Like the Greek word agape (love) in the New Testament, hesed (lovingkindness) involves actionkindness or love expressed through kind or loving actions rather than just feelings. He is a popular conference speaker and the president of both The Master's College and The Master's Seminary. 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. '. (Philip Keller). To be invited to Gods table is the ultimate honor. Let us not, therefore, be afraid. 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% The Gospels David had had the highs of defeating Goliath to the lows of running for his life and hiding in caves from Saul. We seek more of God and depend on Him further when we encounter problems. 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. Psalm 22 speaks of the past; Psalm 23 speaks of the present; and Psalm 24 speaks of the future. Major Prophets Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a Which is it? Title The entire collection of Psalms is entitled "Praises" in the Hebrew text. Sometimes it goes through the dark valley as the next verse indicates. God anoints His people with oil just like how shepherds anoint their sheep with oil. Ouch. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select a Beginning Point Kidner notes: The rod (a cudgel worn at the belt) and staff (to walk with, and to round up the flock) were the shepherds weapon and implement: the former for defence (cf. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. The sheep knew that the shepherd was the one who protected them and cared for them. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. They are times, as the Psalm says, when He restores your soul spiritually. 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. This is the joy of the Christian! Major Prophets It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. Wow! Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4a). God does not eliminate the risks and hazards but will illuminate His presence. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. i. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point God shines His light into our lives. Do we not gain comfort from the fact that it is Almighty God who is our Shepherd? I will fear no evil, for you are with me (v. 4b). He guides us and leads us along the right and true paths. The New Testament For a shepherd, the healing purpose would be significant. Psalm 23 is undoubtedly one of the most well-known passages in Scripture. Later, rabbis often designated it "The Book of Praises." . 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ), The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. I live in New Zealand, and yes, I know, we have more sheep than people! But, what makes it so compelling? Everyone loves this Psalm. While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord for ever. (Spurgeon), (c) 2020 The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik ewm@enduringword.com. In terms of how it is loved, look at how one old theologian from the 1800's spoke of it. This sentence may be read, only goodness and mercy, for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. He leads me beside still waters. God ultimately protects and provides for His flock and does everything in His power to care for them. 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. They have been comforted, strengthened, and warmed by the thought that the LORD would shepherd them through the valley of the shadow of death. Luke-Acts He will wipe every tear from their eyes. That is some revelation! Learn More | Livestream | Bulletin Servicios en espaol. (1.) . He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. We lie on our beds yet carry on the same thoughts inside. He who turns the ebb into the flood can soon restore our soul. Johannine Writings Well, having said that I should say that you will be free from fear to the degree that you know He is with you - rain, hail and shine. 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. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him His present care and provision for His people The Whole Bible With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). It has charmed more griefs to rest than all the philosophy of the world. We often try to work things out in our little minds and end up working ourselves into a place of nervous exhaustion! John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Masters University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. It is a valley of the shadow of death, facing what seemed to David as the ultimate defeat and evil. They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding. The promises are for those who have been born again not those who simply like the sound of it for a funeral! Historical Books 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. I shall not want can translate to I have no lack. The idea that the LORD is a shepherd to His people is also prevalent throughout the Bible. The gist of Psalm 23 is that God is our shepherd who always provides and protects. It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the author's heart and trust in God. [3], The LORD - The first thing to note is the source of David's comfort. So many people place their trust and hope is all sorts of things. The instruments used by the shepherd comforted David. Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. Basically fear tactics. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven .' It is getting harder to live on this planet - from a health point of view, from a financial point of view, from a spiritual and moral point of view, from a fear and anxiety point of view - there is much that a person could be concerned about. One where 'the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. The center point of this psalm is for you are with me. In the original Hebrew language, there are 26 words before this phrase, and 26 afterwards (Limburg, 74). His passion is to serve the global Church and bring people of diverse backgrounds together to learn & grow. [13] And His goodness and kindness will always follow you. It has remanded to their dungeon more felon thoughts, more black doubts, more thieving sorrows, than there are sands on the sea-shore. b. (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. God is holy, and takes his holy name seriously: Since God is holy, we as Gods people need to insure that we do not tarnish his name by our wrongful words or actions. In Psalm 22 He gives His life for the sheep; in Psalm 23 He gives His love to the sheep; in Psalm 24 He gives us light when He shall appear. But the confidence David had is that the great shepherd will always know what we need and when to provide it. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. The words are not in the future tense, and therefore are not reserved for a distant moment. (Spurgeon). Psalm 107. He was the son of Jesse and a direct descendant of Abraham. conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm. 1.Jehovah is my shepherd. David envisioned God as a benevolent host who prepared a grand banquet. In Psalm 23, however, the psalmist declares that the Sovereign of the universe, the Creator of all things, can be described using "my," that the Lord attends to me in a personal way. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. 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. Cookie Notice: The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. (Spurgeon), iii. In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. John Piper Sep 1, 1980. It is what the Apostle Paul knew when he wrote: Philippians 4:11-13 I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. That was a question that was once sent to me. This is the condition of Gods servant always conflict, but always a spread table. (Maclaren), ii. In these verses, the metaphor changes from God as shepherd to God as host at a special banquet. He had not only enough, a cup full, but more than enough, a cup which overflowed. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish ; no one can snatch them out of my hand. David could say God is my shepherd because of his personal experience. ii. What confidence for this life this should give us as we believe it in faith! The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, My. He does not say, The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock, but The Lord is my shepherd; if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. Share. God (through the prophet Jeremiah) said, For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the spring of living waters, and cut them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2:13). Beloved, I will ask you now a question. Psalm 23 is an explicit metaphor that displays the relationship between God and His people. Psalm 23 brings encouragement and a great reminder that God is our shepherd and He will never abandon us. Psalm 23 symbolizes the human race as a flock and God as their Shepherd. [11] I have heard of more extreme cases of discipline amongst Middle Eastern Shepherds. The writer asserts their faith in God amidst trials and tribulations through this Psalm. We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. You can find a family who have brought up children to being young adults and have never owned a bed. Sheep are easy targets for parasites, lice, and flies. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. Please see Blue Letter Bible's Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. There you have it. As someone who worked as a shepherd before, David knew that shepherds live with their flock and are everything to it: guide, protector, and source of provision. Abraham's Bosom, Paradise, and Heaven 1. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check and all was well. If God is our shepherd then we must obey Him wholeheartedly. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.' Near death, the saint does not walk in the valley, but through the valley. It makes sense. Thankfully I didn't go far down that track but it can plant this little seed of fear in your mind if you let it. Our God leads His people into the green pastures and still waters. It could also refer to a piece of furniture like the tables that we know today. He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' April 17, 2011. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation. This table represents all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, So out of the blue she emailed a few weeks back asking: 'All ok with you? Lord's Day Services. This one-volume commentary on the entire Bible from one of America's foremost Bible expositors offers instead a minilibrary of understandable resources designed to convey the Bible's overarching message with historical and theological clarity. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. It is a Psalm of life, rest and peace. But if it is an honor to be invited to the Presidents home, it is an infinitely greater honor to be invited to the Lords house. You anoint my head with oil; We may request cookies to be set on your device. This is seen in the following table: [2]. Our children were still quite young. The sheep may crack their skull just to ease the suffering to get rid of the brain-eating parasites. Solid Joys. In the presence of my enemies: This is a striking phrase. The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies and sidebars throughout. This gives us amazing confidence when we need it most. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. John MacArthur (b. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. Scripture: Psalm 23. Are any of us low in grace? Pastor and teacher John MacArthur covers the complete Bibleevery passage of the Old and New . And I will dwell in the house of the LORD 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. Near death, the saint still calmly walks he does not need to quicken his pace in alarm or panic. Maybe this verse should have read 'though I close my eyes and sprint through the valley of the shadow of death' This verse speaks to us of the trying times in our lives where there is darkness, confusion and fear. But whether our fears are irrational or based on very real circumstances, our need to remember the Lord is the same. See here, 1. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. What He is leading, guiding and teaching us is firstly about the inward change to the circumstance even if outwardly things remain the same. He first spoke them for Israels sake, but he caused Isaiah to record them for our sake. Please read and believe! ii. No, press on knowing that if there are shadows, there must be light around the corner causing them! This verse doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it God loves you too much to just make things always easy! However, the sheep do not easily lie down. Jesus the Messiah was also a descendant of King David. The Shepherd, the Host, and the Highway Patrol Summer Psalms. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Use semicolons to separate groups: 'Gen;Jdg;Psa-Mal' or 'Rom 3-12;Mat 1:15;Mat 5:12-22', There are options set in 'Advanced Options', The Whole Bible of Scripture. Mercy is the covenant-word rendered steadfast love elsewhere. You are mine. General Epistles The psalmist doesnt speak of going into the valley, as if it were a box canyon or a final destination. The Old Testament range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. (Spurgeon). However, the oil does not just protect the sheep from nuisance. Anderson, A.A., The New Century Bible Commentary: Psalms 1-72 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), Broyles, Craig C., New International Biblical Commentary: Psalms (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999, Brueggemann, Walter, The Message of the Psalms A Theological Commentary (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1984), Clifford, Richard J., Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 1-72 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), Craigie, Peter C., Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50, Vol. General Epistles 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. We in turn should allow that light to shine forth towards others so that people may see our lives and praise God. With no one to turn to, we develop true and steadfast love and trust in the Lord. When the sheep are hungry or are anxious about food, they cant lie down peacefully. The profound way of weaving Davids testimony to bring glory to God through this Psalm is utterly magnificent. He wants to genuinely bless His people and live in the abundance of His grace. Psalm 23 - Sermon On the Lord is My Shepherd - Study and Obey It's not for the goats. Scripture: Psalm 23. The writer of Psalm 23 makes an analogy between God and the shepherd. Behold just such a one! The Old Testament The wonder of wonders is that through the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives we can actually go through these times without fear! 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. And David knew that this would carry on all the days of his life. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. In New Zealand (where I live) all of our farms and fields seem to be 'green pastures' and the sheep tend to munch all day! (Jer 23:1-4, Ezek 34:1-10) Work to be a faithful shepherd realising that it is God's own sheep that He has placed in your care. He is a great leader who leads people to righteous living. There is no if nor but, nor even I hope so; but he says, The Lord is my shepherd. (Charles Spurgeon). Prophets The shepherds guidance not only comforted and restored David but also led His sheep to righteousness. I remember a woman who grieved every year on anniversary of the death of her infant child. Companionship -- for you are with me. He has also served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969. We must surrender our desires and follow where He leads no matter the cost. 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). You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). It was never used on the sheep. Interactive Bible study with John Piper. To be invited to the Kings table was a great honor. The MacArthur Study Bible: new King James version - John MacArthur. It offers a broad overview of each Bible book and the internal consistency that results from having a single commentator. Blue Letter Bible offers several daily devotional readings in order to help you refocus on Christ and the Gospel of His peace and righteousness.