23rd Psalm - Part 2 of 3

The 23^rd Psalm was written by David, Son of Jesse, who spent much of his early life tending his father's sheep. When David wrote this Psalm, he was writing from the perspective of a sheep and the flock's relationship with the shepherd. The idea of the sheep and the shepherd is actually taught in the Word of God to describe the relationship between believers and our Heavenly Father: Heavenly because he's from above and not beneath; Heavenly because he's from the higher realm of spiritual elevation; Heavenly because he's spirit. This is Part 2 of 3.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.” (v 2)

It's not easy to get a sheep to lie down. In order to get them to lie down, there are 4 things that need to be met:

1. they must be free from fear
2. there cannot be any tension among the flock
3. they must not be aggravated with flies or parasites
4. they must be free from hunger

It is the shepherd who must see that his flock is free from all of the above disturbances.

St. John 10:3-9: “To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

One thing about sheep is that they are very easily frightened. A rabbit can jump from the bushes, and they are terrified. When one startled sheep runs in fright, all of the others follow without even waiting to see what frightened them. Nothing quiets a flock of sheep like seeing their shepherd in the field with them.

St. John 10:12-14: “But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am know of mine.”

We as sheep have no business being afraid when “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind”. (2 Tim 1:7) And we know that he's the good shepherd and we're protected.

St John 10:28: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck hem out of my hand.”

Sheep's nature is very gentle and submissive. (Isaiah 53:7; Jeremiah 11:19) They are defenseless (Micah 5:8; Mt. 10:16) and are in constant need of guidance and care. (Numbers 27:17; Mt. 9:36)

In “animal” society, there is an established order of dominance or status. With chickens, it is known as the “pecking order”. Among sheep, it is the “butting order”. They maintain their status by butting and driving away other sheep from their favorite grazing spot. This usually causes tension, and the sheep can't lie down and rest because they're standing and ready to fight. When they do this, it wears the sheep out, and they lose weight and become irritable. But when the Shepherd is around, they forget their rivalries and stop fighting.

Just like in the “animal kingdom”, people struggle for status in society. We call it “keeping up with the Joneses”. We want self-recognition and self-ascension. Some of us fight to be “top sheep”. We butt, quarrel, and compete to get ahead, and it causes tension and confusion. But when we submit to Our Shepherd, his Spirit brings an end to Babylon.

Sheep will not rest as long as they are hungry. A hungry sheep is always searching for another mouth of food. Remember where David was in Palestine, green pastures just didn't happen by chance. Shepherds had to search hard for green areas or cultivate them themselves. But when the shepherd has fed the sheep and has relieved them of their tension and aggravation and they no longer are afraid, they will lie down.

How many know the Great Shepherd has spread the table, and we're eating deliciously, and we can say “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures”. (v 2)

“He leadeth me beside the still waters”. (v 2)

Sheep need water to survive. If the water is noisy and turbulent, they will not drink. They require a well or slow flowing stream - “still waters”.

We, like sheep, need physical water and spiritual water which is the Word of the Living God. Our wells are on the inside of us and “out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. (John 7:38)

John 4:14 – “but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”

John 7:37 – “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink”.

“He restoreth my soul” (v 3)

There's an old English shepherd's term called a “cast sheep”. This is a sheep that has turned over on its back and can't get back up again. It happens frequently, and when it happens, all that the sheep can do is lie on its back with its feet flaying frantically in the air. It will sometimes bleat but usually it will just kick. So if the shepherd does not arrive within a short time, the sheep will die. That's why the shepherd is constantly watching over the flock making sure they're accounted for and on their feet. Now I can understand the parable of the 99 sheep and one strayed away. The shepherd knew it was probably cast, and if it wasn't rescued, it would surely die. (Mt. 18:12)

A shepherd will search for hours looking for a single sheep. When he finds it, it is usually cast. He'll turn the sheep on its side and rub its legs to restore circulation, and then lift it to its feet. After a while, the sheep will stumble and stagger but eventually will walk steadily and surely. We stumble and fall yet our Shepherd is patient and merciful and will set us back on our feet.

Another thing about sheep is that they have no sense of direction. Unlike dogs or cats that can find their way back home, a sheep is a “goner” once it has lost its way. They are in constant need of a shepherd to restore it back into the fold. Doesn't our Father restore us when we've lost our way

spiritually as well as physically?

“He leadeth me into the path of righteousness for his name sake.” (v 3)

If sheep are left to themselves, they will graze the same hills until they turn to a desert waste. They will graze the grass to the very ground is damaged, even the roots. They need a shepherd who will lead them to good grazing ground. Aren't we sometimes like sheep? As humans we go our own way doing our own thing until we come to a desert place; then we don't know what to do or where to turn, but then the Good Shepherd is always there to turn us around and lead us in the right direction. (Isaiah 53:6) Like the sheep, we have all gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. Our Shepherd is a LEADER NOT A DRIVER. Therefore we should follow his footsteps. After all, Jesus said “I am the way”. (John 14:6)

~ Evangelist Mary Perry