It has been pointed out to us that in Psalm 22, Psalm 23 and Psalm 24 we have what might be called, “The cross, the crook and the crown.” So, our Lord has passed through the horrible experience of Psalm 22; He has borne our sins in His own body on the tree. By and by He is going to come forth in glory clouds to take over this scene, to reign, to rule and to set everything right that is wrong in this present world. God has promised it, and in no detail can it fail!
In the meantime, here we are, a company of believers gathered from various walks of life, various backgrounds, all sharing in common the wilderness experience. We’re not in heaven. We are going to be, but we’re not there yet. So the Word of God has provided for us God has given us a chart and a compass. We have the Word of God, we have the Spirit of God and we have the shepherd-care of Christ as we go on our way. We know not whether this way may be long or short, for we know the Lord’s coming is imminent; it may happen today and the psalmist speaks of “the valley of the shadow of death.” Let’s live in the light of eternity let’s live with the realization that we are not going to stay here!
Psalm 23 starts out with “the LORD,” and it closes with the same expression: “dwell in the house of the LORD.” The word LORD is interesting. You notice it is in capital letters; it isn’t always so in the Old Testament. When you find that word spelled with all capitals, as it is here, it is the equivalent of the word “Jehovah.” That was the name that God took in relationship with the children of Israel. What does it mean? It means the One that was, the One that is and the One that ever shall be. Who is that? We know that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jehovah of the Old Testament is Jesus of the New Testament.
We become His sheep by the fact that He found us, accepted us, wrought for us, made us of His flock and claimed us as His own. So it says: “The LORD is my shepherd.” It is very personal, very individual. He is my shepherd. He is interested in me. Have you made it personal? He has a care over you.
In Isaiah 40:1111He 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. (Isaiah 40:11) we read: “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.” Could you have anything more tender, more loving, more gracious than that? Some of you are young parents, just starting out on parenthood. You have little ones. He is going to lead you gently along too. Oh, the gentle heart of that blessed Good Shepherd!
In John 10:2727My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (John 10:27) it is: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” In Psalm 2311For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. (Psalm 25:11) it is my shepherd. When the Shepherd speaks, He says, “My sheep.” When I say, “My Shepherd,” then He says: “My sheep hear My voice.” That is a sign that we belong to Him when we hear His voice. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them.” He never loses sight of us for a moment, regardless of where we may be. We are never out of His thoughts. He neither slumbers nor sleeps; He always bears us upon His heart’s affections.
Then in verse 28: “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.” This is the kind of life eternal life that is in Him, in Christ. We don’t have it apart from Him, but we have it in Him. Not only do we have it, but blessed be His name, we cannot lose it. Who is talking? The Shepherd the Good Shepherd.
Then in our Psalm 23: “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.” There is food; there is refreshing. It is a glorious, happy thing to be a Christian to be saved, to walk through this world as belonging to that blessed, glorified Man in heaven the Good Shepherd of the sheep. Dear Christian, don’t let the devil whisper in your ear that to live a life for Christ in this world is going to be hardship that you are going to miss out on some good times. That is a lie of Satan!
He was the Man of Sorrows, yet He was the happiest Man that ever trod the earth. Oh, how one enjoys that paradox! There never was a happier Man than the Man of Sorrows. He delighted to do the will of His God and Father, and that is the standard that He has left us in His Word.
This brings us to another part of Psalm 231<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1), a very solemn but a very necessary part: “He restoreth my soul.” Oh yes, our Shepherd doesn’t cease to be our Shepherd because we stray or because we miss the path. No, He is still interested in us. “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1)). With Peter, the advocacy of Christ started before the failure. He had already prayed for Peter. Peter, in order that he might learn a needful lesson, was allowed to go ahead and deny his Lord. Did he cease being one of Christ’s sheep? Did he slip out of the Father’s hand in that transaction? No! The next thing you find in that dear man: he is weeping bitterly. Thank God for the bitter tears of repentance. Peter was restored and brought back into fellowship, and he was entrusted with great responsibilities in the kingdom of God.
David the one who wrote this Psalm 23 was another who sinned grievously. Did God let him off easily? Oh no! If you want to know what real repentance is, read Psalm 51. In verse 12 David says, “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation.” Notice he doesn’t say, “Restore unto me my salvation,” but, “The joy of Thy salvation.”
So He restores my soul and “He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Yes, He leads me in the paths of righteousness. What is that? Right paths He leads me in the right path. Do you want to be led? What are your plans? Are you planning something? Is it right? Is the Shepherd leading you in that direction? He leads “in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” His name stands for all that He is. Yes, His name is the expression of who He is—He is the holy, perfect, sinless One.
Then we have the next verse about walking through the valley of the shadow of death. This scene through which you and I are walking is the valley of the shadow of death. I often think of a remark a dear older brother used to make: He said, “If a form of bronze, a shaft of granite or a monument of marble were to mark the resting place of all the departed dead, we would find that we were literally living among the tombs.”
“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.” I will make a brief remark about the rod and the staff. The Lord has a discipline in your life and mine He has to correct us. God has a government in our lives. Thank God that He has! Can you have any conception, if you stop to think it over soberly, of where you would be and where I would be right now if God had just let us have our own way and never come in with His rod to correct us? But He doesn’t let us have our own way there is that care over us that is going to see us through. We don’t always enjoy it, but thank God for it!
Do you think it is a hard life to live for Christ? Oh, beloved, it is the happiest life on the face of the earth! “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” Does that sound like an unhappy person? Does that sound as if it came from the lips of one who is galled by the yoke, wondering how he is going to get out from under it? Oh no! Those are the words of a happy person!
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” Notice, it is “goodness” not “evil.” I have had the privilege of talking to some ripened old saints, who were in the evening of life; the shadows were lengthening they were just about through. I have seen their faces just glowing with joy and with the anticipation of His presence. They were victors at the close of the journey. They could say, “Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life.”
Now, what is the climax of it? “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” I will dwell in the house of Jehovah Jesus forever. Oh dear soul, aren’t you glad you are a Christian? Let us seek with renewed confidence to let Him have our life altogether and not try to divide it, part with the world and part for Him. Let Him have it all.
C. H. Brown