Psalm 23 is written from the perspective of a sheep. The very first phrase—“The LORD is my shepherd”—is a declaration that the sheep is overjoyed to have the LORD as his shepherd, and he is not ashamed to proclaim it.
We can contrast this with the wretched condition of other sheep, unmentioned here, who do not have the LORD as their shepherd. Those without the Good Shepherd suffer under the cruel authority of this world’s ruler. They do not have anyone taking care of them, so they are focused on survival. They compete for resources, pushing around other sheep, scared they won’t have enough, always striving and never at peace. It’s a terrible life.
But the sheep who are fed by, guided by, and protected by the LORD have confidence that they will not lack for anything of true significance as the Shepherd sees it, which could be a point of contention for any sheep that are not fully submitted. But the LORD’s sheep are led to green pastures and still waters. They are refreshed and restored. They are led in the paths of righteousness. It is an idyllic description, and it probably sounds pretty good to us, especially when compared to the stress and frantic busyness of modern life.
Now turn with me to Psalm 23 - this psalm that is supposed to be the most beloved of all pieces of the Bible. Most of us are not familiar with the very interesting fact that Psalm 23 is really a brief expounding of eight names of God. The names do not actually appear here; but in each verse - sometimes twice in a verse - the implication of God's name appears.
Now, I have no doubt that the psalmist, David, was meditating on the names of God, and this is what came out. What he knew of the nature of God is this most beloved section in all of the Bible. And it is nothing more than a study of the names of God.
We need to read this with that in mind, with the optimism of joy and hope and faith and love. And I think that is how he wrote it. He writes as a sheep, content, at peace, and whole. And he is that way because the Lord is his shepherd. I will try to read it like this.
He was happy. He loved his life as a sheep of the Lord. He was content because God was with him.
You can see that in coming to know the Lord that David felt he had an ironclad guarantee that the abundant life and eternal life are his if he just follows the Lord, his Shepherd. Whatever happened, God would work it out.
