The Lord is my Shepherd
Psalm 23
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.
This Psalm has brought so much comfort to millions of people and even those individuals who are not fully converted have discovered and rehearse these words again and again as a source of comfort.
The verses in this Psalm is for all times, seasons and nations because God is truly a shepherd to all and for all times. He is the good shepherd and as I was led to do an in depth study on this Psalm. I will share with you here all I found.
A lot of what I will share below is adapted:
The Importance of “The Lord is My Shepherd”
A shepherd describes a more close and devoted relationship. Whereas a king might do what's best for the majority, a shepherd knows and stewards each one of his sheep.
A shepherd cares deeply not only for all his sheep as a whole but also for each and every single one.
This is how God cares for us. He knows each of our comings and goings, he knows every hair on our heads, he knows when even one of us is lost and has made every provision to find us through His Son Jesus Christ.
When David says "I shall not want" he is acknowledging how completely reliant he is on God as his Shepherd.
“I shall not want” because God, as a good shepherd, will ensure I have everything I need. “I shall not want,” not because of what I've done or can do but because God loves me. “I shall not want” because I know God personally as my Shepherd.
1. Christ's relation to His people is often represented by the figure of a shepherd ( John 10:14, Hebrews 13:20, 1 Peter 2:25, 5:4 ), and therefore the opinion that He is the Lord here so described, and in Genesis 48:15, Psalms 80:1, Isaiah 40:11, is not without some good reason.
2. green pastures--or, "pastures of tender grass," are mentioned, not in respect to food, but as places of cool and refreshing rest.
the still waters--are, literally, "waters of "stillness," whose quiet flow invites to repose. They are contrasted with boisterous streams on the one hand, and stagnant, offensive pools on the other
3. To restore the soul is to revive or quicken it ( Psalms 19:7 ), or relieve it ( Lamentations 1:11 Lamentations 1:19 ).
paths of righteousness--those of safety, as directed by God, and pleasing to Him.
for his name's sake--or, regard for His perfections pledged for His people's welfare.
4. In the darkest and most trying hour, God is near.
the valley of the shadow of death--is a ravine overhung by high precipitous cliffs, filled with dense forests, and well calculated to inspire dread to the timid, and afford a covert to beasts of prey. While expressive of any great danger or cause of terror, it does not exclude the greatest of all, to which it is most popularly applied, and which its terms suggest.
thy rod and thy staff--are symbols of a shepherd's office. By them, he guides his sheep.
5, 6. Another figure expresses God's provided care.
a table--or, "food."
oil--anointing oil, the symbol of gladness.
cup (which represents abundance)--are prepared for the child of God, who may feast in spite of his enemies, confident that this favor will ever attend him. This beautiful Psalm most admirably sets before us, in its chief figure, that of a shepherd, the gentle, kind, and sure care extended to God's people, who, as a shepherd, both rules and feeds them. The closing verse shows that the blessings mentioned are spiritual.
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