THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

Dr. David L. Cooper
Biblical Research Monthly
August, 1958

   Jehovah is my Shepherd: I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
   He leadeth me beside still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
   He guideth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil
   for thou art with me;
   Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:1-4).

All of the Psalms are wonderful, matchless gems, but the one that is best known and loved is possibly Psalm 23. Probably every one of us who were brought up in Christian homes early in life was taught this Psalm. It has been the source of comfort and consolation, in times of distress especially, to myriads of God's servants. To the one who is really born again and Spirit filled, it never becomes old; on the contrary, it is always becoming new.

The Psalmist was led to use two metaphors setting forth the relation which obtains between the believer and the Lord. In verses 1-4 the imagery is based upon the relation of the shepherd to his sheep and his care of them. In verses 5 and 6 the figure is that of a host who prepares a royal banquet for his friend.

The Shepherd and His Sheep

As a boy, David cared for his father's sheep. His experiences as a shepherd prepared him, humanly speaking, for the writing of the first part of this Psalm. The solicitation and care for the sheep entrusted to him reverberated in his soul and being. A deep love and tender care for the sheep echo in this Psalm. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he, therefore declares "Jehovah is my shepherd."

The word Jehovah in the original language connotes the idea of the self-existence of God. In the latter part of life, David, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaks in the most exultant terms, praising God that the Almighty is the sole sovereign of the universe. "10 Wherefore David blessed Jehovah before all the assembly; and David said, Blessed be thou, O Jehovah, the God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11 Thine, O Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Jehovah, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come of thee and thou rulest over all; and in thy hand is power and might; and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all" (I Chron. 29:10-12). David had no doubts about God's being his shepherd and of his being one of the Lord's sheep. It is one thing to say that the Lord is a shepherd; but it is an entirely different matter to be able to say, "Jehovah is my shepherd." Why could David assert that Jehovah was his shepherd? Those who are the Lord's sheep hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him. If one is not of the Lord's sheep, he does not follow Jehovah. Jesus, in replying to His opponents, said that they were not His sheep because they did not hear His voice and follow Him. Every person who has honestly and conscientiously heard the teaching of Jesus and is following Him may know assuredly that he is one of the Lord's sheep.

As the shepherd assumes all responsibility for the care, feeding, and protection of the sheep, so Jehovah assumes the entire responsibility of caring for His sheep. Since the Lord was David's shepherd, the Psalmist was confident that he would never want anything. Does this statement mean that every desire regardless of whatever it is will be granted by the Shepherd to His sheep? The answer to this question is found in Psalm 34:9,10:

    "Oh fear Jehovah, ye his saints;
     For there is no want to them that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger;
     But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing."

The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but those who seek Jehovah lack no good thing.

As a faithful shepherd, David led his sheep to the places where they could find good pasturage. So does the Lord do with His sheep. In this connection I wish to give my personal testimony. As a young man I accepted the Lord with all my heart and enjoyed the spiritual experience that is known as the new birth: "Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold they are become new" (II Cor. 5:17). I can look back over my experiences as one of the sheep of the Lord and can see that He has led me from one place to another and that every time I have had to make a change everything was decidedly for my good. "And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). He has therefore, made me to lie down in green pastures.

Moreover, He has led me beside the still waters of rest. After the shepherd has allowed his sheep to graze sufficiently, he always leads the flock to a watering place where they can lie down and rest. The Lord in different ways tells us to come aside and to rest awhile that we may recuperate and be prepared for further service.

David then declares that the Lord restores his soul. What does this statement mean? Unfortunately David had backslidden—he had committed adultery, had broken up a man's home, and had tried to cover up his sin by granting special favors to the man against whom he had sinned. He had plotted the death of his victim. Finally, he had tried to pass by the whole incident with a shrug of his shoulders and with a light, flippant remark.

The Lord's hand was heavy upon him over a period of months.

   Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
   Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity,
   And in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away
   Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me:
   My moisture was changed as with the drought of summer" (Psa. 32:1-4).

An outraged conscience lashed him to the point of desperation. Finally, Nathan the Prophet came and brought him under conviction as to the enormity of his sins. Then he penitently prayed the petition found in Psalm 51.* The Lord forgave him, as we see in Psalm 32, but punished him for his sins. Nathan the Prophet said that part of the punishment for his sins would be that the sword should never depart from his house. To sin is costly. One reaps what he sows. David, however, on account of his repentance was reinstated into the favor of God.

Continuing to tell what the Great Shepherd does for His sheep, David declares that He guides him in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. The word rendered "paths" is an astronomical term, and could accurately be rendered "orbits of righteousness." God, David's Shepherd, guides all of the heavenly bodies and keeps them in their proper orbits. He likewise will guide His servants, keeping them in their orbits or paths of righteousness.

At the close of day the shepherd leads his flock across the mountains and through dark valleys to the fold where they rest during the night. Our Good Shepherd leads and protects His flock and is with them at all times. The Palestinian shepherd always carries a rod and staff in order to beat off and wild animals that might attack the flock and to release the sheep that might become entangled in underbrush. Thus the shepherd's rod and staff are a source of comfort to the sheep.

The presence of the shepherd with the sheep as they pass through dark valleys is a real source of comfort to the sheep. The same is true with those who have taken the Lord as their Shepherd. He will be with them in all experiences through which they are called to pass and will deliver them.

The Lord Jehovah the Host

"5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
    Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
    My cup runneth over.
6  Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life;
    And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever" (Psalm 23:5,6).

As stated above, the figure of a shepherd's life is dropped with verse four. In verses 5 and 6, the Lord is thought of as a host who prepares a banquet to which He invites the Psalmist as His honored guest.

According to verse 5, the Lord honors the Psalmist as his special guest and thus vindicates him in the presence of his enemies. These inveterate enemies are working against him. The Lord, on the other hand, shows His approval of the Psalmist by preparing this banquet for him in their presence.

The Lord, the Host, shows special honor to the Psalmist by anointing his head with oil.

He fills the cup to over flowing—an appropriate and expressive manner to indicate the abundance of blessing which the Lord grants to him.

Being overcome with the goodness and lovingkindness of God, David is convinced that the grace of God, regardless of all circumstanced, will pursue him all the days of his life.

Seeing God's goodness in a new light, David makes a pledge to God that he will ever dwell in the house of Jehovah, that is, that he will never absent himself from the house of God where he can have communion and fellowship with the Lord.

"4 One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after;
   That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life,
   To behold the beauty of Jehovah,
   And to inquire in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion:
   In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me;
   He will lift me up upon a rock.
6 And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me;
   And I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy;

Footnote:

*1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
    According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
    And cleanse me from my sin.
3  For I know my transgressions;
    And my sin is ever before me.
4  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
    And done that which is evil in thy sight;
    That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest,
    And be clear when thou judgest.
5  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity;
    And in sin did my mother conceive me.
6  Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts;
    And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom.
7  Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:
    Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8  Make me to hear joy and gladness,
    That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9  Hide thy face from my sins,
    And blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;
    And renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;
    And take not thy holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
    And uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
    And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation;
    And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips;
    And my mouth shall show forth thy praise.
16 For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it:
    Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
    A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."
   (Psalm 51:1-17).