintains constant vigilance and watch over the flock to protect
against predators. Mr. Keller claimed he learned quickly to keep
an eye out for such attacks and discovered that his mere presence
did more than anything else to calm the fears of his flock. If we
would have no fear, we need to keep our eyes focused on the
Shepherd. 2.
Tension and friction within the fold: Amazingly
enough, a flock of sheep will establish and maintain an order of
dominance and status within the group. A domineering old ewe will
typically establish her preeminence by “butting and driving
other ewes or lambs away from the best grazing or favorite
bedgrounds. Succeeding her in precise order the other sheep all
establish and maintain their exact position in the flock by using
the same tactics of butting and thrusting at those below and
around them.” The Bible contains a description of this in Ezekiel
34:20-22. Mr. Keller learned again, that his mere presence
attracted the attention of his flock, causing them to forget their
foolish rivalries, stopping the fighting. Again, we learn, instead
of focusing on ourselves and those around us, we need to spend
more time looking at Christ, forgetting our petty problems and
differences within this flock. 3.
Free from pests: There will be more discussion of
this in our next lesson. For now, let it be known that the sheep
have no real ability to keep the pests away themselves. The
Shepherd is the one who must treat the sheep with oils and salves
to help drive the pests away. The constant watch of the shepherd
and application of the antidotes is necessary. 4.
Free from hunger: Sheep cannot just survive
anywhere. Freeing them from hunger means preparing the ground with
salts and minerals so it is useful to the sheep. It means keeping
a watch on the pasture because if left to themselves the sheep
will graze until they have destroyed even the roots of the grass.
It means moving them to proper pasturage and allowing the other to
grow back. It means work and sweat on the shepherd’s part. C.
What this all describes in a nutshell is not just
some serene picture of rest. It is the picture of toil and sweat
on the part of the shepherd for the peace of mind of his flock.
That is what Jesus has done for us. He came to this earth as one
of us. He prepared the way to defeat our enemies. He established
the pattern for overcoming tension among brethren. He drives away
the pests. He fills our hunger with His righteousness. It was not
a picture of serenity for Him, it was a picture of rejection,
beating and death as He prepared the way by sacrificing Himself
for us. What shoes modern shepherds have to fill! IV.
He leads me beside quiet waters. A.
The sheep’s body is composed of 70% water and
thus, while they thrive in dry, semi-arid cultures, they require
water. So too, we require water. Spiritually, the image of water
and thirst are used to describe having eternal life (John
4:10), righteousness (Matthew
5:6) and the word (Ephesians
5:26). This is the water we need and this is the clear, pure,
still water Jesus provides. B.
Sheep drink from three sources of water. Yet, these
sources are all a testament to the shepherd’s work. 1.
They drink from springs and streams. But the wary
shepherd must first search and discover the pure springs and
streams. The shepherd may even have to work to get the water from
the spring to a place where the sheep can find it. The shepherd
must also take care that his own flock does not spoil the water
through trampling up the mud or through their own bodily waste. 2.
They drink from the wells. But these wells do not
form on their own and must be dug by the shepherd. Then the water
must be bailed out so the sheep can access it. 3.
Interestingly enough, the sheep also drink the
water of the dew-drenched grass every morning. So much so, that if
the weather is not too hot, sheep can go months without drinking
water if there is continual heavy dew. Yet again, it is the
shepherd who must prepare the pasturage to be edible to allow for
this dew to be accessed. C.
This statement also says something about the sheep.
The sheep recognize that the water provided by the shepherd is
what is best for them. Some interesting word pictures can be seen
as we consider our own place as sheep in God’s flock. Do we
partake in the daily dew of God’s word, spending daily time in
the water and word of God? Or do we starve ourselves through the
week and hope the Sunday’s drink from the well will be enough?
Secondly, are we satisfied with the refreshing quiet waters that
Jesus provides or do we turn aside to our own way and our own
sources of water as Jeremiah 2:13 describes. Consider the following statements from
Phillip Keller. 1.
They remind
me very much of a bunch of sheep I watched one day which were
being led down to a magnificent mountain stream. The snow-fed
waters were flowing pure and clear and crystal clean between
lovely banks of trees. But on the way several stubborn ewes and
their lambs stopped, instead to drink from small, dirty, muddy
pools beside the trail. The water was filthy and polluted not only
with the churned up mud from the passing sheep but even with the
manure and urine of previous flocks that had passed that way.
Still these stubborn sheep were quite sure it was the best drink
obtainable. The water itself was filthy and unfit for them. Much more, it was
obviously contaminated with nematodes and liver fluke eggs that
would eventually riddle them with internal parasites and disease
of destructive impact. 2.
Of course
there is always a percentage of perverse people who will refuse to
allow God to lead them. They insist on running their own lives and
following the dictates of their own wills. They insist they can be
masters of their own destinies even if ultimately such destinies
are destructive. They don’t want to be directed by the Spirit of
God … they want to walk in their own ways and drink from any old
source that they fancy might satisfy their whims. … People often
try this pursuit or that with the casual comment, ‘So, what? I
can’t see that it’s going to do any harm!’ Little do they
appreciate that often there is a delayed reaction and that
considerable time may elapse before the full impact of the
misjudgment strikes home. Then suddenly they are in deep trouble
and wonder why. D.
The Shepherd has done His part to lead us to quiet
still waters. Are we doing our part to drink? V.
He restores my soul. A.
This statement is somewhat shocking. After all,
with the hard work that Jesus does as our Shepherd, how could
anyone become cast down and need to be restored. Yet, because of
our own weaknesses we do, at times, become cast down and need
restoration. The Psalmist of Psalm 42 speaks of his cast down soul, three times (Psalm
42: 5, 6, 11). This soul needs restoration. The Shepherd
provides it. B.
The “cast down” sheep in need of restoration is
one who has fallen over on its back and cannot get up. According
to Mr. Keller, “A ‘cast’ sheep is a very pathetic sight.
Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically
struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a
little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in
frightened frustration. If the owner does not arrive on the scene
within a reasonably short time, the sheep will die.” This is one
reason the shepherd must diligently watch for cast sheep. The
other reason is because predators know a cast sheep is easy prey. C.
Again, while this speaks of the shepherd’s
diligence to watch for His sheep to help them in their time of
need. It also says something about the sheep. Because there are
three reasons for sheep becoming cast, each of which parallels a
“cast down” and vulnerable soul. 1.
Sitting
in the soft spot:
Sometimes the sheep find a nice soft spot to lie down in. It may
roll on its side slightly to stretch out. The sheep’s center of
gravity shifts so it turns further onto its back and can no longer
touch the ground with its feet. Sometimes, we as sheep become
tired of the hard work involved and look for the comfortable
places. When we start looking for easy lives, we will become cast
down. The Shepherd, if we will allow Him, will restore with words
of encouragement and rebuke. 2.
Too
much wool:
Sometimes the sheep’s wool grows too long or thick and becomes
ripe for catching in brambles and gathering mud which will weigh
the sheep down, causing it to become cast. The shepherd must then
shave the sheep of its excess wool. This also has a counterpart as
we sometimes seemingly have too much wool allowing the things of
this world to weigh us down and cast us. Again I am reminded of
the parable of the sower and the seed on the thorny soil (Luke 8:7, 14). 3.
Too
fat:
The fattest sheep are the most often cast down. They simply have
too much weight to be agile and able to stay constantly on their
feet. Men sometimes parallel this heavy sheep much like Moses
described Israel in his song in Deuteronomy
32:13-15. Because of success and prosperity the people turn
their backs on God because they have “arrived.” Like the
Laodiceans of Revelation
3:17 they think they need nothing because of their prosperity.
At this time they have become cast and are easy prey for the
devil. D.
Despite the sinful reasons for which we may become
cast down. The Lord wants to restore our souls. He searches for us
and rejoices when we are found (Luke
15:4-7). We may not like His discipline, but it is for our
restoration. Of course, this applies to Jesus’ underling
shepherds. We must be willing to recognize their efforts to
restore our souls and not grow weary or be turned off by their
attempts to help us. VI.
He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His
name’s sake. A.
When we speak of shepherds one of the first aspects
we often think of is leading. Do you know why this is the case? It
is because sheep must be constantly led to new pasturage.
According to Mr. Keller, If left to themselves [sheep] will follow
the same trails until they become ruts: graze the same hills until
they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is
corrupt with disease and parasites. … Because of the behavior of
sheep and their preference for certain favored spots, these
well-worn areas become quickly infested with parasites of all
kinds. In a short time a whole flock can thus become infected with
worms, nematodes, and scab. The final upshot is that both land and
owner are ruined while the sheep become thin, wasted and sickly.
… The greatest single safeguard which a shepherd has in handling
his flock is to keep them on the move. That is to say, they dare
not be left on the same ground too long. They must be shifted from
pasture to pasture periodically. … In a word—there must be a
pre-determined plan of action, a deliberate, planned rotation from
one grazing ground to another in line with right and proper
principles of sound mind. This is precisely the sort of action and
the idea David had in mind when he spoke of being led in paths of
righteousness. B.
Sheep, left to themselves, destroy themselves. This
is much like the Proverbialist’s point in Proverbs
14:12; 16:25. There is a way that may seem right to us, but it
ends in death. C.
This says a great deal about our Shepherd. He is a
caring loving Shepherd. The planning that it takes to lead the
sheep so they do not destroy themselves is immense. The planning
that God went through so we would not be destroyed was also
immense. Consider, it took Adam and Eve only a few minutes to
destroy the paradise of Eden. But God took 4000 years to bring
about the fullness of His plan in Jesus and the Word. Our Shepherd
is not one of the careless shepherds who would leave us to destroy
ourselves. He lovingly cares for us and prepares for us, if we
will but follow Him. D.
Once again, this says something about the sheep as
well. I cannot say it better than Mr. Keller did. Now as we turn to the human aspect of this
theme we will be astonished at some of the parallels. As mentioned
earlier it is no mere whim on God’s part to call us sheep. Our
behavior patterns and life habits are so much like that of sheep
it is well nigh embarrassing. E.
The paths down which Jesus leads are righteousness.
We must not become distracted by our own desires to be in control.
Rather, we must follow the Shepherd. His loving care will take us
home to heaven. We must not be like the many of which Mr. Keller
spoke. We must be those few sheep who will give up our
stubbornness and our pride and follow Jesus completely, lest we
destroy ourselves. Conclusion: We will conclude Psalm 23 in our next lesson. As we close, we need to focus on the last point we have made. Jesus will lead us in paths of righteousness. Have you been following Him on your way? Consider Jesus' way described in Romans 10:9-10; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38. While numerous men have set up their own way, Jesus only has one way (Matthew 7:13-14). We must hear, believe and confess His gospel. We must repent of our sins. We must submit to Jesus in baptism. Have you followed Jesus in baptism?
Glory
to God in the church by Christ Jesus
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