Message

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It is said that Psalm 23 is the best Psalm of all Psalms. It is simple and profound, touching the hearts of the range of all people, young children and grown-ups as well. David who was a shepherd wrote this Psalm concerning the shepherd God around 3,000 years ago, and still moves the hearts of current people, even those who do not know about shepherding. It is the Psalm of all times including our post-modern time. In particular, it is the Psalm of those who are keenly aware of human problems, such as sickness and helplessness, loneliness and weariness, poorness, fear and anxiety, uncertain and insecurity, disappointment and defeat, etc. May this Psalm be ours. First, “The LORD is my shepherd” (1-3). Look at verse 1a. “The LORD is my shepherd…” These words are the beginning of Psalm 23, yet they are the central message of this Psalm. There is no need of any preceding introduction. “The LORD is my shepherd,” though it comes first, is understandable, even to those who read the Bible for the first time. All people made in the image of God have their own concept of God, whether negative or positive. But verse 1 says, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Our God is the shepherd God, in brief, the God of care. The Psalmist was so satisfied with his God the LORD that he said, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Of course, there were times when the Psalmist cried out to God, saying, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts?…” (Ps 13:1-2) However, he confesses, “The LORD is my shepherd.” He is satisfied with and proud of his shepherd God. The Psalmist himself was a shepherd boy in “Bethlehem. “Shepherd” was not a prestigious title. Rather it was a disreputable one. But as a responsible and diligent shepherd, David knew what shepherd was, and said, “The LORD is my shepherd.” It was the best way of expressing his God. The LORD, the shepherd God was humble and remarkable to him. When David said, “The LORD is my shepherd,” it meant he was a sheep to the shepherd God. Sheep is a helpless animal with no ability of self-defense, compared to lions, tigers, or wolves. Humanly speaking, David was a valiant soldier and a king of a powerful nation. Yet, in life he was like a helpless sheep to his shepherd God. His shepherd God made him who he was. When David was a teenage boy, he was tending his father’s flock in the field. He was nobody in the eyes of people. But “God chose him and took him from the sheep pen; From tending the sheep God brought him to be the shepherd of his people Israel” (Ps 78:70,71). He was so happy with his shepherd God and so thankful to him. The LORD was his shepherd, is now his shepherd, will be his shepherd to the end. The LORD is his shepherd and he, his sheep. There is no comparison of this relationship in the world. To God, what did it mean to be the shepherd? The chapter proceeding Psalm 23, is Psalm 22, which is a prophetic chapter for the coming Messiah’s suffering. Especially Psalm 22:1 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These were exact words Jesus spoke crying out on the cross. To be the shepherd for sinful mankind was not easy at all. The holy God came to this world and was born in a humble manger. He was familiar with all human sufferings and finally died on the cross as a ransom sacrifice for sinful human beings. In that context the LORD God could be the shepherd for mankind. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The Messiah Jesus’ suffering and atoning sacrifice assures us of God’s shepherd love. He bore all our sins and died on the cross. Our shepherd God loved us sinners to the point of crucifying his own Son. In that assured love of God one can say, “The LORD is my shepherd.” Jesus said in John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” The LORD is my shepherd, and I am his sheep, purchased and marked. Look at verse 1 again. “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” “Who in the world can say, “I shall not be in want?” What does this mean? It does not mean that God made him rich and wealthy. Even if a man has a palace-like mansion and drives the best car and eats gourmet food every day, he cannot say, “I shall not be in want.” On the contrary although a man lives in a tent-like residence and eats a piece of dried bread with a cup of water at his daily meal, he can say, “I shall not be in want.” The Psalmist could say, “I shall not be in want,” because his shepherd knows him perfectly and perceives all his needs and meets them without fail. The shepherd is rich beyond degree. The shepherd knows all his weaknesses. The shepherd covers his weaknesses and provides him with what he needs at each time. Jesus said in Matthew 6:25-34, “…Do not worry about life…Look at the birds of the air…your heavenly Father feeds them…See how the lilies of the field grow…So do not worry…your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” David said in Psalm 34:10, ““The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good things.” In verses 2 and 3, the Psalmist describes what his shepherd does for the sheep. Look at verses 2 and 3. “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The shepherd LORD knows where the green pastures are and lets his sheep be fed well and lie down there. They say that sheep cannot lie down unless they are free from fear, friction, aggravation and hunger. But the shepherd keeps them in his presence satisfied, and enables them to lie down in the green pastures. There seem to be no green pasture in this world. But there is, and our shepherd God let his sheep lie down in green pastures. And “he leads me beside quiet waters.” The place of quiet waters is the place of resting. The shepherd knows that his sheep needs rest. People hardly rest because of noises from inside and out. And they drink dirty and poisonous waters. But the shepherd lets his sheep drink and rest beside quiet waters. It is one of the most beautiful scenes in the world that the shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures and quiet waters and the sheep follow him and eat and rest there. “He restores my soul.” Living in this world our souls are often struck by the power of sin, sin of pride, lust, complacency, Laziness, selfishness, unbelief, despair, etc. But our shepherd God restores our souls when we come to him in repentance. Because of the restoration of our souls we can sustain our spiritual life and keep on our lives of faith in this world. There is the restoration of life in the shepherd God. “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” The shepherd is not only a graceful shepherd, but also a righteous shepherd. He does not lead his sheep to the wrong paths of life. He also does not lead them to live a selfish life. He leads them to the paths of righteousness and truth. He leads them to live a life of obedience to the words of God. He leads them to live a life of mission and fulfill his will for the glory of God. He guides us, and we are guided by him to the paths of righteousness each day. Jesus said to his flock of sheep, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” Second, “You are with me” (4-5). Look at verse 4a. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” They say that this Psalm describes a shepherd journey with his sheep for a year. Now they left their home ranch of green pasture and had to go to the higher ground passing through the dangerous valley. Every mountain has its valleys. One only gains higher ground by climbing up through the valleys. New fresh grass is there. In real life, the Psalmist confronted many deadly situations. His enemies, who were stronger than him, tried to devour him time and again. Yet, the LORD was with him and no evil could harm him. Now he is ready to confront any valley of the shadow of death. It is because he is not alone; the LORD is with him. When the Psalmist wrote this part, he was so sure of God’s being with him that he suddenly changed his way of speaking and used the second person pronoun, “you,” not the third person, “he,” saying, “You are with me.” “You are with me” is the most powerful factor for his people living in this hostile and ever-changing world. David knew the one who was with him; his shepherd was almighty Creator God and sovereign Lord over all things. With this mighty shepherd, David feared nothing and would fear no evil, even death and reach the higher ground of faith. There are or are going to be some valleys in life for all of us. These are the times of disappointments, frustrations, discouragement, dilemmas and difficult days. They are like sudden chilling storms of sleet, rain and snow that can sweep down through the valleys from the mountain peaks. No one can be with us in the valley of the shadow of death, but the LORD can. When we think about our life of mission in this mission land, It looks impossible to keep the life of mission and carry it onto completion. Our weaknesses and shortcomings and problems large and small suppress us. Yet, whenever we come to the LORD, he continually gives us his message, “I am with you.” Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God also said in Isaiah 49:6, “…It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Despite our hard reality, we can still listen to our faithful and almighty God, and confess, “You are with me” and thank him and renew our hope to reach our own mountains. Look at verse 5. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Now on the higher ground of the mountain the shepherd prepared a table. It was the summer time and the meal was so fresh and abundant that it was a table of feast. No one can eat in the presence of his enemies. Now the enemies like predators had no power to harm. This table can be the table of victory on a high mountain. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” They say that summer time is fly time to the sheep. The sheep are easily troubled by various kinds of flies and insects and scab. The little flies buzz about the sheep’s head, attempting to deposit on membranes of the sheep’s nose. The sheep can be infected and even die. But oil heals and prevents. In our Christians life some small things can bother us and aggravate our lives. But the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the solution. We need daily anointing of the Holy Spirit. In this part we thank our shepherd God who is with us even through the valley of the shadow of death. He wants us to reach the higher level of life and enjoy the mountain table he prepares. Third, “Surely goodness and love will follow me…” (6). Look at verse 6. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” We are living in the time of uncertainty. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow and in the future. Their lives cannot but be the products of their generation. People can be the victims of wicked and ungodly generation. So many people become fatalistic and bitter, and sorrowful for themselves and their children. In their hearts they are afraid that surely misfortune and bad luck will follow me all the days of my life. Some say, “Maybe my life will be okay.” However, the Psalmist confessed, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…” What an assurance! He would not chase goodness and love. He was sure that God’s goodness and love would follow him to the end of his days. It was because the LORD was his shepherd and he followed his shepherd God. Our shepherd God is absolutely good and loving. He is a good, merciful, and faithful shepherd. And he ended this Psalm with the words, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” This Psalm is not just an earthly Psalm but also a heavenly one. He longs for the house of the LORD, the kingdom of God, where he can live forever with his shepherd God. John 8:35 says, “Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.” Our shepherd God is an everlasting shepherd. He is forever. May we newly accept our shepherd God and follow him as his sheep. That is the best and happiest life.

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