Psalm 23: God Is My Shepherd
What do we mean when we refer to
God as a shepherd? Psalm 23, written by David, gives us a glimpse of what this
truly means.
Psalm
23
English Standard Version
(ESV)
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A
Psalm of David.
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.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
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[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever.[g]
We
Desire Nothing Else because Jesus Is all Satisfying (vv. 1-2)
In this
world overrun with technology, it is easy to desire things other than God, but
the fact is that Jesus is better, and we do not have to desire anything else.
He will provide everything we need. As Jesus himself said, if God cares for the
birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how much more will he care for
us, his children?
The
Lord Leads Us (v. 3)
The
ultimate guide is God himself. He leads us just as a shepherd leads his flock.
There is an implication here, namely that we, as his flock, must trust him. In
order for him to lead effectively, we must follow where he goes.
The
Lord Protects Us (vv. 4-5)
Our source
of protection is not the government, but rather it is God himself. If God is
for us, who can be against us? This is a rhetorical question, and the answer is
a resounding “no one!” God is our protector, and for that reason, we can have
no better protector. The psalmist says that he does not fear even though he
walks through the valley of the shadow of death. It does not get much more
frightening than that, but God protects him. He protects us as well.
God
Actively Pursues Us (v. 6)
The Hebrew
word for follow in this passage is radaf. It is a military term that means
to actively pursue with passion. God is jealous for us and for our worship, and
for that reason, he pursues us with his love and kindness. This is what a
shepherd does for his sheep. God is our shepherd in this case, and he actively
pursues us.
