The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me
Lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside
Quiet waters, He restores my soul. Psalm 23:1-2 NIV.
Psalm 23 is a very popular psalm written by the psalmist David when he was king over Israel. He had lived through several years of being hunted by King Saul and his army. King Saul for several years had done everything possible to capture and murder David. Even after years of being chased, having to leave his beloved wife Abigail, living in caves, having opportunities to kill Saul and not; he wrote this psalm of assurance about his God.
Charles Swindoll in his study of the Psalm 23 is so revealing it causes us to view our relationship with The Shepherd in a more poignant, more alive, more loving relationship. Through these insights it is my hope it draws you closer to Jesus Christ, our Shepherd and God. God, the One who loved us immeasurably and with such an intensity He came as a babe named Jesus to live amongst us, be beat and whipped, suffer an agonizing death on the cross, and overcome death all so we could have a relationship with Him.
To my amazement, sheep have no sense of direction, they can get lost in the familiarity of their own territory. All of us either have this same condition or know someone who does. There isn't a one of us who hasn’t been physically lost at some point in our lives. Spiritually, Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” thereby being lost. In the same manner the shepherd of old would leave his flock and search out the one lost sheep our Shepherd searches us out and leads us back to the flock.
Sheep have no defenses except the shepherd who protects him. Other animals have growls, claws, sharp teeth, a keen sense of smell, an acute sense of hearing, speed, venom, and an acute ferocity to protect themselves. Spiritually, like the sheep, we are completely defenseless against The Enemy. Psalm 23:4b, Amplified Version, says it best: “Your rod (to protect) and Your staff (to guide), they comfort and console me.” Online, Quora tells us the rod was a “short, stout rod” carried on the shepherd’s belt for the purpose of killing any predators endangering their flock. Shepherds were held accountable for any injured or animal killed by predators. The staff or crooked “shepherd’s staff” mentioned was an instrument used to grab a straying sheep and guide it in the direction the shepherd wanted it to go. Likewise, Our Shepherd uses His Word as a staff to guide us and His Holy Spirit as a rod to protect us.
Sheep are unclean animals. They will remain dirty until cleaned by the shepherd. Likewise, we are unclean until Jesus Christ cleanses us. In David’s time, a sacrifice was the only method ones could have their sins atoned. Our Shepherd, Jesus Christ, sacrificed Himself so our sins could be “washed away” by forgiveness and repentance.
One of the most interesting revelations by Charles came through the writings of Charles W. Slemming pertaining to shepherds of the Middle East during David’s lifetime. When moving to a new field the shepherd would pour oil over the head of every sheep thereby making it impossible for an adder (a poisonous snake) to bite and have its venom kill the sheep. The oil our Shepherd pours over our head heals our body, our mind, our spirit, and our soul.
Throughout this psalm David is telling each one of us that God through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Shepherd, “we shall not be in want”. There will be no want of food, no want of clothes, no want of shelter. How can I so boldly say this? Because when I keep my eyes on God, my Shepherd, if I have faith the size of a mustard seed, the tiniest seed, “I can tell a mountain to move from here to there. Nothing is impossible (Matthew 17:20 and 21). I have had my mountains and my Shepherd has provided for me.
Come, let Jesus Christ heal your mind, your body, your spirit, and your soul. Then, like David, you will be able to say: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.”
