![]() The phrase, “He restores my soul”, should probably be understood as the result of lying down in “green pastures” and being led “beside quiet waters” (vs. He restores my soul He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. The believer who refuses to go where God leads will never find safe and restful places. It’s not that the LORD forces His sheep to lie down, but that He creates an environment free from harm and stress so that the naturally timid sheep can relax. The words “lie down” translate the Hebrew verb רָבַץ rabats, which in the hiphil stem means that God causes His sheep to lie down in restful places. God led David to “lie down in green pastures” and beside “quiet waters” which pictures a place of nourishment, safety and rest. He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters. Scripture states, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. Of course, the believer must distinguish between wants and needs, for too often we fall into the trap of confusing the former with the latter, not being content with what the Lord provides from day to day. God’s resources are always enough for those under His care. Trusting in God as his divine-shepherd, David knew he would not be in want of anything. God told Jeremiah, “I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding” (Jer. God often provides for His people through His under-shepherds, who are to feed them God’s Word (Lev. 5:4), who provided teaching to those who needed spiritual nourishment (Mark 6:34). In the New Testament, Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:14), the “Great Shepherd” (Heb. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands” (Ps. Scripture states, “He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds from the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. God used David’s life experience as a shepherd to prepare him to lead His people, Israel. The LORD as shepherd metaphor resonated with David, for he had spent his younger days as a shepherd for his father (1 Sam. The great God of the universe has stooped to take just such care of you and me. Who in his right mind would choose to be a shepherd? Yet Jehovah has chosen to be our shepherd, David says. ![]() Day and night, summer and winter, in fair weather and foul, they labored to nourish, guide, and protect the sheep. Shepherds had to live with the sheep twenty-four hours a day, and the task of caring for them was unending. If a family needed a shepherd, it was always the youngest son, like David, who got this unpleasant assignment. In Israel, as in other ancient societies, a shepherd’s work was considered the lowest of all works. It is this exalted God, who created and rules over the universe, that David personally and affectionately refers to as “my shepherd.” ![]() When coupled with His other attributes, such as goodness and love, it means that those qualities are as enduring as the One who holds them. יהוה YHWH), His covenant name, which means “I am who I am.” The meaning of YHWH most likely refers to God’s eternal nature, as the One who remains forever constant. 23:1)ĭavid opens his psalm with a simple but profound statement, “The LORD is my shepherd.” The word LORD translates the proper name of God (Heb. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. ![]() Whatever threat David was facing, he could rely on God’s goodness and lovingkindness, and David knew the end of his life would be “in the house of the LORD forever” (vs. The psalm reveals a confidence in David’s soul, no doubt the result of his relationship with God and his trust in the LORD’s goodness and loyal-love. One gets the impression that David wrote this psalm at a time when he was experiencing hardship (perhaps when he was fleeing in the wilderness from Absalom). 1-4), and as a dinner host who nourishes and refreshes His guest (vs. David pictures God as a shepherd who guides, provides, and protects (vss. It is a song of David’s confidence in God who faithfully provides for him. The 23 rd psalm is known and appreciated by many, but it belongs personally only to those who call God their shepherd. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |