Speaker 1: There is a reason Psalm twenty three is read when
Speaker 1: people are dying. But David did not write it like
Speaker 1: a funeral poem. He wrote it like a man who
Speaker 1: had learned something in the dark that he could not
Speaker 1: have learned in the palace. Now listen carefully, because Psalm
Speaker 1: twenty three begins in a field, but it does not
Speaker 1: end there. It begins with sheep, but it ends in
Speaker 1: the house of the Lord. It begins with need, hunger, thirst,
Speaker 1: and direction, but it ends with permanent dwelling in the
Speaker 1: presence of God. That means this psalm is not only
Speaker 1: about comfort. It is about the whole journey of a
Speaker 1: soul under the care of God. And if you want
Speaker 1: more deep Bible lessons like this, join the Deep Bible
Speaker 1: Stories Founder's membership through the link in the description, where
Speaker 1: many Christians are growing spiritually through exclusive Bible lessons and ebooks.
Speaker 1: Most people read Psalm twenty three as if it is
Speaker 1: simply saying God will make you feel peaceful. But David
Speaker 1: is saying much more than that. He is saying the
Speaker 1: Lord feeds, leads, restores, corrects, protects, honors, annoints, pursues, and
Speaker 1: finally brings his people home. The psalm is gentle, but
Speaker 1: it is not weak. It is comforting, but it is
Speaker 1: not shallow. There are green pastures in this psalm, yes,
Speaker 1: but there is also death's shadow. There are still waters,
Speaker 1: but there are also enemies. There is a table, but
Speaker 1: the enemies are still watching. There is an overflowing cup,
Speaker 1: but only after the valley has been crossed. That is
Speaker 1: why Psalm twenty three lasts. It does not comfort by
Speaker 1: pretending life is safe. It comforts by revealing that the
Speaker 1: shepherd is faithful even when life is not safe. David begins,
Speaker 1: the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want do
Speaker 1: not rush past the first two words the Lord. In
Speaker 1: many English Bibles, when Lord appears in capital letters, it
Speaker 1: points to the covenant name of God Yahweh. This is
Speaker 1: not a vague spiritual power. David is not saying the
Speaker 1: univie the universe is guiding me. He is not saying
Speaker 1: some force out there wants the best for me. He
Speaker 1: is speaking about the God who revealed himself to Moses
Speaker 1: at the burning Bush, the God who said I am
Speaker 1: that I am, the God who made covenant with Abraham,
Speaker 1: Isaac and Jacob, the God who heard Israel groaning in Egypt,
Speaker 1: the God who brought his people through the Red Sea,
Speaker 1: the God who fed them with manner in the wilderness,
Speaker 1: and dwelt among them in the tabernacle. So the first
Speaker 1: line is not generic inspiration. It is covenant language. David
Speaker 1: is saying, the God who binds himself to his people
Speaker 1: in covenant faithfulness is my shepherd. That word may is small,
Speaker 1: but it carries the weight of the whole psalm. David
Speaker 1: does not say the Lord is a shepherd. He does
Speaker 1: not even say the Lord is israel shepherd, though that
Speaker 1: is true. He says, the Lord is my shepherd. The
Speaker 1: God of the nation is also the God of the soul.
Speaker 1: The God who leads Israel through the wilderness also leads
Speaker 1: David through his own wilderness. The God who feeds a
Speaker 1: people with manner also feeds one frightened man hiding from Saul.
Speaker 1: That is what makes biblical faith so powerful. It is
Speaker 1: never less than personal, but it is never merely private.
Speaker 1: David's shepherd is the covenant God of Israel, and yet
Speaker 1: David can speak to him with intimacy. Then David chooses
Speaker 1: the word shepherd. He could have chosen other words. David
Speaker 1: knew the Lord as fortress. He knew the Lord as deliverer,
Speaker 1: he knew the Lord as roc, he knew the Lord
Speaker 1: as shield, he knew the Lord as king. But here
Speaker 1: he says, the Lord is my shepherd, and that choice
Speaker 1: pulls us back to David's earliest life. Before David was king,
Speaker 1: he was a shepherd. Before he sat on the throne.
Speaker 1: He sat under the open sky before he was praised
Speaker 1: by Israel. He was overlooked in his father's house. When
Speaker 1: Samuel came to Jesse to anoint the next king, David
Speaker 1: was not even brought into the room at first. His
Speaker 1: brothers stood there, visible and impressive, while David was outside
Speaker 1: with the sheep. The future king was hidden in a field.
Speaker 1: That matters because David did not learn shepherd language from poetry.
Speaker 1: He learned it from work. He knew the smell of sheep,
Speaker 1: the danger of predators, the loneliness of night watches, the
Speaker 1: need to find pasture, the difficulty of leading animals that
Speaker 1: could not protect themselves. He knew sheep were not impressive creatures.
Speaker 1: They were vulnerable. They could wander, they could panic, they
Speaker 1: could follow one another into danger. They could be near
Speaker 1: water and still not know how to drink. Safely. They
Speaker 1: could fall and be unable to rise. They were not
Speaker 1: built to survive by independence. So when David says the
Speaker 1: Lord is my shepherd, he's admitting something humbling. He is saying,
Speaker 1: I am the sheep. That is the first hidden shock
Speaker 1: of Psalm twenty three. The king of Israel, the warrior
Speaker 1: who killed Goliath, the man who commanded armies, the poet
Speaker 1: whose songs would shape worship for generations, begins by confessing dependence.
Speaker 1: He is not the hero of the psalm. He is
Speaker 1: not the strong one. He is not the one who
Speaker 1: knows the root. He is the one being led. Many
Speaker 1: people want Psalm twenty three without that confession. They want
Speaker 1: God's comfort, but not his rule. They want God's provision
Speaker 1: but not his direction. They want God's table, but not
Speaker 1: his path. They want the cup to overflow, but they
Speaker 1: do not want to be sheep. But Psalm twenty three
Speaker 1: does not begin with the gifts. It begins with surrender.
Speaker 1: The Lord is my shepherd. A sheep under a shepherd
Speaker 1: is not self owned. It belongs, it follows, it is led.
Speaker 1: Its safety depends on the shepherd's wisdom, not its own.
Speaker 1: This shepherd image runs through the Bible long before David.
Speaker 1: Near the end of Genesis, Jacob blesses Joseph's sons and
Speaker 1: speaks of the God who had shepherded him all his life.
Speaker 1: Jacob's life was not clean and easy. He deceived and
Speaker 1: was deceived. He fled his home, he worked under Laban,
Speaker 1: he feared esore, he believed Joseph was dead. He faced famine.
Speaker 1: Yet at the end of his life, when he looks
Speaker 1: back over the tangled road, he sees the hand of
Speaker 1: a shepherd. That is how shepherding often works. It may
Speaker 1: not always feel like shepherding while it is happening. While
Speaker 1: Jacob was running, God was shepherding. While Joseph was missing,
Speaker 1: God was shepherding. While famine threatened, God was shepherding. Jacob
Speaker 1: could not always interpret the road correctly in the middle,
Speaker 1: but near the end he could say. God fed me,
Speaker 1: led me, and kept me. Then in Exodus, God shepherd's
Speaker 1: not just one man, but an entire nation. Israel is
Speaker 1: trapped under Pharaoh, and Pharaoh is the opposite of a shepherd.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh uses people, Pharaoh increases burdens. Pharaoh demands bricks. Pharaoh
Speaker 1: does not feed the flock, he consumes it. He does
Speaker 1: not give rest. He multiplies labor. He does not care
Speaker 1: for weakness. He exploits it. The Lord breaks Pharaoh's power
Speaker 1: and brings his people out. He leads them with cloud
Speaker 1: and fire. He feeds them with manner. He gives water
Speaker 1: from the rock. He guides them through a wilderness. They
Speaker 1: do not understand that is shepherding on a national scale.
Speaker 1: Israel learns what David later writes. The people of God
Speaker 1: do not survive because they are strong. They survive because
Speaker 1: the Lord leads them. Later, the prophets expose the failure
Speaker 1: of Israel's human shepherds. Ezekiel thirty four is one of
Speaker 1: the deepest backgrounds to Psalm twenty three. God condemns the
Speaker 1: shepherds of Israel because they fed themselves and neglected the flock.
Speaker 1: They did not strengthen the weak. They did not heal
Speaker 1: the sick. They did not bind up the broken. They
Speaker 1: did not bring back what was driven away. They did
Speaker 1: not seek the lost. Then God says something astonishing. I
Speaker 1: even I will both search my sheep and seek them out.
Speaker 1: That is the promise behind the promise. God says, if
Speaker 1: the shepherds fail, I will come myself, and then Jesus
Speaker 1: comes and says in John ten, I am the good Shepherd.
Speaker 1: The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. That
Speaker 1: is not random imagery. Jesus is stepping into the promise
Speaker 1: of Ezekiel. He is revealing that the Lord who shepherded Jacob,
Speaker 1: the Lord who guided Israel, the Lord who rebuked false shepherds,
Speaker 1: has come in flesh to seek and save the lost.
Speaker 1: David says, the Lord is my shepherd. Jesus says, I
Speaker 1: am the good Shepherd, and Revelation later shows the lamb
Speaker 1: at the center of the throne shepherding his people to
Speaker 1: living waters. The whole Bible keeps returning to this image
Speaker 1: until we understand God's people are not abandoned animals in
Speaker 1: a dangerous world. They are the flock of the Lord.
Speaker 1: Then David adds, I shall not want. This line is
Speaker 1: often misunderstood. It does not mean I will always have
Speaker 1: everything I desire. David's life makes that impossible. David experienced hunger,
Speaker 1: He fled into wilderness, He hid in caves. He knew danger, grief, betrayal, loss,
Speaker 1: and the consequences of sin. He once ate holy bread
Speaker 1: because he was in need. He wept over absalom, He
Speaker 1: cried out under guilt. He was not a man whose
Speaker 1: life was free from lack. So what does I shall
Speaker 1: not want mean? It means, because the Lord is my shepherd,
Speaker 1: I will not lack what the shepherd knows I truly need.
Speaker 1: There is a difference between wanting and lacking. A sheep
Speaker 1: may want to go somewhere dangerous. A sheep may want
Speaker 1: to keep eating where the shepherd knows the ground is unsafe.
Speaker 1: A sheep may want water that is not drinkable. A
Speaker 1: sheep may resist the staff that is saving it the
Speaker 1: shepherds the difference between appetite and need. David is saying,
Speaker 1: my life is not governed by my cravings. It is
Speaker 1: governed by the shepherd's care. That matters today because modern
Speaker 1: life trains people to live in permanent want want more money,
Speaker 1: more beauty, more attention, more approval, more comfort, more control,
Speaker 1: more speed, more success, more proof that life is going somewhere.
Speaker 1: The world manufactures hunger and then sells temporary food. Psalm
Speaker 1: twenty three stands against that endless restlessness. It says, the
Speaker 1: deepest answer to lack is not more possessions, more applause,
Speaker 1: or more control. The deepest answer is the shepherd. Now.
Speaker 1: The first verse raises a question, if the Lord is shepherd,
Speaker 1: where does he lead David answers not with a theory,
Speaker 1: but with scenery. He maketh me to lie down in
Speaker 1: green pastures. Many people picture endless green meadows when they
Speaker 1: hear this, but shepherding land in ancient Israel was often rugged, dry, rocky,
Speaker 1: and seasonal. Green pasture was not automatic. It had to
Speaker 1: be found. A shepherd needed knowledge of the land, memory
Speaker 1: of the seasons, awareness of danger, and patience with the flock.
Speaker 1: That means green pasture is not mainly an image of luxury.
Speaker 1: It is an image of guided provision. The sheep do
Speaker 1: not create the pasture. They do not discover it by intelligence.
Speaker 1: They are brought there. The shepherd knows where nourishment is
Speaker 1: and he leads them to it. But David does not
Speaker 1: only say the Lord brings him to green pastures. He
Speaker 1: says he maketh me to lie down. That is rest language.
Speaker 1: A sheep does not easily lie down if it is afraid, hungry, irritated, threatened,
Speaker 1: or unsettled. For sheep to lie down, the shepher must
Speaker 1: have created conditions of safety and provision. So the verse
Speaker 1: is not simply saying God gives good things. It says
Speaker 1: God brings his people into rest under his care. The
Speaker 1: deeper biblical threat begins in Creation. In Genesis, God creates, orders,
Speaker 1: fills blesses, and rests on the seventh Day. God does
Speaker 1: not rest because he is tired. His rest is the
Speaker 1: rest of completion, peace and order. Creation is meant to
Speaker 1: live under God's good rule, not chaos. Then Exodus shows
Speaker 1: the opposite. Israel lives under Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's world has
Speaker 1: no rest. Pharaoh demands bricks. When Israel asks to worship
Speaker 1: the Lord, Pharaoh increases their burden. Egypt is restless slavery.
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's kingdom says, produce or perish, work harder. Your worth
Speaker 1: is measured by output. The Lord brings Isae rail out
Speaker 1: and gives Sabbath. Sabbath is not merely a religious ritual.
Speaker 1: It is a declaration of freedom. Former slaves are told
Speaker 1: to stop. Their lives are no longer held together by
Speaker 1: Pharaoh's demands. They belong to the Lord. So when David
Speaker 1: says he maketh me to lie down, the line carries
Speaker 1: the sound of liberation. The true shepherd does not drive
Speaker 1: his sheep like Pharaoh drove slaves. He makes them lie
Speaker 1: down in pasture. This is not laziness. It is trust.
Speaker 1: There is a kind of restless life that looks productive
Speaker 1: but is really unbelief. It never lies down because it
Speaker 1: does not believe the shepherd is enough. It must always
Speaker 1: prove secure, fix, manage, and control. But the shepherd has
Speaker 1: authority not only over the path, but also over the pace.
Speaker 1: He knows when the sheep must move, and he knows
Speaker 1: when the sheep must stop. Then Dave continues. He leadeth
Speaker 1: me beside the still waters. Food and water belong together.
Speaker 1: Green pastures feed, still waters refresh. But these waters are
Speaker 1: not rushing, violent, dangerous waters. They are still waters, RESTful waters,
Speaker 1: waters the sheep can drink from safely. A shepherd would
Speaker 1: not carelessly bring the flock to a dangerous current. Sheep
Speaker 1: could be frightened or swept away. The shepherd's care includes
Speaker 1: not only giving water, but giving water in a way
Speaker 1: the sheep can receive. That reveals a tender truth about
Speaker 1: God's leadership. The Lord knows not only what his people need,
Speaker 1: he knows what they can bear. In Exodus, God did
Speaker 1: not take Israel by the shortest route after bringing them
Speaker 1: out of Egypt. The way through the land of the
Speaker 1: Philistines was nearer, but God said the people might see
Speaker 1: war and turn back, so he led them another way.
Speaker 1: That detail is easy to miss. Godd's route was longer
Speaker 1: because he knew his people's condition. The shortest route was
Speaker 1: not the safest rout, The direct path was not the
Speaker 1: shepherded path. Sometimes God's leadership feels slow because he is
Speaker 1: protecting the soul from what it is not ready to face. Still,
Speaker 1: waters may look less dramatic than rushing rivers, but the
Speaker 1: shepherd knows what kind of water his sheep need. Water
Speaker 1: also runs through scripture as a sign of life. Eden
Speaker 1: has rivers, the wilderness has water from the rock. Isiah
Speaker 1: invites the thirsty to come to the waters. Ezekiel sees
Speaker 1: a river flowing from the temple, bringing life wherever it goes.
Speaker 1: Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that whoever drinks the water
Speaker 1: he gives will never thirst. In John seven, he cries out,
Speaker 1: if any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink,
Speaker 1: and John says he was speaking of the spirit. Revelation
Speaker 1: ends with the river of the water of life. Flowing
Speaker 1: from the throne of God and of the Lamb. So
Speaker 1: the still waters are not only a peaceful stream in
Speaker 1: David's imagination, they belong to the Bible's entire story of
Speaker 1: God giving life to the thirsty. But then David goes deeper.
Speaker 1: Food is not enough, water is not enough, rest is
Speaker 1: not enough. If the soul itself is damaged. He restoreth
Speaker 1: my soul. This is one of the richest lines in
Speaker 1: the Psalm. Restore means to bring back, return, revive, renew.
Speaker 1: It can speak of a sheep brought back after wandering,
Speaker 1: or a life revived after depletion. David is not saying
Speaker 1: God improves my mood. He is saying God brings my
Speaker 1: life back. In Hebrew thought, the soul is not merely
Speaker 1: the emotional part of a person. It is the living self,
Speaker 1: the whole life, the deepest center of being. To restore
Speaker 1: the soul means the shepherd reaches the place where life
Speaker 1: has become bent, exhausted, lost, or broken. Shepherds knew this Physically.
Speaker 1: A sheep could become cast down, turned over on its back,
Speaker 1: unable to rise. It might look harmless from a distance,
Speaker 1: but it was in danger. The shepherd had to find it,
Speaker 1: lift it steady it, rub life back into its limbs,
Speaker 1: and return it to the flock. That is restoration, not
Speaker 1: decoration rescue. David knew restoration from danger, but also from sin.
Speaker 1: Psalm fifty one shows him after Nathan confronts him over
Speaker 1: Bathsheba and Uriah. He does not ask God for shallow comfort.
Speaker 1: He says, create in me a clean heart, O God,
Speaker 1: and renew a right spirit within me. Then he says,
Speaker 1: restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. David knew
Speaker 1: the soul can be damaged by sin. He knew guilt
Speaker 1: can crush the inner life. He knew restoration requires mercy, cleansing, truth,
Speaker 1: and renewal. This opens into the whole Bible. Adam and
Speaker 1: Eve's sin and are driven from Eden. Humanity loses nearness
Speaker 1: to God, Israel wanders, and the prophets cry return. God
Speaker 1: promises to gather the scattered, heal the backsliding, give a
Speaker 1: new heart, and put his spirit within his people. Then
Speaker 1: Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves the ninety nine
Speaker 1: and goes after the one lost sheep until he finds
Speaker 1: it that phrase matters. The shepherd does not wait for
Speaker 1: the sheep to become wise. He seeks it while it
Speaker 1: is lost. So when David says he restoreth my soul,
Speaker 1: we should hear the seeking heart of God. The Lord
Speaker 1: does not discard sheep because they have fallen, wandered, or
Speaker 1: grown weak. He restores them. But restoration is not the
Speaker 1: final goal. A restored sheep must be led again. He
Speaker 1: leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Speaker 1: This line prevents Psalm twenty three from becoming sentimental. The
Speaker 1: shepherd restores the soul then leads the life, and he
Speaker 1: does not lead in just any path. He leads in
Speaker 1: paths of righteousness. In shepherding, terrain paths mattered. A wrong
Speaker 1: path could lead to cliffs, predators, barren ground, or isolation.
Speaker 1: Sheep did not need creativity as much as trust. They
Speaker 1: needed to follow the one who knew the way. For Israel,
Speaker 1: walking in the way of the Lord was covenant language.
Speaker 1: Deuteronomy calls Israel to walk in God's commandments. Psalm ie
Speaker 1: contrasts the way of the righteous and the way of
Speaker 1: the ungodly. Proverbs warns about the path of fools and
Speaker 1: calls people into the way of wisdom. The Bible is
Speaker 1: deeply concerned with paths. Not all roads are equal, not
Speaker 1: all open doors are holy, not all successful paths are righteous.
Speaker 1: This matter is because many people want God's guidance only
Speaker 1: in practical terms. Which job, which city, which relationship, which opportunity,
Speaker 1: which next move? Those questions matter, But biblical guidance begins
Speaker 1: before that. The first question is not will this work?
Speaker 1: The first question is is this righteous? The shepherd does
Speaker 1: not lead his sheep into sin and call it favor.
Speaker 1: He does not lead into pride and call it destiny.
Speaker 1: He does not lead into bitterness and call it wisdom.
Speaker 1: He does not lead into lust and call it love.
Speaker 1: He does not lead into compromise and call it opportunity.
Speaker 1: He leads in paths of righteousness. Then David gives the
Speaker 1: reason for his name's sake. This lifts the psalm of
Speaker 1: a private comfort. God leads his people for the sake
Speaker 1: of his name, his character, covenant, faithfulness, holiness, mercy, and reputation.
Speaker 1: In scripture, God's name represents who he is. When he
Speaker 1: acts for his name's sake, he acts in a way
Speaker 1: consistent with his revealed character. God delivered Israel from Egypt
Speaker 1: for his Name's sake. He preserved them in the wilderness
Speaker 1: for his Name's sake. He restored them after rebellion for
Speaker 1: his Name's sake. Ezekiel thirty six says God would cleanse
Speaker 1: his people, give them a new heart, and put his
Speaker 1: spirit within them, not because they had earned it, but
Speaker 1: for his holy name. That means David's confidence does not
Speaker 1: rest in the strength of the sheep. It rests in
Speaker 1: the faithfulness of the shepherd. And just when the Psalm
Speaker 1: seems settled pasture, waters, restoration, righteous paths, the atmosphere changes. Yeah,
Speaker 1: so I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
Speaker 1: I will fear no evil. This is the turn The
Speaker 1: same shepherd who leads beside still waters now leads through
Speaker 1: the valley of death shadow. That ruins a shallow reading
Speaker 1: of Psalm twenty three. Some people think that if God
Speaker 1: is leading, the path will always be bright, easy and safe.
Speaker 1: But David says the righteous path can pass through a valley.
Speaker 1: That is not an exception in scripture. It is everywhere.
Speaker 1: God led Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness.
Speaker 1: Joseph's Rode to the Palace passed through the pit slavery,
Speaker 1: false accusation and prison. David was anointed, then hunted. Daniel
Speaker 1: was faithful, then thrown into the lion's den. The apostles
Speaker 1: obeyed Jesus and suffered. Jesus himself was led by the
Speaker 1: spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. The valley does
Speaker 1: not mean the shepherd has left. Sometimes the valley is
Speaker 1: on the path. The phrase valley of the shadow of
Speaker 1: death speaks of deepest darkness, mortal danger, deathlike gloom. In
Speaker 1: real shepherding terrain, valleys could be narrow, shadowed, dangerous and
Speaker 1: difficult to see through. Predators could hide. The sheep's vision
Speaker 1: was shortened. That is what valleys do. They reduce visibility.
Speaker 1: In pasture, the sheep may look around. In the valley,
Speaker 1: the sheep must stay close. Then the language of the
Speaker 1: psalm shifts beautifully until now David has spoken about God.
Speaker 1: He makes me lie down, He leads me, he restores
Speaker 1: my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness. But
Speaker 1: in the valley, David stops saying he and begins saying thou,
Speaker 1: for thou art with me. The darkest verse contains the
Speaker 1: closest language the valley he turns. Explanation into prayer. David
Speaker 1: does not say I will fear no evil because I
Speaker 1: understand the valley. He does not say I will fear
Speaker 1: no evil because the valley is not dangerous. He does
Speaker 1: not say I will fear no evil because nothing painful
Speaker 1: can happen. He says, I will fear no evil for
Speaker 1: thou art with me. The answer to fear is not
Speaker 1: full explanation. It is presence. This is one of the
Speaker 1: great promises of the Bible. When Moses feels inadequate, God says,
Speaker 1: I will be with THEE. When Joshua must lead after Moses,
Speaker 1: God says, as I was with Moses, so I will
Speaker 1: be with THEE. Through Isaiah. God says, when thou passest
Speaker 1: through the waters, I will be with THEE. When Jesus
Speaker 1: sends his disciples into the nations, he says, lo, I
Speaker 1: am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Speaker 1: God does not promise that his people will never enter darkness.
Speaker 1: He promises they will not enter alone. And David says,
Speaker 1: though I walk through, not stay forever, not collapse permanently,
Speaker 1: not die abandoned through The valley has an exit even
Speaker 1: when the sheep cannot see it. In Christ, this becomes
Speaker 1: even more powerful. Death is real. The Bible does not
Speaker 1: pretend otherwise. Paul calls death the last enemy. But Hebrews
Speaker 1: says Jesus took on flesh and blood so that through
Speaker 1: death he might destroy the one who had the power
Speaker 1: of death and deliver those held in fear. First Corinthians
Speaker 1: fifteen says death is swallowed up in victory. The shepherd
Speaker 1: has entered death's valley and come out alive. That means
Speaker 1: for those who belong to him, death remains an enemy,
Speaker 1: but it is no longer the final master. Then, David says,
Speaker 1: thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. The rod
Speaker 1: and staff are not decorations. They are tools of shepherding.
Speaker 1: The rod could defend the sheep, strike predators, discipline and
Speaker 1: count the flock. The staff could guide, pull back, rescue, lift,
Speaker 1: and keep sheep near. One protects, one directs. Together they
Speaker 1: show that the shepherd is not passive. David says, they
Speaker 1: comfort him. That may sound strange to modern ears because
Speaker 1: people often think comfort must always be soft. But in
Speaker 1: a valley, a weak shepherd is no comfort. A shepherd
Speaker 1: without a rod cannot defend the sheep. A shepherd without
Speaker 1: a staff cannot rescue the wandering. The rod comforts because
Speaker 1: enemies are real. The staff comforts because wandering is real.
Speaker 1: Protection and correction are both mercy when the shepherd is good.
Speaker 1: This is why Psalm twenty three does not present God
Speaker 1: as a distant observer. He is with David actively. His
Speaker 1: present has authority, his care has power. His comfort includes correction.
Speaker 1: Hebrews twelve says, the Lord disciplines those he loves. Discipline
Speaker 1: is painful in the moment, but afterward it yields the
Speaker 1: peaceful fruit of righteousness. So correction is not rejection. When
Speaker 1: it comes from the Lord, it is shepherding. Many people
Speaker 1: want the shepherd's comfort without his authority. They want rescue
Speaker 1: but not correction. They want nearness but not obedience. Psalm
Speaker 1: twenty three refuses to separate those things. The rod and
Speaker 1: staff both comfort. Then, without warning, David changes the scene.
Speaker 1: We were walking through shepherd country. Suddenly we are sitting
Speaker 1: at a table. Thou preparest a table before me in
Speaker 1: the presence of mine enemies. This is one of the
Speaker 1: most surprising lines in the psalm. David does not say,
Speaker 1: you prepare a table after my enemies disappear. He says,
Speaker 1: God prepares a table in the presence of his enemies.
Speaker 1: That means the enemies are still there. They can see
Speaker 1: the table, they can see the provision, they can see
Speaker 1: the honor. They can see that God has received the
Speaker 1: one they opposed. In the ancient world, a table was
Speaker 1: not just about food. It represented hospitality, protection, fellowship, covenant,
Speaker 1: and acceptance. To be welcome to someone's table meant you
Speaker 1: were received under the host's care. A host had responsibility
Speaker 1: toward the guest. So David is saying more than God
Speaker 1: feeds me, He's saying God publicly receives me. The enemies
Speaker 1: may watch, but they cannot cancel the table. They may accuse,
Speaker 1: but they cannot remove the seat. They may threaten, but
Speaker 1: they do not own the room. David knew enemies. Saul
Speaker 1: hunted him, Philistines fought him, betrays rose against him, Absalom,
Speaker 1: his own son, rebelled against him. David knew what it
Speaker 1: meant for enemies to be near, loud and painful. Yet
Speaker 1: he says, the Lord prepares a table. This table has
Speaker 1: roots all through scripture. In Exodus, Israel eats the passover meal.
Speaker 1: While still in Egypt, Pharaoh is still powerful. Judgment is
Speaker 1: about to fall. Deliverance is about to begin. The people
Speaker 1: eat a meal of salvation in the land of oppression.
Speaker 1: In the wilderness, Israel doubts whether God can furnish a
Speaker 1: table in the desert. Yet manner comes from heaven, water
Speaker 1: comes from the rock. The wilderness cannot stop God's provision.
Speaker 1: In Second Samuel nine, David prepares a table for Mephibosheth,
Speaker 1: Jonathan's son. Mephibusheth is crippled, vulnerable, and from the house
Speaker 1: of Saul. Yet David shows covenant kindness and says he
Speaker 1: will eat at the King's table continually. A table can
Speaker 1: restore dignity, a table can announce mercy, A table can
Speaker 1: show covenant loyalty. Then Jesus takes the table to its
Speaker 1: deepest meaning. On the night before the Cross, Jesus sits
Speaker 1: with his disciples. Judas is there, Betrayal is in the room.
Speaker 1: Religious leaders are plotting. Rome's violence is near, Darkness is moving,
Speaker 1: and Jesus prepares a table. He takes bread, he takes
Speaker 1: the cup. He speaks of his body and blood. The
Speaker 1: table is prepared in the presence of enemies. That means
Speaker 1: Psalm twenty three is not only moving toward a peaceful meal.
Speaker 1: It is moving toward the Lord's supper, where the good
Speaker 1: shepherd gives himself for the sheep. The table says enemies
Speaker 1: do not have the final word. Sin does not, Death
Speaker 1: does not. Satan does not. The shepherd becomes the lamb,
Speaker 1: and the lamb gives his life. This is the kind
Speaker 1: of deeper Bible teaching. We continue inside the Deep Bible
Speaker 1: Stories Founders Membership, where many Christians are growing spiritually through
Speaker 1: exclusive Bible lessons and ebooks. Join through the link in
Speaker 1: the description, and if you feel led to support this ministry,
Speaker 1: the support link is there as well. David continues, thou
Speaker 1: anointest my head with oil. Oil in scripture carries many layers.
Speaker 1: It can mean refreshment, healing, honor, consecration, joy, and the
Speaker 1: presence of the spirit. In ancient hospitality, oil could be
Speaker 1: placed on a guest's head as a sign of welcome
Speaker 1: and honor. In a dry, dusty land, oil refreshed. In
Speaker 1: shepherding practice, oil could soothe wounds and protect sheep from irritation.
Speaker 1: In priestly and royal contexts, oil marks someone as set
Speaker 1: apart for God's purpose. David knew oil personally. In First
Speaker 1: Samuel sixteen, Samuel comes to Bethlehem to anoint the next king.
Speaker 1: Jesse's sons pass before him, but the Lord does not
Speaker 1: choose them. David is outside with the sheep. He is
Speaker 1: called in, and Samuel anoints him in the midst of
Speaker 1: his brothers. The spirit of the Lord comes upon David
Speaker 1: from that day forward. But here is what people forget.
Speaker 1: David was anointed long before he sat on the throne.
Speaker 1: The oil came before the crown, The calling came before
Speaker 1: the palace. The anointing came before the waiting, the danger,
Speaker 1: the caves, the betrayal, and the years of being misunderstood.
Speaker 1: So anointing does not mean immediate ease. It means God's
Speaker 1: mark is on a person for his purpose. When David says,
Speaker 1: Thou anointest my head with oil, he is saying that
Speaker 1: enemies cannot erase what God has placed on him. They
Speaker 1: see the table, they see the oil, They see that
Speaker 1: the Lord is not ashamed to honor his ervant. This
Speaker 1: points forward to Jesus, the Messiah. Messiah means anointed one,
Speaker 1: Christ means anointed one. Jesus is the true anointed king,
Speaker 1: priest and prophet at his baptism. The spirit descends upon
Speaker 1: him in looke. For Jesus reads from Isiah. The spirit
Speaker 1: of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me.
Speaker 1: David was anointed, but David failed. Solomon was anointed, but
Speaker 1: Solomon drifted. Priests were anointed, but priests died. Kings were anointed,
Speaker 1: but kingdoms fell. Jesus is the anointed one who remains faithful.
Speaker 1: He is the true king whose throne endures, the true
Speaker 1: priest who offers himself, the true prophet who speaks the
Speaker 1: word of God, and the true shepherd who lays down
Speaker 1: his life and takes it up again. Then David says,
Speaker 1: my cup runneth over. The cup is not barely filled.
Speaker 1: It is not measured with reluctance. It overflows at the table.
Speaker 1: An overflowing cup means abundance, welcome, generosity. The host is
Speaker 1: not saying you may have just enough to survive. The
Speaker 1: host keeps pouring. But the cup is a deep biblical image.
Speaker 1: Sometimes it represents blessing. Psalm sixteen says the Lord is
Speaker 1: the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Psalm
Speaker 1: one hundred and sixteen says, I will take the cup
Speaker 1: of salvation, but sometimes the cup represents judgment. The prophet
Speaker 1: speak of the cup of God's wrath. Nations drink it.
Speaker 1: Judgment is poured out. Then in gathsemine Jesus praise. If
Speaker 1: it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: not as I will, but as thou wilt. That mean
Speaker 1: Psalm twenty Three's overflowing cup becomes even deeper when seen
Speaker 1: through Christ. David's cup runs over with blessing because Christ
Speaker 1: drinks the cup of judgment. At the Last Supper. Jesus
Speaker 1: gives the cup and says it is the new Covenant
Speaker 1: in his blood. The cup of salvation comes through the
Speaker 1: blood of the shepherd who became the Lamb. So my
Speaker 1: cup runneth over is not shallow prosperity language. It is
Speaker 1: grace language. It does not mean every believer will be wealthy.
Speaker 1: Paul New lack. The apostles suffered. Jesus had nowhere to
Speaker 1: lay his head. Many faithful Christians have lived with poverty, persecution, sickness,
Speaker 1: and loss. The overflowing cup is deeper than possessions. It
Speaker 1: is the abundance of being received by God, sustained by mercy,
Speaker 1: covered by covenant and given more grace than the soul
Speaker 1: could ever deserve. The valley cannot empty the cup. The
Speaker 1: enemies cannot stop the cup. Death's shadow cannot cancel the cup.
Speaker 1: The host keeps pouring. Now David moves toward the ending,
Speaker 1: but the ending opens the psalm wider, not smaller. Surely,
Speaker 1: goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
Speaker 1: my life. The word surely matters. David is not guessing,
Speaker 1: He is not saying maybe things will work out. He
Speaker 1: is speaking with covenant certainty. But the word follow is
Speaker 1: stronger than many people realize. In Hebrew, it can carry
Speaker 1: the sense of pursuit. It is often used for chasing.
Speaker 1: David knew what it meant to be pursued. Saul pursued him,
Speaker 1: Enemies pursued him, Trouble pursued him, consequences pursued him. But
Speaker 1: David says, something stronger is pursuing him, goodness and mercy.
Speaker 1: That is one of the great reversals of Psalm twenty three.
Speaker 1: The sheep may appear hunted by enemies, but the deeper
Speaker 1: truth is that he is pursued by God's covenant Love.
Speaker 1: Goodness is God's generous care, his commitment to what is
Speaker 1: truly good. Mercy is tied to the rich Hebrew word
Speaker 1: he said, steadfast love, covenant, loyalty, faithful mercy, loyal kindness,
Speaker 1: he said, is not a passing feeling. It is love
Speaker 1: with commitment, mercy that keeps covenant, kindness that does not abandon.
Speaker 1: This word fills the Old Testament. When God reveals his
Speaker 1: character to Moses in Exodus thirty four, he declares himself merciful, gracious,
Speaker 1: long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth. Israel sings again
Speaker 1: and again his mercy endureth forever. So David is not
Speaker 1: saying every event in his life will feel good. He
Speaker 1: is saying God's goodness and covenant mercy will pursue him
Speaker 1: through every day of his life. Green pasture days, still
Speaker 1: water days, rest ration days, righteous path days, valley days,
Speaker 1: enemy days, anointing days, overflow days, aging days, final days.
Speaker 1: Goodness and mercy pursue the sheep. This does not mean
Speaker 1: evil is not real. The Bible never asks anyone to
Speaker 1: call evil good. Joseph's brothers did evil when they sold him,
Speaker 1: Yet Joseph later says, ye thought evil against me, but
Speaker 1: God meant it unto good, that is not denial that
Speaker 1: his sovereignty. Roman's eight says all things work together for
Speaker 1: good to those who love God and are called according
Speaker 1: to His purpose. It does not say all things are
Speaker 1: good in themselves. It says God works through all things
Speaker 1: toward his good purpose. David says it poetically, Surely, goodness
Speaker 1: and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Speaker 1: Now look at the whole Psalm spatially. The Lord is
Speaker 1: ahead leading, the Lord is beside David in the valley.
Speaker 1: The Lord is before him preparing a table. Goodness and
Speaker 1: mercy are behind him. Pursuing, David is surrounded not by
Speaker 1: easy circumstances, but by covenant care. Then comes the final line,
Speaker 1: and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Speaker 1: Psalm twenty three ends with home, not pasture, not water,
Speaker 1: not the valley, not enemies, not even the overflowing cup.
Speaker 1: It ends in the house of the Lord. That means
Speaker 1: the goal of the shepherd's journey is not merely survival, comfort, provision,
Speaker 1: or victory over enemies. The goal is dwelling with God.
Speaker 1: David loved the house of the Lord. In Psalm twenty seven,
Speaker 1: he says, one thing have I desired of the Lord,
Speaker 1: that will I seek after that I may dwell in
Speaker 1: the House of the Lord all the days of my life.
Speaker 1: David wanted more than escape, more than victory, more than
Speaker 1: a better situation. He wanted God. In the Old Testament,
Speaker 1: the House of the Lord points to the place of
Speaker 1: God's presence among his people, first the Tabernacle, later the Temple.
Speaker 1: The tabernacle moved with Israel in the wilderness. The temple
Speaker 1: later stood in Jerusalem. These were places of sacrifice, priesthood, worship, prayer, cleansing,
Speaker 1: and glory. But the story of dwelling begins even earlier
Speaker 1: in Genesis. Humanity begins in Eden in fellowship with God.
Speaker 1: Sin brings exile, Adam and Eve are driven out. The
Speaker 1: rest of the Bible is, in one sense, the story
Speaker 1: of God bringing his people home. He calls Abraham, he
Speaker 1: forms Israel, he dwells among them in the tabernacle, He
Speaker 1: fills the temple with glory. He promises restoration after exile.
Speaker 1: Then John says, the Word was made flesh and dwelt
Speaker 1: among us. Jesus tabernacled among us. He is the true
Speaker 1: presence of God with his people. Then Jesus says in
Speaker 1: John fourteen, in my father's house are many dwelling places.
Speaker 1: I go to prepare a place for you. The shepherd
Speaker 1: who prepares a table also prepares a place. Revelation completes
Speaker 1: the story. John sees the new Jerusalem coming down from God,
Speaker 1: and a voice says, behold, the Tabernacle of God is
Speaker 1: with men, and he will dwell with them. God wipes
Speaker 1: away every tear. Death is no more. The lamb is
Speaker 1: at the center. The river of life flows. God's servants
Speaker 1: see his face. That is where Psalm twenty three finally leads.
Speaker 1: The shepherd brings the sheep home. This is why the
Speaker 1: valley cannot be the ending. Death's shadow is not the
Speaker 1: final line. The house of the Lord is now step back.
Speaker 1: Some twenty three begins with the Lord as shepherd and
Speaker 1: ends with the sheep dwelling in the lord's house. It
Speaker 1: begins with need and ends with presents. It begins on
Speaker 1: the road and ends at home. The sheep belongs to
Speaker 1: the shepherd. The shepherd provides pasture, he gives water, he
Speaker 1: restores the soul. He leads in righteousness. The path enters
Speaker 1: the valley. The shepherd is present there, his rod and
Speaker 1: staff comfort. The scene becomes a table. Enemy's watch but
Speaker 1: cannot stop it. Oil marks the head, the cup overflows.
Speaker 1: Goodness and mercy pursue from behind. The House of the
Speaker 1: Lord waits ahead. That is why this psalm has carried
Speaker 1: believers for centuries. It does not deny hunger. It says
Speaker 1: the shepherd feeds. It does not deny thirst. It says
Speaker 1: the shepherd leads to water. It does not deny brokenness.
Speaker 1: It says the shepherd restores. It does not deny moral danger.
Speaker 1: It says he leads in righteousness. It does not deny death.
Speaker 1: It says he walks with his sheep through the shadow.
Speaker 1: It does not deny enemies. It says he prepares a
Speaker 1: table in front of them. It does not deny weariness.
Speaker 1: It says he anoints with oil. It does not deny fear.
Speaker 1: It says his presence is near. It does not deny
Speaker 1: the long journey. It says goodness and mercy pursue every day.
Speaker 1: And it does not end with survival. It ends with dwelling.
Speaker 1: That is the movement of the entire Bible. Eden was lost,
Speaker 1: the wilderness was crossed, the tabernacle was built, the temple
Speaker 1: was filled the shepherds failed, the shepherd was promised. Christ came.
Speaker 1: The good Shepherd laid down his life, the lamb rose,
Speaker 1: the spirit was given, The Church is being gathered. The
Speaker 1: Lord will dwell with his people forever. Psalm twenty three
Speaker 1: is not just a beautiful poem inside the Bible. It
Speaker 1: is a small window into the whole Bible. And the
Speaker 1: most stunning is this in Revelation, the Lamb becomes the shepherd.
Speaker 1: Revelation says the Lamb in the midst of the throne,
Speaker 1: shall shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters,
Speaker 1: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Speaker 1: The lamb shepherds. The one who died now leads, The
Speaker 1: one who was slain now guides to living water. The
Speaker 1: one who entered death's valley now brings his people where
Speaker 1: death can never follow. That means the deepest mystery of
Speaker 1: Psalm twenty three is not only that the Lord is shepherd.
Speaker 1: It is that the shepherd became the lamb so the
Speaker 1: sheep could come home. David knew the Lord as shepherd.
Speaker 1: But in Christ we see how far the shepherd would go.
Speaker 1: He would not only guide from heaven, he would enter
Speaker 1: the pasture. He would walk the road. He would face
Speaker 1: the wolf, he would drink the cup. He would pass
Speaker 1: through death, he would rise on the other side. He
Speaker 1: would prepare a place, and he would bring his people
Speaker 1: into the house of the Lord forever. Now return to
Speaker 1: the opening line, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall
Speaker 1: not want after everything. David says that first line sounds
Speaker 1: different because now we know where the shepherd leads. He
Speaker 1: leads to rest, but not only rest. He leads to water,
Speaker 1: but not only water. He restores the soul, but not
Speaker 1: so it can wander again. He leads in righteousness, but
Speaker 1: that path may pass through the valley. He walks with
Speaker 1: his sheep in darkness, but he does not stop there.
Speaker 1: He prepares a table, but not because enemies vanished. He
Speaker 1: anoints with oil, but not because the journey was painless.
Speaker 1: He fills the cup, but the cup overflows because grace
Speaker 1: is greater than fear. He sends goodness and mercy to pursue,
Speaker 1: not for a few bright days, but all the days,
Speaker 1: and he brings the sheep home. That is why Psalm
Speaker 1: twenty three is not sentiment. It is strong. It is
Speaker 1: not a denial of suffering. It is a declaration that
Speaker 1: suffering does not get the final word. It is not
Speaker 1: a promise that the sheep will never tremble. It is
Speaker 1: a promise that the shepherd will never leave. The Lord
Speaker 1: is my shepherd, not my idea, not my emotion, not
Speaker 1: my success, not my control, not my health, not my reputation,
Speaker 1: not my circumstances. The Lord. And if the Lord is shepherd,
Speaker 1: then lack cannot define the journey. Fear cannot own the valley.
Speaker 1: Enemies cannot cancel the table, death cannot end the story.
Speaker 1: Mercy cannot stop pursuing. The House of the Lord cannot
Speaker 1: be taken away. This is why Psalm twenty three can
Speaker 1: be read beside a hospital bed and still speak life.
Speaker 1: It can be read at a graveside and still not
Speaker 1: surrender to despair. It can be spoken by someone in
Speaker 1: trouble and still carry courage. It can be remembered by
Speaker 1: the old and taught to the young. Because Psalm twenty
Speaker 1: three does not rest on the strength of the sheep.
Speaker 1: It rests on the faithfulness of the shepherd. And that
Speaker 1: is why the final word is not valley, not enemy,
Speaker 1: not shadow, not death. The final word is dwelling, and
Speaker 1: I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever
Speaker 1: before we close. Join the Deep Bible Stories Founders membership
Speaker 1: through the link in the description for more exclusive Bible
Speaker 1: lessons and ebooks like this. Many Christians are growing spiritually there,
Speaker 1: learning to understand Scripture beyond surface level teaching, and if
Speaker 1: you want to support this ministry and help us continue
Speaker 1: creating Deep Bible lessons, you can also give through the
Speaker 1: support link in the description. Now Here. Psalm twenty three
Speaker 1: one more time, not as a religious quote, not as
Speaker 1: a funeral poem, but as the journey of the sheep
Speaker 1: under the care of the shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd.
Speaker 1: I shall not want the covenant. God has taken responsibility
Speaker 1: for his people. He maketh me to lie down in
Speaker 1: green pastures. He knows where nourishment is, and he knows
Speaker 1: when the sheep must rest. He leadeth me beside the
Speaker 1: still waters. He gives life in a way his people
Speaker 1: can receive. He restoreth my soul. He brings back what wandered,
Speaker 1: revives what collapsed, and heals what sin and sorrow damaged.
Speaker 1: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
Speaker 1: name's sake. He guides his people in ways that match
Speaker 1: his character, not merely their desires. YEA, though I walk
Speaker 1: through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
Speaker 1: fear no evil. The path may enter darkness, but darkness
Speaker 1: does not mean abandonment. For Thou art with me. Presence
Speaker 1: is greater than explanation. Thy rod and thy staff they
Speaker 1: comfort me. The shepherd's authority protects, corrects, guides, and rescues.
Speaker 1: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
Speaker 1: mine enemies. God's hospitality is stronger than hostility. Thou anointest
Speaker 1: my head with oil. The Lord refreshes, honors, heals, and
Speaker 1: marks his servant. My cup runneth over. Grace is not
Speaker 1: measured by fear, enemies, or circumstances. Surely goodness and mercy
Speaker 1: shall follow me all the days of my life. God's
Speaker 1: covenant love pursues his people from behind, while his presence
Speaker 1: leads them ahead. And I will dwell in the house
Speaker 1: of the Lord forever. The shepherd brings his sheep all
Speaker 1: the way home. That is Psalm twenty three not a
Speaker 1: poem about an easy life, but a revelation of a
Speaker 1: faithful shepher. Not a denial of the valley, but a
Speaker 1: promise of presence inside it. Not a phantasy where enemies vanish,
Speaker 1: but a table prepared while they watch. Not shallow religious comfort,
Speaker 1: but a genesis to revelation, picture of the God who
Speaker 1: leads his people from need to rest, from rest to restoration,
Speaker 1: from restoration to righteousness, from righteousness through the valley, from
Speaker 1: the valley to the table, from the table to mercy's pursuit,
Speaker 1: and from mercy all the way home. The first word
Speaker 1: is Lord. The final destination is his house. Everything between
Speaker 1: belongs to the shepherd. So the last word is not fear,
Speaker 1: not enemies, not death, not wandering, not lack. The last
Speaker 1: word is dwelling, and I will dwell in the House
Speaker 1: of the Lord forever