Psalm 23
*DISCLAIMER*
The following Bible study was originally sent via email on July 18–19, 2020. That email contained the omission of a line from the original Bible study, which was printed in its entirety in the July issue of The Chosen People magazine. The complete Bible study can be found below. We apologize for the oversight.
Despite the fact that many pillars of our faith—Abraham, Moses, and David to name a few—were shepherds, shepherding is not currently one of the most popular professions. Parents do not lie in bed at night saying, “Oh, how I hope my child comes to me one day and says, ‘Mom, Dad, I know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a shepherd.’”
Throughout the Scriptures—in both the Old and New Covenants—God uses shepherding to illustrate His relationship with us. Our relationship with God is not horizontal; it is vertical. We do not ascend to Him as if to become gods. Rather, it is a matter of Him coming down to us. What a great act of humility! The creator of the universe is concerned for us: a stubborn, stiff-necked, and rebellious people (Romans 5:8, Psalm 8:4). Just as a shepherd lovingly takes care of his sheep, lowering himself to them, our Lord also comes down to our level to care for us.
Despite the fact that many pillars of our faith—Abraham, Moses, and David to name a few—were shepherds, shepherding is not currently one of the most popular professions. Parents do not lie in bed at night saying, “Oh, how I hope my child comes to me one day and says, ‘Mom, Dad, I know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a shepherd.’”
Throughout the Scriptures—in both the Old and New Covenants—God uses shepherding to illustrate His relationship with us. Our relationship with God is not horizontal; it is vertical. We do not ascend to Him as if to become gods. Rather, it is a matter of Him coming down to us. What a great act of humility! The creator of the universe is concerned for us: a stubborn, stiff-necked, and rebellious people (Romans 5:8, Psalm 8:4). Just as a shepherd lovingly takes care of his sheep, lowering himself to them, our Lord also comes down to our level to care for us.
The Lord is my Shepherd
When we say, “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23), we acknowledge that we are His sheep, but saying it is not enough; our lives must reflect it. As we understand the relationship of a shepherd to his sheep, we can better understand God’s relationship with us. The problem is that very few of us have any idea about the actual role of a shepherd. Grasping what a good shepherd does for his sheep—what it means for the Lord Himself to be willing to be our shepherd—will give us a deeper appreciation for how the Lord cares for us.
Do you acknowledge your belonging to Him? Are you willing to recognize that everything you have and everything you have ever worked for belongs to God? You are His steward, managing things for Him. Viewed through a worldly lens, this may seem like an unfavorable situation. The world tempts us to say, “It is all mine; I am not anyone’s slave; I am free.” But that is what this is all about. The way sheep belong to a shepherd, God owns us and we must acknowledge that.
He is in charge
In Psalm 100:3, the psalmist wrote, “Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” God bought us with a price; He has redeemed us. In Acts 20:28, Paul gave a charge to the elders saying, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
The Scriptures teach that true wholeness is achieved by surrendering to God’s control of everything in our lives. Everything we have is His; He is in charge. However, psychologists and psychiatrists in the secular world often aim to guide their clients to stand in their own strength, assert themselves, and be subject to no one. They would say that self-reliance is the road to wholeness.
The Scriptures teach that true wholeness is achieved by surrendering to God’s control of everything in our lives.
If we cannot submit to God’s authority, we will never have true peace and contentment. Everything would depend upon our circumstances, which are continually changing. By acknowledging that the Lord is our shepherd and by accepting His authority in our lives, we can find true freedom and fulfillment. With genuine gratitude and exaltation, we can proclaim as David did, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” I lack nothing and have everything that I need because the Lord provides it all.
During Passover, one of my favorite songs sung at the Seder is “Dayenu.” In the song, after describing each miracle God performed, the word dayenu is sung. It means, “It would have been enough for us.” When looking at Psalm 23:1, “dayenu” would be an appropriate addition; we can say without hesitation, “Adonai Roi, the Lord is my shepherd, and that is enough. Dayenu.
