Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

I Shall Not Want
The Lord's Provision in Psalm 23

Pastor Justin Carlton - Youth and Worship Pastor

Psalm 23 and its Messianic implications:

● Psalm 22 is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, oppressed and forsaken
● Psalm 24 is the glorified, righteous King of Glory, the only one worthy to ascend the hill of Yahweh and stand in His holy place
● Psalm 23 is the earthly life of the Messiah:
○ The Messiah’s earthly life was lived in total dependence upon His Father, the Shepherd of Israel (Gen 48.15; Matt 4.3-4 / Deut 8.3)
○ Jesus submitted Himself to the shadow of death, but feared no evil because the grave could not hold Him -- one can rightly say that we face only the shadow of death because Jesus took the full reality of death in our place.[1]
○ Jesus sat at a table with His enemy, and was honored
● Christ’s Psalm 23 experiences give us confidence that our Good Shepherd personally knows the way that is best


[1]https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-23/

Premise: As Shepherd, He provides (23.1)

● The shepherd’s primary role is not leadership or protection, but provision (Isa 40.11; John 10.14)
● This role is intensely personal (“my shepherd”)

Conclusion:“I shall not want” (23.1)

● This is a statement of commitment, purpose:
○ I choose to not desire more (less!) than what my shepherd gives
○ I can’t make this my aim if I do not trust Him
● What I believe about God informs how I respond to God and times of need:
● My Shepherd will never allow me to lack anything that is necessary and good

He leads (23.2-3)

● The Lord brings guidance in the right way: He knows the safe paths
● His guidance is necessary: we don’t know the way we should go (Isa 53.6)
● Application: He leads, so I must follow

He restores (23.3)

● The Lord provides forgiveness, peace, and rest for those who follow Him
● Often, our need for rest is the product of our own sinful, spiritual independence
● Jesus, our Shepherd, provides rest to those who are weary and burdened (Matt 11.28), He is the bread of life who sustains us in hunger (John 6.35), He gives living water to quench our eternal thirst (John 4.13-14), and he brings a peace that only those who are confident in Him may experience (John 14.27)
● Application: He restores, so I must choose to find true rest in Him alone

He comforts (23.4)

● The valley is the place of ambush, darkness, enclosure where the very real threat of death (bandits, animals, flash floods) is looming
● The heart of this psalm is that the Shepherd’s presence in the valley calms our fears
● Application: He comforts, so I must trust in His care

He disciplines (23.4)

● The rod and staff are instruments of defense (1 Sam 17.35)
● Having sheep pass under a rod was a way of counting them (Lev 27.32) (Faithlife Study Bible)
● They are also instruments of correction (Psa 89.32)
● Application: He disciplines, so I must submit to His way

He vindicates (23.5)

● The shepherd finds safe pasture for the sheep to graze (v.2)
● The righteous are honored before their enemies; God makes peace (Prov 16.7)
● To vindicate = to legally acquit; to clear someone’s name of blame or suspicion
○ We are so quick to see ourselves as righteous people in need of vindication, but we would do well to remember that we are sinners saved by grace
○ Our cup only overflows with grace because Christ drank the cup of overflowing wrath intended for us
● Application: He vindicates, so I must wait on Him (Rom 12.19)

He preserves (23.5-6)

● Rather than saying God “protects,” it is better to say God preserves
○ God never leaves or forsakes His people
○ “Mercy” = hesed, or steadfast love -- Yahweh’s covenant love
○ The Good Shepherd knows who are His; they can’t be taken (John 10.28)
● Our Shepherd preserves us through all of our trials, even those that might take our earthly life, because His preservation is of our souls
○ My hope is not earthly deliverance from death, but arrival in His presence
○ He is present with me now (23.4), but I will one day stand in His presence
○ The fact that the Shepherd comforts (2.4) is eschatological (Rev 7.17)
● Application: He preserves, so I must persevere -- “I shall not want”