And for us christians, we have two major enemies mentioned in the new testament death and the world. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. Mar 30, 2014 in psalm 23, the person in crisis confesses. Feb 16, 2015 psalm 23 the lord is my shepherd thats relationship. Well, here is one commentary, one phrase at a time. True to your word,you let me catch my breathand send me in the. Ministry magazine the basic pictures of god in psalm 23. Psalm 23 is by itself largely free of theological content and ideas it only becomes theologically significant when read in the context of other texts and concepts from specific. And those enemies that are beaten back by the shepherds staff sometimes are forced to watch as the shepherd lavishes us with goodness, according to verse 5 of psalm 23 5 thou preparest a tablefeast before me in the presenceplain sight of mine enemies.
Over and over again the bible calls us to stillness. David was born into a large family as the youngest son. Even when the way goes through death valley, im not afraid when you walk at my side. Customize your font size increase your font size decrease. Psalms 23 commentary spurgeons verse expositions of the bible. Indeed, psalm 23 is more about how a person lives in relationship to god than how one faces death or finds security beyond the grave. The author of psalm 23is david, the shepherd king of israel, who was the second king of israel. Davids word for gods tender affection is a term used in the ancient world to mean love that flows out of deep emotion rather than duty. The symbolism of the 23rd psalm has much more meaning to us today than we might imagine that it did in davids day, which was an agrarian society. Psalm 23 is one of the best known portions of the entire bible. Oct 17, 20 message the 23rd psalm positive church sermons and meditations. In psalm 23, david describes himself as a sheep, and the lord as his shepherd. The familiarity of the words of the psalm can hinder the reader from truly entering into the meaning and intent of its words.
Psalm 23 new international version a psalm of david. The davidic authorship of it is generally accepted. Psalms 23 commentary james burton coffman commentaries. The purpose of this message is to help us more clearly understand the imagery used to convey comfort and calm to the soul of those who are a. David was a shepherd before he was a king and so he could see the symbolism of gods shepherding his people when he wrote psalm 23. Psalm 23 is a comforting psalm which is the reason so many christians cherish it.
Jul 22, 2012 in psalm 23, the psalm singer praises god as the good shepherd who guides the psalmist as shepherds might guide the flocks of sheep or goats in their charge through a myriad of life situations. This is the 4th verse of psalm 23, the most popular psalm in the bible. He had experienced god in a way there that had ushered him toward intimacy with the almighty shepherd. Jun 24, 2018 the main takeaway of psalm 23 you should always remember is that god is faithful. We dread the unknown far above anything that we can see. Hear it again in the joyous voice of a child, with a little help from dad. The aim of this assignment is to state the meaning of psalm 23 by exegesis and analysing it. Psalm 23 the lord is my shepherd i offer this linebyline exposition of the 23rd psalm so that we can look to see exactly what david is telling us under the inspiration of the holy spirit. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters. With joy he reflects that he has a shepherd, and that shepherd is jehovah.
On to verse 5 and those enemies that are beaten back by the shepherds staff sometimes are forced to watch as the shepherd lavishes us with goodness, according to verse 5 as explained in our psalm 23 5 message article. Many psalms have distinctive structures and a symmetry which aids memorisation and gives focus to some of the important words and themes of the overall psalm. I offer this linebyline exposition of the 23rd psalm so that we can look to see exactly what david is telling us under the inspiration of the holy spirit. The opening words of psalm 22 are the words spoken by jesus on the crucifixion. Psalm 23 commentary by nancy declaissewalford working. Psalm 23 the lord is my shepherd, i shall lack nothing. He guides me along the right paths for his names sake. This proclaims the metaphor of the psalm, that god is like our shepherd. This is a sermon jam video edited from a sermon on psalm 23, which was preached at bayside chapel. An integrated digital bible study library including complete notes from the niv study bible and the nkjv macarthur study bible is just a step away. Here in psalm 23 his shepherd character is that of the great shepherd that we read about in, hebrews.
Positive church sermons and meditations 6,503 views. The psalms were actually the hymnal that was used by the hebrews as they worshiped god. And i will dwell in the house of the lord for ever. Today we are going to look at one of the most comforting and definitely the most well known psalm in the bible the 23rd psalm. Three easy steps to start your free trial subscription to bible gateway plus. State the meaning of psalm 23 by exegesis religion essay. There are no references to we or us or they, but only my and me and i and. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.
Please read in the bible psalm 23 in a companion message, the gospel from psalm 22, we observed that the savior, the lord jesus christ, is revealed as the good shepherd. It is described as perhaps the most popular chapter in the old testament, which is undoubtedly the truth. Take some time to learn about the true nature of sheep, and you will understand more about yourself. Psalm 23, beautifully explained ambassadors for christ. You may encourage yourself or others with the word and. Many church members can recite it by heart, children learn it at an early age, and even those who attend sporadically find it familiar and comforting. In this hectic, frenetic, busy, noisy world we need to get away to a place where it is calm.
Psalm 23 the lord is my shepherd thats relationship. It is a psalm which has been sung by good christians, and will be while the world stands, with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. Psalm 23 iis so rich with peace and blessing for all our days. As one scholar said, the psalm itself is green pasture. The lord is pictured as our shepherd and we are his sheep. Psalm 23 is one of the most dearly loved, soulcomforting passages of scripture. The 10 powerful lessons from psalm 23 you need to learn now. Is the 23rd psalmthe 22nd psalm in the vulgate and some catholic bibles one of your favorite psalms. In this verse the valley of the shadow of death refers to the kidron valley between jerusalem and the mount of olives which is also a cemetery since biblical times and where many tombs continue to be added still today. Verse 1a declares, the lord is my shepherd and thus acknowledges god as the one who protects and guides. The inspiring text is often quoted at funeral services and memorial events. Bible commentary on psalm 23 charles spurgeon duration. Enter your credit card information to ensure uninterrupted service following your free trial.
I once read of a minister who, when asked what he would tell. Even while i am here in this world, i will beno more a stranger or a guest but like a child at home, dwelling with god. Even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil, for you are with me. Those who hear the voice of jesus will follow him, and he leads us beside the still waters, and into the paths of righteousness psalm 23. A flock of sheep, gentle and harmless, feeding in verdant.
Psalm 51 is a good example showing davids understanding of repentance and forgiveness. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake. He makes me to lie down in green pastures thats rest. Many psalms have distinctive structures and a symmetry which. The psalms are filled with affirmations of gods love for us. You have bedded me down in lush meadows,you find me quiet pools to drink from. Using the lord is my shepherd prayer is a powerful way to pray gods word back to him and medidate on his goodness. We began with the easter story in matthew 28, and then sprang from the doubt expressed by the disciples to the doubt we experience today. This familiar chapter was chosen so the reader can focus on the differences among the translations. Exegesis comes from a greek word that means to guide out, it is the process of going to the text to determine what it means, and to draw out the correct interpretation. This year i felt compelled to go with the familiar and serve up a lenteaster series based on psalm 23. Psalms 23 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. Psalm 23 may seem to show only the merciful and comforting side of god, but the poems imagery alludes to the importance of punishment and correction, as well. In these words, the believer is taught to express his satisfaction in the care of the great pastor of the universe, the redeemer and preserver of men.
We have victory over death through our lord jesus christ. Yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death, i will fear no evil. Psalm 23 niv bible the lord is my shepherd, i lack. Sermon notes for psalm 23 by chuck smith blue letter bible. David understood that he was a sinner, but also that christ had redeemed him and would continue to restore him upon repentance. He leads me beside the still waters thats refreshment. Writers have tried to outdo one another in describing the popularity, beauty, and delight of this little psalm.
Billions await jesus christs return to set up the kingdom of god. Psalm 23 1 has gained immortality by virtue of the trust and confidence expressed by its author in godthe lord of history and consequently of human life, who, through his providence, leads the flow of history to a future climax. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Psalms 23 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole. Message what do you do when you are blinded by a problem duration. The lord is my shepherd he hath showed himself to be so by his gracious providences toward me. Yet when we know jesus as our good shepherd, we have full bragging rights psalm 23.
He wants us to be independently dependent upon him, to need him alone. Before david became king of israel, he was a shepherd. In this message i will be using the titles god and lord interchangeably. Getting the messagepsalm 23 madison county journal. In our psalm 23 4 commentary article we heard about god protecting us from enemies. One of these structures is called chiastic cross over. Many psalms include a superscription, which we believe to have been added after the fact by the people putting together the psalm book. Jesus is the good shepherd, who gives his life for the sheep. Psalm 23 and psalm 16 proved to be amazingly appropriate and inspiring for an easter morning message. David wrote this psalm from personal experience because he too was a shepherd. It struck me as i was studying this psalm that there are really only two options in life. Psalm 23 is one of my favorite passages of scriptures. Various translations of psalm 23a stanford cs theory.
The shepherd calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. In psalm 23 david writes surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life psalm 23. The psalmist will trust, even though all be unknown. I shall not want 2 he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. But when we examine psalm 23 in its canonical location within the book of psalms, new insights into its meaning may emerge. In the old testament, the sins of israel were temporarily atoned for by the sacrifice of a lamb. Thats a promise you can count on no matter what youre going through. There is so much to this psalm it is impossible to do justice to it in a twenty minute sermon. The message and structure psalm 23 psalm 23 is a psalm which has brought comfort and hope to many people over many years. Let us now explore psalm 23 line by line and phrase by phrase. The whole sentiment and scenery of this poem seems to prove, by accumulative evidence, that it was written at the time when the fortysecond psalm was written.
Begin reading gods word adfree with instant access to your new online study library. One of the distinguishing marks of the good shepherd is his compassion towards an otherwise leaderless people. That is, he helps us to find food, water, work, love, friends and all that we need. And 1 john 5 tells us that we have victory over the world. Psalm 23 is a psalm which has brought comfort and hope to many people over many years. The writer to the hebrews gives us two vitally important truths, which explain the faith of david in psalm 23. This psalm is the most well known and beloved psalm. Psalm 23 follows psalm 22, a heartfelt lament, one connected with the passion of jesus in the new testament. David knew that he had received gods lavish care all his life.