Psalm
23:1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want (or lack).
Who
is our Shepherd? It is the Lord. In the gospel of John, Jesus calls Himself the
good shepherd. “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for
the sheep…I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine…I lay
down my life for the sheep,” John 10:11,14,15b. Apostle Peter calls
Jesus, “the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls,” 1 Peter 2:25b.
In
Hebrews, we find the same imagery, “Now the God of peace, that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through
the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to
do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through
Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever,” Hebrews 13:20-21. In
the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:1-7, Jesus defends His ministry
as a shepherd seeking the lost sheep.
In
the Old Testament, God condemns the false shepherds of Israel that feed
themselves and do not feed the sheep. “Should not the shepherds feed the
flocks?” God says to them, “You eat the fat, and you clothe you with the wool,
you kill them that are fed: but you feed not the flock,” Ezekiel 34:3. The
whole chapter is a stunning condemnation of the Jewish leaders and their lack
of care for the people, who are the sheep God has entrusted them to care for.
Ezekiel 34:4-6 “The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither
have you
sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have you ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they
became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon
every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth,
and none did search or seek after them.”
Ezekiel 34:7-10 ”Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; As I live, says the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; Therefore, O you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.”
Ezekiel 34:11-12 “For thus says the Lord God;
Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are
scattered; so,
will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they
have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.”
Ezekiel 34:15-16 “I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie
down, says
the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was
driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that
which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them
with judgment.”
God Himself would enter humanity
as a human being, and be the Good Shepherd in Jesus Christ. He judged the false
shepherds of Israel and took away their shepherdship. He will judge the false
shepherds, once again, whether political, religious, or educational. However,
it’s not just the false shepherds that will be judged. He will also judge the
sheep, the fat sheep and the lean sheep. He will judge the fat and strong, and will
feed the lean and sick.
In the same fashion, in the
letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, we see that Christ
will judge the Christian churches according to their love and obedience to God.
Those that are “rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” do
not realize that they are “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked,” in the sight of God, Revelation 3:17. Unless they repent and
renew their first love and obedience, He will chasten them with judgment.
Similarly, Jesus admonished us in Matthew
25:31-46 to care both physically and spiritually for those that are hungry,
that are thirsty, that are strangers, that are naked, that are sick, and that
are in prison. If we do are part in caring for the poor, in feeding them both
physically and spiritually, we will be blessed. As Jesus said, “Inasmuch as you
have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto
Me,” Matthew 25:40.
However, if we fail in our task,
and become fat and strong, while we neglect our commission; there is only “a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation… It is a fearful thing to
fall into the hands of God,” Hebrews 10:27&31.
Psalm 23:2 He
makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters.
The Lord promises to supply are
needs. As we find in the Lord’s prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Apostle Paul tells us, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His
riches and glory in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:19. Jesus said, “Seek
first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you,” Matthew
6:33.
Psalm 23:3 He
restores
my soul: He
leads
me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
God continually restores our souls,
as Christian soldiers often need respite from the battle. It’s in the moments
when we come unto the Lord for rest and reprieve that our wounds are ministered
to, our bodies are healed, our minds are renewed and spirits are refreshed. By
His spirit He leads us in the paths He wants us to walk.
Psalm 23:4 Yea,
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.
Whatever challenge life brings us,
Jesus promises to walk beside us, or carry us, as in the story of the Footsteps
in the Sand. He says, “Fear not, I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am
your God: I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you
with the right hand of My righteousness,” Isaiah 41:10. We who have put
on the righteousness of Christ can face death with peace and calm. We have on
our wedding garment and will not be ashamed.
He further encourages us with, “Fear
not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine,” Isaiah
43:1b. The Great Shepherd of the sheep has called us by name and we have
answered the call. He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand, My Father, which gave them (to)
me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of the Father’s
hand,” John 10:27-29.
Going back to Isaiah, God
continues, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through
the rivers, they shall not overthrow you: when you walk through the fire, you
shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon you,” Isaiah 43:2.
We can walk into the valley of the
shadow of death without fear for our God has gotten us the victory over death. Through
His death on the cross, He has destroyed him that had the power of death, that
is, the devil, Hebrews 2:14b.
He tells us, therefore, “Fear not them
which can kill the body, but is not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him
which is able to destroy both soul and body into hell,” Matthew 10:28.
Psalm 23:5 You prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Even in the midst of slanders and persecution,
or in the midst of an ungodly culture, God supplies our needs. He gives us His
presence, the joy of the Lord which is our strength. We are able to give unto
others of the spiritual and or material blessings He has blessed us with. Our
cup truly runs over.
Psalm 23:6 Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord for ever.
Those who walk with God have His
goodness and mercy running after them in this life. In the next life, we will
dwell with the Lord for ever and ever.
Revelation 21:3-4&5b “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be
His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away…Behold, I (God) make all things new!”
Let’s finish up by listening to the song, “I Will Sing of the Goodness of God.”
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