A Study in the Psalms: Psalm 23
I'll be referencing what I've read from the book listed above, so I want to be sure to give credit where it is due. Phillip Keller, the author of the book I'll be referencing, had firsthand experience with sheep and being a shepherd. He provides an interesting insight into Psalm 23, that most of us who read it don't have.
Psalm 23:1a
"The Lord is my Shepherd..."
Jesus referred to Himself several times in John 10 as the Good Shepherd. What does that mean for me? It is referring to the relationship between me and the One who created me. Phillip Keller notes,
Jesus calls Himself my Shepherd and invites me to be part of His sheepfold. Isaiah 53:6 refers to me as a sheep who has gone astray. Sheep don't care for themselves. They require more attention and care than any other group of animals. They aren't exactly the smartest animals, and they need someone to guide and lead them.
In order to have a sheepfold, one must purchase the sheep. Once the sheep are purchased, the shepherd will then mark them so that he knows which sheep belong to him. Christ purchased me with His shed blood on Calvary. I have been bought with a price, and I am now covered, "marked," with His shed blood. Christ went through unimaginable pain to purchase me. When sheep are marked, there is pain involved as well. Likewise, there is pain in a sense when I am marked because becoming part of Christ's sheepfold requires sacrifice. The pain I experience is nothing compared to the pain He suffered for me. Christ's mark on me requires me to die daily to myself and take up my cross and follow Him. The mark Christ left on me is the mark of the cross. I exchange my desire to follow my own ways for a desire to follow Christ and what God has planned for me. As a Christian, Christ now owns me. I am no longer my own. I belong to the God of the universe...what a thought that is!
It is hard for me to comprehend that God in all His significance and power, would send His Son to die for someone like me who is so insignificant in the scheme of His creation. With gratitude in my heart, I can proudly exclaim along with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd!" I belong to Him and I am marked by His blood. Even though, in my stubbornness and stupidity, I will wander away from the sheepfold, He is always gently leading and guiding me back to where I belong because I bear His mark. He knows me and loves me! No matter what life brings, I will flourish with Christ as my Shepherd! I'm so thankful that I belong to Him! I'm so thankful I don't have to figure things out on my own. God already knows which direction I need to take. It's up to me, though, to follow the Shepherd's leading and guiding.
Keller, W. Phillip. "The Lord Is My Shepherd." A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1970. 15-25. Print.
I'll be referencing what I've read from the book listed above, so I want to be sure to give credit where it is due. Phillip Keller, the author of the book I'll be referencing, had firsthand experience with sheep and being a shepherd. He provides an interesting insight into Psalm 23, that most of us who read it don't have.
Psalm 23:1a
"The Lord is my Shepherd..."
Jesus referred to Himself several times in John 10 as the Good Shepherd. What does that mean for me? It is referring to the relationship between me and the One who created me. Phillip Keller notes,
It links a lump of common clay to divine destiny - it means a mere mortal becomes the cherished object of divine diligence. (p.17)In this verse, David is speaking from the viewpoint of a sheep. He is proud of Who his Shepherd is. According to Keller, "the lot in life of any particular sheep depended on the type of man who owned it." (p.17) Sheep could suffer hardship under one owner, but could flourish under another.
Jesus calls Himself my Shepherd and invites me to be part of His sheepfold. Isaiah 53:6 refers to me as a sheep who has gone astray. Sheep don't care for themselves. They require more attention and care than any other group of animals. They aren't exactly the smartest animals, and they need someone to guide and lead them.
In order to have a sheepfold, one must purchase the sheep. Once the sheep are purchased, the shepherd will then mark them so that he knows which sheep belong to him. Christ purchased me with His shed blood on Calvary. I have been bought with a price, and I am now covered, "marked," with His shed blood. Christ went through unimaginable pain to purchase me. When sheep are marked, there is pain involved as well. Likewise, there is pain in a sense when I am marked because becoming part of Christ's sheepfold requires sacrifice. The pain I experience is nothing compared to the pain He suffered for me. Christ's mark on me requires me to die daily to myself and take up my cross and follow Him. The mark Christ left on me is the mark of the cross. I exchange my desire to follow my own ways for a desire to follow Christ and what God has planned for me. As a Christian, Christ now owns me. I am no longer my own. I belong to the God of the universe...what a thought that is!
It is hard for me to comprehend that God in all His significance and power, would send His Son to die for someone like me who is so insignificant in the scheme of His creation. With gratitude in my heart, I can proudly exclaim along with David, "The Lord is my Shepherd!" I belong to Him and I am marked by His blood. Even though, in my stubbornness and stupidity, I will wander away from the sheepfold, He is always gently leading and guiding me back to where I belong because I bear His mark. He knows me and loves me! No matter what life brings, I will flourish with Christ as my Shepherd! I'm so thankful that I belong to Him! I'm so thankful I don't have to figure things out on my own. God already knows which direction I need to take. It's up to me, though, to follow the Shepherd's leading and guiding.
I love this! What beautiful imagery...
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