Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food"(Keller, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, 35). If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down.
#PSALM 23 THE LIVING BIBLE FREE#
Sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with other (sheep within the flock). Because of their timidity, sheep "refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. Keller explains that before sheep will lie down they need to be free of 4 things. Phillip Keller, a pastor and author who for eight years was himself a shepherd, writes, "It is almost impossible for (sheep) to lie down unless (certain) requirements are met". David reminds us that it is our Good Shepherd who " makes (us) lie down in green pastures" and " leads (us) beside quiet waters"(v.2). While it is true that Jesus is all we need, this is not to say that Jesus is all we get.
Whether we are in the green pasture or the dark valley, the Shepherd remains at our side and that is what we need. What this means is that God is all we need. In what sense then, can it be said that the Christian shall not lack anything? I like John Piper's answer to this question, "what David means is that God's sheep never lack anything that the Shepherd thinks is good for them." When we are told about walking through the dark valley it is safe to assume that the valley lacks light, and I presume it lacks the green pasture and the quiet waters. We are being told that the Lord's sheep are not lacking anything.īut how is this true? We don't even have to leave Psalm 23 to see that the Lord's sheep do indeed lack things.
What exactly does that mean, " I shall not want"? The meaning here is not that we won't desire or want anything, the meaning is that we won't be left wanting. The Christian reads Psalm 23 this way, " (Jesus) is my shepherd, I shall not want". The nature of Psalm 23 then, becomes even more personal. Jesus calls Himself, " the good shepherd" in John 10, verse 11. Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is a reminder that Christianity is not as much a religion as it is a relationship. David could have rightly said, 'Hear O Israel, the Lord is our shepherd', but he does not say this, he says, " The Lord is my shepherd". David is saying that the eternal God of the Universe is his personal shepherd. What shall we say about the first line, " The Lord is my shepherd"? A phrase so familiar that we probably are missing the magnitude of those words. The first lesson that this psalm teaches me is that my study of theology should always lead me to prayer. The lesson I have learned from this form change is that we should not talk for very long about God without talking to God. Then, finally, in verse 6 he switches back to the third person: " I will dwell in the house of the Lord". Then in verses 4 and 5, David refers to God as " You" or " Thou": " I fear no evil for Thou art with me Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. When this happens we tend to overlook messages and applications that are quite obvious.įor instance, have you ever noticed how David changes the form of the psalm in verse 4? In the first three verses, David refers to God as " He": " The Lord is my Shepherd. There is a danger, that when a biblical text becomes particularly familiar to us, we begin to believe that we know all that there is to know about the text. It is a shame because Psalm 23 is a psalm for the living-it is a psalm for you and I to apply every day of our life. It is a shame then, that we tend to only hear sermons on Psalm 23 at funerals. * Lends no money at interest: lending money in the Old Testament was often seen as assistance to the poor in their distress, not as an investment making money off the poor by charging interest was thus forbidden ( Ex 22:24 Lv 25:36– 37 Dt 23:20).The 23rd psalm is the most beloved of the Psalms and is, perhaps, the most loved chapter in the entire Bible. Holy mountain: a venerable designation of the divine abode ( Ps 2:6 3:5 43:3 48:2, etc.). * Your tent: the Temple could be referred to as “tent” ( Ps 61:5 Is 33:20), a reference to the tent of the wilderness period and the tent of David ( 2 Sm 6:17 7:2), predecessors of the Temple.
Note the emphasis on virtues relating to one’s neighbor. The Israelite wishing to be admitted had to ask the Temple official what conduct was appropriate to God’s precincts. * The Psalm records a liturgical scrutiny at the entrance to the Temple court (cf. Who may dwell on your holy mountain? * IIĪccepts no bribe against the innocent.