Psalm 23
On the most familiar and favoured poems in the Bible! This makes it more difficult to read the Psalm anew and in a fresh way.
At heart the Psalm is an expression of confidence in Yahwehs’s protective care. And our dependence on Him.
Psalm 23 is about trust, the abundant life God leads us into, the secure life Yahweh provides for us and His blessing on the trusting faithful
which again leads to confidence in Him.
Here we learn about themes like “house of dwelling” where protection and security are to be found.
VERSE 1:
My Shepherd…who goes ahead of me.
I shall not lack anything- my Shepherd God supplies abundantly what his trusting people need.
What shall I not lack?
His leading.
The restoration of my soul.
Being led in paths of righteousness.
His presence and comfort with me in the worst case scenario.
green pastures, quiet streams - what an unusual picture in the Middle East, for that matter in South Africa.
There the natural land is dry and rocky, sparse shrub and tough grass.
Water sources are few.
Grass and water - this is what the sheep need every day.
The Shepherd knows how to find both and lead the hungering and thirsty sheep there.
The Shepherd leads on a right path, a path that gets you there..
The sheep are needy and dependent.
The sheep are not left to their own devices.
The sheep are led by God to the right path that gets sheep to go where they need to get.
The Shepherd acts to benefit the sheep - consistent to His own Name and the nature His Name reveals.
Verse 3
“….for His Name’s sake.”
Fearful threats:
The valley of the shadow of death.
Evil and enemies.
In the wilderness there may be deep canyons, or shadows of high cliffs that exclude light. oppressive heat.
Shadow. The Hebrew word here means “the shadowiest of shadow”. The danger and the threat of the deepest
shadow of crossing a canyon wall.
“I will fear no evil”
Despite the scary and threatening setting, despite every reason to the fearful, the sheep is unafraid.
“You rod and your staff.”
His rod and staff keep the sheep safe and secure, guided and protected.
“Rod”
- a shorter mace-like implement, with a knob at the end, that can be used to rain heavy blows agains an attacking animal.
- it can also mean a scepter which is a visible ornament of kingly authority.
“Staff”
Longer and supporting like in a walking stick used by the elderly.
What is the comfort these implements provide?
Reassurance of guidance in correct paths to abundant food and water.
Protection by the shepherd from the dangers and enemies.
We are encouraged to trust Yahweh.
THE IMAGES SWITCHES HERE AND SHIFTS from migrating sheep to having enemies.
HIS TABLE
In these verses Yahweh is not the Shepherd, but He is the Host.
The trusting person sits at His table, as an honoured guest.
It is a picture of communion with God Himself!
To sit at the Yahweh’s table is to enjoy fellowship and communion with Him.
And……..
to do so in the presence of enemies is a PUBLIC declaration of the guest’s divine blessing and security.
HIS HOUSE
The psalmist is looking forward - confidently - to dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
WHAT MIGHT IT MEAN TO DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF YAHWEH?
The person who is relentlessly pursued and followed by his enemies
takes refuge in the temple
and there finds he or she is relentlessly pursued by God’s goodness and mercy.
We find asylum in God’s temple, refuge, a hiding place, protection and care, goodness and mercy.
God’s house could also refer to heaven.
We are travellers (sheep in the desert)
and can look forward to a heavenly table and house (as God’s guests) in eternal security and uninterrupted relationship.
In this life He guides and protects and provides and sustains and we can look forward to sitting around His table in His house - God our host.
So we see there are two halves in Psalm 23.
As sheep we live in a hostile environment where our faith is constantly stretched and challenged.
Living with a fervent hope of dwelling/residing/spending eternity/living in the presence of God.
Psalm 26:8 “…the house of God, the place where His glory dwells”.
The temple is a symbol of Yahweh’s presence where He is with His people.
The temple is where we know we can approach Him, knowing we will find Him.
We are going to see more of this in Psalm 24 where the Temple is a place..
where prepared people (Psalm 24:3-6) and a mighty victorious God meet in worship of Him.
To be present in the temple is to be before God - to have access to Him, in lament, praise and thanksgiving.
To be ever dwelling in the temple means to be always in God’s presence.
The temple is a place of feasting on God’s abundance, rivers of delight, liberal hospitality ( (Psalm 36:7-8)
The temple is a place where God’s people are treated with great honour and care (Psalm 23;5,6)
God’s temple forever - this is more than just escaping an immediate threat - till this is over.
What an honour to have been chosen, He wants us, to live with Him.
The house of God in Psalm 23: a spread or set table, anointed heads, overflowing cups, a divine welcoming host who
lavishes on his guests honour, lovingkindness , abundant goodness and protective care.
Ongoing experience of God Himself.
We sit at His table - our divine Host.
At this table we are treated to a feast of God Himself.
Psalm 27:4: “One thing I ask of the lORD this is what I seek that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.”
To dwell with God to see His beauty: His pleasantness, His delightfulness.
To come to Yahweh’s house is to come to the very presence of Yahweh Himself.
To come to the dwelling place of God is to come to the very source of light and life.
Where Yahweh dwells there His light shines. and illuminates everything (Psalm 26:8)
In the House of God as His guest, we have direct access to Him.
In God’s house we can ask guidance of Him (Psalm 27:4)
In God’s house, in His presence in His light, we see light and with Him is the fountain of life.
The desire to dwell with God
is more than just a hope to escape trouble.
Being in God’s presence…
there we gain divine guidance in following the way of Yahwe
there we experience the blessing of diving hospitality
there we receive abundant provision, steadfast love, forgiveness, light, protection and life.
Dwelling with God is (1 Corinthians 13:12)
to see God face to face
to know Him fully as we were first known (fully) by Him.
Psalm 23 offers several images of life with God that can have significant impact on how we live our contemporary lives of faith :
LIFE AS A PILGRiM - life as pilgrimage.
Life through dangerous territory to the house of God together with the images of shepherd and flock.
Pilgrimage is one of the foundational elements of the Israelites identity - even before the left Egypt.
Abraham left home and family to travel endlessly in search of the new home God had promised.
After the Exodus Israel travelled for 40 years in the wilderness.
Pilgrimage means temporary always a challenge to remain faithful to God in difficult circumstances.
Christians as Pilgrims,
Where we are now is not our final destination - we haven’t arrived!
We stand in the “Already but not yet”.
Through Jesus’ saving grace we have begun to experience the reality of the restoration of the world to its original creation intention.
We are still changing so that our inward selves are conformed to the image of Christ.
We are in process we aren’t there yet.
Much in us is still incomplete and broken.
We live as strangers in a strange land, travellers on the way, not at home yet.
SETTING A TABLE BEFORE US
This table is a symbol of honour and provision.
Life lived in the presence and power of God is life lived in a broken world with enemies.
Being in Christ does not mean that the troubles and worries and dangers of the world are removed from us.
We are still in the presence of our enemies.
But, day by day God is setting a table for us in the presence of our enemies.
We have to remember this when we are struggling and we wonder where is God in my life.
Look out for the signs of God’s lovingkindness, His mercy, His goodness of His set table in the presence of the
people and things that tear us down and shatter our hopes, taunt and ridicule us.
Dwelling in the house of God.
Heaven is the end goal of the Christian pilgrim.
While we are in this life..
we can experience God’s presence in the presence of our enemies, while we experience suffering and while
are still fighting sin.
In this life we can experience God’s presence and mercy, and lovingkindness in the midst of our present
realities of our daily lives.
How can we experience the presence of God in our daily lives?
Be alert to and acknowledge His presence and works in the small details of our lives.
Spot God’s grace and action in life.
We can experience His presence in the hustle and bustle of the city, in a quite moment at home in the beauty
of a sunset.
We know His presence when we pray at any time of the day. Or when we go into a private place and pour our hearts out
to Him in adoration, petitions. When we find Him in the Bible by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
We find God’s presence when we draw near to Him - He draws near to us.
We find His closeness when we are brokenhearted - He is close to the brokenhearted.
I know God’s presence with me when I believe He is sovereign over all the aspects of my life and right here with me.
I experience God’s presence when in church and hear Him talk to us and lifting our voices in song to Him with others.
Being in God’s presence is not escapism.
Being in God’s presence is fleeing into His protective arms, the welcoming arms of my Saviour.
God is with me in the midst of my daily hassles, failures and victories.
Much more can be said about living in the presence of God.
John 17 - God in us, we in Christ, Christ in us as the Father is in the Son!
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall notwant.He makes me lie down in greenpastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley ofthe 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 shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.
