Berean Bible Church

The Best Known Psalm

Lesson III

Why do we love this Psalm?

June 29, 2008

 

I   We love it because of the Person of the Psalm

 

            1. The Psalm begins:            

                 Psalm 23:1  The LORD  is my Shepherd.

            The K.JV translates the word ‘Jehovah’ as ‘L O R D’ see Psalm 110:1

 

Wrote Norman Prescott:

“How sad it is that critical scholars have robbed God of His wonderful name and substituted a meaningless ‘Yaweh’ for the meaningful word ‘Jehovah.”

Isaiah 43:11   LORD -  the only Saviour.

The words: ‘Jehovah’, ‘Joshua’ both mean ‘Saviour’

Matthew 1:21  name  Jesus for He shall save..

Compare Psalm 16:8-10  with  Acts 2:22-25  Peter quotes the Psalm and applies it to Jesus.

The Psalm ends:

      Psalm 23:6   the house of the LORD forever

John 14:2  in my Father’s house are many mansions  (better then rooms!)

John 14:3  I go and prepare a palace for you.  We are a prepared people for a prepared place.

 

II   We love it because it is so Personal

 

            Psalm 23:1   ‘my’ not ‘our’ .  ‘I’ not ‘we’

            It is the same language as:

            Job 19: 25  ‘I’ and ‘my’

            Philippians 1:21   for ‘me’

            2 Timothy 1:12   ‘I’ know  in whom ‘I’ have believed.

            These New Testament texts have the same comforting language as Psalm 23

 

III   We love it because it is so Positive

 

            Psalm 23:1   The LORD is . not I hope he will be

            Psalm 23:1   shall  not want

            Psalm 23:4   Thou art with me

            Psalm 23:6   shall  follow me.  And I will dwell

            This is the language of faith, not unbelief.  This is positive reality

2 Timothy 4:6-8  the same language

 

IV  We love it because of the Promises

 

1.      Psalm 23:1-2  He promises to feed and satisfy His flock

“There is never a famine where Jesus is”

Psalm 91:14-16  I will satisfy him

Proverbs 19:23    shall abide satisfied

Isaiah 58:11   satisfy thy soul.  Promise to Israel but He will not do less for us!

 

2.   Psalm 23:3   He promises to lead His flock

  Sheep are made to ‘follow’  

The great problem for Christians is that of guidance

            Proverbs 3:6   is for us

            Proverbs 16:3   is also a promise for us

            Luke 9:23  holds the key in the word ‘daily’

 

            3   Psalm 23:4   He promises to protect His flock

            The ‘rod’ and the ‘staff’ were only used for the good of the sheep

            Revelation 19:3  as many as I love, I rebuke

            Hebrews 12:6-11  read the passage carefully and prayerfully

            Psalm 84:11   no good thing will he withhold

 

4        Psalm 23:4-6  He promises to be with us to the end of our journey

            John 13:1  He loved them to the end

            Hebrews 13: 5-6  He will never leave nor forsake

 

V   We love it because of the Precious conclusion

 

            Psalm 23:6   the house of the Lord forever

            1 Thessalonians 4:18   ever be with the Lord

            Psalm 36:8-9   abundantly satisfied

            2 Corinthians 4:18 everything seen is temporal

            The greatest disappointment of life on earth is, that nothing lasts

“Change and decay in all around I see”

The life of the future will not decay