Psalm 23
The shepherd king
Scripture introduction: promote marriage class and explain series…
Sermon introIn 1988 for the first time ever an a cappella song reached the number one spot on the billboard
hot 100 charts and stayed number one for two weeks.
“Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy”
This song written and performed by Bobby Mcferrin clearly struck a chord in our culture. Worry
is something we all struggle with. As a result there is big money in the anti worry industry. If you type
worry into Amazon.com close to 4000 titles appear. In addition, Millions of dollars are spent every year
on anti anxiety medication and anxiety counseling.
Unfortunately Mcferrin’s song is catchy but not all that helpful for those who really struggle with
worry because the song provides no basis for not worrying except that it robs our joy. We all know that
worry robs our joy but we still worry. Not only does worry rob our joy more importantly it dishonors
God.
Furthermore, apart from God we have much to worry about. If there is no God there is no hope of
heaven, there is no hope of redemption, there is no hand of providence, there is not hope that all things
will work for our good. Instead there is the cold hard reality of pain, suffering, and death, guided by the
hand of natural selection. If there is not God we should be worried.
This brings us to Psalm 23 this morning. Psalm 23 gives anxious Christians hope.
Psalm 23 is a radical psalm of trust and its message is clear the shepherd king is trustworthy.
Psalm 23 is usually known as the great shepherd psalm. But this psalm also describes God
as a King. He is the shepherd King. We will look at four reasons we can trust the shepherd kingthe shepherd king provides
the shepherd king is present
the shepherd king is generous
the shepherd king pursues
First, the shepherd king provides.
Look with me at verses 1-3 “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.”
King David, an experienced shepherd, wrote this psalm around 1000 BC. He knew that a
shepherd’s main job was to provide for and protect the sheep.
David implies in verse one that God the great shepherd will always meet the needs of the sheep, as
a result they shall never want.
For example, He makes the sheep lie down in green pastures and leads them beside still waters.
Green pastures were rare in the ANE because it was so hot and dry. Furthermore Green pastures
were seasonal, only appearing during the winter months for a short time. Finding green pastures was a
constant challenge for a shepherd. To make things worse once he found green pastures the sheep
quickly consumed the grass forcing him to find more. If he failed to find green pastures the sheep died.
In contrast God’s sheep lie down in green pastures because they have ample provision. They don’t
have to frantically search for more grass to eat. God’s care and provision is not seasonal but constant and
abundant.
The text also says that the shepherd leads his sheep beside still waters providing them with water
to drink.
The shepherd also provides direction for the sheep. The psalmist writes, “He leads us in paths of
righteousness for his namesake.” In other words he leads us and directs us for his own glory. We can be
assured that he will never mislead us because his own glory is at stake.
All these things- green pastures, quiet waters, rest, and guidance represent God’s abundant
provision for the basic necessities of the sheep. When the sheep are provided for verse 3 says that their
souls are restored.
This is a beautiful picture of God’s rich provision. Do you trust God to provide your daily needs
like a good shepherd provides for his sheep? Or do you worry?
Illustration- There have been seasons of our life when it seemed like every time we got a little bit
of money in the bank it would disappear. Maybe you can relate?
Your car breaks down costing thousands then the engine light in the other car goes on.
Unforeseen medical bills pile up.
Costly home repair (Flooding basements, mold, etc…)
At this point you mind starts to wonder. Am I ever going to be able to save some money, what am
I going to do about retirement, what am I going to do when we need to buy a new car?
Am I going to have enough money to pay the utility bills this month?
Am I going to be able to pay tuition and rent and still have money for groceries?
Maybe if your in high school you worry that you will not be able to save up for college.
When we worry our souls get all stirred up and we don’t experience peace….
Application:
Not only do we worry about God providing for our daily needs we worry about many other
things.
Our economy collapsing?
Our religious freedom being eroded? (on Tuesday the UK passed laws legalizing same sex
marriage which has big implications for religious freedom)
We worry about our political future.
We worry about our health.
We worry about disappointing people.
We worry about our jobs.
We worry about being lonely.
We worry about our kids.
Maybe you worry about your life counting for something?
We worry about getting married.
We worry about school.
We worry about what is going to happen when we graduate?
But why is worry a sin? When we worry we are denying that God is good and in control, because
if we really believe that he is good and in control we would not worry. Our worry makes loud
unflattering statements about the nature of God.
In addition worry is unbelief. When we worry we do not believe God’s promises. And if we know
God’s promises and don’t believe them we are calling God a liar.
Furthermore, worry reveals the idols of our hearts. An idol is anything we love more than God.
Worry is usually caused by the thought of losing something or not having something. That thing that we
are afraid to lose becomes the idol. For example, if I’m really worried about money it is because I love
money more than God. Or if I’m really worried about my health, my kids, or pleasing my boss those
things have become idols.
The key is to repent of our idolatry and ask God to help us to believe his promises and be content
with what he gives us.
What is the difference between worry/anxiety and normal concern? It is normal to have concerns
about certain things since we live in a fallen world. But if our concerns dominate our thinking, rob our
joy, or cause us to compromise God’s will it is now worry and needs to be repented of.
We don’t have to worry because the shepherd king provides...
Second, we don’t have to worry because the shepherd king is present!
Look with me at verse 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.”
The Psalmist continues with the sheep shepherd metaphor. Sheep were led down into valleys to
find grass and water. Unfortunately Valleys were also places were wolves and bandits hung out. They
could be dangerous places. But what is the valley of the shadow of death? The Hebrew expression
literally means - canyon of death darkness. Death was sometimes used in Hebrew as a superlative. For
example, when we say someone is dead right or dead tired we mean they are really right or really tired.
In the same sense “canyon of death darkness” means very dark canyon or very deep canyon.
The valley of the shadow of death is a dangerous place for the sheep so they need protection. But
the sheep are not afraid when walking through the deep dark canyons because the shepherd is with
them. It is not enough to merely have someone with you if they are just going to stand around. This
shepherd carries a rod to club the wolves and the bandits.
If the shepherd is with us we can survive the deepest darkest valleys.
Illustration:
What deep dark valleys are you in?
Several of our members have been in deep dark Valleys recently. The Canciglia’s lost their
beautiful little girl, the sweets watched as their new born twin girls fought for their lives in the NICU at
Providence hospital, others have struggled with physical pain, some of you have gone through significant
trials at work or within your own family.
Maybe your in…
The valley of depression (you are tired, unmotivated, and you feel like throwing in the towel)
The valley of rejection
The valley of broken relationships
The valley of guilt and condemnation
The valley of addiction
The valley of unemployment
The valley of computer or car problems
The valley of being 20 something (not sure what career path to take, who to marry, where to live,
etc…)
Covenant seminary chapel experience
William’s tumor!!!
We are not promised that we will have any easy carefree life, hard things will happen to us
because we live in a fallen word. But we can be confident that God will be with us. And because he is with
us He is able to comfort us and work all things for our good and his glory.
If the shepherd king is with us, we don’t have to worry about anything.
Walking through certain parts of NY or DC at night….
We don’t have to worry because the shepherd king provides and he is present with us….
Third, the shepherd king is generous! Look with me at verse 5. “You prepare a table before
me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
In verse 5 the psalmist changes the metaphor. In verses 1-4 sheep are described and now men are
described and we know this because sheep don’t eat at tables with cups. It would be silly to maintain the
shepherd sheep metaphor in verse 5.
Now in verse 5 God is described as a king or a gracious host. This king provides a table/feast for
his subject. King’s tables were laden with the best foods and drink available. This king does not give his
subject bread and water he provides his subject with a feast. He provides extravagantly.
This king also provides oil for the head. Before entering the king’s banquet hall the king would
pour oil on the subjects head. The oil was made by adding perfumes to olive oil. I know this seems
strange to us but this was a tremendous honor and extravagance in the ANE.
This king also provides an overflowing cup. This too symbolizes lavish provision. The king does
not give the subject a little sip of wine but a cup of wine that is overflowing.
All this extravagant provision is done in the presence of one’s enemies. Which means that God will
provide for us extravagantly and our enemies cant do anything about it.
Not only does God want to provide for us, he is eager to provide for us extravagantly and
generously because he is a good king who is eager to bless his subjects. Therefore we can trust him. God
is not Stingy!
Illustration- Make a wish foundation….
Application: Does all this mean that we will be healthy, wealthy, and wise? No, but it does mean
that God’s general disposition is to provide for us generously.
Is this how you view God or do you view God as someone who can’t be trusted because he is out to
get you, stingy, or uneager to bless? If so, I hope that psalm 23 is challenging you to rethink how you
think about God.
We don’t have to worry becausethe shepherd King provides
the shepherd king is present,
the shepherd king is generous…
Finally, the shepherd king pursues us! Look with me at verse 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.”
The psalmist says that God’s goodness and mercy shall follow him all the days of his life. The
word for mercy is Hesed, which means covenant faithfulness. In other words, God has made a promise to
love his sheep and provide for them continually, all the days of their lives. We can count on God to never
break his promises.
Then we read that his goodness and mercy pursue us. The word for pursue is often used in the
context of being pursued by and enemy. It is an aggressive pursuit and a never-ending pursuit. God will
aggressively pursue us with his goodness and mercy.
This does not mean that our cup will always overflow, or that we will always feast, or that we will
have an easy life. But it means that as enemies and hardships aggressively pursue us so too God will
pursue us in order to provide and protect us. There is nothing we can do to outrun his protection and
provision.
We don’t have to worry since the shepherd king
Provides
Is present
Is generous
Pursues us
Look with me again at verse 1. The psalmist writes - “The lord is my shepherd”. This is a very
personal and intimate statement. King David could say the Lord is MY shepherd. He knew the shepherd
personally. He did not say the Lord is my parent’s shepherd, or my churches shepherd, or my friend’s
shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd!!! Do you know the shepherd?
One thousand years later the great shepherd would come to earth to serve the sheep. Of course
the Great Shepherd is Jesus. Listen to John 10:14-15 Jesus speaking says -“I am the good shepherd. I
know my own and my own know me, (15) just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay
down my life for the sheep.”
Jesus is the great shepherd. He is great because he lays down his life for the sheep. This is an
incredible statement. One can’t imagine a more radical act of love. The maker of the universe, the one
who spoke the galaxies in too place, the one who knows all things actual and possible, the one who has
always existed humbled himself and came to earth as a mortal man in order to die for his dirty, sinful, and
anxious sheep. Not only did he die for us but he died for us on a cruel Roman cross. His death on our
behalf results in God forgiving all of our sins including the sin of not trusting him.
Is this shepherd king worthy of our trust? Absolutely!!! If he offered up himself to be crucified on
a roman cross what good thing will he withhold from us? Nothing!!! He provides us with everything we
need, most importantly himself.
Does this mean that life will be easy if we know the shepherd? No! But it does mean that we can
trust him because he provides for us by giving us what we need. Often what we think we need and what
we really need from God’s perspective are two different things. You may not have a job, or food, or water,
or health but if you have Jesus you have all you need.
In addition, if you get to a place where you can truly say that Jesus Christ the shepherd king is your
greatest treasure you will be free from anxiety. Why? Anxiety is caused by fear of losing something, but
if you have Jesus the greatest treasure in the universe you can lose everything (health, money,
relationship, power, prestige, beauty, and even life) and still be content. That is why Jesus plus nothing
equals everything.
Conclusion:
Lets go back to the song we started with“Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
I like the Bobby Mcferrin’s Song. It is catchy and cleaver and it works if you sing it from a
Christian perspective. But Knowing and trusting the shepherd king is the only way to really get a grip on
worry. Lets pray.