Mercies remembered and anticipated.--Ps. There are foes in my yesterdays which can give me fatal wounds. But the treatment has been so extremely imperfect, in view of the importance of that section, that a few further remarks must be made. However, it is far more likely that David wrote this psalm late in his life, possibly during the rebellion of his son Absalom (2 Samuel 13-19). There is quite enough here for the satisfaction of the animal; and the mere animal lives here in contentment, and takes its fill of happiness for its little inch of time. Both have to do with character, spiritual character, relation to God. And then comes the good man's utterance of his subjective feelings after taking this review of life. Psalm: Psalm 119:129-136 132. Amid the manifold anxieties and cares of my heart,[925] by the multitude of which my soul is sore vexed,[926] the brothers coming from a far country[927] that they may serve the Lord,[928] thy letter, and thy staff, they comfort H. Try, Mapping 'fault Lines' In America - Micah 3, 5 Ways To Grow Your Church's Congregation, My Sermon With A Little Bit Of Bible Thrown In. And Davids faith is strengthened as he takes in what the Lord does for him. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation, My heart is disquieted within me, and the fear of death has fallen upon me.--Ps. Behind me, before me, beside me, beneath me above me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. The sheep follow him, and behind them are two sheepdogs chasing after the stragglers, and keeping the flock close to the shepherd. Goodness. ", II. ), 1. "Shall follow me." The guiding God: or the picture of the leading. And the other man, though he had great ability and great genius . Day by day you will have to go into the Holy Place to offer the incense. Make your life all temple, all part of the , the sacred enclosure. I. The first person to be helped by this Psalm was David himself. xxiii. The original is 'lead gently.' Colin S. Smith. Psalm 23 is one of those places. fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons. The greatest blessing you can know in life is to be wholly owned by the Son of God. 5 Bread that camest down from Heaven, Fruit of the eternal tree; Banquet which my God has given Even unto me; Lo, before the world that scorneth, I give thanks and eat, At the table in the desert, Spread with heavenly meat; Wine of the divinest gladness, Milk and honey sweet. As sure as you need it, you shall have it; as sure as you require it, you shall realise it: It shall come seasonably at the best time, in the wisest manner, and from the most unexpected quarter. II. Today the familiarity, poetry, and beauty of the 23rd psalm have a different tone. In the wilderness unwatered, In the lonely land, This the feast of God made ready By His mighty Hand; Thither came I, spent and weary, Hungry and athirst, From the wastes of thorn and thistle Of the land accursed, Frances BevanHymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others, Christian Standing and Christian ProgressPHILIPPIANS iii. It is really astonishing to see how very seldom, in a professing Christian country, this question is seriously entertained, and on what slight and trivial grounds men are contented to take it for granted that all is safe with them. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. An angel is the object of one; man of both. Believers thank God for everything and blame Him for nothing. Please open your Bible for the last time in this series at Psalm 23. And it will be Jesus Himself who leads you into them. "How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for the children of men. iv. If you are using the ESV Bible you will see a footnote that says, for length of days. I will dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.. Not only the Creator but the Creation too will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. 4-6. Yet Jehovah has chosen to be our shepherd, David says. Psalm 23:1-6 shows us the Lord's provision for his people. [2] I Bind Unto Myself Today, Attributed to St. Patrick, (385-461), tr. And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. [3] Jerry Bridges, Who Am I? p. 92 [4] Human Nature in its Fourfold State, p. 302 [5] Monthly record of the Free Church of Scotland, 1990 p. 125. 3. "I will dwell in it. Its sins are ever at my heels. ", 1. As we all know, a "shepherd" looks after sheep. But St. John says there is no temple in heaven. They are not in any way softened or modified, but uttered in accents of Alfred EdersheimThe Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Discourse on the Good Shepherd. "But in the house of the Lord," says David, "I will dwell forever." xxiii. This statement actually shook the readers of biblical times because the temptation in ancient Israel was to speak only about "our" God, ( Deuteronomy 6:4) forgetting that the God of Israel is also the God of individuals. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Have follow'd me through all my days; Thy strengthening staff, and guiding rod, Upheld my steps, made straight my ways: Lord, till I reach thy holy hill, Goodness and mercy guard me still. Psalm 23:1-3. Let us ponder one weighty verse, Handley C. G. MoulePhilippian Studies, The Valley of the Shadow of Death. If a family needed a shepherd, it was always the youngest son, like David, who got this unpleasant assignment. Wealth, in those John NewtonMessiah Vol. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. Living in it for these last weeks has done me good, and I have been moved to learn that many of you have been helped by it too. IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES, OR BY WHAT PERSONS, THIS STATEMENT MAY BE PROPERLY MADE. And all tells of the richness, variety, and depth of the soul's satisfactions in such communion. This phrase is based on a system of law that does not hold . Wealth, in those, All we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. It shall follow incessantly, supply fully, solace richly, sustain powerfully, pass with him through the Jordan, and enter with him the bright portals of glory. God chases after us with mercy. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. 'The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. Let this prospect reconcile us in the midst of all affliction, if we be Christians, and let us prepare for that dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. And the Discourse which followed, ere He once more left Jerusalem, is of the same character. When the Lord is your shepherd, you are surrounded on all sides by the goodness and mercy of God. Goodness and mercy will follow me. Our first aim in this series has been to encourage. When the Lord is your shepherd, His love surrounds you now and forever. And who knows what the future holds? I have loved meditating on Psalm 23. If you have the pledge that "goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of your life," should not those days be spent for the glory of Him whose you are, and whom you serve? 1141. Sin leads me in paths of unrighteousness which I pursue for my own sake. Mercies remembered and anticipated.--Ps. EXODUS XV. And here God uses three things that we can touch and handle: a table, oil, and a . 2. I. Heaven will be a world of fresh discoveries and new delights. And if thats your reality why should you stay there? lxiii. 1 John 3:9. xxiii. Intro: The Lord could have compared His people to anything in the world.He could have said, "My people are like bears, they are strong!" He could have said, "My people are like lions, they are courage, fearless and brave!" He could have said, "My people are like foxes because they are so shrewd and wise." He could have even said, "My people are like . Soon on wings, on wings of love, My transported soul shall rise, Like the home-returning dove, Vanishing through boundless skies; Then, where death shall be no more, Sin nor suffering e'er molest, All James MontgomerySacred Poems and Hymns, The Lord the Good Shepherd. Trusted colleagues betray me. Gods goodness and mercy are chasing after you to bring you closer to the Good Shepherd. Scriptures: 2. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Ten thousands of people have memorized this psalm. Perhaps you too have memorized Psalm 23. He sees God first as a shepherd; secondly as a guide; and thirdly as a host. All the days of my life that is, all my life long even to the last. Here we are, anxious about our world, our country, our families, ourselves. ", 2. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord. When King David was a boy, he used to look after his father's sheep - so he knew what he was talking about when he spoke of the LORD as his shepherd. And when he looks beyond the days of his life in this world he sees what comes after: The joy of eternity in the immediate presence of the Lord. This summer my sister went with my family and I to New Hampshire. Some of us are anxious, fearful and even distressed at what the future might bring. We take the faith and feeling of the man to expand and enlarge, till they embrace the great and ultimate future of the life that is to be, and he says, "I feel that I have been led onwards to that. And Samuel said, How can I go? In 1970, W. Phillip Keller wrote a book titled, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. We conclude our Sermon Series on PSALMS this week. He leads me beside still waters. And the Discourse which followed, ere He once more left Jerusalem, is of the same character. You will see Christ in His glory. "And God said unto Moses, I am, that I am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. The Collection and Divisions: In all probability the book of one hundred and fifty psalms, as it now stands, was compiled by Ezra about 450 B.C. And the other man, though he had great ability and great genius, and had a long and wonderful life, which, however, nobody would say, or pretend to say, that he spent it in walking with God, he says, "I wish that I had never been born." The Lord is my Shepherd, nor want shall I know; I feed in green pastures, safe-folded I rest; He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow, Restores me when wandering, redeems when opprest. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, (Psalm 23:6). The joys you experience in life remain with you. It is a delightful passion. The days are coming when God Himself will measure the temple, His house, to see who are His, and who shall dwell in His tabernacle. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water (Rev 7:17). Pardoning mercy. II. Read Psalms 23:1. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. The Lord is my Shepard. Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.--Ps. ^D John X. And when we are in the Fathers house, Jesus prayer will be answered. If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy, He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim, -- He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him. Psalm 30:11,12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; Mercies Remembered and Anticipated. Ill will or bad purpose on His part is inconceivable. [924] (Epistle 341.) Shall I be able, I To Malachy. The querulous old man puts together all that he had gone through, finds it dark and disappointing, and concludes by saying, "I am this day so and so, and I wish that I had never been born." What if you choose to be the captain of your own ship, the master of your own soul? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. He begins to think about what that means. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint, The closing words which Jesus had spoken to those Pharisees who followed HIm breathe the sadness of expected near judgment, rather than the hopefulness of expostulation. "Innocent until proven guilty" - that phrase is a simplified expression of how the legal system in this country is supposed to work. I. GOODNESS. xxiii. cxvi. Goodness or Goriness, an element of God's nature. Cf. What is heaven like? They are not in any way softened or modified, but uttered in accents of, (Jerusalem, December, a.d. If you are coming for the first-time we are now studying the Book of Psalms under the theme "PONDERINGS ON THE PSALMS: FINDING MEANING & PURPOSE IN THE PANDEMIC!" 4. Man is never satisfied here. It is a great thing to be one of Christ's flock, ever under the Shepherd's tender care. "THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER." A Table Among Enemies: W. C. E. Newbolt, M. A. Psalm 23:5: A Table Prepared: W. Forsyth : Psalm 23:5: Bounty Should Lead to Charity: O. Sedgwick, B. D. . iv. Verse 1 - "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" - is really the theme of the whole Psalm. It will challenge their intellects, fire their imaginations and stimulate their industry. Children's Sermons Hymn Lists. You could not draw a richer picture of a regenerated earth than by just supposing such an extension of its Sabbaths as alone would render safe the removal of its churches. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The good man says, "I have needed both; I have had both all my days, and surely they shall follow me all my days.". But now he says that the Shepherds goodness and mercy follow the sheep. But we are prone to look on the dark side of His providence, and to ask, with the murmuring Israelites, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? Heaven will not be a world in which you meet Jesus and then go off to pursue your own thing. 4. But there is good in your life too. INTRODUCTION: We are starting a brief three-week series Psalm 23 today, and I am so excited. David writes in verse 1a, The Lord is my shepherd.. These capacities and affections of mine, the stirring of a spiritual life within me, were never made to find their perfection here. And the more you love God the more happiness you will have in Him.[6]. For us, I suppose we could apply it to the blessings we experience in God's church. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. But the Lord picks me up. III. But he said, "my" shepherd. The best is to come. David says in Psalm 27, One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, (Psalm 27:4). 12-16 Christian exultation--Christian confidence--"Not in the flesh"--"In Jesus Christ"--The prize in view--No finality in the progress--"Not already perfect"--The recompense of reward--What the prize will be In a certain sense we have completed our study of the first section of the third chapter of the Epistle. The deliverance has made the singer look forward to the end, and his confidence in the issue is confirmed. In Heavenly Love abiding, No change my heart shall fear, And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here. Doing the Right Thing Psalm 23:1-3NLT The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. His friend was nervous, tense, and he had literally worried himself sick. It is when "the hoary head is a crown of glory, being found in the way of righteousness" when there are no marks upon the countenance of extinct volcanoes, dark shadows from wrought-out passions, impressions of darkness and crime, but when the life has been spent for God. Psalm 23:6. Hence men often lull their conscience; but there it is they cannot destroy it, and ever and anon conscience speaks like thunder. 1. Many of us feel tired, jaded, discouraged, and flat. He only sojourned in it here. For posting on the web, a link to this document on our website (OpentheBible.org) is preferred. Then your reality will be something like this: I am my own shepherd, and I will always want. In one of his books you may find a review of his life. 4. As he was taking care of his fathers sheep, lying on his back in a lush green field beside a gently flowing stream, he penned the words of this memorable psalm. xxiii. As David thinks about all that he is facing, his mind goes back to the early years of his life when his work had been keeping the sheep. Think about what that will be like in eternity: One joy will be added to another as the Good Shepherd leads you into springs of living water. He took our flesh. 1141. The Collection and Divisions: In all probability the book of one hundred and fifty psalms, as it now stands, was compiled by Ezra about 450 B.C.
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