That seldom accomplishes His purposes and the rest of the Psalm show that these things do occur. Taking the Lord's Supper in an Unworthy Manner. Guess I had put my eyes on the problem too much! Click on the different category headings to find out more. They are still waters, for the Holy Ghost loves peace, and sounds no trumpet of ostentation in his operations. My cup runs over. Poetical Books [4]. and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. Psalm 23 distinctively stands out compared to other chapters in the Book of Psalms and receives a larger magnitude of respect. The Gospels Topical Series; DVD Series; Bible Series; Flash Drives; Bundles . Do we feel that our spirituality is at its lowest ebb? Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. 'Do I need to be extra careful?' Nov. 10, 2012. Major Prophets The idea that the LORD is a shepherd to His people is also prevalent throughout the Bible. In Psalm 22 He is the foundation; in Psalm 23 He is the manifestation; in Psalm 24 He is the expectation. Johannine Writings David found him so, and so have we. a. It is great advice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage because people are in desperate need to remember it! Sounds like a nice place to be for a defenceless sheep now doesn't it? This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! When flies or parasites annoy them, its hard for them to be at rest. But we need to learn to lie down. The sheep would experience excruciating pain that they would bash their heads against trees and rocks for relief. It is a psalm written by David who grew up as a shepherd. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. It has not made the dying Christian slave freer than his masterNor is its work done. It is a treasure chest filled with spiritual truths that encourage many. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Pentateuch The good man has his enemies. Because the sheep have this tendency to wander and get lost, a shepherd must always guide them in the right direction. That was a question that was once sent to me. Not to raging waves of strife, but to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep. Psalm 19. How much would you have had in your cup? (Spurgeon), ii. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. God longs to bless and prosper His people. 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.. That symmetric bracketing was a literary device intended to focus attention on the middle phrase, for you are with me. Gods saving presence is the focal point of this psalm. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point i. He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' Pray to him, then, for the blessingRestore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!, Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant. I think if we could just grasp this first verse alone our hearts could then rest. 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. The sheep didnt know where the green pastures and still waters were. King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd. What humanity needs now is the restoration of hope and joy. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. So our great Shepherd protects and provides for His sheep during their life on this earth. But, what makes it so compelling? Our God does not withhold anything good from His flock. He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. The Experiencing God Study Bible : the Bible for knowing and doing the will of God - Blackaby, Henry (1996) 1968 pages - CHECK THIS ONE! Excellent for: personal and family devotions pastoral study preparing Sunday-school lessons using with a small group simply readingeach volume draws you in Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. When faced with destitution, famine, pressures, financial difficulty, and depression, its hard to remain calm and tranquil. The shepherds guidance not only comforted and restored David but also led His sheep to righteousness. The following cookies are also needed - You can choose if you want to allow them: You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a mans pathway even for a moment. God wasnt just a shepherd to others in a theoretical sense, but He was Davids shepherd. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Basically fear tactics. People need comfort and encouragement. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Pastor John MacArthur. That was all it said. Pauline Epistles But mentally and spiritually we can get really tired trying to work out all our problems and we don't rest. ISBN 10: 0785250662 ISBN 13: . You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethrens emptier vessels. (Trapp). The New Testament speaks of Jesus as anointed (Luke 4:18; John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Hebrews 1:9, etc.). Daily devotional with John Piper. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Title: The MacArthur Bible Commentary By: John MacArthur Format: Hardcover Number of Pages: 2040 Vendor: Thomas Nelson Publication Date: 2005 Dimensions: 9.75 X 6.75 X 2.75 (inches) Weight: 3 pounds 11 ounces ISBN: 0785250662 ISBN-13: 9780785250661 Stock No: WW250662 Related Products The Jesus You Can't Ignore: Study $7.49 $9.99 Save 25% All of John's 3,000 sermons, spanning more than four decades of ministry, are available for free on the Grace to You website. Comfort -- for your rod and Thy staff comfort me. A poor man may say this as well as those in higher circumstances, What, all this, and Jesus Christ too?[6]. On still other days, she found herself walking through the middle of the valley. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. God saved (Israel) for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power known (Psalm 106:8). The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. 14a (Downers Grove, Illinois: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreters Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. It is for 'His name's sake' that He does this. Notice however that the Psalmist says he 'walks through' this valley. Will He never leave me or will something I do cause Him to leave?' God anoints His people with oil just like how shepherds anoint their sheep with oil. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. We go through the dark tunnel of death and emerge into the light of immortality. Title The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. Verse 4 has a dark tone that embodies the possibility of traversing through the valley of death even in the presence of the shepherd. I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm. [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. It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. You are mine. and flame will not scorch you. When the psalmist says that God has anointed his head with oil, he means that God has marked him as specialhas set him apart for a significant role. David reflected on God's many blessings to him and concluded that God would continue to be faithful to him and grant him fellowship in the future. and I will dwell in Yahwehs (Hebrew: YHWH) house forever (v. 6b). When we get tired we take a rest. Interactive Bible study with John Piper. He lived in the confident hope that it would continue for the rest of his life. Report an Issue Sermon Correction/Question . Guidance -- for He leads me in the paths of righteousness. (Kidner). And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. PSALM 23:1-4. Wisdom Literature With no one to turn to, we develop true and steadfast love and trust in the Lord. John MacArthur: The Lord Is My Salvation 92,638 views Jun 16, 2017 1.3K Dislike Share Save Ligonier Ministries 448K subscribers "The Lord is my light and my salvation" (Ps. Do you have the confidence to say that the almighty God IS your Shepherd right now? Let us stick close to Him and thank Him for His wonderful grace. He wants to genuinely bless His people and live in the abundance of His grace. 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 MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies and sidebars throughout. [7], 5001 North Oak Trafficway People need to know this beautiful Psalm of David to reorient and renew their thinking. What is also interesting, even before we get into the actual verses, is that this Psalm is part two of what we could call a Messianic trilogy. Though not often recited in its entirety, few are unfamiliar with the famous valley of the shadow of death.. What a wonderful picture we have of Christ in these three psalms! The Shepherds Crook. I remember a woman who grieved every year on anniversary of the death of her infant child. Joy -- You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over. One where 'the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. I started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. Prophets Many people succumb to their hopelessness and fear. The Hebrew word, sulhan (table), could refer to an animal hide spread on the ground like a picnic blanket. The emphasis of his pulpit ministry is the careful study and verse-by-verse exposition of the Bible, with special attention devoted to the historical and grammatical background behind each passage. When things were hard for Joe Christian you would hear the pastor encourage him saying 'Jesus will never leave or forsake you - take heart!' Davids guidance from God has a moral component. The anointing of oil to the sheep isnt just a meaningless ritual. In extreme cases where a lamb continually wandered off and wouldn't stick with the pack (causing the Shepherd to repeatedly have to go and bring the lamb back) the Shepherd would sometimes break the lamb's leg! John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Master's University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. The overflowing cup symbolizes the Lords generosity. [7] Do you have this same confidence that David had? But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. [9] As Jesus Himself said, 'You are the light of the world. . If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Gods shepherding care from the previous verse brought restoration to Davids soul. He is in control. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Obviously this doesn't mean that the track that the shepherd takes is always an easy one. Wisdom Literature 'What happened exactly to me in the dream?' It helped him even in the valley of the shadow of death to know that God guided him, even through correction. Psalm 23 Bible Study - Jesus our Great Shepherd! They are quiet waters times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can feed and are restored. 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. Jesus took this name for Himself when He said 'Before Abraham was born, I AM!' He talks about going through it, showing that he expects to emerge from its shadows into the light on the other side. Play. We in turn should allow that light to shine forth towards others so that people may see our lives and praise God. Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do but IS - present tense. The promises are for those who have been born again not those who simply like the sound of it for a funeral! Location. I shall not want can translate to I have no lack. Right paths lead to life rather than death (see Matthew 7:13-14). Again, there is comfort in the fact that God directs us and even discipline from the Lord (pulling us back into line!) They are times, as the Psalm says, when He restores your soul spiritually. To eat at the Kings table in the presence of your enemies would show your enemies that the king holds you in high regard, and would demonstrate their powerlessness to hurt you. The enemy was strongly entrenched there, and was determined to stay. He is a great shepherd. Gods presence removed the fear in David and comforted him. 1.Jehovah is my shepherd. See here, 1. b. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: This line from the psalm and the psalm as a whole has proven itself precious to many a dying saint through the ages. Pests would crawl through the ear canal of an unoiled sheep and lay in its brain. Countless experts also argued that David wrote it during the later years of his kingship because of its nostalgic and tranquil tone. So here is a man who has had to depend upon His Shepherd and is finding Him faithful even in trying times. For other references to the shadow of death, see Jeremiah 2:6 and Job 10:21-22. 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). It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Do we not gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd? a. My cup runs over. Near death, the saint does not walk in the valley, but through the valley. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! The Old Testament Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Beloved, I will ask you now a question. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.. However, the sheep do not easily lie down. Under Johns leadership, Grace Community Church's two morning worship services fill the 3,500-seat auditorium to capacity. His past death for His people He had known feast. One can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place. We do not die, we do but sleep to wake in glory. Wow! Prophets Do this in remembrance of me. Paul affirms the importance of this table ministry when he says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:24, 26). There is no fear of biting the bare ground where the grass is long enough for the flock to lie down in it. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Now, if you let it and you tended to be a little superstitious, your mind could ponder, and wander, on that a bit. Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Pastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New . This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. In the presence of my enemies: This is a striking phrase. (Heb 5:12-14) [8]. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters., God as a shepherd knows where to lead His flock to rest. Why the double standard of confusing messages? The Hebrew word for rod (shaybet) here seems to simply mean a stick with a variety of applications. The MacArthur Study Bible: new King James version - John MacArthur. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. 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. General Epistles This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. A shepherd would prepare a table for his sheep by scouting ahead to find good pastureland free from predators and poisonous plants. Pentateuch Its interesting to note how David used the word shepherd in this psalm instead of a more distant term like a king or a deliverer. Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Was it where you thought you would go? He leads me - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing you to a place of rest. Luke-Acts David knew all about this. God is like a shepherd to David. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host; who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security. (Clarke). 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! Major Prophets But we have the testimony from the Shepherd also how he loved the sheep and would never let them go! [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. Why is Psalm 23 one of the most well-known Psalms and the favorite biblical passage of many?