psalm 23 commentary john macarthur

a. A number of our soldiers died there. It is a psalm written by David who grew up as a shepherd. Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. Every Christian is a priest, but he cannot execute the priestly office without unction, and hence we must go day by day to God the Holy Ghost, that we may have our heads anointed with oil. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. [10] We have another source of confidence in our shepherd Jesus that even David didn't have when he wrote this psalm 3000 years ago. Psalm's 22, 23 and 24 give different glimpses of this wonderful Shepherd. And I used to always think 'Well! Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs. b) John MacArthur; MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 5:18 - "Be filled" translates the present passive imperative of "pleroo", and is more literally rendered as "be being kept filled." We are "indwelt" by the Holy Spirit at the moment of justification (professing our faith in Christ). He leads me - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing you to a place of rest. The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. If God is our shepherd then we must obey Him wholeheartedly. I will fear no evil, for you are with me (v. 4b). It offers a broad overview of each Bible book and the internal consistency that results from having a single commentator. They will lead us to places of rest and provision. God anoints His people with oil just like how shepherds anoint their sheep with oil. I need to know you are well.' What are these green pastures but the Scriptures of truthalways fresh, always rich, and never exhausted? But, what makes it so compelling? Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. The Whole Bible But, it does entitle David to experience Gods provision and providence in their midst. Forever. This is a great shame because it is not a psalm of death! Ouch. Psalm 23 brings encouragement and a great reminder that God is our shepherd and He will never abandon us. 1 Samuel 17:35), and the latter for control since discipline is security., iii. can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6). The word PSALM literally means praise and it features works of various characters the majority of which were written by David. I shall not want can translate to I have no lack. What 1 Corinthians 13 is to weddings, Psalm 23 is to funerals. Even in a fearful place, the presence of the shepherd banished the fear of evil. It is a song of gratitude that resonates with the authors heart and trust in God. iii. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Masters University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. You can also change some of your preferences. It's not for the goats. It was never used on the sheep. Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. (Philip Keller). (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | 1997-2023 Richard Niell Donovan. Kidner notes: The rod (a cudgel worn at the belt) and staff (to walk with, and to round up the flock) were the shepherds weapon and implement: the former for defence (cf. Lord's Day Services. the Holy One of Israel, your Savior (Isaiah 43:1-3). Joy -- You anoint my head with oil and my cup runs over. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But, God as our shepherd provides peace that transcends all understanding. Just like the sheep, its difficult for us to be at rest when life throws a lot of problems. See the happiness of the saints as the sheep of God's pasture. If there was such a thing as animal school, they would be dropouts. They also keep a vigilant and watchful eye out for poisonous plants and wild animals. Psalm 23 is a song of gratitude that tells Davids relationship with God as his shepherd. How would you describe sheep? Sun Valley, CA 91352 THE LORD AS SHEPHERD 1 Yahweh is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. Thankfully I didn't go far down that track but it can plant this little seed of fear in your mind if you let it. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Waltner, James H., Believers Church Bible Commentary: Psalms (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 2006, Baker, Warren (ed. I will believe that thou reignest still. I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm. May we live in the daily enjoyment of this blessing, receiving a fresh anointing for every days duties. God's eternal desire is that He would have many sons and daughters who display His glory and light within them. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. Whatever be the believers position, he is even now under the pastoral care of Jehovah. It is getting harder to live on this planet - from a health point of view, from a financial point of view, from a spiritual and moral point of view, from a fear and anxiety point of view - there is much that a person could be concerned about. This also shows us our need of giving Him His rightful place as Lord over our life. ), Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000), Mounce, William D., (ed. That is some revelation! To be invited to a persons table was an honor. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, My. He does not say, The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock, but The Lord is my shepherd; if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. [5] We need to make sure that we have a Middle Eastern understanding of the Shepherd. i. Though the majority of the occurrences of hesed are translated steadfast love, there are undeniable elements of mercy and kindness that underlie each of these occurrences (Renn, 633-634). Psalm 23:6 And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. I started off by saying that I wanted to have a look at what is probably the most popular chapter in the entire Old Testament. God ultimately protects and provides for His flock and does everything in His power to care for them. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Psalms 25:4-5 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. They can't run all that fast, don't have the greatest eye sight apparently and, being basically defenceless, are timid and fearful. I'm sure you are smart enough to see the analogy between Jesus and His sheep today. Forgiveness -- for He restores my soul. The center point of this psalm is for you are with me. In the original Hebrew language, there are 26 words before this phrase, and 26 afterwards (Limburg, 74). Likewise, we also need God to guide us to the right places and opportunities. It is great advice but more than likely it is the most highlighted passage because people are in desperate need to remember it! Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. When things were hard for Joe Christian you would hear the pastor encourage him saying 'Jesus will never leave or forsake you - take heart!' John Piper Sep 8, 1980 Pastor John MacArthur. Like the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, David might say that all of life is lived under the shadow of death, and it is the conscious presence of the LORD as shepherd that makes it bearable. He is utterly trustworthy. Pray to him, then, for the blessingRestore thou me, thou Shepherd of my soul!, Some Christians overlook the blessing of sanctification, and yet to a thoroughly renewed heart this is one of the sweetest gifts of the covenant. John Piper Sep 1, 1980. Gods motivations for treating His people rightly stem from the perfection and goodness of His nature. Almost everyone, whether religious or not, has heard Psalm 23 because it is quoted so frequently. I had good medical care. Enemies may surround David but he is saying that the provision and grace of God gives him such confidence that in a time when he should be fearful and anxious (like while in the very presence of his enemies), he is still able to sit, relax and eat! General Epistles God is his shepherd and his Goda God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. In Psalm 23, we are compared to sheep who do not have a sense of direction, are hopeless, and are weak who need a Shepherd. And then the same thing will happen tomorrow. They are quiet waters times when there are no waves and no troubles and you can feed and are restored. Nov. 10, 2012. 'Is something bad going to happen to me?' To be invited to Gods table is the ultimate honor. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 'Was it just a silly dream or something more spiritual?' God as our shepherd not only leads but restores as well. The Premiere One-Volume Commentary . The New Testament speaks of Jesus as anointed (Luke 4:18; John 20:31; Acts 5:42; Hebrews 1:9, etc.). Email / username or password was incorrect! The sheep didnt know where the green pastures and still waters were. The little child out at sea in the storm is not frightened like all the other passengers on board the vessel, it sleeps in its mothers bosom; it is enough for it that its mother is with it; and it should be enough for the believer to know that Christ is with him Thy rod and thy staff, by which you govern and rule your flock, the ensigns of your sovereignty and of your gracious carethey comfort me. A verification email has been sent to the address you provided. Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. And finally we have the small matter of that which occurs after 'the days of my life'. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins. Jesus told the Samaritan woman, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, Give me a drink, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). But despite this I got on with her pretty well. For a shepherd, the healing purpose would be significant. Thats why Psalm 23 is crucially relevant even today. But if it is an honor to be invited to the Presidents home, it is an infinitely greater honor to be invited to the Lords house. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. (Spurgeon). Minor Prophets

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