A Psalm of David.
David is referred to as the ‘shepherd king’ of Israel because he was a shepherd or a sheep herder before he was anointed by God and by the Prophet Samuel to be king, and because he is a type of Jesus in the Old Testament, a man after God’s own heart. Why did God love David so much? Because he was willing to lay down his life for the sheep. He killed a lion and a bear that was after the sheep in his care. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, because like David, He was willing to lay down His life for us, and He did so at Calvary. Because David tended sheep, he was able to write this Psalm using the shepherd and the sheep to describe the LORD’s relationship to and His care for His people.
Verse 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
King David, the head of the nation Israel and the chief military officer having tremendous power and authority clearly equates himself to a lowly sheep who needs a Shepherd to care for him. Because the LORD is his Shepherd, he will not want for anything. All his needs will be met.
Application: Since most people in the Western world live in cities or suburbs and do not have the opportunity to observe and/or work with sheep, this Psalm may be difficult to understand. So a quick lesson will be given here. First of all, sheep are not dumb critters as many people will report. They are intelligent. They will learn and come to the calling of their name, they are excellent parents, and they are gentle, loving, and kind. But because of the heavy fleece, small stature, and lack of defensive body parts such as sharp teeth and claws, their only defense against an enemy is to run. Therefore they tend to stick together for safety but they will scatter all over the place if threatened by a predator. That way only one or two will be caught and killed and the others will live another day. If they are to survive, they have to have a shepherd to guide them, protect them, feed them and lead them to water. Hence, the LORD refers to His people as sheep. Christian believers will not survive the attacks of the enemy (the flesh, the world, and the devil) without the Holy Ghost/Spirit guiding them, protecting them, spiritually feeding them with the Word of God, and leading them to waters of refreshing in His presence. Just as the Hebrew people when wandering in the wilderness were led during the day by a pillar of cloud and at night by a pillar of fire that sheltered them from the heat of the desert sun and warmed them during cold desert nights, so the LORD tends to His people today. Just as the Hebrew people were fed manna from Heaven and given water from a rock that followed them wherever they traveled, so the LORD provides for His people today. He shepherded the Hebrews so long ago and He has shepherded His people down through the centuries and will continue to do so until time is no more.
Verse 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Just as a shepherd will find the best pasture for his sheep to graze in and to rest in, so the LORD provided rest for King David both physically, spiritually, and emotionally. When in the presence of the LORD, David could relax and have his strength restored. Still waters are those that are tranquil, restful and refreshing. A sheep will drown if it falls into water that is deep and moving too quickly as they do not swim but tend to sink when their fleece gets saturated. They need a place to drink that is shallow and calm but not stagnant. The analogy David uses is a place where he can go that is safe, beautiful, and tranquil.
Application: The world is a place of turmoil and danger and Christian believers have to live in the world but not be part of the world. When immersed in the Word of God and in prayer, the Christian is refreshed by the Holy Ghost/Spirit and able to move forward in their walk with the LORD. It is the LORD who tells His children what to do and when to do it, when to rest and cast all cares on Him, and who provides food, water and shelter. It is the LORD who gives His children the ability to earn money to be used for their daily needs. When a believer fully trusts the LORD, he will never have a need that is not met. “I have been young and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” Psalm 37:25
Verse 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
The Hebrew word translated as “restoreth” is “shuwb” and it means to return or turn back. The “eth” ending on the verb means that the action is ongoing and will continue. So the LORD is constantly returning King David’s soul (mind, will, and emotions) or life to that which it was before trouble, anxiety, temptations and the difficulties of life pressed in upon him. The LORD was leading David in his walk with Him in the way or manner that He wanted him to go so that he would remain righteous and be a testimony to those around him of the power, authority, grace and mercy of the God of Israel.
Application: Sheep follow their shepherd. Were he goes, they will go. Sheep need to be led. They want to be able to see their shepherd and they become anxious if they loose sight of him. Sheep will get into trouble if they are separated from their shepherd for any period of time. If a sheep is cast down and unable to get back up, it will die. Like a shepherd who leads his flock of sheep on paths that are safe for them to go down, the LORD leads His people where they should go so that their path in life is safe for them and so that they remain righteous and do not get lost on the paths of the world that are corrupt and sinful. The Christian is representative of Jesus Christ and is to be like Christ so the testimony of a Christian must be one of righteousness. The Christian needs to hear the voice of the LORD and be obedient to Him. Jesus states, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” John 10:27 Just like sheep without a shepherd, Christians will get into trouble if they are separated from the LORD for any period of time. Failure to read the Scripture, to pray, to involve the LORD in daily life, or to praise and worship Him will cause a Christian to stumble and fall in the Faith, and if spiritually cast down for long, the Christian may not recover and spiritually die.
Verse 4 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.
King David faced physical death on a regular basis, both from enemies without such as pagan nations and armies, and from within such as from King Saul, from his own military, and from his own son. He reigned 50 years as king and those years were fraught with danger and stress. So he knew what it felt like to be in the valley which metaphorically means a place of deep shadow, deep darkness, distress, and extreme danger. At the time of the writing of this Psalm, David knew that no matter what came his way, he could trust the LORD and that he had nothing to fear. He states that the LORD’s rod and staff would comfort or console him.
Application: Shepherds used to carry two important tools with them. One was a shepherd’s rod which was a long pole or stick that they would use to prod the sheep along and to direct them. The other was the staff that they would use to stop the sheep. With these two tools, the sheep could be moved forward or stopped. These tools kept the sheep from going where they should not go or from walking into a dangerous situation. Metaphorically, the LORD as our shepherd uses these two tools to move us forward in our walk with Him and to stop up from going where we should not go. These tools are His Word and His Holy Ghost/Spirit. The Word teaches us where we need to go or be in the Christian walk and the Holy Ghost/Spirit stops us from doing that which we should not do.
Verse 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
The Hebrew word translated as “preparest” is “arak” and it means to arrange, set or put or lay in order, to prepare, to direct, or to ordain. A table can be any flat, elevated surface for private use or sacred uses. Most theologians interpret this as being a dining table of a king and imply that God is preparing a feast of some kind in David’s enemies’ presence. However, this flat ordained place can be a plateau or a mesa, an area of relatively level, isolated, and high ground. As such, anyone on top of the plateau or mesa would have a vantage point and militarily an advantage over anyone below. Enemies would have to look up while King David would be looking down. So this writer believes David is saying that the LORD lifts him up into high places spiritually.
The Hebrew word translated as “anointest” is “dashen” and it means to be fat, grow fat, become fat, or become prosperous. In English, the word “anoint” means to smear or rub with oil. King David was prosperous as the king of Israel. He had many blessings that were financial in nature. He no longer had to eat meager rations while watching his sheep out in the wilderness. He had cooks and servants to care for his every need. Indeed he was anointed to be king and to be a servant of the LORD and as such, he was blessed.
Application: Sheep have a natural oil secreted by their skin which “anoints” their fleece and it is called lanolin. This oil, also referred to as wool fat or wool wax, protects the sheep’s skin, helps waterproof the fleece, and helps to keep insects away. It is an environmental protection for the sheep. It also helps to keep the sheep clean. A sheep can look grey and dirty as it grazes in the pasture, but when sheared, the inside wool is white and clean and the sheep’s skin is soft and pink and free of insects or injury. Just as the LORD provided an oil to anoint sheep, so His oil of mercy, grace, and joy through the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit anoints His children. The Holy Ghost/Spirit is the environmental protection Christian believers have to get them through this physical life protected from the storms of life and the attacks of the spiritual insects or devils.
Verse 6 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. (Psalm 23)
King David closes this Psalm by stating that he knows the LORD’s goodness and mercy will follow after him as he goes through his physical life on this Earth, and that at the end of his physical life, he will live or dwell with the LORD in His Kingdom for eternity. David knew that there would be life after his physical death and he was assured that he would be with the LORD, his God and Saviour and Master, the One who he had served all of his life.