My cup runs over. It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. Which is it? A sheep unoiled is an easy target for the infestations of such pests. He will never, ever, leave you! It becomes more personal in this valley! He is no longer speaking about God, but is instead speaking to God. But it is alluded to such as in Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (wpe). Pastor John MacArthur. Psalms 23. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! They are well placed, well laid: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. This word follow in the Hebrew does not just mean tag along at some distance behind. . It has sung courage to the army of the disappointed. What humanity needs now is the restoration of hope and joy. Ouch. Anyway, we might have been being a tad naughty but the principle can be quite helpful and this is what I will do with this first verse. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check and all was well. Psalm 23 is written by David who grew up as a shepherd. What great confidence! In light of all these truths, we must respond promptly. By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. c. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over: Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his hosts goodness. Liberated for Life : Galatians - a Bible Commentary for Laymen by John F. MacArthur and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at AbeBooks.com. Pastor John MacArthur. The Middle Eastern shepherds in Israel didn't drive their sheep their sheep followed them. No robber, predator or enemy ever takes Him by surprise! The enemy was strongly entrenched there, and was determined to stay. There you have it. But do we believe it? It is a bit difficult to ascertain the exact time Psalm 23 was written. Psalm 23 symbolizes the human race as a flock and God as their Shepherd. He is a great leader who leads people to righteous living. Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. The Hebrew word for staff (mishaynaw) seems to speak of a support in the sense of a walking stick. This is the joy of the Christian! A sheep is an object of property, not a wild animal; its owner sets great store by it, and frequently it is bought with a great price. 3 He restores my soul. The New Testament speaks of Jesus as anointed (Luke 4:18; John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Hebrews 1:9, etc.). This is seen in the following table: [2]. i. May God grant us grace to dwell in the serene atmosphere of this most blessed Psalm! GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. One where 'the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. It is 'The LORD' who is his shepherd! [13] Boy it used to annoy me how church leaders and other Christians would create such confusion concerning this! The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. Wow! [4] I read in a John Hunter book that as well as being able to say 'The Lord is my shepherd' we should be able to say 'The shepherd is my Lord.' The instruments used by the shepherd comforted David. 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. God shines His light into our lives. On other days, she was on the other side. Scripture: Psalm 23. Follow John MacArthur: Contact Information: Phone: 800-55-GRACE Fax: 661-295-5871 Email: [email protected] . The MacArthur Bible Commentary | Logos Bible Software In verse 1, David expresses his thoughts about God. Nov. 10, 2012. They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. The world is now experiencing a dreadful pandemic. Though the majority of the occurrences of hesed are translated steadfast love, there are undeniable elements of mercy and kindness that underlie each of these occurrences (Renn, 633-634). The New Testament The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. Everything will be ok. People need comfort and encouragement. Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. The sheep didnt know where the green pastures and still waters were. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD The epistle to the Hebrews is a study in contrast, between the imperfect and incomplete provisions of the Old Covenant, given under Moses, and the infinitely better provisions of the New Covenant offered by the perfect High-Priest, God's only Son and the Messiah, Jesus Christ. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, (Hebrew/Greek Search by English Definition), * 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order', Search verses, phrases, and topics (e.g. The word my cup runs over indicates that David not only had the necessities but also enjoyed abundance. 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. John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher. Davids former occupation was a humble shepherd. With this verse, he begins to use the second person (you and your). He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Psalm 23 Commentary - Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible But, God as our shepherd provides peace that transcends all understanding. It helped him even in the valley of the shadow of death to know that God guided him, even through correction. 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. It was never used on the sheep. So though 3000 years old it is extremely relevant for our lives today! Prophets Alex is a family man and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. i. The rod and staff were comforting to the sheep, because both were intended for the sheeps benefit. David claimed that the same God who faithfully rescued the Israelites from Egypt and provided guidance and provision in the wilderness is the same faithful God he served. But it is there that you learn that though you may not be able to see the shepherd as well as normal, He can see you and is still protecting you! And it is in these times that it starts getting a lot more personal! 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006, Baker, Warren (ed. It is for 'His name's sake' that He does this. In the United States, a signal honor would be an invitation to stay overnight in the Lincoln bedroom in the White House. Still, David has decided to praise God no matter what happens. The shepherd would use his staff to guide sheep and to pull them back from dangerous places. It's not for the goats. Everything in time -- for goodness and mercy shall follow me. One can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place. Interactive Bible study with John Piper. Verse 1. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies and sidebars throughout. The Shepherd's rod: The rod which the Shepherd carried was for protecting the sheep from predators. Major Prophets There is something about people who truly know their God. In the Bible, anointing was used to designate a person for a significant role. The book of Psalms is the most quoted book in the New Testament, and Jesus would refer a lot to the Book of Psalms even in His claims and teachings. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. 'What happened exactly to me in the dream?' Here the second allegory begins. Major Prophets And yet through it all he could look back and write 'the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want'. Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. He is in control. Death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains. So to be Gods guest is to be more than an acquaintance, invited for a day. People need to know this beautiful Psalm of David to reorient and renew their thinking. 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control since discipline is security., iii. We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. David found him so, and so have we. Title The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. Our God protects His people, and His presence brings comfort to eliminate the fear of evil. 'Is something bad going to happen to me?' Now I want to break this first verse up into each little section so that we can get a better grasp as to what David was saying. And I used to always think 'Well! The Hebrew word rewayah suggests abundanceeven superabundance. That was his role growing up. d. For You are with me: This emphasizes that it is the presence of the shepherd that eliminated the fear of evil for the sheep. For I am Yahweh your God, Our children were still quite young. It included the most highlighted passage in the Bible which turned out to be this passage: Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. The intimate portrayal of God as a shepherd is what makes Psalm 23 unique and unforgettable. When flies or parasites annoy them, its hard for them to be at rest. It is a treasure chest filled with spiritual truths that encourage many. But, what makes it so compelling? In the ancient Near East, the shepherd was a royal metaphor. But he also knew, through many highs and lows, throughout his life, that he too was but a sheep with a far greater Shepherd. Here David pictures God as a gracious host who provides all that he needs even in times of apparent difficulty. Included in the "better" provisions are: a better hope . The mercy here comes from the Hebrew word Hesed which depicts Gods covenant faithfulness. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. (Spurgeon). He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. ), Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. They have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD would shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. Our lives should be a testimony to God Himself. It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about! 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). Notice how in times of trials, we become more aware of Gods presence. This magazine often included an exposition of a psalm, and in the 1866 publication Spurgeon featured Psalm 23. It is a necessary method to protect the sheep. It is a Psalm of but 6 verses but countless sermons and entire books have been written on it. But the shepherds here use dogs and fences to drive and control the sheep. I have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because The Lord is my shepherd. The wicked always want, but the righteous never; a sinners heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in a palace of content.[2]. 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