LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for October 4: When I need comfort

While speaking of his plan to provide abundant living for his people, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

The Bible’s grand description of this intimate relationship between the Lord and his devoted followers is found in Psalm 23. It too uses sheep and shepherd imagery. The pleasant discoveries of one’s status before God vividly explain what Jesus meant by abundant living (see John 10:10).

It is difficult to overstate the impact of Psalm 23. Its poetry and imagery are so compelling that this psalm has become the top favorite for those seeking reassurance of the Lord’s comfort and presence. The psalm reveals great insights into God’s comprehensive care for his followers.

Psalm 23 has several curiosities, the primary of which, perhaps, being that nothing is explained about the writer’s circumstances. The psalm’s imagery say nothing of specific human troubles, only the astonishing, blessed reality of the robust and satisfying life the writer experiences because of his intimate relationship with his Lord.

Another curiosity is that first person pronouns permeate the psalm. Often such a use would indicate egoism, but this is far from thought. Here, it is the Lord who has acted in wave after wave of blessing. The author now has pieced together the bigger picture, finding that the Lord shows he is “with me here … and in this way … and in this circumstance …” and so on.

The psalm draws on two images—the shepherd and the banquet host—to state his blessed condition and his confidence to continue for eternity therein. It is not merely a catalog of facts, but also the accompanying experience that provides the best comfort for the writer—and reader—despite the best efforts of the evil world to intervene.

God provides (Psalm 23:1-2)

The psalm opens by boldly announcing the writer enjoys a blessed condition due to the Lord’s grand provision. English translations follow the Hebrew practice of substituting the word “adonai,” or “lord,” for God’s covenant name. The grand point of Psalm 23, therefore, is that the writer’s blessed condition is attributed to the Lord’s excellent and abundantly satisfying fulfillment of his covenant obligation to his followers.

Psalm 23 glories in God’s covenantal attention and action for his people. This is not a capricious god showing preferential attention to a favorite. Instead, this is what life inside the covenant was meant to be! The outstanding message of the verse, which echoes the message of the entire Bible, is that the life experiences expressed in Psalm 23 are meant to be the common or normal or routine covenantal experiences of every person who commits himself or herself to follow God.

Such a relationship between God and people is expressed in the main Old Testament covenant between God and Israel. This older covenant was superseded by the new covenant established by Jesus at the cross. Psalm 23 declares everyone in a covenant relationship with God can enjoy the benefits and blessings described in the psalm.

Prior to Psalm 23, God was described as a king or a rock, or in similar concepts. Now in verse 1, the Lord is described as a shepherd, the most intimate personal description so far in the Psalter. This description, though so simple and seemingly benign, bursts forth like a new sunrise. Here the Lord’s personal oversight for provisions, protection and guidance is greatly cherished. This shepherd imagery is no small matter. In a world convinced that God is cold and unmoved by human plight, we find a bold voice declaring God intimately cares for his own.

The result of the Lord’s tremendous program of care in the life of the writer has caused him to declare: “I shall not be in want” or “I shall not want.” This odd statement begins like a manifesto (“I shall”) but concludes with an admission of satisfaction. The Lord’s shepherding is so excellent nothing remains to be desired or needed. This opening statement controls the remainder of the psalm, shaping each further statement that describes how the writer has various of his needs fully satisfied.

Compare this opening line to the opening line of Psalm 2: “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?” The nations’ needs and desires are never satisfied, but the followers of the Lord “shall” be satisfied.

Verse 2 introduces two needs from the lives of sheep: green pasture and quiet drinking water. A thoughtful shepherd leads his or her flock to such experiences. This points to the Lord’s intimate familiarity with his people, his anticipation of their needs, and his advance planning to satisfy them. Once again, we are reminded that every personal experience with the Lord is satisfying.

God comforts (Psalm 23:3-4)

The metaphors of verse 2 represent the basic needs of human life and parallel Jesus’ words in the Lord’s prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Verse 3, however, shows that the Lord can provide satisfactorily at the deeper levels of human life as well.

In the life of sheep, “restoration” included retrieving or reviving a sheep and returning it to the flock. The poetic parallel in human life is the restoration of the soul or person. The concept of “restoring my soul” moves beyond mere refreshment and expresses spiritual renewal. The point is impressive: the Lord tends his people so completely he also renews them spiritually. He can sense their need for spiritual renewal. He knows when they need to draw nearer to him and provides the appropriate opportunities.

For sheep, the phrase, “He guides me,” would mean a shepherd finds the right paths along which to lead his flock. Trust has been established between the sheep and shepherd. They follow their shepherd and he or she rightly guides them to their next destination.

For the committed believer, the concept broadens. The Lord guides his people in “paths of righteousness” because their immediate destinations involve walking with him and their ultimate destination is endless life in his presence. To provide less than righteous pathways would reflect poorly on the Lord’s abilities to guide his people. But as a matter of fact, God ably guides his people in righteousness so they may continue in life with him. Looking at the human condition, one realizes this is no easy task, yet the Lord acquits himself well.

The word “righteousness” refers to tending to one’s interpersonal relationships rightly—fulfilling the obligations of the relationship in ways that promote, fulfill, strengthen and continue the relationship. God carries out his part of the covenant relationship with his people well and in so doing takes upon himself to guide and aid his people as they pursue righteousness on their part. Great is the day when a believer sees the Lord working in this way in their walk with him.

Verse 4 delivers a famous line often associated with the end of life. Sheep were, of course, driven through valleys at times, some of the valleys more menacing than others. The Lord also, when guiding his people from one destination to another, must guide them through seemingly dangerous “terrain.” This is something like Moses leading his people through the Red Sea. The sea itself as well as the Egyptian army behind them posed threats to the lives of the Israelites. But God’s presence made them safe. This verse states the committed follower of the Lord is ever safe in his hands, even when he or she is traversing spiritually difficult or dangerous “terrain.” The Lord protects in times of mortal danger and is capable to deliver his people safely through this danger to their next earthly destination and to their ultimate eternal destination.

Therefore the Lord answers natural human fear with his own comfort. The rod and staff, symbols of the shepherd’s presence, convey that the Lord himself is present in the times of our greatest need and fear. To look to the Lord for comfort can be difficult, similar to learning how to ride a bicycle. The Lord provides easy first steps of faith in the midst of fearful situations so his people can learn to trust him fully in all situations.

God secures (Psalm 23:5-6)

The shepherd metaphor is now dropped and the banquet host metaphor is adopted. The shift, if focused upon, could seem awkward, but the reader should remember that the uniting theme is God’s evidences of providing in such as way that his people “shall not be in want.”

As a banquet host prepares a feast and invites guests, so also the Lord has his own “banquet.” The concept for this banquet seems to be taken from the king’s court of the ancient world. When an enemy was conquered, the defeated king was compelled to attend the celebratory banquet. The rousing, festive occasion was held with the recounting of the battle, the cataloguing of the loot and the celebration of the momentous occasion. References, gestures and glances were made toward the stricken enemy. And the enemy king was forced to watch his conquerors celebrate their victory over him.

Thus the wording of verse 5 packs quite an image: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” This states the Lord has defeated his follower’s enemies. In this world, we have enemies, of course, but our greatest enemy is that which keeps us out of God’s presence. So this verse conveys the compliment to verse 4. There God delivers his people from mortal danger, the greatest of which is death that separates one from the Lord. Now we learn that God has defeated the enemy of his people: the sin, evil and death which threatens to separate God from His people.

The celebratory banquet suggested by verse 5 also should suggest the believer’s response to the Lord’s grand act of salvation. Jesus’ work on the cross was a tremendous victory and his people should ever celebrate it and exult in the accomplishment of such a wonderful Savior.

Verse 6 expresses the implication of having binding relationship with the Lord: it lasts forever. God performs his covenant obligations in such a way that his people will live with Him forever. He has defeated every enemy of his people and ultimately will lead them into his eternal presence. It is not because of David’s greatness that “goodness and love” follow him. It simply is the quality of life in God’s Kingdom. The Lord performs His covenant on the basis of “goodness and love,” not “obligation and drudgery.” God loves his people and to be related to God as his child means to be ever experiencing his goodness and love.

Finally, verse 6 speaks of dwelling in the Lord’s house forever. The wording for “forever” is actually “to length of days.” The covenant is worded in such a way that it never ends. Left to mere human life, the covenant would end upon human death. But God’s eternal commitment to this endless covenant means he will guide his people to live in his presence for endless days—forever.

Knowing our Lord has so ably and completely provided for his people, let us constantly seek him and ever press on to know him and his goodness and love in our lives.