The Lord [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

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 paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Sheep and The Good Shepherd

In order to achieve a deeper appreciation of this magnificent Psalm, it is important to gain an insight into David’s motivation.

Sheep were regarded as an important part of the possessions of the ancient nations. The adults and their offspring formed part of almost every sacrifice. They were also valuable articles of food, and their wool was used as clothing and, dyed rams' skins were used as a covering for the tabernacle. Sometimes they were even paid as a tribute. Immense numbers of sheep were reared in the biblical times. It is interesting to note that the young of goats were originally also referred to as lambs. By nature, sheep are meek, patient and submissive, and were most likely the first animals to be domesticated. A shepherd normally named each one of his sheep and, with training, they responded with remarkable obedience upon being called by him, but not by a stranger.

Until the Egyptian captivity the task of tending the sheep was undertaken by sons, and also daughters, of wealthy chiefs. Thereafter, the shepherd held a subordinate position which was attended with hardship, and fraught with danger. The office entailed exposure to extremes of heat and cold; food frequently consisted of the provisions afforded by nature;

Genesis 31:40 [Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Amos 7:14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I [was] no prophet, neither [was] I a prophet's son; but I [was] an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:

A shepherd was also prone to attacks from wild beasts, robbers and predators;

I Samuel 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

Genesis 31:39 That which was torn [of beasts] I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [whether] stolen by day, or stolen by night.

Jeremiah 5:6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces:

The tools of the trade consisted of a sheepskin mantle for warmth, plus;

I Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand:

Song of Solomon 1:8...., go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

Extreme dedication, watchfulness and tenderness were required to perform the routine pastoral duties, which were;

John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.;

Then, at the pasturage they were watched over by the shepherd, who was assisted by his trusty dogs. They were to be watered and, in the evening, brought back to the fold and counted by "passing under the rod". Finally, the entrance of the fold had to be watched throughout the night. It was absolutely critical that not a single sheep be lost and, if one was, the shepherd would seek after it until it was found. However, if any lamb continued to stray, the pastor would break one of its front legs, so that it could not walk by itself. He would then tend the young animal and transport it to and fro, straddled across his back, until it could walk again with the flock. Whilst it was straddled across his back, he would continuously talk to the lamb, because his voice was a source of comfort to the young animal.

Ezekiel 34:12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

In large establishments there are various grades of shepherds, the highest being styled "Chief Shepherd". When we see the significance of a Shepherd and appreciate the nature of a Lamb, it is no coincidence that the Second Person of the Trinity is;

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

I Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

John 1:29 , Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

A brief look at the credentials of the author will reveal that;

Here was a former shepherd boy turned warrior. He was the youngest child of a family of ten, and was extremely short of stature and had fair skin and ginger hair.

I Samuel 16:12 ............. Now he [was] ruddy, [and] withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. .................

I Samuel 16:18 .........., Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD [is] with him.

I Samuel 17:42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

He became renowned for his immense strength, musical talent, agility and swiftness.

Psalms 18:33, 4 He maketh my feet like hinds' [feet], and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

Psalms 18:39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

This is part of the make-up of the shepherd boy who rose from obscurity to become the renowned ‘giant killer’, and later the mighty King. Some time after he had slain Goliath, King Saul’s pride was dealt a severe blow because David received more accolades from the women of Israel than the King himself.

1Samuel 18:6-9 And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet king Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music. And the women answered [one another] as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed [but] thousands: and [what] can he have more but the kingdom?

From thence forward Saul determined that David must die. David and his band of valiant men immediately fled and sought refuge in the lush, but craggy wilderness, where food and water were in abundance.

1Samuel 23:29 � And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.

The strongholds were close to Masada in the area of what is now known as the Dead Sea, and the entire area is riddled with caves which served as hiding places for David and his men. However, through informers, Saul was alerted to David’s whereabouts and set off in hot pursuit.

1Samuel 24:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.

David and his men certainly had no delusions about what would happen to them, at the hands of Saul, if they were found.

In all probability, it was David’s encounter at En-gedi that helped inspire his eternal Psalm 23, as it is so rich in imagery of the Shepherd, the helpless sheep and ravenous predators.

1. The Lord [is] my shepherd; ....... He begins this Psalm by acknowledging that we as sheep are totally reliant upon the Shepherd. Sheep are among the most helpless, harmless, defenceless, and incapable of all God’s creatures. Left to its own devices, a sheep will not survive for long. We, today, may take comfort in the knowledge that our Good Shepherd actually laid down His life for His sheep. Jesus has demonstrated His reliability and dedication to His fold, and if we can only lay aside our foolish pride and self reliance, and place our trust in Him alone (as our Saviour) we can then truly say:

* ....... I shall not want - for any necessity. His promised provisions do not cover luxuries.

2. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: ...... The lush, green pasture lands were close to the harsh, barren desert. After eating, untended sheep will drift through the meadows into the lifeless desert and die. If we allow our caring Shepherd to direct our paths, He will lead us to green pastures where we will find the sustenance and rest for life’s journey, away from man’s fast-moving pleasure land of destruction.

* ...... he leadeth me beside the still waters...... During Israel’s wet season, the torrential rains cause the craggy terrain to become areas of cascading water and rapid running streams. The unsuspecting sheep is a poor swimmer and is also not very sure-footed, and will surely drown if it accidentally stumbles into one of the many raging streams when it comes to quench its thirst. The caring shepherd creates a little dam alongside the raging streams by using rocks to divert a small body of water into it. He then leads his sheep to come drink in the ‘still waters’. How easily man can step into and become entrapped in the hectic pleasures of this world, and befall the same fate as the unsuspecting sheep if he does not follow his Divine Protector.

3. He restoreth my soul: ..... David knew only too well that when the flock became restive and fearful, as they frequently did when they sensed impending danger, it befell the caring shepherd to comfort them. This was accomplished by talking or singing to them or even by playing musical instruments in their midst. Likewise, God’s comforting presence will ‘restore my soul’ when we are surrounded by life’s dangers and perils. Further, a shepherd was so dedicated to his flock that he would even risk his own life just to save and protect the least one of them. His name was at stake for word would soon get out if any of his sheep ever perished, and this resulted in the situation where sheep were no longer entrusted to him. Our Chief Shepherd has already demonstrated His extreme dedication and the value of His name by sacrificing His life for us, His sheep. In view of His faithfulness to His promises we can honestly say:

* ..... he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; ..... The sheep had to traverse the hilly terrain by following long narrow trails over the hills and through the valleys. At each step there were ravenous beasts waiting in ambush along the sides ready to pounce on their prey at the slightest opportunity. It was the duty of the shepherd to be ever alert and guide his precious flock safely through the danger. If a wild animal attacked, the shepherd would fend it off and counter-attack with his rod. His other tool of trade, the staff, was used to guide the wayward sheep to safety:

* ..... thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: ..... The lushest part of the trail was also the most dangerous, as this is where the sheep would stop to eat and drink in the presence of the beasts of prey, who were powerless to attack because of the protection of the watchful shepherd.

* thou anointest my head with oil; ..... Shepherds usually carried with them pouches containing medicinal balm, which was applied to any sores or scratches any of his sheep may sustain on their long journey.

* my cup runneth over. ..... During the dry season the shepherd had to draw the life-sustaining water from a well. As the sheep dipped his head into the filled container to drink the water would overflow. Compare this imagery with our Lord’s statement in: John 10:10 .......: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: ..... If we can acknowledge and trust in who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we too can pass through the treacheries of life knowing that He is walking with us. We have not been promised an easy life, nor have we been promised health, wealth, fame and power. What we are promised is a far greater blessing in the abiding presence of God’s goodness and mercy through all the days of our life.

* and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. ..... The transition from life to eternal life with Him completely bypasses any fear of death.

1Corinthians 15:55 O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?

In every way Jesus has demonstrated that He alone is worthy of the title Chief Shepherd, and He will guide His sheep through life to eternal life.

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