Salmos 23
J. Vernon McGee · Citado em PreceptAustin
Salmos 23
Vernon McGee - We have here a declaration and a deduction. “The Lord is my shepherd.” I’m sure when unbelievers quote this verse they mean the Lord is a shepherd or the shepherd. But they don’t mean to say personally, “The Lord is my shepherd.” This personalization makes all the difference in the world. A preacher friend of mine was telling about an accident he saw. He came upon the edge of it and stopped to look. Someone said, “Some boy is hurt.” Well, he was interested so he looked over and saw that the “some boy” was his boy. He recalled, “When they said, ‘It’s just a boy,’ I was interested but not very interested. But when I saw him, I said, ‘He’s my boy.’” My makes all the difference in the world. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” How can you say that? You can say it only by the authority of His redemption—by His death and resurrection, by His grace and His mercy and His love. I was asked many years ago to give a message at a presbytery in Cisco, Texas, on the subject of eternal security, and I took John 10 as my text. After I had finished, a rancher from San Angelo, Texas, came up to me. He said, “Young man, that was a pretty good sermon, but you don’t know sheep.” And I said, “Well, you tell me.” So he said, “I have out on the range right now about two thousand sheep. I have a whole army of helpers out there taking care of those sheep. I have about that same number of cattle, and nobody is with them. Every cow will bring in a calf at the end of the year. We don’t need to put anybody with them, but we have to put somebody with the sheep.” He continued, “A sheep is not only the most helpless creature in the world, but a sheep is the most stupid creature that God ever created. A sheep is helpless, can’t defend itself. It doesn’t have sharp claws, doesn’t have fangs—no way of defending itself. It’s not like a jackrabbit. A jackrabbit doesn’t have fangs or claws either, but he can run. A sheep can’t run. He can’t get away from trouble. If two little sheep were to wander away from the flock, over the hill just two hundred yards, they couldn’t find their way back. They’re lost and you’d have to go get them. If a wolf comes along, he’ll kill one of the sheep. You’d think the other little sheep would be smart and say, ‘While he’s eating my brother I’m going to get back to the flock,’ but he doesn’t do that. He just goes around saying ‘baa, baa’ and waits to become dessert for the wolf. A sheep is a helpless and very stupid little creature.” You know, I’ve thought of that many times since then. The Lord must smile when He calls us sheep because He knows all about us. Then this rancher said to me, “If a sheep is safe, it’s because the sheep has a wonderful shepherd.” And so when I say to you, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” I’m not bragging about Vernon McGee, because he’s just a sheep. The Lord has already told me I’m stupid and helpless. He’s made that clear to me. But He has made it gloriously clear that He is the Good Shepherd who today is also the Great Shepherd of the sheep. And He is able to take care of His own. How wonderful that is. (David A Man After God's Own Heart) Shepherd (07462) raah is actually a verb meaning to feed, to tend; to be a shepherd (its participial form rōʿeh), its sense in over 60 of the 160 uses in the OT. And so raah means generally to care for, to protect, to graze, to feed flocks and herds (Ge. 30:31, 36; 37:2; Ex. 3:1; 1 Sa 17:15). The first use describes "Abel was a keeper of flocks" (Ge 4:2) and later sheepherders (Ge 29:9) those who pasture and lead the sheep. Figuratively raah is used of God as the Shepherd of Jacob (Ge 48:15; Isa. 40:11; Hos. 4:16). Raah referred to the king of Israel who was to shepherd the people for God (2 Sa 5:2; 7:7; Jer. 3:15) and in general to leaders of God's people (Jer. 2:8; 22:22; Ezek. 34:2, 3, 8, 10). God is pictured as the one who shepherds an individual soul, a person (Ps. 49:14). The shepherd must be familiar with the available pastures and the routes to them. The shepherd must also be timely in leading the flock to a watering place, a permanent stream (Am. 5:24; Ps. 23:2; 74:15; Jer. 15:18), or a well dug to provide water (Ge 21:25, 30; 26:18, 19, 25, 32). A vivid picture of how flocks were watered is painted by the well episodes in Ge. 29:1-10 and Ex. 2:15b-16, in which women also appear. The shepherd must be timely in bringing the flock to a pen where they can safely spend the night, especially when the pasture is too distant to permit returning to house and stall or the encampment (Gen. 37:12-18) and the fold does not provide adequate protection. In an emergency the shepherd must keep watch over the flock in the open field (Lk. 2:8). A shepherd needs appropriate equipment if he is to do the job of protecting the flock entrusted to his care against wild animals or other human beings. These included the staff, used to control the flock, and a club (šēḇeṭ, Ps. 23:4; Lev. 27:32), a stick with a knob of hardened asphalt. David may have used the latter to fight off wild animals (1 Sa 17:35). A shepherd also needed a sling (qelaʿ) to confront both wild animals and robbers (1 Sa. 17:40, 50; Sir. 47:4), as David boasts. A watchdog could also be very helpful to a shepherd (Isa. 56:10; Job 30:1). In addition to his other responsibilities, a shepherd also had to use careful selection to breed robust animals to provide meat, leather, and wool. Musical instruments were also very helpful in calming and influencing the behavior of the flock. The commonest instrument used by shepherds was the pipe (Jdg 5:16) (Summarized from TDOT) Related Resources: Torrey Topical Textbook Shepherds American Tract Society Shepherd Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Shepherd Easton's Bible Dictionary Shepherd Fausset Bible Dictionary Shepherd Holman Bible Dictionary Shepherd Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Shepherd Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Shepherd Sheep, Shepherd Smith Bible Dictionary Shepherd Vines' Expository Dictionary Shepherd International Standard Bible Encyclopedia • Shepherd Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia • Shepherd McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia • Shepherd • Shepherd Kings The Jewish Encyclopedia • Shepherd Dave Roper - The Lord is My Shepherd - Rest and Renewal in Psalm 23. - Finding your way through life can be easier when you have the right One leading the way. Below are links to an excerpt from Roper's book Every Day Is a New Shade of Blue: Comfort for Dark Days from Psalm 23, in which he takes a closer look at the relationship between the Shepherd and the sheep expressed throughout Scripture. Gain insight from the lives of David, Isaiah, and others who found hope, encouragement, and rest under the watchful care of God. Who is God? Excerpt - "So the question is God Himself: Who is He? This is the question to which all others lead—the question that God Himself put into our hearts. And if He put it into our hearts, there must be an answer in His heart waiting to be revealed. David gave us a comforting and compelling answer: “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). Shepherd is a modest metaphor, yet one that is loaded with meaning. Part of the comparison is the portrayal of a shepherd and his sheep; the other is David’s experience and ours. David painted a picture and put us into it. The genius of the psalm is that it belongs to us. We can use David’s words as our own....It’s one thing to say, “The Lord is a shepherd.” It’s another to say, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Rest and Renewal Excerpt - In David’s day, “green pastures” were oases, verdant places in the desert toward which shepherds led their thirsty flocks. Left to themselves, sheep would wander off into the wilderness and die. Experienced shepherds knew the terrain and urged their flocks toward familiar grasslands and streams where they could forage and feed, lie down and rest. The picture here is not of sheep grazing and drinking, but at rest, lying down—“stretched out” to use David’s word. The verb leads suggests a slow and leisurely pace. The scene is one of tranquility, satisfaction, and rest. The common practice of shepherds was to graze their flocks in rough pasture early in the morning, leading them to better grasses as the morning progressed, and then coming to a cool, shaded oasis for noontime rest. Time Alone With God Excerpt - “Begin small and start promptly” is an old Quaker saying. The idea is to keep things simple and to begin soon. Simplicity begins with solitude—not mere time alone, but time alone with God. Listening to God - Excerpt - Until we take time to be quiet we’ll not hear God. God cannot be heard in noise and restlessness; only in silence. He will speak to us if we will give Him a chance, if we will listen, if we will be quiet. “Be still,” the psalmist wrote, “and know that I am God” (psalm 46:10). “Listen, listen to me,” God pleads, “and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live” (isaiah 55:2-3, emphasis added). Listen to Him. There’s no other way to take Him in. “When your words came, I ate them,” said Jeremiah (jeremiah 15:16). Sit at His feet and let Him feed you. Responding to God - Excerpt - As we listen to God, we should answer. This is prayer—our response to the revelation and unfolding of God’s heart. “My God, Thy creature answers Thee,” said the French poet, Alfred de Musset. Prayer, understood in that way, is an extension of our visits with God rather than something tacked on. Our meetings with God are like a polite conversation with a friend. They’re not monologues in which one person does all the talking and the other does all the listening, but dialogues in which we listen thoughtfully to one another’s self-disclosure and then respond. ILLUSTRATION OF SHEEP BELONGING TO THE SHEPHERD - The day I bought my first thirty ewes, my neighbor and I sat on the dusty corral rails that enclosed the sheep pens and admired the choice, strong, well-bred ewes that had become mine. Turning to me he handed me a large, sharp, killing knife and remarked tersely, “Well, Phillip, they’re yours. Now you’ll have to put your mark on them.” I knew exactly what he meant. Each shepherd has his own distinctive earmark that he cuts into one of the ears of his sheep. In this way, even at a distance, it is easy to determine to whom the sheep belongs. It was not the most pleasant procedure to catch each ewe in turn and lay her ear on a wooden block, then notch it deeply with the razor-sharp edge of the knife. There was pain for both of us. But from our mutual suffering an indelible lifelong mark of ownership was made that could never be erased. And from then on every sheep that came into my possession would bear my mark. There is an exciting parallel to this in the Old Testament (Ex 21:2-5,6+). When a slave in any Hebrew household chose, of his own free will, to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual. His master and owner would take him to his door, put his ear lobe against the door post and, with an awl, puncture a hole through the ear. From then on he was a man marked for life as belonging to that house. For the man or woman who recognizes the claim of Christ and gives allegiance to His absolute ownership, there comes the question of bearing His mark. The mark of the cross is that which should identify us with Him for all time. The question is—does it? Jesus made it clear when He stated emphatically, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). Basically what it amounts to is this: A person exchanges the fickle fortunes of living life by sheer whimsy for the more productive and satisfying adventure of being guided by God. It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my shepherd.” They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life. One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t. Jesus Himself warned us that there would come a day when many would say, “Lord, in Your name we did many wonderful things,” but He will retort that He never knew us as His own. (Mt 7:22-23+) It is a most serious and sobering thought that should make us search our own hearts and motives and personal relationships to Him. Do I really belong to Him? Do I really recognize His right to me? Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership? Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement? Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction? Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him? (Phillip Keller - A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23) ILLUSTRATION - I KNOW THE WORDS - HE KNOWS THE SHEPHERD - At a reception, a famous actor was asked to give a recitation. An old preacher suggested the Psalm 23. He did it with great oratorical skill and sat down to prolonged applause. Then he turned to the old preacher and asked him to recite the psalm also. In a weak and trembling voice, the kindly man uttered the same simple Psalm, but no one applauded this time. People began surreptitiously to wipe away their tears.The actor rose again. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “I communicated with your ears and your eyes. I know the words. But my old friend here communicated with your hearts. He knows the Shepherd.” Do you know Him? The Television Psalm The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want. It makes me to sit down and do nothing for His name's sake, Because it requires all my spare time. It restores my knowledge of the things of this world. It keeps me from the study of God's Word. Its sound and picture, they comfort me. Even though I live to a hundred, I shall keep on viewing. As long as it works, surely no good thing will come of my life. J Vernon McGee - Comparison of Psalm 22, 23, 24 Psalm 22 speaks of the past; Psalm 23 speaks of the present; Psalm 24 looks to the future. Psalm 22 is the psalm of the cross; Psalm 23 is the psalm of the crook; Psalm 24 is the psalm of the crown. You see Him dying in Psalm 22; you see Him living in Psalm 23; you see Him coming in Psalm 24. Psalm 22 is the foundation; Psalm 23 is the manifestation; Psalm 24 is the expectation. He is the Savior in Psalm 22; He is the Satisfier in Psalm 23; He is the Sovereign in Psalm 24. It is my position that you must know the Savior of Psalm 22 before you can know the Shepherd of Psalm 23. I do not believe that any man can say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” until he can say, “The Lord is my Savior.” Robert
Salmos 23
Vernon McGee - “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” That speaks of safety. A sheep won’t lie down if there is danger. Even the laughter of a child will startle a sheep, and he’ll get to his feet. If a sheep is lying down, that sheep is safe. My Shepherd makes me to lie down, and He makes me to lie down in green pastures. No sheep will lie down in green pastures if he’s hungry. He’s going to eat the green grass until he’s full, then he’ll lie down. And so you have safety and you have sufficiency here. “He leads me beside the still waters”—the place where it is quiet. Sheep do not like to drink in turbulent, muddy water. They want it to be still and quiet. The human family needs that too—the deep satisfaction that only the Lord Jesus can give. I listen to some of these TV programs and I hear testimonies that say, “I trusted Jesus and He made me successful in business, He gave me a good job, He did this for me.” My friends, that’s not what the Word of God says at all. When people talk like that, they’ve missed the entire point. He doesn’t give you rest, He is rest. He doesn’t give you the bread of life, He is the bread of life. He doesn’t give you the water of life, He is the water of life. Today there are those who are running everywhere trying to find satisfaction, but you find real satisfaction only in the Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist expressed that longing in Psalm 55:6, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.” Oh, how many people want to fly away. So many think, If only I could get away from this place and my problems and these people I’m with. If I could just get away and settle over yonder. That’s the reason so many folks migrated to California, isn’t it? I came along with all the rest, and I’m not going back to Texas either, I’ll tell you that. But no matter where you go, you will not get away from your problems. I once heard of a woman who complained and whined about everything. Time and again she’d say, “If I could just get away from this place.” Her maid got tired of hearing it and finally said, “What are you trying to get away from? Trying to get away from this lovely home, this lovely family, the lovely husband you have? No matter where you go you’ve got to lug yourself along. You’ll be taking your skin. All of your problems and all of your difficulties will go right along with you.” Oh, to find rest in the person of Christ! The psalmist again said in Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.” When the Lord Jesus was announcing that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and He was rejected as the King, He then sent out this personal invitation, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will [literally, “rest you”] give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) That’s the rest of redemption. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29) It’s that soul–rest that is needed today—not just physical, not just mental, but the rest of the soul. Only the Great Shepherd can give that to the human heart. Henry Blackaby - Green Pastures He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2 Some people will gladly run your life for you if you let them! Some people have a way of always bringing you down rather than building you up. They encourage you to get involved in destructive things. They take advantage of you. Their concern is what you can give them, not what they can give you. There is another kind of friend. This friend actually cares about what’s best for you. It may be a teacher, classmate, coach, teammate, pastor—anyone God brings alongside you to help you make smart choices. These friends are your “green pastures,” your “quiet waters.” They are God’s provision for you. They will encourage you to slow down when you take on too much. They will challenge you to get busy when you’re too idle! They care about you enough that they’ll warn you when you’re heading into danger. The Christian life is not meant to be difficult. If you find that your Christian life is wearing you out and leaving you distressed, you have wandered away from the “green pastures” and “quiet waters” your Shepherd has prepared for you. God will see that you have all the spiritual help that you need. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. He knows where he’s leading you. He has placed people around you who will guide you along the best path. If you’ve been wandering in the wrong direction, return to the Shepherd. He wants to give you peace and rest. (BORROW The Experience) Look for the Green The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23:1 Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 23 The gravelly voiced captain announced yet another delay. Crammed in my window seat aboard a plane that had already sat unmoving for two hours, I chafed in frustration. After a long workweek away, I longed for the comfort and rest of home. How much longer? As I gazed out the raindrop-covered window, I noticed a lonely triangle of green grass growing in the gap of cement where runways met. Such an odd sight in the middle of all that concrete. As an experienced shepherd, David knew well the need to provide the rest of green pastures for his sheep. In Psalm 23, he penned an important lesson that would carry him forward in the exhausting days of leading as king of Israel. “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, . . . he refreshes my soul” (vv. 1–3). On the concrete jungle of an airport tarmac, delayed from my destination and feeling the lack of comfort and rest, God, my good Shepherd, directed my eyes to a patch of green. In relationship with Him, I can discover His ongoing provision of rest wherever I am—if I notice and enter it. Where can you look for the green today? In what ways has God provided a moment of rest when you thought it was impossible? Loving God, thank You for being my Shepherd and for making me lie down in green pastures to refresh my soul. Psalm 23:3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. He restores my soul: Ps 19:7 Ps 51:10,12 85:4-7 119:176 Job 33:30 Jer 32:37-42 Ho 14:4-9 Mic 7:8,9,18,19 Lu 22:31,32 Rev 3:19 He guides me in the paths of righteousness: Ps 5:8 34:3 143:8-10 Pr 8:20 Isa 42:16 Jer 31:8 for His Name's sake: Ps 79:9 Eze 20:14 Eph 1:6 Related Passages: Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 51:10-12 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Ruth 4:15 “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Proverbs 25:13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest Is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the soul of his masters. Lamentations 1:16 “For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water; Because far from me is a comforter, One who restores my soul. My children are desolate Because the enemy has prevailed.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. RESTORING TO WALK WORTHY He restores my soul - Observe first, our soul needs restoring! Believers are not "energizer bunnies" that keep on running! Yahweh revives me, refreshes my spirit and the daily restoration of the anxious, weary soul is a major human need (2Co 4:16). But how? Through intake of His Word (cp Ps 19:7 = "The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul") and the ministry of the Spirit of Christ (cf 2Co 3:18, Jn 6:63). While a shepherd provides his sheep with food, rest, and restoration, Jehovah provides His sheep with His Word, which is the principle means of giving spiritual nourishment, rest, renewal, revival and restoration. Matthew
Salmos 23
Vernon McGee - He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Now the soul is sheltered in the sanctuary with God, but physically and mentally we must grapple with life. We must face its problems, we must meet the issues. We can’t retire into a monastery today. We are out rubbing shoulders with humanity. And so we have here the discipline and correction that the Shepherd gives. “He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” We have direction as well as discipline. When David said, “He restores my soul,” he was referring back to the awful sin that he’d committed with Bathsheba. He committed actually two terrible sins at that time. He committed adultery and he committed murder, the second one to cover up the first. And David thought he might get by with it. The fact of the matter is, when he got on his throne and the court was around him, he looked over the crowd and thought, There’s old Joab. I wonder if he knows. I don’t think he does. He looked over the whole crowd and mused, I don’t think they know. And he sat back very comfortably. Later on, Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar got by with sin. But you see, David was God’s man. Nebuchadnezzar could get by with it; David could not. The difference is this: God does not whip the devil’s children. He whips His own. He’ll take them to the woodshed, which is what He did with David. So into the court came nosy Nathan. He came in and David spoke to him because David loved Nathan. Nathan had brought him all those wonderful messages. Nathan said, “I have a story to tell you, David.” And David said, “I sure like Nathan’s stories.” Up to that time he did like them. So he said to him, “Go ahead, tell the story.” Nathan said, “Well now, here in your kingdom there are two men. One is a very rich man. He has lambs, he has herds, he has land, he has everything. Down the road from this man is a poor man, and all he has is one little ewe lamb. One day a visitor came to see the rich man and you would think that he would send out to get one of his own little lambs. After all, he wouldn’t miss it and he could use that little lamb to feed the visitor. But he doesn’t do that. What he does is go and get the lamb of this poor man, and he kills it in order to feed his guest.” At that, David stood to his feet and, boy, he’s hot now. It’s interesting how we see sin in other people, isn’t it? But it’s hard to see sin in ourselves. Intending to punish the offender, David stood there and asked, “Where in the kingdom is that man?” And Nathan, I think, is the bravest man in the Bible, for he pointed his finger at David and said, “You are the man!” Do you know what David could have done? He could have lifted that royal scepter and the soldiers would have taken Nathan out and executed him. And believe me, if he’d been in any other kingdom that’s exactly what would have happened. But David bowed his head and confessed that he was indeed the guilty man. Then he went before God in that marvelous Fifty–first Psalm and prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation” (v. 12). He didn’t get by with it. God put the lash to his back and never took it off as long as David lived. And personally, I have felt like saying, “Well, Lord, You should have taken the lash off his back. You’ve whipped him enough.” But David never said that. He never whimpered, never cried aloud at what happened. David knew that he was God’s man. A man said to me some time ago, “Oh, God is sure taking me to the woodshed.” And by the way, God did take that man to the woodshed and gave him a good beating. This man said to me, “Oh, it’s been terrible!” I asked, “But aren’t you glad for it?” He said, “What do you mean, glad?” I said, “Aren’t you glad for it because now you know you’re a child of God?” Listen to David, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (v. 4). The rod is for discipline. When a little stubborn sheep insists on going to the side, the shepherd takes that rod and hits him over the head to get him back in line. God said to David, “Get back in line.” Then there is the staff or crook. That’s for direction. When David was on the throne looking back over his life he could say, “I can see that point and this point and the other point where God was leading me.” Can you look back like that today? Many people can say, “God was leading me here, and God was leading me there.” Now notice something else David said here, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness.” David learned that God leads only in the paths of righteousness. A young fellow who was living with a girl, not married to her, talked to me. He said, “I want to know what God’s will is for my life.” Since he claimed he was a Christian, I figured he should know that he and his girlfriend were violating God’s Word and will, so I said, “I can tell you clearly: ‘He leads me in the paths of righteousness!’” And if God is leading you, my friend, He won’t lead you into sin. He never will. The Lord tempts no one to do evil, never does. He will not lead you except in paths of righteousness. Do you want to know whether you are in God’s will? If you are in sin, just put it down right now—you are not in the will of God because He leads in the paths of righteousness. (See David: A Man After God's Own Heart) Henry Blackaby - Restoring Your Soul He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 Do you sometimes feel spiritually worn out? It can happen to anyone. Maybe you’re carrying an unusually heavy load of problems. Perhaps you’ve been battling a nagging temptation, or you’ve been on the receiving end of unfair criticism. Whatever it is, it has beaten you down. Way down, deep within your soul, there’s a weariness that you think you can’t overcome. Spiritual exhaustion can catch you by surprise. It seems invisible; you can’t see it coming. It can happen so gradually that before you know it; you’ve become disoriented to God. Perhaps you’ve gotten so far from God that you’re not sure you even care about spiritual things anymore. Your problems have distracted you from spending time with God as you used to, and now he seems like a stranger. God can help you. God has a way of strengthening you at the deepest levels of your life. His Spirit searches out the most private corners of your mind to renew your thinking. Your Good Shepherd can lead you to people and to places where you’ll be refreshed and energized. God may teach you something about himself that will give you a fresh excitement about being a Christian. He’ll guide you back into a life that reflects his own righteousness. He’ll give you a fresh start. The way he chooses to restore you is as unique as you are, but your Shepherd will revitalize your soul if you ask him. Don’t be afraid to ask. (BORROW The Experience) Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Amplified - Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death: Ps 44:19 Job 3:5 10:21,22 24:17 Jer 2:6 Lu 1:79 I fear no evil: Ps 3:6 27:1-4 46:1-3 118:6 138:7 Isa 41:10 1Co 15:55-57 for Thou art with me: Ps 14:5 46:11 Isa 8:9,10 43:1,2 Zec 8:23 Mt 1:23 28:20 Ac 18:9,10 2Ti 4:22 Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me: Ps 110:2 Mic 7:14 Zec 11:10,14 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - David knew the fear of death, for in his final meeting with Jonathan we declared "truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death." He is alluding of course to Saul's continual seeking to kill David, which went on for almost 10 years! NET Note on shadow of death - At the metaphorical level, v. 4 pictures the shepherd taking his sheep through a dark ravine where predators might lurk. The life-threatening situations faced by the psalmist are the underlying reality behind the imagery. Spurgeon This unspeakably delightful verse has been sung on many a dying bed, and has helped to make the dark valley bright times out of mind. Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. "Yea, though I walk," as if the believer did not quicken his pace when he came to die, but still calmly walked with God. To walk indicates the steady advance of a soul which knows its road, knows its end, resolves to follow the path, feels quite safe, and is therefore perfectly calm and composed. The dying saint is not in a flurry, he does not run as though he were alarmed, nor stand still as though he would go no further, he is not confounded nor ashamed, and therefore keeps to his old pace. Observe that it is not walking in the valley, but through the valley. We go through the dark tunnel of death and emerge into the light of immortality. We do not die, we do but sleep to wake in glory. Death is not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it. The dying article is called a valley. The storm breaks on the mountain, but the valley is the place of quietude, and thus full often the last days of the Christian are the most peaceful of his whole career; the mountain is bleak and bare, but the valley is rich with golden sheaves, and many a saint has reaped more joy and knowledge when he came to die than he ever knew while he lived. And, then, it is not "the valley of death," but "the valley of the shadow of death," for death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains. Some one has said that when there is a shadow there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man's pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Let us not, therefore, be afraid. I fear no evil; for Thou art with me - Fear God and you will not fear man. Pr 29:25 says "The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. ." John writes "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." (1 John 4:18) Spurgeon "I will fear no evil." He does not say there shall not be any evil; he had got beyond even that high assurance, and knew that Jesus had put all evil away; but "I will fear no evil;" as if even his fears, those shadows of evil, were gone for ever. The worst evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination. If we had no troubles but real troubles, we should not have a tenth part of our present sorrows. We feel a thousand deaths in fearing one, but the psalmist was cured of the disease of fearing. "I will fear no evil," not even the Evil One himself; I will not dread the last enemy, I will look upon him as a conquered foe, an enemy to be destroyed, "For thou art with me." This is the joy of the Christian! "Thou art with me." The little child out at sea in the storm is not frightened like all the other passengers on board the vessel, it sleeps in its mother's bosom; it is enough for it that its mother is with it; and it should be enough for the believer to know that Christ is with him. "Thou art with me; I have, in having thee, all that I can crave: I have perfect comfort and absolute security, for thou art with me." Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me - These were the weapons the shepherd carried to ward off predators. NET Note on they comfort me - Within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations. McGee - The rod is for discipline, but the staff is for direction—and David felt them both. God disciplined him, and this says the rod comforted him. Thank God, friend, that when you get away from Him He doesn’t let you be happy, does He? If you are His child, He won’t let you be. That rod is there. I thank God for His rod. It hurts but He says, “Get back in line, child.” That’s what He says, and how wonderful this is. (See David: A Man After God's Own Heart)
Salmos 23
Vernon McGee - Now will you notice that here you have not only courage but also comfort. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” The entire human family today is in the shadow of death. A great many folks seem to think that “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” applies to some well–known figure who went through it a while back. Some people will say, “Well, those people who got on the plane that crashed a while back, they were walking in the shadow of death.” They were. But you and I also are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. You see, that walk begins at the moment of your birth. You begin walking through a life in which you’re in the shadow of death all the time. It’s always there. You could go out tonight and be killed in an accident. You could have a heart attack. All of us are walking through the shadow of death. Someone has said, “The moment that gives us life begins to take it away from us.” As we walk on, this valley gets more and more narrow. I feel now like I can touch both sides of it! Death today is a fad. Have you ever noticed that we Americans go in for fads? Do you remember the yo–yo? All of us had yo–yos. I went to college with a yo–yo. One of my professors had a yo–yo. Everybody had a yo–yo. And then we had the hula hoop. Now I did pretty well with the yo–yo, but I did not do well with the hula hoop. My daughter did all right, but I couldn’t make it there. We are faddists, today. And we Christians are faddists too. First there was the tongues movement. It went across the country and then died out. Then another fad came along—demonism. Can you remember everybody talking about demons? People were casting out demons just like you swat flies. They were around everywhere. The next kick that came along was angels. That was better than demons. We were all talking about angels. I had several women tell me or write to say that they had seen angels. They never saw angels and I haven’t met anybody recently who has seen an angel but everybody was writing about them. Do you know what the subject is now? Death! Abortion—killing all those little ones before they get here. And euthanasia—just get rid of the old people. I’m opposed to that. Yes, sir! And there’s also an epidemic of suicide. There are twenty–four–hour phone lines you can call if you’re thinking about suicide. It’s in epidemic proportions. Why? Oh, the meaninglessness of life for multitudes today, especially among college students. They are never given a challenge so they have no reason for living, no hope at all. May I say to you that it takes courage to live today, but some folk are trying to make death a very acceptable and attractive thing. I heard a preacher on the radio delivering a sermon on death. In fact, he made it a very pleasant affair, a nice sort of experience. May I say to you, death is horrible. There’s nothing beautiful about death. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Death has come to us, not because God wanted it to come but because of man’s sin. The doorway of death was the only way God could get man out of this sin–cursed world, but it is not a pleasant thing. I used to ride with the undertakers to the funerals I conducted, and I carried on a “friendly warfare” with them the whole time I was there. We liked each other, and they were very nice to me. But I said, “You fellows, what a business you’re in. Here you paint them up and try to make them look like they’re alive. There are a lot of flowers and a lot of music. You try to cover death up, but you can’t cover it up.” May I say to you, friends, death is not a pleasant thing. But for the child of God, listen to David, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me.” It’s terrible to die by yourself. But as someone has said, that’s one thing you must do by yourself. I want to say this to you: I’m not going through the doorway of death alone. I’ve got Somebody who says He is going with me. He’s going through that door with me so I’m not going to fear because of that. Otherwise it would be a terrible thing. And I think people ought to be told it’s a terrible thing. Death is terrible unless Jesus goes with you. (See David: A Man After God's Own Heart) Henry Blackaby - Shadows -Psalm 23:4 According to Webster, a shadow is the darkness cast by something cutting off light. It’s an illusion. There’s no substance to a shadow, but shadows can be terrifying because they play tricks on you. When you were a child, did you ever hide under your bed covers to get away from the frightening shadows in your bedroom? When you turned on the light and the shadows disappeared, you saw that you had nothing to fear. David’s beautiful psalm about the Good Shepherd is one of the Bible’s most well-known passages. The Twenty-third Psalm is probably read or recited as much out of church as in it. Why? Because it gives an inspiring message of hope in a way that all of us can understand. David did what every good writer does; he wrote about what he knew. He knew lots about life’s shadows, and he was intimately acquainted with shepherding; he masterfully joined the two together to pen some of the most comforting words of hope ever written. David faced many dangers in his life—times when he didn’t know if he’d live out the day; times when he was misunderstood, threatened, and attacked; times when the shame of his own sin sent him into the depths of despair. Through it all, he experienced the unwavering presence of God. Just as he used to lead his sheep through the valleys, David’s Shepherd guided him through the dark times in his life. Just as David’s sheep used to recognize his voice through the darkness and follow the sound, God’s voice brought comfort and direction to David when he didn’t know where to go. Life is full of shadows. There is evil out there. There are dangers. There are frightening valleys where the mountains block out the light. Death casts a shadow of fear across life. But Jesus, your Good Shepherd, will walk with you through the valleys. He’ll dispel the shadows of fear because he is the Light (John 1:4). (BORROW The Experience) Dying Grace Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. —Psalm 23:4 Today's Scripture: Psalm 23:1-6 Several years ago I read a pamphlet that quoted the dying words of various people who did not profess faith in Jesus Christ. The English atheist Thomas Hobbes said, “I am taking a fearful leap into the dark!” The French infidel Voltaire cried out, “I am abandoned by God and man; I shall go to hell!” Sir Francis Newport wailed in anguish, “Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever! Oh, the unsufferable pangs of hell!” What a sobering contrast to the last words of people who knew and loved Christ as their Lord and Savior. Dwight L. Moody said, “This is glorious! Earth recedes; heaven is opening; God is calling me!” Sir David Brewster declared, “I will see Jesus—see Him as He is. I have had the light for many years. Oh, how bright it is! I feel so safe, so satisfied!” And these words from a man being burned at the stake: “Blessed be the time that ever I was born for this day. We shall not lose our lives in this fire,” he said to his fellow martyrs, “but only change them for something better.” Thy rod and staff shall cheer me In death's dark vale and shade, For Thou wilt then be near me— I shall not be afraid. —Ewing Those who truly fear God need not fear death. Related Resource: BORROW Last words of Saints and Sinners - Herbert Lockyer Psalm 23:5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Thou dost prepare a table before me : Ps 22:26,29 Ps 31:19,20 Ps 104:15 Job 36:16 Isa 25:6 Jn 6:53-56 John 10:9,10 Jn 16:22 Thou hast anointed my head with oil: Heb. makest fat, Ps 45:7 92:10 Amos 6:6 Mt 6:17 2Co 1:21 1Jn 2:20,27 My cup overflows: Ps 16:5 116:13 1Co 10:16 Eph 3:20 SHIFT OF METAPHOR FROM DUMB SHEEP TO ONE SERVED Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies - Clearly the metaphor has shifted from sheep to a guest in one's home. For a sheep to eat at a prepared table is highly unlikely, for a sheep was much more likely to be prepared for the table! Larry Richards -The last two verses (Ps 23:5-6) picture a guest eating in the home of a generous host. In the Middle East, hospitality was greatly valued. The needs of a guest were gladly supplied, even if the family of the host had to go without as the price of generosity. A person who had taken a meal in one’s home was assured of the protection of his host. Even an enemy, once served a meal, was totally secure for as long as his visit should last. God Himself set a table before David and treated him generously as His guest. Because David is under God’s protection, he is sure that “goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” (BORROW The Bible Reader's Companion)