Sermon Notes from 4/27/08...

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 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. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The psalmist who wrote this was, in all likelihood, David - the shepherd turned King, who was known in the Scriptures as a Man After God's Own Heart. This psalm is intense, and personal, and it's one of the more popular and most-beloved passages of Scripture. It is a staple at most funerals, but it is often recited during a time of crisis.

If we were to do an analysis of the psalm, we would see that it is somewhat triune in nature, in the same way that God is triune. And just as God exists, always has existed, and always will exist, the psalm deals with the past, the present, and the future.

The first three verses of the psalm deal with the present - the here-and-now - and describe how God's provision is being made for the psalmist even as he writes the psalm.

The fourth and fifth verses of the psalm can be understood to be descriptive of what the Children of Israel underwent when in bondage in Egypt, and it's understood that - if such possibilities arise again - God's presence will again be made manifest.

The sixth verse looks toward the future, with the understanding that - one day - the Psalmist, like the rest of the Saints of God, will reside in God's household for Eternity.

The Psalmist uses language that indicates intimate knowledge of the Divine. In the first two verses, God is referred to in third person language, and is described as "my shepherd," and "the Lord."

Shepherds in the Holy Land were responsible for the sheep on a full-time basis; they knew each sheep by name, knew their basic personalities, and knew where they tended to wander off to. Shepherds - GOOD Shepherds - also guarded their flocks by night, and served as a living 'gate' in the fenced-in are where the sheep rested, fending off enemies who might approach under cover of darkness.

The Psalmist also describes the shepherd's rod and staff, which were instruments of defense, correction and, sometimes, discipline (used to keep straying sheep in line, or to pull them in to safety) - and this offers us an image of God as our protector, our defender, and our teacher.

In the fifth verse God in second-person language, and the Psalmist addresses Him as "You," which is most intimate; the Psalmist also depicts God as a host as well as a shepherd, and it was understood in those times that a host not only provided rest and comfort to guests, but food, shelter, clothing, and also protection from enemies.

The psalm glorifies God and offers up praise for His provision - for things He has done in the past, in the here-and-now, and in advance for all He will do for us in the future...