The Lord is my Shepherd - an exegesis on Psalm 23 Part III
- Pastor J
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Good day Beloved Friends
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness[b]
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
forever
PART III
Begins at Verse 5
The host’s (The Shepherd’s) care and concern doesn’t eliminate the presence of my enemies but enables the experience of God’s goodness and bounty even in their midst.
“This is the condition of God’s servant – always conflict, but always a spread table.” (Maclaren)
We should never be too concerned or focused on the enemies. If we look through the "microscope" of the view of the Holy Spirit. The enemy is far far away and the bountiful blessings would be right upfront.
I need to interject here, I am never too concerned about enemies. Each man is responsible for their own actions and choices and anything done or said bears a fruit. If love has overtaken your heart and even when wrong is done and one continues to LOVE (sow the right seed) then you will be the one to reap the harvest with bountiful fruit. The converse to that is that the wicked (eventually) bear the fruit of their choices.
Let's cross reference with
Psalm 37
12
The wicked plots against the righteous
And gnashes at him with his teeth.
13
The Lord laughs at him [the wicked one—the one who oppresses the righteous],
For He sees that his day [of defeat] is coming.
14
The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slaughter those who are upright in conduct [those with personal integrity and godly character].
15
The sword [of the ungodly] will enter their own heart,
And their bow will be broken.
16
Better is the little of the righteous [who seek the will of God]
Than the abundance (riches) of many wicked (godless).
17
For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord upholds and sustains the righteous [who seek Him].
18
The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
And their inheritance will continue forever.
19
They will not be [b]ashamed in the time of evil,
And in the days of famine they will have plenty and be satisfied.
20
But the wicked (ungodly) will perish,
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the [c]glory of the pastures and like the fat of lambs [that is consumed in smoke],
They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
The reward of the wicked is sure
THE REWARD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS is sure
You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows:
Adaptation below:
A close reading of verse 5 shows God’s extravagant care of the psalmist. This verse shifts the imagery, from shepherd to host. As a host who gives refuge to the psalmist beset by enemies, God offers abundant food and drink, oil for grooming, as well as the assurance of safety. The expression “my cup overflows” the psalmist not only has basic provisions, but also enjoys abundance.
(Here ends the adaptation)
God daily loads his children with benefits - goodness and mercy is our daily portion, let us receive in faith. If you believe and expect this to be your daily portion (not perils, trauma and drama), then it is exactly what you will have even in the midst of a tumultuous world.
This will certainly be our portion all the days of our life.
I shall DWELL in the house of the Lord forever.
Dwelling means staying - abiding.
Where else do we belong friends? There is no better place to be. One touch from God, one True God encounter is enough!
The World cannot fill and refresh like God. True Joy and Peace are in his presence and in the place of dwelling we are covered (protected) ref Psalm 91.
There is truly no better place to be all the days of our life than in God's house.
Amen
Walk good in Christ
Nuff love and blessings
Pastor J
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