The Valley

Psalm 23:4 

ven though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I fear no evil, for You are with me; 

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

“From a shepherd’s point of view, this statement marks the halfway stage in the Psalm. It is as though up to this point the sheep has been boasting to its unfortunate neighbor across the fence about the excellent care it received from its owner… Now it turns to address the shepherd directly. (Keller, p. 97)

The shepherds life entails two seasons, the winder in at the home range and the summer in the mountains. But in order to get up into the mountains, you must navigate the valleys. The valleys could be beautiful with abundant water and grass but could also be dangerous with flash floods and predators lurking from the overlooking hills, sudden blizzards and rock falls. But the shepherd had been this way before and had cleared a safe path, even “through the valley of the shadow of death.” The mountain lions could threaten, but the shepherd was ready to defend his flock. And is important that it says “walk through”. It about dying in the valley, but in going through the valleys to get to the lush pastures in the high table lands. It may seem tough in the valley, but higher ground is coming.

“As Christians we will sooner or later discover that it is in the flays of our lives that we find refreshment from God Himself. It is not until we have walked with Him through some very deep troubles that we discover He can lead us to find our refreshment in Him right in the midst of our difficulty.” (p. 103)

It is those who have been through the valley with the master can comfort and encourage others who are going through hard times.

“I know with surety that only through them (valleys) can I possibly travel on to higher ground in God.” (Keller, p. 109)

 A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, by W. Phillip Keller

The One Shepherd

 The One Shepherd

April 30, 2025

Psalms 23:1

1 The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd… This harkens back to the prophecy of Ezekie of David becoming the shepherd of all Israel.

Ezekiel 37:24-28 - The Davidic Kingdom

24“My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. 27 My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. 28 And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”

This prophecy was only partially fulfilled in the reign of King David but will be fulfilled in its entirety by the Son of David who is King of Kings for all time. As it says in Corinthians, “now we see in part”, but soon we will see the entire fulfillment when Jesus returns and brings the Kingdom of God to earth. As we were discussing yesterday, Jesus power was declared at His resurrection, but it will not be fully visible to all the world until He returns again in power. But even now He is our God and we are His people and His sanctuary dwells within us. In truth, the Kingdom of God is real and has power, but the fullness of that power is not manifest to the people of the world. But one day soon, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Then all the nations will know that He is the Lord who sanctifies His people and His sanctuary is in their midst forever. 

Declare the Son of God

 Declare the Son of God

April 29, 2025

Romans 1:1-4

1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophetsin the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

I was reading Romans this morning and was examining some commentary notes on chapter 1. One word that the commentator spent considerable time on was “declared” in verse 4. What does it Meja to “declare the Son of God…”? The most interesting comment was that it could be an allusion to Psalm 2.

Psalms 2:6-7

6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King

Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:

He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.

This psalm refers to the coronation of David as King of Israel. King David of course is a foreshadowing of Jesus, the King of Kings. In the case of David, he had ben anointed to be king by the prophet many years before, but it was not official until his coronation. At his coronation, his kingship was announced to all the world and he received the power to rule. In Jesus’ case, he had been the Son of God from the beginning of time (if not before!) but at the resurrection, His kingship was announced to all the world, including his enemies. The Devil had assumed that he had defeated his enemy, but at the resurrection Jesus’ kingship, power and authority was announced to all the world, and His enemies trembled. The Spirit of holiness was declare to be superior to the spirits of this world and the enemies, sin and death, were declared to be defeated. Praise the Lord that this same power and victory is available to us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. So let us join with Paul and “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord”

Prepare a Table

 Prepare a Table

April 28,2025

Psalms 23:5

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

This verse in Psalm 23 always struck me as a bit odd. When you interpret it in ordinary context, this seems to be about a banquet table, but with your enemies all around. Now a banquet is nice, but why all your enemies? In “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”, Phillip Keller explains this in terms of an actual shepherd. When tending sheep in a mountainous area, like the Americans West, Australia or Israel, it is common to drive your sheep herd up into the mountains during the summer. You will find fresh green grass in the high plains that will sustain the sheep when the low valleys drive up in the summer. In America, we call these high plains mesas, which is Spanish for table. So the shepherd seeks our suitable table lands in the mountains for his sheep.

But before he takes the sheep, the shepherd must first go and prepare the fields There are poisonous plants that grow in the mountains that must be pulled up, and the springs ad pools may have gotten overgrown over the winter, so he needs to unstop the springs and repair the earthen dams that provide a quiet pool in the midst of the mountain streams. There are also predators about, so he has to scout out the lair of the mountain lions and other dangerous beasts to know what dangers lurk. Only after he has prepared “the table”, will the shepherd return to fetch his sheep and lead them into the mountains. He prepares a table in the presence of his enemies.

Other enemies that he encounters in the mountains are flies. This is where the anointing oil comes in. A shepherd will rub oil into the wool of his sheep to repel the flies so they don’t worry the sheep. Untreated, the flies will so disturb the sheep that they can hardly eat or sleep.  But after all of these enemies have been accounted for, the sheep can be content and feed peacefully in the mountain table lands. There is green grass, still water, and freedom from pests. Their cup overflows with peace and contentment.

Thus it is that our Good Shepherd provides peace and contentment for us, even in the midst of our enemies, because he has gone before us to prepare the table. We are provided for and protected so we can be content and grateful. Our cup overflows.

Green Pastures

 Green Pastures

April 26, 2025

Psalms 23:1-2 (NASB95) 1 A Psalm of David. 

TheLORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

In “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Keller describes all the work that a shepherd needs to do to provide green pastures and good water for his sheep. Left on their own, without a good shepherd, sheep will overgraze and kill the grass and will trample and polute a water hole. A shepherd must provide fresh pasture, free of noxious weeds, and rotate the sheep through new pastures on a regular schedule. He must also clean out the water source and ensure that clean, fresh water is flowing smoothly. In some climates, all the water that sheep need can be provided by the dew on fresh grass, so both can be supplied together.

In the Christian life,  regular feeding on the Word of God is essential for maintaining spiritual health. Fresh Word, watered by the spirit of the living God, keeps us from growing undernourished and parched. When we open our Bible every morning, we provide opportunity for the Spirit to talk to us, to encourage us, and to guide us. Left in our own, with out “green grass”, our life can become stale and worn out. We need the new Word every morning to keep our faith fresh. Fellowship with other believers also helps us find fresh pasture. Like sheep, we can get in a rut, going over the same path, over and over until it is worn and bare. The Good Shepherd, through the voice of the Holy Spirit, the written Word, and the guidance of fellow  Christians , can guide us to green pastures and still waters. So today, seek the Lord and rest in the green pastures that He provides.

I Shall Not Want

 I Shall Not Want

April 24, 2025

Psalms 23:1 (NASB95) A Psalm of David. 

TheLORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Recently, I was encouraging a couple of younger brothers at church. They were going through some tough times with jobs and I was praying with them. I told one of them that my testimony is in Psalm 37.

Psalms 37:23-26 (NASB95) 

23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. 24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because theLORD is the One who holds his hand. 25 I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. 26 All day long he is gracious and lends, And his descendants are a blessing.

I especially noted verse 25, “I have been young and now I am old, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread. “ I don’t think I really appreciated the Lord’s provision until I retired. All my working years, our family had been well provided for, but I was working and so could take some credit for working hard to provide for my family. But when I retired, I could only depend upon the Lord for provision and was amazed at how the Lord provided for us. I should have known better, having believed in and taught about tithing,  if after tithing, giving offerings and saving for 40 or 50 years, I found that, indeed, the Lord does provide! Another scripture that assures this in Proverbs 10:

Proverbs 10:22 (NASB95)

It is theblessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.

I have indeed experienced the blessings of the Lord and thus was able to encourage my younger brothers to have hope and faith. The Lord will provide! So, no matter what stage of life you find yourself, be encouraged that the Lord is with you. You can say with the psalmist, “I shall not want”. There may be times when things don’t appear to be bright, but if you persevere and keep faith in the Lord, one day you also will be old and will be able to look back and say “I have never seen the righteous forsaken”. That is my testimony. The Lord is faithful. The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want.

Down Cast

 Down cast

April 23, 2025

Psalms 23:1-3 (NASB)

1 The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For His name’s sake.

In the book, “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”, by Philip Keller, there is an interesting comment about Psalm 23:3, “He restores my soul”. He relates this to a “cast” sheep, one which is turned over on its back and can’t get up. He compares this to being in despair, or down cast, in Psalm 42.

Psalms 42:5 (NKJV)

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him

For the help of His countenance.

A Cast sheep can get into trouble because if fell into a hole, or was too fat, or had too much wool, in order for it to turn itself over.  It was especially common among pregnant sheep who were heavy with lamb, and couldn’t find their feet if turned over. There were in desperate condition and were in peril of being from hunger and thirst, or being killed by predators unless the shepherd could find them and restore them to their feet. “He restores my soul.” In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus compares himself to a good shepherd who searches and finds the one lost sheep. He rejoices when he can restore the down cast sheep and restore it to the flock other 99.

Sometimes, we are like that down cast sheep. We get heavy with the world’s cares and pleasures and get ourselves into a place that we can’t get ourselves out of. Oh happy day, when Jesus finds us and rescues us from the pit of despair and restores our soul! Like a cast sheep, sometimes it takes considerable effort for the shepherd to roll us over and stand us on our feet. He may need to hold it up and massage the legs until it is strong enough to stand on its own. So the Lord the Good Shepherd, will restore us, and then strengthen and guide us to help us stand and keep out of trouble. Another picture of this is found in Psalm 40:

Psalms 40:1-3

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;

And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

3 He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the LORD.

So, no matter what kind of pit you find yourself in, the Good Shepherd is able to restore your should and set your feet upon the Rock. So sing that new song that many will see and trust in the Lord.

The Lamb of God, The Good Shepherd

 The Lamb of God, The Good Shepherd 

April 22, 2025

Psalms 23:1-3 (NASB95) 1 A Psalm of David. 

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

John 1:29 (NASB95) 

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 10:11,14,27-30 (NASB95)

11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 “I and the Father are one.”

Revelation 7:17 (NASB95)

17for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”

Coming our of the celebrations of Passover and Resurrection Sunday, we have been thinking about lambs. It was the paschal lamb that was sacrificed for the Passover, and Jesus was the ultimate Passover lamb when he died and rose again on Resurrection Sunday. But we also have the Bible call the Lord our shepherd. This is one of those Bible mysteries, how can Jesus be both the lamb and the shepherd?

I recently dug out an old classic book on Psalm 23. “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23”, by Phillip Keller. He describes the life of a shepherd and relates the verses of the twenty third Psalm to real life events. He describes sheep as creatures that are totally dependent on their shepherd. He describes all sorts of problems that sheep can get into when left on their own. By his description, sheep are not very smart or resourceful and need to be led. Yet King David, in his psalm, puts himself in the place of a sheep who needs a shepherd. Of course, he himself had been a shepherd in his younger days, so he provides an example of a sheep who is also a shepherd.

The Pascal Lamb is the very picture of innocence. It was to be one year old and without spot or blemish. It was in this sense that Jesus was the lamb of God, the only perfect man, who was without sin. The Passover sacrifice Is a picture of of the blood of the innocent creature being shed to pass over the sins of the people. This also was a picture of Jesus, who being perfect, yet took on the sins of the world to redeem us from sin, death and decay. Jesus is the Lamb of God.

But on the other hand, Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd. One who loves and cares for the sheep, who leads and guides them, and lays down his life to protect the sheep. King David was such a shepherd. He tells, in the story of David and Goliath, how he had killed the lion and the bear defending his sheep. So David knew how to put his life on the line to protect his sheep. In the first part of Psalm 23, he describes how the shepherd leads his sheep to good pasture, and still waters and guides them to good, safe places. Thus it is that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads us and guides us in every circumstance, and provides for us all that we need to thrive. Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

So Jesus is both sheep and shepherd. And we are to be like him in that we are to be the sheep of His flock, following Him obediently in all things, while also being shepherds of those coming after us, showing them the Way to the Father. Just as it is in the conclusion to the twenty third Psalm:

Psalms 23:4-6 (NASB95) 

4 Eventhough I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Resurrection

 The Resurrection 

April 20, 2025

Luke 24:1-9

The Resurrection

1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; 5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8 And they remembered His words, 9 and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.

Romans 6:4-7

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7 for he who has died is freed from sin.

Philippians 3:10-11

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.