psalm 23 commentary john macarthur

Psalms - Grace To You 1 Peter 5:4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Historical Books General Epistles The word through is important. But whether our fears are irrational or based on very real circumstances, our need to remember the Lord is the same. The light shines the brightest in the dark. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. What would you say of a pilgrim commissioned of God to travel up and down the earth singing a strange melody, which, when one heard, caused him to forget whatever sorrow he had? We are so invited and not just occasionally but foreverthe honor that exceeds all other honors. The psalmist genuinely expressed his understanding and experience with God as his shepherd. [12] Must admit that I have been dealing with a few trials lately and when I read this verse it kind of caught me by surprise! The concept dates back to the Book of Genesis when Jacob referred to the LORD as the Shepherd and the Rock of Israel (Genesis 49:24). Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. Gods motivations for treating His people rightly stem from the perfection and goodness of His nature. In 1969, after graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church. [3]I learnt this when I went to a John Macarthur seminar one time. Psalm 23 Bible Commentary - Matthew Henry (complete) - Christianity Oh! The New Testament I remember a woman who grieved every year on anniversary of the death of her infant child. What He is leading, guiding and teaching us is firstly about the inward change to the circumstance even if outwardly things remain the same. Psalm 23 Commentary - Sermon Writer Taking the Lord's Supper in an Unworthy Manner. When flies or parasites annoy them, its hard for them to be at rest. If things are tough, remember this verse. Nor have I ever heard an audible voice that was clearly God's telling me which decisions to make. David found him so, and so have we. The Hebrew word, sulhan (table), could refer to an animal hide spread on the ground like a picnic blanket. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. This verse doesn't mean that there will not be times of drought, valleys, difficulties and need--- far from it God loves you too much to just make things always easy! He was aware of the potential dangers that may befall him. They probably are anxious about different things. Receive uplifting scriptures, inspiring articles & helpful guides to encourage your faith. Death is not the house but the porch, not the goal but the passage to it Many a saint has reaped more joy and knowledge when he came to die than he ever knew while he lived. Bible Introductions - Psalms by John MacArthur - Blue Letter Bible The overflowing cup symbolizes the Lords generosity. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His names sake.. Verse 1. I have a lady at my work who, after saying something that she felt may tempt fate, said 'touch wood'. Davids song is portrayed in non-religious circles too, making appearances in many secular movies and other entertainment mediums. Lie down in green pastures quiet waters - But thank Jesus our great Shepherd that He does bring us to green pastures and quiet waters. Had a very strange dream last night and you were in it. [4] I read in a John Hunter book that as well as being able to say 'The Lord is my shepherd' we should be able to say 'The shepherd is my Lord.' 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. Pentateuch This is the joy of the Christian! Psalm 23 Bible Study - Jesus our Great Shepherd! You anoint my head with oil. What is characteristic of them? i. Psalm 23 | Anchored | Grace Community Church - gracechurch.org In verse 1, David expresses his thoughts about God. The MacArthur Bible Commentary treats every passage of the Old and New Testaments phrase by phrase, with hundreds of word studies and sidebars throughout. Gods presence enables David to feast in perfect security. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Instead of speaking about his Shepherd, David speaks to Him. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. 'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [5] We need to make sure that we have a Middle Eastern understanding of the Shepherd. So I wrote back and said I had done a thorough check and all was well. Commentary on Psalm 23 - Working Preacher from Luther Seminary See here, 1. It adorns walls in faithful churches and fills frames in Christian homes. On still other days, she found herself walking through the middle of the valley. Johannine Writings His Spirit attends us in various operations, like watersin the pluralto cleanse, to refresh, to fertilize, to cherish. 'Is something bad going to happen to me?' He is not just a 'good shepherd'. They can't run all that fast, don't have the greatest eye sight apparently and, being basically defenceless, are timid and fearful. I'll close with this for is gives a great summary of the wonderful provision of God as outlined in this Psalm. Was it where you thought you would go? But it is there that you learn that though you may not be able to see the shepherd as well as normal, He can see you and is still protecting you! For them, it truly was the valley of the shadow of death. ii. Sermons from the Book of Psalms | Grace to You - SermonAudio Psalm 40 - The Pit and the Pierced Ear in the Paths of God, Psalm 41: The pattern of betrayal - Past, present and future (P1), Psalm 55: The pattern of betrayal: Past, present and future (P2), Psalm 69 - The restoration and the zeal of the Lord, Psalm 102 - Change and the Unchangeable One, Psalm 110: Jesus the Messiah - Our Lord and King, Psalm 110: Jesus our priest in the order of Melchizedek. He talks about going through it, showing that he expects to emerge from its shadows into the light on the other side. 6 Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahwehs house forever. a. There you have it. Is it a terrible thing that even though God is sovereign and controls the entire universe, we don't want to let go of the reigns! Articles Messages Books Podcasts Filter Resources By Ask Pastor John. Readers benefit from the coherence a single commentator provides, finding faithful, understandable, and . Included in the "better" provisions are: a better hope . They will not lie down when there is conflict among the sheep. A sheep unoiled is an easy target for the infestations of such pests. Bible Introductions - Hebrews by John MacArthur - Blue Letter Bible c. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over: Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his hosts goodness. (Whew!) Our God leads His people into the green pastures and still waters. Psalm 23:2-3 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul. The Shepherd's staff: The staff was used by the Shepherd to direct the sheep in the way in which they should go, and, in the case of a wandering nosey sheep, to pull it back into line [11] . Luke-Acts Play. "Depth and strength underlie the simplicity of this psalm. My cup runs over (Hebrew: rewayah) (v. 5c). It was spoken by someone who had been through more than we probably ever will so he knew what he was talking about! He doesn't stop, and he doesn't give up hope. and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. It offers a broad overview of each Bible book and the internal consistency that results from having a single commentator. I need to know you are well.' (12) I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. The rod of Jesse shall still be over me as the sovereign succor of my soul.[5]. In all of those things he was also being pursued the goodness and loving kindness of his great Shepherd. They will not lie down if they are afraid. Is - Can you say that? Death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains. Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. In this article, well be talking about the commentary of Psalm 23 and explore more about its meaning. In Psalm 22 He gives His life for the sheep; in Psalm 23 He gives His love to the sheep; in Psalm 24 He gives us light when He shall appear. PSALM 23:1-4. Not will be, like you look forward to something He will do but IS - present tense. Countless experts also argued that David wrote it during the later years of his kingship because of its nostalgic and tranquil tone. David claimed that the same God who faithfully rescued the Israelites from Egypt and provided guidance and provision in the wilderness is the same faithful God he served. The hosts care and concern doesnt eliminate the presence of my enemies but enables the experience of Gods goodness and bounty even in their midst. The sweetest word of the whole is that monosyllable, My. He does not say, The Lord is the shepherd of the world at large, and leadeth forth the multitude as his flock, but The Lord is my shepherd; if he be a Shepherd to no one else, he is a Shepherd to me; he cares for me, watches over me, and preserves me. The words are in the present tense. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary is now completethirty-three volumes that take you through the whole New Testament, detail by detail, verse by verse. 1TheLordis my shepherd; I shall not want. For I am Yahweh your God, The comforts of a living saint. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. There is some debate among commentators as to whether David had the idea of two separate instruments (the rod and the staff) or one instrument used two ways. Major Prophets The image portrays that God has the power to feed and protect David. Near death, the saint still calmly walks he does not need to quicken his pace in alarm or panic. Regardless of destitution, famine, storms, and other uncertainties, Gods flock is well-provided for in all seasons. 20:28 ) If this is you, then please don't starve God's flock and please don't feed them rubbish. Arno C Gaebelin said (with some small modifications): A good way to read this Psalm is by asking the question, 'What shall I not want?' He leads me - Jesus our Shepherd is in the business of leading and bringing you to a place of rest. They will lead us to places of rest and provision. Just like the sheep, its difficult for us to be at rest when life throws a lot of problems. A servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the son abideth ever. While I am here I will be a child at home with my God; the whole world shall be his house to me; and when I ascend into the upper chamber, I shall not change my company, nor even change the house; I shall only go to dwell in the upper story of the house of the Lord forever. This psalm is so personal, with the pronoun I or My, being used commonly. The mercy here comes from the Hebrew word Hesed which depicts Gods covenant faithfulness. Every word in it has a wealth of meaning. God saved (Israel) for his names sake, that he might make his mighty power known (Psalm 106:8). It has not made the dying Christian slave freer than his masterNor is its work done. For instance, we would emphasize 'I WILL build my church' or 'I will BUILD my church' etc. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters., God as a shepherd knows where to lead His flock to rest. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; It has remanded to their dungeon more felon thoughts, more black doubts, more thieving sorrows, than there are sands on the sea-shore. [9] As Jesus Himself said, 'You are the light of the world. Oils and ointments can salve wounds and insect bites. Psalm 23:3 He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. And let's not forget they are prone to wander. The sense of this verse then is that, because God is loving and kind, his people can expect God to provide blessings throughout life. If God is our shepherd then we must obey Him wholeheartedly. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference speaker, president of The Masters University and Seminary, and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. The psalmist has been talking about God in the third person (he). But it is alluded to such as in Revelation 7:17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water." ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. Location. Psalm 23 commentary is a holy piece of work that exudes different kinds of emotions. Welcome to FaithGiant, where you can find everything you need to live a life of faith, hope, and love. Pentateuch With joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). But, it does entitle David to experience Gods provision and providence in their midst. Minor Prophets Everything will be ok. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. God is like a shepherd to David. [6] As a silly example, a few weeks back I got an email from a past work colleague that I hadn't heard from for some time. He rammed it home so much that come lunch time we were saying 'I WILL eat my lunch', 'I will EAT my lunch.' God shines His light into our lives. b) John MacArthur; MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 5:18 - "Be filled" translates the present passive imperative of "pleroo", and is more literally rendered as "be being kept filled." We are "indwelt" by the Holy Spirit at the moment of justification (professing our faith in Christ). It may portray the straying sheep brought back. Fortunately, I had insurance that would allow my family to weather the storm financially. can be seen as comforting for it is a sign that He loves us scripture says (Heb 12:6). The enemy was strongly entrenched there, and was determined to stay. You can also change some of your preferences. King David, who wrote this Psalm, obviously knew all about being a shepherd. In Psalms 23:3, Psalms 23:4 the spiritual meaning shines through the figure, as in Psalms 23:5, Psalms 23:6 it is laid aside altogether; yet still the psalmist speaks of the "rod and staff." "Rod," the shepherd's crook, the received emblem of authority, guidance, and discipline.