The Good Shepherd and the loveliness of Psalm 23

Apart from being a part of my daily devotional, Psalm 23 is the first psalm that I ever learned. With pastoral elements, the psalm is short, sweet and simple.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The first four verses finds the humble psalmist (David) comparing himself to a satisfied lamb/sheep belonging to a shepherd. This isn’t strange considering that the greatest sovereign of Israel used to be a shepherd (1 Samuel 16:11- And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.) who had once told Saul of how he saved his father’s flock from a bear and lion (I Samuel 17:34-35 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.)

The shepherd of David the sheep isn’t anyone average- it is the Lord who has humbled himself as a shepherd. Unlike other sheep for whom the grass is always greener on the other side, D is very content and firm in his faith. He is conscious that sheep cannot live in gilded palaces but is certain that the caring Lord will provide him with the daily bread (and the physical, material and spiritual comforts). The good Lord/Shepherd takes him to the green pastures where the sheep can rest contented. There are still waters nearby where David will not be drowned or swept away by a current. The Lord is careful not to take the sheep to perilous places in Israel which has cliffs, mountains, deserts and gorges. If they end up walking in ominous dark valleys reeking of evil, David doesn’t panic since the good shepherd is with him. The Lord keeps a vigilant eye on the silly sheep- With His rod and staff, He makes sure that they don’t go astray (from the paths of righteousness) or are ensnared by predators and thieves.

But in verses 5 and 6, the sheep transforms into David the King. The Lord has honoured his devotion and has lifted high his faithful follower. How many people can boast of eating a feast prepared by the Lord himself? Furthermore, you can spy David’s enemies in a distance enviously spying on his fortune. The Lord chooses him by anointing his head with oil (upon the orders of God, prophet Samuel anoints the young shepherd David with oil, signifying that he will be the new King of Israel). His wine cup is a cornucopia. David vows that he will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

The reference to the Lord as the good shepherd occurs afterwards in Psalm 80:1- Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Isaiah prophesies in Isaiah 40:11- He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

The above is a beautiful picture particularly if we can picture that young man of 33 years gathering the lambs with His arms and carrying them in His bosom and leading the ewes, the older lambs, and the rams.

Ezekiel does the same in 34:23- ‘And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.’ And later in 37:24, ‘And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.’

Interestingly, Jesus (who is born into the lineage of David as prophesised by Ezekiel above) makes a parallel allegory later- in John 10: 1- 16
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. (which He did and which He continues to do)
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

And later in John 10: 27, 28: ‘My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand’.

And the apostles write this later:-

Hebrews 13:20: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
1 Peter 2:25: For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
1 Peter 5:4: And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.