David found him so, and so have we. The ideal use of this lesson would be in a Sunday School or Kid's Church setting. . 1 The Lord is my a shepherd; I shall not b want. In Old Testament times, the staff could be a scepter, walking stick, crutch, or some kind of support or prop. This lesson is designed to teach children how David worshiped God by using the Psalms that he wrote. David is saying, "All my needs are supplied by the LORD, my Shepherd, and I decide to not desire more than what He gives.". He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The valley of the shadow of death becomes the pathway to life and peace to all Who follow the Good Shepherd.. Who gave his life for His sheep. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. In eastern lands, the shepherd goes before his flock—he leads them. Psalm 19:7. He continues to revive our fainting soul and reinvigorate our sagging spirit, when we find ourselves wearied by the world's pressures or discover we are exhausted, hurt, anxious . The meaning of Psalm 23 is very interesting, it tells us about the most important needs of a good believer. Objective: To introduce children to the Psalms and teach them about worshipping God. Psalm 25:9. 1:2 ). Under a metaphor borrowed from scenes of pastoral life, with which David was familiar, he describes God's providential care in providing refreshment, guidance, protection, and abundance, and so affording grounds of confidence in His perpetual favor. The Lord is my shepherd — He hath showed himself to be so by his gracious providences toward me; and he hath kindly taken upon himself that office, and condescended to stand in that relation to me, having entered into covenant with me, and thereby engaged to rule, feed, and preserve, and heal me, and do all for me that shepherds do, or are under an obligation of doing for their . "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He . 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. God is our Shepherd and like a Good Shepherd, He will provide for His own for every need we will ever have (Philippians 4:19). He is a gracious host. First, as the Good Shepherd, He laid down His life for His sheep and, second, His sheep know His voice and follow Him ( John 10:11, 14 ). Most account it to be a psalm of David's maturity, but with vivid remembrance of his youth as a shepherd. The shepherd owns the sheep; they are his property. He restored my soul = That's Healing! In the NLT (New Living Translation) the phrase say s, "I have all that I need.". He refreshes David's soul and directs him in the way of righteousness, thereby protecting the Good Shepherd's reputation. This psalm tries to explain that a good believer has needs such as a good home, peace, and spiritual renewal. Verse Psalms 23:2. He leads me beside still waters. King David, himself a former shepherd, begins this Psalm with, "The Lord is my shepherd," immediately putting himself as a sheep in the care of Jesus Christ (who is the same being as the Lord of the Old Testament-see John 1:1-3, 14 and Heb. (1.) But verses 5-6 contain host imagery. Psalm 23 concludes with a look toward the ultimate healing and restoration of relationship God has for us, which is eternity with Him. ), almost certainly because of its connection to funerals and ultimately death. Everyone listening to Jesus at that time knew exactly what Jesus was saying. They thought that if only they can have more money, be more successful in their career, to have a better car, bigger house, or newer gadget, they would be happy. All are included: material, spiritual, protection, correction, peace, happiness, direction, confidence, purpose, elevate, and love. Psalm 23: "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. 1. And there's no question that it is a comforting passage in that regard. Psalm 23, beautifully explained. He restores my soul. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures — בנאות דשא binoth deshe, not green pastures, but cottages of turf or sods, such as the shepherds had in open champaign countries; places in which themselves could repose safely; and pens thus constructed where the flock might be safe all the night. He leads me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance! As we go through this short psalm of 6 verses and 117 words, think of yourself as a sheep with the Lord as . In Psalm 23, God is using the analogy of sheep and their nature to describe us. Psalms 23:4 Context. But it's a great example of how God loves and watches over us, no matter how old we are. Psalm 23 is about having faith in the Lord by having total dependence in him for anything that you need or want in life for your wellbeing. They are not wild animals like wolves. In it, King David sings of G‑d 's protection, referring to Him as a shepherd. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary puts it this way: "As a song of trust . Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over ( Psalms 23:5 ). In John 10:11 Jesus told His disciples, "I am the good shepherd,". Surely goodness and love shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. A Staff Gives Rest. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. David is describing it in Psalm 23. Because God was David's shepherd, he lacked (wanted) nothing. God's goodness means that they have nothing to fear: whatever happens to them, God will be with them. God is his shepherd and his God-a God all-sufficient to all intents and purposes. In order to understand Psalm 23, you must know that Psalm 23 is really the testimony of the sheep. Yea though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Psalm 23 is a song of gratitude that tells David's relationship with God as his shepherd. It does not mean that He will provide for every thing we want, but for everything that we need. The knee-high grass reaches as far as the eye can see. Meaning of Psalm 23. Take advantage of them. God lead us into them, and lead us on in them. Discontent and distrust proceed from unbelief; an unsteady walk is the consequence: let us then simply trust our Shepherd's care, and hearken to his voice. Psalm 23 depicts this holy covenant; as the first sign, the speaker addresses the Lord as "Thou" rather than referring to him as "He," which suggests a much more personal relationship. To many, this is a Psalm of desperation, resignation, and gloom. Psalm 23:1. He purchases them at a price and cares for them with love. Psalm 23. Psalm… I'm not sure when he wrote this psalm, whether he was young or old. the saints are led; the streams which flow from the Fountain of living waters. What makes these six verses so calming and uplifting, and what does Psalm 23 mean for us today? The Lord is personal to David, and He provides everything David needs. The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most quoted Psalm in the Bible. He takes care of you fabulously. The staff the psalmist (very likely King David) refers to can have several meanings depending on how it's used. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 3 He restoreth my [soul/strength]:he [leadeth/guides] me [in/down] the [paths of righteousness/right paths] for his [name's/reputation's] sake. A Psalm of David. The Lord is the Shepherd of His people and they are His sheep; so David said, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.". Only a shepherd could write Psalm 23, and David was a shepherd. He restores my soul. Now notice that this Psalm does not say I shall not need. He sets pleasurable things around you. Psalm 23 is the most famous of the psalms, a sequence of ancient hymns that comprise a whole book of the Bible. This analogy of Christ as a shepherd and His chosen . 3 He restores my soul. Psalm 23 starts right off with equating the Lord with . David said "The Lord is my Shepherd" A Shepherd is an individual that . They are well placed, well laid: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Open your Bible to Psalm 23, and show kids the passage. David speaks of the relationship of the shepherd to his sheep. In this poem, an anonymous speaker . The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most quoted Psalm in the Bible. The way of duty is the truly pleasant way. A study of Psalm 23 is sure to leave you feeling secure and wrapped in God's loving arms. God fully understands how difficult this world is for us, and that's why there are so many places in Scripture that point to the time when God will "wipe every tear" (Rev. The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! This is a deep healing process, and nutritional balancing programs seem to be able to accomplish it easily. 1 (A Psalm of David.) But over the years I've come to believe - strongly - that Psalm 23 is a psalm about life, not death. All are included: material, spiritual, protection, correction, peace, happiness, direction, confidence, purpose, elevate, and love. Psalm 23 is all about the ministry of the good shepherd - who is Jesus. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. These are present-day blessings available to those who know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. He makes me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest! This lesson introduces the Psalms to children. These are not things we have to earn by our good deeds. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. The psalms were originally written in Hebrew; the translation we're using here comes from the King James Bible, an influential 17th-century English translation in the Protestant Christian tradition. The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament.In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations . He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. v.1 - He leads us, He guides us, He's always with us, and we can be assured and feel safe under His protective care. All that a sheep need is a good shepherd since a good shepherd by his . 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23 has a special place in the heart of every Christians and has a significant meaning for each of our lives. God takes care of you. Before we go to the truth of God's Word on this subject, let's expose the fallacy. David is saying, "All my needs are supplied by the LORD, my Shepherd, and I decide to not desire more than what He gives.". He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. It is also perhaps the most misinterpreted. Psalm 31:3. Comfort - Sheep are comfortable in the presence of their Shepherd because they know they are safe. Psalm 23:6. "Yahweh (Hebrew: YHWH--Yahweh) is my shepherd" (v. 1a). Through this beautiful metaphor, Psalm 23 gives us invaluable insights into the character of God and His plan for His children. Remember the rod and staff were used to count the sheep and to protect them. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He is a host and He hosts His people in His house. 32. Sheep have a natural tendency to wander off and get lost. It is filled with a comforting message about how good God really is. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. It is also perhaps the most misinterpreted. The Fallacy Before we go to the truth of God's Word on this subject, let's expose the fallacy. As believers, we tend to do the same thing. David expresses confidence and trust in the Lord by portraying God as a good "Shepherd" who both guides and blesses them. Psalm 23 3 Commentary: The food and drink and peace that the Lord gives according to what we learned in our Psalm 23 2 Meaning article leads to what we see here in the third verse of Psalm 23. The comforts of a living saint. Tonight we will look at just Palm 23:4, but let's read Psalm 23 and as you do you'll recall the sheep imagery. Psalm 23 is all about how You can rest in the LORD's care for you. This is all important context for Psalm 23:5 because it informs what David was trying to communicate and why the phrase "my cup overflows" is relevant to Christians today. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, Leads me beside the still waters. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil . I. The vale of deep darkness and gloom is flooded with light and . David describes how his trust in G‑d never falters, and how, even as he walks through through the valley of the shadow of death, G . 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