Transcript Title Page

Title Page
Lesson Six
Psalm 23:1-5
Psalm 23:1-5
1 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.
Psalm 23:6
Psalm 23:6
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.
Focus Verse
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Focus Thought
David perceived the shepherd about whom
he wrote as One who could meet all his
needs as demonstrated in the compound
names of Jehovah.
Introduction
Introduction
As the Good Shepherd, Jehovah spoke through the
prophet Ezekiel, saying, “For thus saith the LORD
God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep,
and seek them out. . . . I will feed my flock, and I
will cause them to lie down, saith the LORD God”
(Ezekiel 34:11, 15). Although Jehovah set up many
undershepherds over His people Israel, He alone
was the Great Shepherd who watched over them.
“And I will set up one shepherd over
them, and he shall feed them, even my
Ezekiel 34:23-24, 30-31
servant David; he shall feed them, and
he shall be their shepherd. And I the
LORD will be their God, and my servant
David a prince among them; I the LORD
have spoken it. . . . Thus shall they know
that I the LORD their God am with them,
and that they, even the house of Israel,
are my people, saith the Lord God. And
ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are
men, and I am your God, saith the Lord
God” (Ezekiel 34:23-24, 30-31).
Introduction
Jehovah God would become incarnate in the Son of
David, Jesus Christ, so that the people of Israel
might have one Shepherd, who also is their God.
Generally, the people of Israel rejected their
Messiah at His first coming, but the day will come
when the righteous remnant will rejoice at the
second coming of Jesus Christ. They will recognize
the voice of the Good Shepherd and bow before
Him in worship. (See Isaiah 40:9-11.)
Introduction
To the Old Testament prophets, Jehovah (Yahweh)
was the one true Shepherd who was to come.
Today, we know the one true Shepherd through
Jesus Christ, the visible image of the invisible God.
As the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist
bore witness to Jesus and thereby fulfilled Isaiah
40:3: “The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make
straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
The
Lord
Is
My
I. The Lord Is My
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi (A-B)
A. He Is the Good Shepherd
The Jews of Jesus’ day understood that Jehovah
was the true Shepherd of Israel and that they were
His flock. He alone was the Good Shepherd who
cared for the sheep.
I. The Lord Is My
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi (A-B)
Many false shepherds had come pretending to have
the people’s best interest in mind, only to take
advantage of them for their own selfish profit. They
had scattered the flock of Israel and left them
wounded and defenseless before their enemies.
Some had even feigned to be the Messiah, only to
be discredited, leaving the people disillusioned and
skeptical of the promise of the Messiah.
I. The Lord Is My
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi (A-B)
When Jesus asserted Himself as the Good Shepherd
who would give His life for the sheep, He was
claiming to be Jehovah God. “I am the good
shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of
mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I
the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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” (John 10:14-16).
B.I.He
Is the
Chief
Shepherd
The
Lord
Is My
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi
When Jesus declared that He had(A-B)
all power in
heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18), He identified
Himself as God. Jesus Christ indeed demonstrated
authority and judgment as God manifested in flesh.
Moreover, one day He will return in the power and
authority of the Father to establish His kingdom in
the earth.
I.
The
Lord
Is
My
The apostle Peter referred to Jesus Christ at His
second coming as the Chief Shepherd:
“And when
Shepherd—Jehovah-roi
(A-B)
the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a
crown of glory that fadeth not away” (I Peter 5:4).
All others who serve as pastors and teachers are
undershepherds of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
The
Shepherd
II. The Shepherd Will
Will
Provide
Provide (A)
A. The Origin of Jehovah-jireh
When Abraham by faith was ready to offer up his
son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice, God intervened
and provided a substitute ram, which was caught by
his horns in a thicket. Hearing the voice of God,
Abraham looked up and saw the ram, which he
offered gladly instead of his son.
II.
Shepherd
Thus,The
Abraham
called the name Will
of that place
Jehovah-jireh, which means “Jehovah will see (to
Providea symbolical
(A) name for Mount
it); Jehovah-Jireh,
Moriah” (Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s
Numbers and Concordance). In other words,
Jehovah-jireh means “the LORD will provide.”
II.
The Shepherd
Will
“Jehovah-jireh
= ‘Jehovah (Yahweh)
sees.’
Symbolic name given by Abraham to Mount Moriah
Provideof(A)
in commemoration
the interposition of the Angel
of Jehovah (Yahweh) who prevented the sacrifice of
Isaac and provided a substitute” (The Online Bible
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver &
Briggs Hebrew Lexicon).
B. He Supplies All Our Needs
II. The Shepherd Will
The greatest need of mankind is salvation. Fallen
(B) of sin and death
man Provide
is under the condemnation
without the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ.
Through the Incarnation, God was able to give His
only begotten Son to achieve mankind’s
redemption. Jesus, the Lamb of God, was given to
die in our stead so that we might obtain eternal life.
II. The Shepherd Will
The Good Shepherd leads His flock through the dry,
Provide
barren
wilderness of(B)
life to find green pastures. He
supplies sustenance to feed both the natural and the
spiritual part of His people, and He will care for
their needs.
II. The Shepherd Will
The psalmist David wrote, “I have been young, and
(B)
now Provide
am old; yet have
I not seen the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm
37:25). By trusting in the providence of God, we
are certain that He will meet all of our needs.
II. The Shepherd Will
As the people of God, we are to place our trust and
Provide
(B)
confidence
in Him. As
we seek after His
righteousness and abide in His Word, we will see
that God is faithful, and He will not withhold any
good thing from His children who trust in Him. The
apostle Paul wrote, “But my God shall supply all
your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
The
Shepherd
Leads
III. The Shepherd Leads
Beside
Still(A-B)
Waters
Beside Still
Waters
A. The Origin of
Jehovah-shalom
Because of the oppression of the Midianites, Gideon
crouched in fear while threshing grain behind the
winepress. Suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared
to him and commissioned him to fight against
Midian.
III.
The
Shepherd
Leads
When Gideon perceived that he had been visited by
an angel
of God,
he was in great
fear lest he should
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
die. “And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto
thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built
an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the
Abiezrites” (Judges 6:23-24). God gave supernatural
peace to Gideon in his time of fear.
III.
The
Shepherd
Leads
Strong’s Concordance defines Jehovah-shalom as
“Jehovah
(is) peace;
Jehovah-Shalom,
a symbolical
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
name of an altar in Palestine.”
B. He Is Our Peace
III. The Shepherd Leads
God has not given us the spirit of fear, but He has
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
given us peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. (See
II Timothy 1:7.) Having received the spirit of love,
power, and self-control, we trust not in our own
power, but in the power of God.
III. The Shepherd Leads
Walking with God emboldens the believer to face
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
uncertainty and danger without doubt and
trembling. With God, we have nothing to fear. If
God is with us, who can prevail against us?
Moreover, He has promised never to leave us or
forsake us.
III. The Shepherd Leads
The Good Shepherd knows that His people need to
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
drink from the still waters where the peace of the
Lord brings comfort and quietness, not from this
world’s rushing streams of anxiety and fear.
III. The Shepherd Leads
No matter how dark the clouds that brood over our
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
thoughts, we can find peace in the arms of Jesus.
Jesus promised, “Peace I leave with you, my peace
I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid” (John 14:27).
III. The Shepherd Leads
As we learn to release ourselves from every thought
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
that engenders fear and doubt and learn to focus our
thoughts on the goodness of God, we will
experience the peace of God, which passes all
understanding. (See Philippians 4:7.)
III. The Shepherd Leads
By refusing to allow the cares of this world to
Beside
Still
Waters
(A-B)
occupy our thoughts, we can abide in the peace of
the Lord and make our petitions known to Him
through fervent prayer and supplication. As we cast
our cares on Jesus, however, let us also remember
to offer thanks for all of His many blessings. As we
live by faith in Him, the God of peace will comfort
our hearts by the Holy Ghost.
The
Shepherd
Restores
IV. The Shepherd Restores
(A)
A. The Origin of
Jehovah-rapha
God miraculously led the people of Israel through
the Red Sea on dry ground and caused the waters to
come crashing down on Pharaoh and his army.
this
marvelous andRestores
miraculous
IV.Following
The
Shepherd
deliverance, Israel traveled three days into the
wilderness where
(A)there was no water. Finally, they
came upon the waters of Marah where they had
hoped to quench their thirst, but the waters were too
bitter to drink. Forgetting the great miracles that God
had done for them, the people began to murmur and
complain.
Moses
cried to the Lord,
God directed him to
IV.When
The
Shepherd
Restores
cast a certain tree into the waters, and the waters
were healed so
that Israel was refreshed and restored.
(A)
(See Exodus 15:25.) It was at Marah that God
revealed Himself to Israel as Jehovah-rapha, “the
LORD that healeth thee” (Exodus 15:26).
B. He Is Our Healer
IV. The Shepherd Restores
There are times in our lives when God tests us to
(B)
prove our faith
in Him. When we murmur and
complain instead of calling on Him for guidance
and direction, we bring shame and sorrow on
ourselves. God wants to turn our sorrow into joy, if
only we will call on His name in faith.
IV. The Shepherd Restores
Jesus Christ bore stripes on His back for our
healing. (See(B)
Isaiah 53:5; I Peter 2:24.) As the
healer of both the body and the spirit, there is no
disease or wounded spirit that He cannot heal.
Cancer, polio, epilepsy, heart disease, diabetes,
neurological disorders, ataxia, AIDS, Ebola, and all
other diseases are subject to the power and
authority of the name of Jesus.
IV. The Shepherd Restores
As our healer, Jesus will respond to the fervent,
(B)of a righteous man or woman of
effectual prayers
faith. The gifts of healing will operate in a healthy
body of faithful believers who have been
empowered by the Holy Ghost.
IV. The Shepherd Restores
God’s Word admonishes the sick to call for the
elders of the(B)
church, who will anoint them with oil
in the name of Jesus and pray for their healing
(James 5:14-16). By confessing our needs and
praying for one another, we can have confidence of
receiving the healing grace of God.
Psalm 103:2-3
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and
forget not all his benefits: who
forgiveth all thine iniquities; who
healeth all thy diseases”
(Psalm 103:2-3).
Matthew 4:23
“And Jesus went about all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the
people” (Matthew 4:23).
The
Shepherd
Leads
in
V. The Shepherd Leads in
Paths
of
Righteousness
Paths of Righteousness (A)
A. The Origin of
Jehovah-tsidkenu
Jeremiah prophesied of a time when God would
raise up a Messiah who would restore the scattered
flock of Israel and Judah. When the Messiah came,
He would cause the people to be clothed with the
righteousness of God.
V. Further,
The He
Shepherd
inthe lands
would gather allLeads
of Israel from
they had fled. They would return again to the
Pathswhere
of
Righteousness
(A)
land of Israel so that a righteous remnant could be
saved. God promised that He would lead them in
paths of righteousness and that they would dwell
safely in the land of promise.
“Behold,
the days
come, saith the
Jeremiah
23:5-6
LORD, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall
reign and prosper, and shall execute
judgment and justice in the earth. In
his days Judah shall be saved, and
Israel shall dwell safely: and this is
his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”
(Jeremiah 23:5-6).
V. Jehovah-tsidkenu
The Shepherd
Leads
inthe
is the Hebrew
name for
“THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” in
Pathsphrase
of
Righteousness
(A)
Jeremiah 23:6. As He was the promised source of
Israel’s righteousness, so He is the source of
righteousness for believers today.
Following
the Shepherd
V.B.The
Shepherd
Leads in
Brings Righteousness
Paths of Righteousness (B)
All those who will follow the Good Shepherd in
fulfilling the righteousness of God’s law will inherit
eternal life. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus was
willing to give His life for the sheep. Therefore, all
who would follow Him must be willing to lay down
their lives through serving others.
V. True
The
Shepherd
Leads
in
Christianity is demonstrating the love of God
mercy and forgiveness. If (B)
we are to follow
Pathsthrough
of
Righteousness
Christ’s example, we must bear no ill will toward
our neighbors. Rather, by longsuffering and
patience we are to bear one another’s burdens and
exalt the name of Jesus through our actions.
VI. The Shepherd
Is Always
The Shepherd
Is
Present
(A-C)
Always Present
A. Origin of Jehovah-shammah
God is an omnipresent and eternal Spirit. He always
has been universally present, and He shall be
throughout eternity. As the Good Shepherd, the Lord
will never forsake His people. Whenever danger
comes to them, He is faithful to fight their battles
and protect them from destruction.
VI. Ezekiel
Theprophesied
Shepherd
Always
that GodIs
would
dwell in the
midst of the tribes of Israel as Jehovah-shammah,
Present
(A-C)
“The
LORD is there,”
which would be the name of
Jerusalem (Ezekiel 48:35). God always has desired
to dwell among His people so that He could
fellowship with His creation.
VI. Just
The
Is Always
as theShepherd
shepherd found companionship
with his
sheep, and the sheep found comfort in his presence,
(A-C)
GodPresent
tabernacled Himself
in flesh that He might live
among His people and redeem them. Now, through
the indwelling presence of the Holy Ghost, He
abides with us to lead us and guide us in the way of
truth.
B. He Promised Moses He
VI. The Shepherd Is Always
Would Be with Him
Present (A-C)
After the Lord plagued the Israelites because of the
golden calf, He told Moses to continue leading the
people to the Promised Land. God refused to go up
in the midst of the people because of their
stubbornness and rebellion.
VI. When
TheIsrael
Shepherd
Always
heard this, theyIs
wept
and stripped
themselves of their ornaments. When Moses went
intoPresent
the Tabernacle(A-C)
to talk to the Lord concerning
the people, God appeared unto Moses in a cloudy
pillar, and all the people arose and worshiped the
Lord as they watched from their tents.
VI. InThe
Shepherd
IsMoses
Always
that meeting
with the Lord,
received the
assurance of His divine presence on the way to the
Present
(A-C)
Promised
Land. God
spoke to Moses face to face as
a man speaks to a friend, and Moses urged the Lord
to lead them. In response to his request, God
promised to go before Israel and to go with Moses
because he had found favor with the Lord. God said,
“My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee
rest” (Exodus 33:14).
C. He Never Leaves Us
VI. The Shepherd Is Always
Jesus promised His disciples that He would never
leave
them or forsake
them. As our Lord and
Present
(A-C)
Savior, He will go with us wherever we go. We are
never alone because He dwells within us through
the Holy Ghost.
VI. The Shepherd Is Always
We should find comfort in knowing that He will
fight
our battles because
of His love for us. When
Present
(A-C)
troubles come and trials test our faith, He is
present. He is a friend that is closer to us than our
own family, and He sustains and refreshes us with
His Spirit in our times of great adversity.
Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conversation be without
covetousness; and be content with
such things as ye have: for he hath
said, I will never leave thee, nor
forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5).
VI. The Shepherd Is Always
The constant presence of God in our lives drives
away
our doubts (A-C)
and fears when we face difficult
Present
moments. We know that He loves us and that He
will sustain us during those seasons.
D. He Blesses Us in the
VI. The
Shepherd
Is
Always
Midst of Trials
Present (D)
Trials only make us stronger because we learn to
lean on God. Through each trial and test, our faith
grows stronger as we rely on Him to deliver us from
our affliction. Our most difficult hours often are
crowned with the glory of God’s deliverance and
strength. We can be certain that the Good Shepherd
will lead us out of the valley of despair if we will
follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
VI. Even
ThewhenShepherd
IsSavior
Always
we go astray, our
will not
abandon us to our enemies, but He will guide us
Present
(D)
through the instruction of His Word. “But he
knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me,
I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
The
Shepherd
Will
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
OurFight
BattlesOur
(A) Battles
A. Origin of Jehovah-nissi
In Exodus 17, God demonstrated His presence with
the people of Israel through the leadership of Moses.
When God directed him to strike the rock at Mount
Horeb (Sinai), Moses obeyed and God gave them
water.
Following that, the Amalekites fought against Israel.
Moses stood on a hill overlooking the fight against
Amalek, and as long as Moses lifted up the rod of
God, they prevailed against the Amalekites.
Whenever Moses grew weary and he let down the
rod, however, Amalek would begin to prevail
against Israel. Consequently, Aaron and Hur held up
the hands of Moses until the setting of the sun, and
Israel was able to finish the battle against Amalek
with complete victory.
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
Our Battles (A)
It was in this setting that the people of Israel
discovered that the Lord was their banner, or
standard. As long as He was on their side, they
could be certain of complete victory.
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
Our Battles (A)
“And the LORD said unto Moses,
Exodus
Write this
for a 17:14-16
memorial in a book,
and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua:
for I will utterly put out the
remembrance of Amalek from under
heaven. And Moses built an altar, and
called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:
for he said, Because the LORD hath
sworn that the LORD will have war
with Amalek from generation to
generation” (Exodus 17:14-16).
The Lord was their banner! Throughout Israel’s
history, the descendants of Amalek rose up to
destroy Israel, but the Lord continued to be the
banner of their victory over all their enemies.
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
Our Battles (A)
Amalek, a descendant of Esau, was the ancestor of
the wicked Haman, who plotted the destruction of
the Jews, and of the sinister King Herod, who tried
to destroy the infant Jesus after the visitation of the
wise men at Bethlehem. As long as the Lord is
leading His people, nothing can destroy them.
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
Our Battles (A)
Isaiah 59:19
“So shall they fear the name of the
LORD from the west, and his glory
from the rising of the sun. When the
enemy shall come in like a flood, the
Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a
standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).
B. We Can Do All Things
VII. The Shepherd Will Fight
through Him
Our Battles (B)
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but
spiritual and mighty through God (II Corinthians
10:4). The Holy Ghost that dwells within us is our
enabler that we might defeat the powers of darkness
that war against us. Through faith in God, nothing
is impossible if we will call on the name of the
Lord.
VII. Human
The wisdom
Shepherd
Will
Fight
and might are no match for the
devil
and Battles
his imps, but the
power that works within
Our
(B)
us through the Holy Ghost can accomplish more
than we can even imagine. Through faith in the
name of Jesus Christ, every demon must flee
because our strength lies not within ourselves but in
the Holy Spirit. “I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). The
battle is not ours but the Lord’s.
The
Good
Shepherd
VIII. The Good Shepherd
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. Further, He is
God incarnate, Immanuel, which means “God with
us.” As God in flesh, He was able and willing to
purchase our redemption by laying down His own
life.
VIII. The Good Shepherd
Because He was Jehovah-salvation (Yeshua), Jesus
could lay down His life as a sinless, spotless
sacrifice for the redemption of lost humanity.
Moreover, He had the power to lay His life down
and take it up again because He was the Almighty
and Creator of heaven and earth.
VIII. The Good Shepherd
Every good and perfect gift comes from God above
(James 1:17) who delights in pouring out His
blessings on those who love Him. God will not
withhold any good thing from those whom He
loves. (See Psalm 84:11.)
VIII. The Good Shepherd
It is the desire of God to cause His people to
prosper and to be in health. (See III John 2.) Those
who trust in Him will not be disappointed, because
He is faithful. When we put God first in our lives,
He will provide for all our temporal needs
according to His Word.
Psalm 34:8
“O taste and see that the LORD is
good: blessed is the man that trusteth
in him” (Psalm 34:8).
Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose”
(Romans 8:28).
VIII. The Good Shepherd
The psalmist David expressed his desire to dwell in
the house of the Lord forever. Indeed, God desires
to dwell among the sheep of His pasture. As the
shepherd kept watch over his sheep, Jesus, our
Good Shepherd, dwells among us to watch over us
and care for us.
VIII. The Good Shepherd
He also desires to give us an eternal home in the
heavens where we may forever be with Him. He
said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me.
VIII. The Good Shepherd
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”
(John 14:1-3).
VIII. The Good Shepherd
When Jesus returns to earth again, He will reward
the righteous who have remained faithful to the end.
To His faithful servants He will give honor,
fellowship, authority, a crown of glory, and an
incorruptible body. He will make those who have
been faithful over a few things rulers over much,
according to the faithfulness of their stewardship.
Matthew 16:27
“For the Son of man shall come in the
glory of his Father with his angels;
and then he shall reward every man
according to his works”
(Matthew 16:27).
VIII. The Good Shepherd
Christ will reward every good work according to
the lovingkindness of God, no matter how great or
how small.
Reflections
We know that the Good Shepherd will supply all of
our needs. His provisions are without limitation, for
all that is in heaven and earth belong to Him. His
bountiful blessings belong to us who are His
people. Like the shepherd leads his sheep through
green pastures, Jesus leads His people through
places where He may care for their spiritual and
material well-being.
Reflections
All that we have need of we may find in Jesus
Christ. We are confident that He will complete the
good work He has begun in our lives. (See
Philippians 1:6.) He will lead us and guide us
through the wilderness of this world so that we
might inherit eternal life. He will be with us and
protect us from our enemies, for He is the sustainer
of life.