Shepherd of Our Souls (Psalm 23)
July 12, 2020
There has been a lot of bad news. People we know are suffering and dealing with some terrifying situations. My own family has gone through a lot in the past couple of months with the diagnosis of Zeke and his passing. As we were in the hospital, I started thinking about everything that was happening to us. I wondered how most people handle this kind of situation. How would we handle it if we were ten years younger? How would we handle this if we did not have any kids? How would we handle this if we haven't been studying the Bible so much in the last few years? How does everybody else handle this when they don't know the God of the Bible at all?
My sermon this morning was about Jesus being the Lord of rest, and that got me thinking about my need to walk through what this means. What does it mean to find rest for our souls? What would that look like? Jesus talks about taking on his yoke, and that helps us some. But I think the best analogy was one that Jesus gave us back in Chapters 9 and 10 of Matthew.
Matthew 9:36 (ESV) --- 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 10:6 (ESV) --- 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Notice how Jesus sees the people as lost sheep wandering around without a shepherd to guide them. That seems like a desperate situation of unrest. Shepherds take care of sheep. Without shepherds, sheep are unable to survive. He even mentions this in Chapter 12 by bringing up a sheep falling into a well. I don't know much about sheep, but I know that sheep are stupid animals who need a shepherd to protect them from predators, disease, and themselves. That does not mean that Jesus is derogatory. Sheep were very loyal and loved animals.
Shepherds and sheep are given a prominent place in the Bible. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did their share of shepherding. Rachel stole Jacob's heart as she brought her father's sheep for water in Jacob's sight (Gen 29:9-11).
One of the most notable shepherds in the Old Testament is David. He was tending his father's sheep while Samuel had come to anoint him to be Israel's next king. In 1 Samuel 17, he tells Saul that he has killed a lion and a bear in defense of his sheep. He was a courageous shepherd who loved and looked out for his sheep. These characteristics would serve David well as king. God chose him, knowing his love for the sheep. David wrote one of the most famous texts on shepherding.
Psalm 23
Psalm 23 (ESV) --- A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
As we read through this Psalm, do we get a sense of what rest is? Does this Psalm clarify the vague pictures of sheep and shepherding that Jesus has given us in Matthew's gospel? In this text, David shows us that he sees himself as a sheep and God as his shepherd. David is not offended by being called a sheep. He sees a lot of similarities between him and the sheep he has shepherded. He also sees a direct relation to his work as a shepherd and God's work to shepherd and lead him. How many of us believe that God is leading us and working in our lives like this? Is he? Let's look at this Psalm in pairs.
Providence (1-2)
Psalm 23:1--2 (ESV) --- 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
First, notice how David speaks of God as his shepherd. He takes possession of him. It is as though David wants God to be his shepherd because he is such a great shepherd. "I shall not want" is also translated, "I lack nothing," but the Christian Standard goes one further and says, "I have what I need." "I shall not want" indicates that David refuses to desire anything that he does not have. "I lack nothing" might suggest that David has everything he could possibly want. But the Christian Standard says what makes the most sense. There were plenty of times in David's life where God took away something David wanted (wives, homes, sons). There are plenty of times in David's life where David wanted something that God wouldn't let him have (temple, sons). However, David looks back and sees that God has been a shepherd and given him what he needed. This will become more apparent in the next section.
Then he talks about God providing him with green pastures. There is no fear of starvation or sudden danger. David does not feel pushed beyond his limitations at all times. He is given time and opportunity to rest without fear or anxiety. The still waters are safe to drink and to walk beside without fear of getting swept away. It is all picturing a scene of peace and prosperity. The first line of verse three might even go with this. "He restores my soul." This break from pain, suffering, hostility, strife, and anxiety is God restoring David's soul.
In all of this, we notice that David sees God as his provider. David does not talk about what he has accomplished for himself. He does not say, "I have set up my government to provide a surplus of crops every year, and I have great fortified cities to prevent danger." David recognizes that God is his provider. Everything good that he has comes from God.
Spiritual Leading (3-4)
Psalm 23:3--4 (ESV) --- 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even 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.
In this section, notice how he starts with God leading him in paths of righteousness. The path of the shepherd is not wicked. God is not leading David down a path that will result in destruction. Throughout the Proverbs, righteousness is synonymous with blessing and wickedness with destruction. David points out that God is righteous. Following him leads his sheep to be righteous like he is righteous. Notice that he says God does this for the sake of his own name. What does that mean?
In verse four, we find out that the righteous path is sometimes scary. Verse 4 would come as a shock if we misunderstood verse 1. Why are we going through the valley of the shadow of death? Wouldn't a loving shepherd avoid this valley? This valley represents the struggles of life. David was in the shadow of death on many occasions. He lacked and wanted freedom from his dreadful situation. Psalm 22 depicts him surrounded by his enemies and about to die, but this could represent any form of suffering.
Notice that David trusts his shepherd as he walks through this valley. He believes that his shepherd knows what he is doing as he leads him through life. Events happen that seem horrible, but he has learned that God will give him what he needs. Sometimes, he needed the green pasture to restore his soul. Sometimes, he needs the valley of the shadow of death to prove his faith and glorify the name of God. David needs to struggle so that he knows God is with him. He needs to see the comfort of God's rod and staff guiding him through life's difficult situations. Overall, it strengthens him.
We don't want to go through trials and scary, horrible things. Of course, we don't! We hate the valley, but we have to go through it to get to where we need to be. David could never become the king God wanted him to be, the king he needed to be, without his life struggles.
Promise Keeper (5-6)
Psalm 23:5--6 (ESV) --- 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
After going through the valley, he always comes out on the other side with a greater appreciation of God's faithfulness. God keeps the promise he made to David in Psalm 2. In Psalm 2, the nations rage against the Lord and his anointed, but God laughs because they cannot do a thing to his anointed unless he allows it. David knows that God has a blessing in store for him in the end because God has made him a promise, and God always keeps his promises.
Notice that David says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." He doesn't say, "Surely happy times, pleasure, and easy living is guaranteed to me for the rest of my life." He says, "Goodness and mercy shall follow me." When he suffers, he knows goodness and mercy are on the way. He has nothing to fear because God will remind him of his blessings and fulfill his promises.
Application
We might look at this Psalm and think, "God loves David in this way, but what about me?" When we understand the relationship that God has with David, we can start to see how our relationship resembles his. Other texts in the Bible tell us that God plans to shepherd us. Let's quickly look at two.
All Are Invited To David’s Covenant
Isaiah 55:1--3 (ESV) --- 1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Here God is willing to provide the spiritual nourishment that we need. He will lead us in paths of righteousness and restore our souls. He will make the same covenant he made with David to us. This is a promise that God will be our shepherd as he was David's. He just wants us to call him our shepherd and choose to trust his leadership.
God Will Be The Shepherd
The next section we are going to look at is in Ezekiel. There is too much here to cover, but this whole chapter is all about God promising to be Israel's shepherd like he was David's. He promises to destroy the evil shepherds and to judge the evil sheep. But the most prominent thing in the chapter is God's promises to provide rest and care for the lost sheep of Israel. I would like for us to read all of this section.
Ezekiel 34:10--16 (ESV) --- 10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them. 11 “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.
Ezekiel 34:22--31 (ESV) --- 22 I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken. 25 “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be secure in their land. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke, and deliver them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 They shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the beasts of the land devour them. They shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. 29 And I will provide for them renowned plantations so that they shall no more be consumed with hunger in the land, and no longer suffer the reproach of the nations. 30 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord God. 31 And you are my sheep, human sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Lord God.”
What Do We Learn?
1. God Is Working
As we look at life, do we see God providentially leading us on the path of righteousness? The God of Israel will work in our lives, giving us what we need to become more like him. Maybe we need green pastures and still waters to restore our souls. But perhaps we need a valley. If our mission is to be happy in this life, we don't understand this. But if our mission is to glorify God's name, we trust our shepherd to bring us to the point of maturity where we can do that.
Good things in life don't always look good. Sometimes we need bad events to find what we need. Sometimes too much of a good thing is bad for us. Israel became complacent when they had rest, so did David. I know it sounds weird, but I thank God for Zeke. I told Jenna soon after he was diagnosed that we would be stronger next year than we are this year. Later I looked up the meaning of Zeke's name and found out it means God strengthens. Strength is a different type of rest, isn't it?
2. It's All For His Glory
The second thing we need to see in all of this is that God's mission is to glorify his own name.
Habakkuk 2:14 (ESV) --- 14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
He does not save us because we are so awesome. Just like Israel, we are stubborn, rebellious, and often stupid sheep. He did not wake up one day and think it would be fun to save people who disobey his every command, repeatedly. He set his heart to love us because he wanted to show everyone (us and all those in the spiritual realm that we cannot see) how amazing and righteous he really is. Saving us proves that he is more righteous than we will ever be on our own. He is so merciful and compassionate. He seeks the lost sheep of Israel, and he wants to heal them.
Conclusion
Jesus comes on the scene in Matthew, showing himself to be the good shepherd who can save the lost sheep of Israel from evil shepherds. He promises to give them rest and restore their souls so that they can walk on the paths of righteousness and trust God as they enter "the valley." This same invitation is extended to all of us. Everyone who comes to Jesus can find the rest and restoration they need. They can also find hope to be transformed into the image of Christ and become the praise of God's glory.