## Psalm 23 Study, Part 1

## Psalm 23:1

"Jehovah my Shepherd""

The twenty-third Psalm is probably the most familiar and best loved of all Scripture passages. Its main theme illustrates one of the names for God. "Jehovah-Rohi" .

I. The Lord is my Shepherd...

A. He is Lord (not just any lord...)

1. The God of the Heavens.

2. The One who is eternal.

3. The Holy One of Israel.

4. The Unchangeable God.

B. He is shepherd.

1. In the Old Testament, sheep died for the shepherd. In the New Testament, Shepherd dies for the sheep.

2. Jesus is our Three-fold shepherd.

a. The good shepherd. (John 10:11).

b. The great shepherd. (Hebrews 13:20).

c. The chief shepherd. (I Peter 5:4)

3. He died to save the sheep -- Salvation.

4. He lives to keep the sheep - Security.

5. He is coming to reward the sheep - Service

C. We are His sheep

The nature and habits of sheep make them very different from most other animals.

1. Sheep are an object of property, not a wild animal.

a. Only domestic animal that cannot exist without man.

b. Horses, dogs, cats left to themselves will become wild.

c. Not sheep, they will be killed by wolves or winter.

2. As Sheep we are:

a. Property (of God).

b. Purchased possessions.

c. Price was great (blood).

3. We are compared to sheep.

(PSA 100:3) "KNOW YE THAT THE LORD HE IS GOD: IT IS HE THAT HATH MADE US, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; WE ARE HIS PEOPLE, AND THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE."

a. Cannot train them to do anything.

b. They are defenseless.

c. They have no sense of direction.

1) If ever lost cannot find way back.

2) Must be brought back by Shepherd; must be found by Shepherd.

d. They are easily disturbed.

1) Least little thing will frighten them.

2) Prone to stray.

3) Weak, very little strength.

D. He is "My Shepherd"

1. I am His... Identified with him. There are no "if's", "and's", "but's", or "I hope so's".

(PSA 18:2) "THE LORD IS MY ROCK, AND MY FORTRESS, AND MY DELIVERER; MY GOD, MY STRENGTH, IN WHOM I WILL TRUST; MY BUCKLER, AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION, AND MY HIGH TOWER."

2. We are His.

a. By creation.

b. By redemption (purchased me).

c. By sustaining (Leads me by his Spirit and keeps me by his power).

3. He is mine

II. I shall not want.

A. Not, I shall not want much...I shall not want!

1. His riches are unsearchable.

2. His joy is unspeakable.

3. His power is unlimited.

4. His faithfulness is unfailing.

5. His word is unshakable.

6. His love is unchanging.

B. This means that with Christ as my Shepherd there is no need that He does not supply.

1. When bread ceases. ("Man shall not live by bread alone.")

2. When toil comes. ("Toiled all night and caught nothing.")

3. When purse is empty. (fish and coin)

4. When wolf comes (He gives his life for the sheep)

A little girl quoted Psalm 23 as "The Lord is my Shepherd, He is all I want."

This is a verse of God's goodness and grace. It presents an analogy of the shepherd and his total provision for his sheep. The ability is never in the sheep, but in the shepherd. We like sheep are helpless and are entirely dependent upon the Shepherd.