The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1 KJV)
Comments based largely from A Shepherd Looks at the Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.
Psalm 23 begins as if a sheep is talking... boasting in fact, that The Lord is his shepherd.
In many places in Scripture, God calls us, His sheep. Being called a sheep is not really a compliment. If you know anything about sheep, you know that it is far from a compliment. The quality of a sheep's life depends completely on whether it has a good or a bad shepherd. A good shepherd selflessly cares for his sheep.
The life of a sheep depends so much on the character quality of his shepherd...his owner...his manager...his boss... Today, few people know anything about sheep or about raising sheep. To understand this Scripture principle about God's love and care for us, one either has to learn about sheep, or adapt the analogy to our times.
We all know that life with a bad boss can be terrible. When one has a "good" boss, life can be good, fulfilling, full. You could even be proud of having such a good boss.
Is the Lord your shepherd? Are you proud of your shepherd? Do you boast of your shepherd's care for you?
Arnie Ensfield March 1, 2008
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: (Psalm 23:2a KJV)
Comments based largely from A Shepherd Looks at the Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller.
Psalm 23 begins as if a sheep is talking... boasting in fact, that The Lord is his shepherd.
Sheep will not lie down unless they are free from four types of disturbances and only the shepherd can satisfy those needs:
1) Free from fear of enemies. Sheep have no defense except to run. If sheep sense a possible enemy nearby, they will not lie down, since it is hard to run from that position. Even a jack rabbit can scare a sheep into running. And if one runs, a dozen will run too, without waiting to find out what the fear is.
2) Free from fear of tension within the flock. Just as there is a pecking order among chickens, there is a definite butting order among sheep. An old ewe will generally be the dominant sheep in a flock. She will butt and thrust at other ewes and lambs to keep them from the best grazing or bedding area.
3) Free from the torment of parasites and insects. Sheep will not lie down if irritated by these little bugs in their ears or nose. They will stamp their feet, shake their head, or push into a thicket in search of relief.
4) Free from hunger. A hungry, ill-fed sheep is always on its feet, searching for the next morsel of food. In the Scriptures, the illustration of the Promised Land is one flowing with milk and honey. The agricultural terms, "flow of milk" or "flow of honey" describe the livestock feeding on forage and the corresponding flow of milk. The bees, feasting on the blossoms of the pasture, produce a flow of honey. So a land flowing with milk and honey is a land of rich, green, luxuriant pastures.
God calls us sheep. It is not particularly a complimentary term. Yet, the illustration of this psalm applies also to people. Only our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, can free us from our fears. He can free us of fear of enemies, of tensions with co-workers, or others in church, or even within our family, of the little things in life that "bug us", and from spiritual starvation.
Do you really need rest? Can you get it on your own?
Arnie Ensfield April 1, 2008