Introduction

23 Lessons from Psalm 23

Lesson One -- The Setting

Set between The Suffering Christ and the Sovereign Christ

Psalm 22 & Psalm 24 

Between the Suffering Christ of Psalm 22 and the Sovereign Christ of Psalm 24 is the Shepherd Christ of Psalm 23. Of this psalm, Martin Luther said, “Of all the figures that are applied to God in the Old Testament, that of a shepherd is the most beautiful. It brings to the godly, when they read it or hear it, as it were, a confidence, a consolation or security, like the word father.”

              The Shepherd’s psalm is nestled between Christ’s suffering and sovereignty, providing that confidence and consolation Luther wrote about. When you look at this psalm, you find the feelings of suffering, but also a song. That is a picture of the caring shepherd. The good shepherd knows about the wounds of life, wounds you may think, “These will never heal up.” 

But the fact that Christ has suffered as seen in psalm 22 is proof that God can identify with us and our wounds. Psalm 22 begins with “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” quoted by Christ on the cross, and showing us that He identifies with our utter despair.

The fact that Christ is sovereign as seen in psalm 24 is proof that God can rescue us from our problems. The psalm which follows the Shepherd’s psalm promises a triumphant return of the King of Glory and the Lord of hosts who will come valiantly through the mighty gates and everlasting doors. “The King of glory shall come in. ‘Who is this King of glory?’ The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in battle” (Ps. 24:7b-8).

And the fact that Christ is our Shepherd as we will see in this study is proof that God’s loving care will watch over us dumb, helpless, needy sheep.

“Lord Jesus, help us this month to see You as our Shepherd who watches over us, relating with our human weaknesses and reigning with your godly strength. Amen.”

Lesson Two: The Sheep 

Psalm 100:3; Isaiah 53:6; John 10:1-27

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” 

C.H. Spurgeon said of the 23rd Psalm, “It is David’s Heavenly Pastoral; a surpassing ode, which none of the daughters of music can excel…This is the pearl of Psalms whose soft and pure radiance delights every eye.” 

     Perhaps it is so loved because it is told from the vantage point of a sheep. The identification of a shepherd towards his sheep is something Christ used repeatedly. 

In English, sheep can be singular or plural, but the 23rd Psalm is written in the first person. We must see the writer not as “us” or “we”, but “me” and “I”. He is “my” Shepherd because I belong to Him. Jesus called me “His.” What a wonderful thing.

Luke 15:6 says, “And when he came home, he called together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, ‘Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.’” Do you know that when you became one of His sheep, He rejoiced and got the whole host of heaven to rejoice.

You cannot cover up who you are; and if you could, God would not love you more than He already does. You cannot cover up who you are; and if you could, God would not love you any less.

Read John 10:14-16 “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

In the Greek, there is no period between verse 14 and 15. Just as Jesus knows His Father and just as the Father knows the Son, Jesus knows all about you, even the numbers of hairs on your head and loves you anyway.

Because I am His sheep, I believe and follow Him. See John 10:26 “But you believe not, because you are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

“Thank you Lord Jesus in delighting in me. Help me remember today that I am important to you and I bring you joy. Amen.”