Did you ever notice that the 22 nd Psalm exhibits «that great Shepherd of the sheep» as laying down his life for the sheep; that the 23 rd Psalm exhibits «the good Shepherd» with all his sheep around him happy and restful, while the 24 th Psalm represents «the chief Shepherd» who shall appear in due time; and when he does appear, then shall his sheep also appear with him in glory?
Psalms 23:1. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
How can a sheep want when it has a good and wise shepherd able and willing to provide for it: and how can a believer want when he has God himself, the ever-gracious and omnipotent Lord of all, to forestall his needs and to prevent him from ever knowing what want means? David does not say, «I shall have all I wish for because the Lord is my Shepherd;» but he does say, «I shall not want. Not only have I no want now, but I never shall want while my Shepherd lives. Though I am only one out of his countless flock, yet he cares for me, and therefore I shall not want.» Why should a believer think that he shall ever want? Let him look at his present condition.
Psalms 23:2-3. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the path of righteousness for his name's sake.
Here are four blessed things that the Lord does for the believer. «He maketh me to lie down:» he gives me rest, perfect rest and he gives me so much spiritual provision that I am unable to take it all in, so I lie down and rest in it as a sheep does in the deep pastures where it seems lost in the provender. There are such deep doctrines, such glorious privileges, such wondrous revelations of the heart of God in this blessed Book, that you and I cannot comprehend it all, but we can lie down in it; «He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.» Take a good stretch, brethren and sisters in Christ. Some are afraid to lie down in the green pastures of the Word. I know some of God's saints who seem to be afraid of being too happy; they do not like to be too restful. Let no such fear ever cross your mind. «He maketh me» and he would not make us do what was not good for us, «He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.» Then come those three sweet words, «He leadeth me,» which in themselves are full of music.
«He leadeth me. He leadeth me.
By his own hand he leadeth me.»
You know how our song makes these words ring out over and over again and it is truly charming. «He leadeth me.» The Holy Spirit is our Guide, and as the softly-flowing river of grace marks our trackway, we sing, «He leadeth me beside the still waters.» You and I sometimes go wandering by the noisy brooks that ripple over the stones, and make such a noise because they are so shallow; but when the Spirit guides us, it is beside the deep rivers, the deep still waters, that he leads us. «He restoreth my soul.» Is not that a blessed little sentence? When my soul gets empty, he stores it again, re-stores it. When it goes wandering away from him,
«He brings my wandering spirit back.
When I forsake his ways.»
And when I get spiritually sick, he gives me a sweet restorative, and renews my health: «He restoreth my soul.» Blessed be the name of the great Restorer.» «He leadeth me» here comes those sweet words again, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.» They are very pleasant paths, for nothing is more pleasant to a believer than to be walking in «the paths of righteousness.» God has so constituted his people that, if they get out of the right way, they get out of the way of peace. He has so re-made us that our peace and our righteousness agree together; and as long as we are led in the paths of righteousness, we are a happy and a restful people. The Lord does all this for us «for his Name's sake.»
Psalms 23:4. Yea, though I walk-
Yes, though I walk, not only though I shall walk, but though I do walk now-
Psalms 23:4. Through the valley of the shadow of death,
Though, long before I die, I seem to learn what death means in the cold chill that takes hold upon my spirit, and freezes all my joy,
Psalms 23:4. I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Some seem to think that God's people would have no distress of mind, and no trouble, if they were trusting in God; but it is not so. Even they «walk through the valley of the shadow of death,» but they «fear no evil» even there. When all is dark around you, remember that verse, «Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.» There would be no room for faith if it were always summertime and always noontide. But Christians are called sometimes to pass through that gloomy experience which Mr. Bunyan has so beautifully pictured under the symbol here used, «the valley of the shadow of death.» It is a terrible journey, yet there is no cause for fear to strike the Christian's heart even there; for, let the worst come to the worst, he can say to his Lord, with David, «Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me» Now look back to the 14 th and 15 th verses of the 22 nd Psalm, and you will see how fully Christ can sympathize with his people, because he also walked through the valley of the shadow of death even as they have to do. Hear him crying there, «I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws, and thou hast brought me» remember that this is the Saviour speaking here,-«thou hast brought me into the dust of death.» Well then, there is great comfort for the sheep in the fact that their Shepherd has been along that gloomy way before them.
Psalms 23:5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
See what cool, calm courage David here displays. Usually, when a warrior is in the presence of his enemies, he just eats a bit of bread, or something that he can swallow while getting ready for the fight that is impending. But David took matters much more quietly than that. Though his enemies were all around him, there was a table prepared for him, that is to say, there was everything ready for a feast, just as if it had been a holiday instead of the day of battle. «Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.» You may grin or howl, you devils, you may do what you like; but the true believer takes no notice of you. His table is being prepared by his God while you, armed to the teeth, are seeking to slay him. What a contrast there is between the rage of the believer's enemies and the quiet, calm confidence of the man himself!
Psalms 23:5. Thou anointest my head with oil;
A sweet savour shall be upon the man who is thus anointed by his God.
Psalms 23:5. My cup runneth over.
«I have more than I expected, more than I ever asked for, more than I desired, more than I am capable of holding; ‘My cup runneth over.'» If ever your cup does thus run over, be sure to call your poor neighbours in to catch the overflowing mercy. If ever you have more blessing than you can hold, ask some other Christian to share it with you. Recollect what Peter and his companions did when, at Christ's command, they let down the net, and caught more fish than their net could hold without breaking: they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. «What! Come and help them fish? Oh, no; come and help them share the fish! Many persons say, «You are kindly invited to come to such-and-such a meeting,» because they want to get something out of you; but it is a better kind of invitation when you are asked because there is something to be given away, and those who have an overflowing cup want you to share the blessing with them.
Psalms 23:6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
I shall never be able to outrun the goodness and mercy of my God. I shall always have closely attendant upon me his goodness to supply my needs, and his mercy to forgive my sins.
Psalms 23:6. And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 23, 24.