He leads his sheep to places of nourishment and rest v. Often it is necessary for the shepherd to lead his flock great distances to find both pasture and water.
Some paths are dangerous and should be avoided. The good shepherd leads his sheep in the right paths. One of the assurances the psalmist is confident he will never lack is the leading of God in his life. Verse 4 gives us yet another reason why God can be relied on to guide His sheep. Just as parents are evaluated by the way they care for their children, shepherds are judged by the condition of their flocks. We can be confident that God will guide His people because their lives reflect on Him as their Shepherd.
What a wonderful assurance! In addition David sinned and suffered the painful consequences cf. There is a subtle but significant change which occurs in verse 4. Did you notice the change of pronouns? It is His presence which dispels our fears. Whether there are two distinct instruments indicated by these two terms 92 or just one 93 is open to discussion. They were used both to ward off enemies and to rescue straying sheep. Discipline may seem unpleasant at the moment, but it is a comfort in the long term cf.
While God may not always use His power to keep us out of trials, His presence and His power will always be with us to keep us through our trials.
David has described his relationship to God using the imagery of the shepherd and his sheep. He now describes this same relationship employing the imagery of a hospitable host. The relationship of a host with his guest is even closer than that of a shepherd with his sheep. Just as well known in the ancient Near East was the significance of the hospitality offered to a traveler:.
In pastoral circles no human protection is greater than that afforded by the hospitality of a Bedouin chief. No greater security or comfort could be obtained by a traveler in the ancient Near East than to be offered the hospitality of a home. It was understood that this was a provision of shelter and food, but even more it was a guarantee of protection from harm. We can sense this from Old Testament passages such as Genesis More enlightening and distressing!
Whether or not we are able to grasp how a father could offer his virgin daughters to such a mob, we must at least gain some appreciation for the strong sense of obligation Lot felt to the two men in view of his hospitality. To sit as a guest at the table of a host was to be assured of food, housing, fellowship and protection. This offered great security, especially since the host was a man of influence and generosity.
The amount of security which any host could provide depended upon his prestige and power. The abundance of his provisions indicated that he was a prosperous, powerful, and generous man. To have the hospitality of such a host was to be secure indeed!
The cup was likewise a gesture of generosity. It was not half-filled, but running over. Satisfaction, significance, and security are all abundantly supplied to the believer by God, as indicated by the imagery of the hospitable host. As a result of the provisions of verse 5 David can confidently summarize his security in the words of verse 6: They are especially consoling in times of distress. These characteristics of God are linked to His covenant with Israel. Most significantly, David is not a guest for a few days at the home of his gracious host; he is a permanent part of this household.
There is an old Greek saying that goes something like this: Although he desired to build the temple, this task was left to his son Solomon 2 Sam. David may have been looking forward to that future day in eternity when he could fellowship with God in the temple. It may well be, however, that David is simply looking forward to continued fellowship and communion with God as he has already experienced it in his life. The blessings and the calmness of soul which David experienced in his life and expressed in this psalm would be a delight to anyone, but how can we be assured of them in our lives?
The answer is almost too simple to believe: In the words of the Good Shepherd Himself: Those who enjoy the benefits of being cared for by the Good Shepherd John They understand that He has laid down His life for them John They enter into eternal blessings through Jesus Christ who is the door to the sheepfold John It is amazing to ponder that in order to become the Good Shepherd our Lord first had to become a sheep—the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world cf. Christian comfort is only for Christians. David never lost his sense of individual pastoral care from the hand of his Shepherd.
Two doubts tend to make us question this kind of personal and individual care. The first is tribulation. Some seem to feel that God cares about them only when everything is going well. This is a unique opportunity and I've never granted anyone this kind of access and amount of feedback before. Spots are filling up FAST so grab yours!
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For His Name's Sake (Psalm 23 Mysteries) (Volume 7) [Debbie Viguié] on www.farmersmarketmusic.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. A wedding should always be a. Editorial Reviews. About the Author. DEBBIE VIGUIÉ is the New York Times Bestselling author of two dozen novels including the Wicked series, the Crusade .
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