1/13/2012 8:29:07 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Psalm 23 PT-2
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 23:4-6
Message of the verses: “1 ¶ «A Psalm of David.» The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
In the Valley—Serenity (v.-4): “4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
We see in this verse that the personal pronoun changes from he to you and this conveys that David is no longer talking about the Shepherd, but he is now talking to the Shepherd. David is saying that the Shepherd is not before us when we go through troubles, but beside us and because of this it gives comfort to those who belong to the Shepherd.
Sheep do not like darkness, sheep do not have good eyesight, and sheep do not like new circumstances and therefore they need the shepherd to walk along side of them to calm their fears.
Dr. Wiersbe explains that “the rod was a heavy cudgel with which the shepherd could stun or kill an attacking beast, and the staff was the shepherd’s crook, which he used to assist the individual sheep. At evening, he would have the sheep pass under the crook one by one so he could count them and examine them (Lev. 27:32). It gave the flock peace knowing that the shepherd was there and was equipped for any emergency. He is ‘Immanuel..God with us’ (Matt. 1:23).”
We can see from Jesus’ teaching in John 10 that He is not the hireling who would run away at the sign of any danger; Jesus is the true Shepherd who will lie down His life for the sheep. What is it that we need in times of trouble that the Shepherd can provide for us? Peace is what we need and according to Romans 5:1 those who belong to the Shepherd have peace with God, but we also have the peace of God: “6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6-7).”
Dr. Wiersbe writes: “the closer we are to our Shepherd, the safer we are and the more His peace will fill our hearts. (See Isa. 40:9-11; 43:1-3; Rev. 1:17-18)”
In the Fold—Certainty (v.5): “5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”
There are some who believe that the metaphor changes here from the shepherd and his sheep to a host with a guest, but that is probably not the case, although I have heard stories of people who had been captured by their enemies and one man was reading his Bible and the person who had captured him asked him if how he could believe something like that. The man was being feed by those who captured him and he was reading Psalm 23.
Table does not necessarily refer to a piece of furniture for the word simply means “something spread out.” There are flat places in the hilly terrain that are called tables and this was a good place for the sheep to feed because of the flatness of it. It was also a good place for the sheep to rest after eating.
There were times when the shepherd would put food in a trough when he got the sheep back to the sheep fold and after eating they would get sleepy and lie down and sleep for the night knowing that they were safe because of the shepherd being there. The sheepfold was made up of stones and had a kind of “doorway” that led into it and that is where the shepherd would lie down for the night and so the sheep were protected. Jesus said in John 10 that He was the door to the sheepfold. “So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture (John 10:7-9).”
As the sheep were entering the sheepfold the shepherd would examine them to make sure all were okay and if some of them were cut he would put oil on them, and make sure that they had water to drink.
I think that I failed to mention yesterday that sheep do not like to drink in a stream that is moving fast for it frightens them and so there were times when the shepherd would have to make a dam in the stream in order to slow the flow of the water so that the sheep could drink.
In the Father’s House—Eternity (v.-6): “6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
At the end of the day when all was quiet the shepherd could look back at the day and see that the Lord had given him a good day, and so it was with David as when he was older he could look back at his life and see how the Lord had taken care of him throughout his life and had given him goodness and loving kindness throughout his life even though there were many difficult times and times when David had sinned, but knowing that God had forgiven him. The word “surely”’ can be translated as “only” and that makes it more understandable when only is used here.
David looked forward to being with the Lord at the end of his life, for David knew the Lord in a way that most don’t and this can be seen by his life and also by the Psalms that he wrote that bring glory to the Lord.
The house of the Lord was not a reference to the temple and here is what Jesus said about a house: “1 ¶ "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 "And you know the way where I am going." 5 Thomas *said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?" 6 Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
This is a fitting end to this wonderful Psalm knowing that all who have trusted the Shepherd will be with Him forever in the house He provides for us.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I think that we can see from the verses in John 14 that Jesus’ death on the cross was the way that He prepared a place for us, for without His death on the cross there would be no way for anyone to be with Him forever. David knew that and so can we.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Study to show myself approved unto God, being a workman who does not have to be ashamed.
2. Continue to be ready to tell others of the hope that lies in me.
3. Continue to learn contentment.
1/13/2012 9:56:56 AM
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