The next thing that Psalm 23:5 says of (and to) the shepherd is “You anoint my head with oil”, likely drawing from the practice of putting oil on the sheep to protect them from flies and other insects that could get into their eyes, ears, and nose. Aside from the sheep it was a custom […]
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies…” verse 4. Picture a large table, perhaps at a family reunion, you find the place with your name and take your seat. The food is on the table in abundance, it is passed around family style and you dine on the bounty with […]
“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” Psalm 23:4. The rod and staff were the symbol of a shepherd; while the staff may have been used by the shepherd in walking, or as something to lean on, the obvious message here is their function in caring for the flock, and by their use the […]
Continuing in verse 4 of Psalm 23 we come to the third of four powerful statements in this verse, “For you are with me”. I see this as another key to the entire Psalm, (similar to “The Lord is my shepherd”) the assurance of His presence! God knew His redeemed people would go through dark, […]
Picking up from last week’s meditation Psalm 23:4 continues “…I will fear no evil…” The Hebrew word here translated evil means bad or evil, and can associate with adversity, affliction, and calamity. It seems that as David makes this declaration he is refusing to focus on the shadow of this valley. It is a battle […]
Verse 4 of Psalm 23 opens up saying, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” The picture here is of a dangerous path through a deep ravine with high steep mountains on either side, and no seeming way of escape, so you must move forward in spite of the […]
Why does God choose to have this intimate relationship with us, providing for our needs, giving us rest, refreshing, healing, and guiding us in righteous paths? It most certainly is not because we merit or deserve it, for every one of us like David in Psalm 51:5 “was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin…conceived”. […]
“He leads (guides) me in paths of righteousness” Verse 3. This shepherds Psalm has a counterpart in the New Testament where in John 10 we are introduced to Jesus the good shepherd; in verses 3-4 we read “…he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out…and the sheep follow him, for they know […]
“He restores my soul” verse 3; when a sheep would fall sick, break a leg, or face some other calamity, the shepherd would be there to treat, dress the wound, and nurture that sheep back to health. God our “good shepherd” is the greatest restorer ever! From the moment our relationship with Him was broken […]
The Psalmist continues in 23:2 saying “…He leads me beside the still waters”, in some translations it is peaceful water. Still waters, stands in contrast to the torrent of rushing mighty water of which the sheep are fearful, probably because of the swift movement and noise, and from which the sheep we are told […]