23rd Psalm - Part 1 of 3

This message about the 23rd Psalm is written in 3 parts.  Part 1 begins here.

The Hebrew title of the book of Psalms is Tehillim, which means Praise – a sacred song or hymn. It was written to express the deep inner emotions of the human heart in relation to God! Many were written as prayers to God expressing trust, love, thanksgiving, adoration, praise and a longing for close fellowship. Others were written to express discouragement, fear, anxiety, deep distress humiliation and a cry for deliverance, healing or vindication. Others were written to express praise, adoration and thanksgiving for who God is and the great things He has done. Some Psalms contain important messianic sections that were fulfilled in their fullest meaning in Jesus Christ. Psalm 23 is the best loved and quoted passage of scripture in the Word of God along with St. John 3:16.

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 not writing from the perspective of himself as the shepherd but 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.

David knew from 1^st hand experience that the lot of any sheep in particular depended on the type of man who owned it. Under one man, the sheep might starve, suffer endless hardships, or struggles. But under another shepherd, they might flourish and thrive contentedly. So it is with pride that David says “The Lord is My Shepherd”. (v 1)

Shepherd means to tend as flock. Are we not his flock? Jesus said in Luke 12:32 “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.” He called us, chose us, bought us and delights in taking care of us. So much so that David said “I shall not want”. (v 1) “Not want” means I will be content in the good shepherd provision and care of my life. We should come to the place that we say “the Lord is my Shepherd and he's all I want”.

We're going to learn some things about sheep and some things about a shepherd. And as we compare it with our own lives, we will be saying with a deeper knowing and understanding and great insight that “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

How would you know a good shepherd?

1. A good shepherd loves his sheep and because he loves his sheep, he gives everything he has to them. He sees that the sheep are well fed, contented, safe, and flourishing in his care.
2. He goes to a great deal of trouble to provide them with the finest grazing and plenty of clean water. He provides shelter from the storms, protection from enemies, diseases and parasites to which sheep are susceptible.
3. A good shepherd is alert morning until night, making sure the flock is safe. He rises early to look over his flock to make sure they are fit and content and able to be on their feet. He can tell if they're ill, been molested, or require special attention. Throughout the day, he is watching over the flock to see to it that everything is OK. At night, he sleeps with one eye and both ears open and ready at the least sign of trouble to protect them.

Isn't Jesus just like that towards us? St. John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

~ Evangelist Mary Perry