Scripture: Psalm 23
I. The LORD leads me to rest.
A. The rest of Psalm 23 is found in the sentence in vs. 2, “He leads me beside still waters.” The Hebrew for this verse literally reads “besides waters of rest.” The still waters then would be a resting place for the sheep. The ultimate resting place that God was providing for his sheep Israel of the Promised Land is found in Deuteronomy 12:9: “For you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the LORD your God is giving you.”
B. There is a day each week when God’s sheep were meant to enjoy rest: the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 5:13-15: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work… You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.”
II. The LORD leads me to freedom.
A. In vs. 3 we see David sing for the second time in Psalm 23, “He leads me.” The shepherd leads me in paths of righteousness. When we follow our shepherd Jesus, we will necessarily be on the right path. Our Shepherd is not leading us in the path of slavery. It was the Egyptians who enslaved God’s people. But God intends for His people to be on a path of freedom, not slavery. And part of that freedom, that right path, is to live on paths of righteousness.
B. What David is saying in Psalm 23 lines up with Psalm 19:7: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.” Jesus our shepherd restores our soul in Psalm 23:2 as we follow Him. And Yahweh revives our soul as we meditate on His Word and follow that Word in obedience. Don’t believe the lie then that freedom is found in following your own heart. Freedom is found in following Jesus our shepherd on paths of righteousness.
III. The LORD leads me to bring fame to His name.
A. At the end of verse 3 we discover why the LORD our shepherd takes such good care of us His sheep: for his name’s sake. God leads us by binding His own honor and reputation in His world to His sheep and to what happens to them and how they follow Him. We bring fame to His great name as we obey Psalm 34:3: “Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” God said to Pharaoh through Moses in Exodus 9:16: “For this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”
Application:
Walk in paths of righteousness for the fame of God’s name.
Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by David Gibson, Christopher Ash, Bruce Waltke & James Hamilton Jr.
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) The shepherd does not drive the sheep. He leads them to places of rest. Is your soul at rest today? How might taking a Sabbath bring God’s rest into your life?
2) How do people without God think they will find freedom? Where is true freedom found according to Psalm 23?
3) Is God acting for His glory and my good in competition or can and does God have both these purposes in mind in all He does? How did God bring glory to His name in saving my soul?