BIBLE STUDY WEEK # 1

"A Study of Psalm 23 Verse by Verse"

Date: (2/13/15)

Week:  # 1

 

Title: (The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want)

 

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for being my Shepherd. As we study this scripture give us the revelation knowledge and heart desire to long for Your presence no matter where we are, or what situation we found ourselves in.  Lord, Your are our Shepherd and we need You daily. Thank You for providing and supplying all our needs. My good shepherd, I praise you for rescuing me!  I praise you, because you go ahead of me! I praise you because you gave your life on the cross for me and you meet my needs! I praise you, for you are going to lead me till the end!  We are Your people, and the sheep of Your pasture. We love You and honor You. This we pray in Jesus' Mighty Name, amen.

 

Let's get started………………….   A shepherd's life also required him to spend a great deal of time alone out in the countryside. With no one to talk to, the shepherd had time to think about many things. He could (if he so desired) just allow his mind to wander aimlessly from thought to thought or else he could utilize the time to develop his thought processes and to draw near to God. The shepherd life gave great opportunity for a person to use the time to become a man of great devotion and prayer. Obviously David spent his time doing just that. Psalm 23 is a testimony of David. Every verse of it testifies of a truth about God and the relationship David had developed with Him. In Psalm 23, David painted with words, a picture of God as the Great Shepherd of his life. What David was to his sheep, he considered the Lord to be that and even more to himself as one of God's sheep.  As we study this Psalm, I pray that we too will want to say as David said:

Text: Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want."

Verse one speaks three truths about David's Shepherd.

 

Truth #1: "The Lord" denotes He is A Glorious Sovereign.

A sovereign is defined as a person having supreme rank and power; superior to all others.
God claimed to be the sovereign majesty of the universe. Isaiah 44:6, "I am the first and the last; there is no other God."  Isaiah 45: 21-22, There is not other god beside me, a righteous God and a Savior, there is not one besides me. Turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other."
David believed what God said of Himself and testified to it in 2 Samuel 7:22 (NLT), "How great you are, O Sovereign Lord, there is no one like you, there is no other god. We have never even heard of another God like you."
In Scripture the word Lord is the Hebrew name Jehovah. It is the personal name for God that distinguished Him from all the false gods that people worshipped.

 Egypt, for example, was a land of many false gods. They had 360 primary gods, one for each day of the Egyptian calendar. A false god in its simplest definition is anything that is esteemed, loved, feared, or served more than the God of Scripture. If we set up anything that is a rival interest in our hearts and minds that absorbs the love and service which belongs only to the true God our creator, then that thing becomes another god to us.
 
Fact: Whatever the heart clings to - that becomes our God.
 
Examples:

·         The proud man who idolizes himself makes of himself his god.

·         The ambitious man who pays homage to popular applause makes his ambition his god.

·         The covetous person who hoards possessions makes possessions his god.

·         The immoral person who craves sex makes sex his god.

·         The glutton who craves food makes eating his god.

·         The doting lover  - whether husband, wife, mother, or father - who sets his supreme affection on the person loved more than upon God makes that person his god.

 
David kept himself from the folly of embracing false gods. He refused to honor or worship any idol made of his own or any other person's imagination or hands. He understood this: Psalm 115:4-8, "Idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not, eyes have they, but they see not: they have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: they have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them."
God had warned in Exodus 20:3-5, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me; thou shalt not make unto thee any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God..."
The choice as to whom David would claim as his Shepherd in life was not difficult for him to make. It would be the God that created man and not the god that man created. It would be "the Lord" the only true and living God.
Note:  David used the personal pronoun "my." He did not say "the Lord is the Shepherd of the world in general." He is saying, "The Lord is a Shepherd to me. He cares for me. He watches over me". He made it personal.
 
Fact: Our experience with God can never be vital until it is personal.

 

Truth #2:"My Shepherd" denotes He is A Gentle Shepherd.

The ministry of Jesus as the "good" shepherd reveals this to be true. The word "Lord "speaks of His deity… The word shepherd speaks of His humanity. As the Sovereign Lord He is able!  As the sympathetic shepherd He is approachable. 

 

Fact: In the New Testament the Sovereign Lord that was David's Shepherd has revealed Himself in Jesus. The Jehovah Shepherd of the Old Testament is manifested as the Jesus Shepherd of the New Testament.

What kind of Shepherd is Jesus?

• He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). As such He died to pay the penalty for our sin 2.
• He is the Great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20-21).As such He rose to save us from the power of sin. 
• He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). As such He is coming again to save us from the presence of sin. 
• He is the Savior Shepherd that came to save the lost (Luke 19:10), "For the Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost."
• He is like the Concerned Shepherd of Luke 15 who goes seeking for the lost sheep until he finds it. "And when he hath found it, he laid it upon his shoulders, rejoicing...and when he cometh home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying unto them; "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost" (Luke 15:4-6).
• He is the Shepherd who is touched by our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15).
• He is the Shepherd who comforts us in all our tribulation (2 Cor.1:4).
• He is the good Shepherd who knows His sheep by name (John 10:14,27).
• He is the Shepherd who can weep over His sheep (John 11:35).

So we see that Jesus is truly the Gentle Shepherd

 

Truth #3: "I shall not want" denotes He is a Gracious Sufficiency.

 
Fact: Only when you can say, "The Lord is my shepherd", can you say, "I shall not want". David took the sacred name "Jehovah" and linked it with the word "Shepherd". This was a daring thing, but he did it by the leadership of the Holy Spirit. That name is Jehovah Rohi.
Names have meanings. They reveal the nature and character of God - who He is and what He wants to do in our lives (Character - determines - Conduct) The verb "is" was in the present tense. David was telling us what God meant to Him at that present moment! Note that David used the personal pronoun "my". Our experience with God can never be vital until it is personal.
There's seven times where the name "Jehovah" is linked with another word. Each time it reveals to us the reasons why "I shall not want."

It is in the name Jehovah-Rohi (the Lord our Shepherd) that we find the most tender, most intimate relationship between Jehovah and His people.

Jehovah-Rohi: (Psalms 23:1) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Jehovah is the Shepherd of His People. The primary meaning of Rohi is "to feed" or "lead to pasture," as a shepherd does his flock. There are many references to the Lord being our Shepherd.

 

I. The Jehovah-Rohi of the Old Testament

A. Ps 80:1 -- The Shepherd of Israel Leads

(Psalms 80:1) Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

B. Is 40:10-11 -- The Shepherd of Israel feeds

(Isaiah 40:10-11) Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

C. Ezekiel 34:11-12 - The Shepherd seeks

(Ezekiel 34:11) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

(Ezekiel 34:12) As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

D. Psalm 100:3 - We are His sheep

(Psalms 100:3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

(1 Peter 2:25) For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

1. Note the example that Nathan used.

2. It speaks of the intimate love the shepherd has for his sheep.

3. This is the special relationship of Jehovah-Rohi to His sheep.

(2 Samuel 12:3) But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

 

II. The Shepherd's Psalm - Psalm 23

(Psalms 23:1) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

A. Since He is my Jehovah-Rohi I shall not want!

1. I shall not want rest. v2

2. I shall not want refreshment. v2

3. I shall not want forgiveness. v3

4. I shall not want guidance. v3

5. I shall not want companionship. v4

6. I shall not want comfort. v4

7. I shall not want sustenance. v5

8. I shall not want joy. v5

9. I shall not want anything in this life. v6

10. I shall not want in the life to come. v6

B. Everything that the shepherd is to the sheep, Jehovah-Rohi is to His people.

1. He is the One who protects

2. He is the One who directs

3. He is the One who provides

 

III. Jesus is Our Jehovah-Rohi

(John 10:11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

A. He is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah.

(Isaiah 40:11) He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

B. He is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel.

(Ezekiel 34:12) As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

(Luke 19:10) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

C. Jesus as our Jehovah-Rohi

1. As the Good Shepherd He has made the ultimate sacrifice for us.

(John 10:11) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

2. As the Great Shepherd He cares for us and provides for our every need.

(Hebrews 13:20-21) Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

3. As the Chief Shepherd He is coming again for His flock.

(1 Peter 5:4) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Do you know the joy of being one of His sheep? If not please ask Him into your heart now.

 

"Dear Lord Jesus,

I know I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead.  I trust and follow you as my Lord and Savior. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In your name, amen."

Jehovah-Rohi longs for a personal relationship with you. Child of God, are we following His direction, enjoying His protection, and relying upon His provision? Are we longing for His return

 

Different Version Week # 1: (KJV)

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.   ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

Word of the Week #1:   Protector

 

1. a person or thing that protects someone or something. "ear protectors"

synonyms:

defender, preserver, guardian, guard, champion, watchdog, ombudsman, knight in shining armor, guardian angel, patron, chaperone, escort, keeper, custodian, bodyguard, minder; More informal hired gun "a protector of the environment" guard, shield, buffer, cushion, pad, screen "ear protectors"

2. historical a person in charge of a kingdom during the minority, absence, or incapacity of the sovereign.

 

 

God's Name:  God is Jehovah Rohi:  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He is my Protector.

(The above names fit this Psalm perfectly. Note that His names appear in every verse.)

 

"Father God, You have so many wonderful Names.  May I search out the Scripture and really get to know You by Your Names.  Each one has a special meaning and gives me deeper understanding to Who You are. Reveal Your character to me today. Amen."

 

Question of the Week:            What are the main points in this Psalm?

 

Questions:  

1).        What is the three truth in Psalm 23:1?

2).        What do Jehovah-Rohi mean?

3).        What is a fact that concern our hearts and God?

4).        In Scripture the word Lord is the Hebrew name________.

5).        Name some of the things we don't have to want for because God is our Shepherd.

6).        Jehovah-Rohi is our_______, and we are His______.

7).        Who is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40:11

8).        What do Luke 19:10 say about the Shepherd?

9).        There are three things Jesus is as a Shepherd, what are they?

10).      How many verses are in Psalm 23?

11).      What is a good follow-up of Psalm 23?

 

 

BIBLE STUDY OF PSALM 23 (PRAYER)

I always love to pray the week's prayer before I get started:

Father God in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. We desire Your will to be done in our lives. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You, Lord, for given us a heart to study Your Word. As we start this study, bless us to honor You first of all.  We praise Your name, Lord. King David wrote this Psalm because He believe You to be his Shepherd, and his Protector.  Help us to study with our whole hearts that we may gain knowledge with understanding, so we can use the wisdom You give.  By the time we finish studying and reading this Psalm, may our hearts be uplifted and encouraged so we can share it with others.  Help us to keep Your precepts diligently.  Let Your precepts be our goal to understanding Your Word.  In this study may Your face shine upon us, and teach us all we need to know in this study of Psalm 23 for the glory of God.  In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.

 

 

 

BIBLE STUDY INTRODUCTION (2/5/15)

BIBLE STUDY: "A Study of Psalm 23 Verse by Verse"

Date: (2/6/15)

 

Prayer:

 

Father God in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. We desire Your will to be done in our lives. We thank You for Your mercy and grace. Thank You, Lord, for give us a heart to study Your Word. As we start this study, bless us to honor You first of all.  We praise Your name, Lord. King David wrote this Psalm because He believe You to be his Shepherd, and his protector.  Help us to study with our whole hearts that we may gain knowledge with understanding, so we can use the wisdom You give.  By the time we finish studying and reading this Psalm, may our hearts be uplifted and encouraged so we can share it with others.  Help us to keep Your precepts diligently.  Let Your precepts be our goal to understanding Your Word.  In this study may Your face shine upon us, and teach us all we need to know in this study of Psalm 23 for the glory of God.  In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.

 

 

Title: Introduction: Psalm 23

 

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

 

I shall not want - This is the main idea in the psalm, and this idea is derived from the fact that God is a shepherd. The meaning is that, as a shepherd, he would make all needful provision for his flock, and evince all proper care for it.

I have read the book of Psalm, but never went into deep study before, except in theology classes. This gives me a chance to dig deep into this well-known Psalm. Psalm 23 is one of the most well beloved and well-known scriptures in the whole Bible. It is in this Psalm that we meet Jehovah-Rohi, the Lord my shepherd.When I was a young girl my father had each of his children to learn this psalm by reading it every night until we could repeat it from memory. After dinner and just before bed time, we would all gather around my father and mother and read aloud.  When I learn to repeat it I was so happppy!!!  It was a challenge too. And, it was a blessing at the same time. This Psalm blessed my sister who was illiterate while here with us. She is with the Lord now! She had memorized this Psalm enough to read it and learn to read from it. Glory to God! We made sure it was in her obituary, because she loved this Psalm.  This Psalm really covers the bible itself. Each verse has a meaning that gives us comfort and joy. The Lord is our Shepherd!

There is a famous psalm written by David that, if written in today, would be Christian music's number one hit – a multi-platinum recording. It is Psalm 23 and perhaps you have heard of its lyrics? There can be no question that this song beautifully expresses the goodness of trusting in a personal shepherd. But, I understand that a shepherd probably holds very little weight for those of us in a busy city or even a quiet suburban town. So, let's modernize this reference that David, and later Jesus, used. Instead of calling the main character a good shepherd, let's exchange it for the word 'bodyguard.' The idea of a constant protector is what David was communicating and David, a once shepherd-boy turned mighty king, understood the importance in taking care of helpless animals. David also knew that the Lord was faithful in providing and watching over him.

Can we echo this response when we find ourselves running or hiding in metaphorical caves? Can we echo this when we feel forgotten or lost? Hopefully, we aren't only proclaiming the following words found in Psalm 23 when life is working in our favor. For the truth is, these words can produce the most power in our lives when we feel the very weakest. Let's take a look at each well-chosen lyric to further understand David's words to God: The book of Psalm 23.

 

Before we do that, let's look at the table of content of this study of Psalm 23. As we look at this Psalm, we will see a shepherd's life also required him to spend a great deal of time alone out in the countryside. With no one to talk to, the shepherd had time to think about many things. He could (if he so desired) just allow his mind to wander aimlessly from thought to thought or else he could utilize the time to develop his thought processes and to draw near to God. The shepherd life gave great opportunity for a person to use the time to become a man/woman of great devotion and prayer.

 

Obviously David spent his time doing just that. Psalm 23 is a testimony of David. Every verse of it testifies of a truth about God and the relationship David had developed with Him. In Psalm 23, David painted with words, a picture of God as the Great Shepherd of his life. What David was to his sheep, he considered the Lord to be that and even more to himself as one of God's sheep. 

As we study this Psalm, I pray that we too will want to say as David said: "The Lord is my Shepherd!"

 

OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS PSALM:

1) To remind ourselves of the wonderful provision, protection, and preservation the Lord furnishes His people

2) To note how this psalm foreshadows the blessings provided by "The Good Shepherd", Jesus Christ

SUMMARY

This much-beloved psalm of David makes use of the Shepherd motif to describe the deep faith and hope available to the child of God, made possible the watchful care of the Lord.  It also mixes other metaphors, especially that of a gracious Host.

As outlined below, David begins by illustrating the provision of the Lord, both physical and spiritual (1-3).  David then describes the protection of the Lord, as he travels through dangerous places and in the presence of enemies (4-5).  The psalm ends with an expression of faith and hope in the Lord's preservation, that God will furnish the goodness and mercy needed throughout life, so that he made abide in the house of the Lord forever (6).

The Christian sees in this psalm a wonderful foreshadowing of "The Good Shepherd", Jesus Christ, who gave His life for His sheep and even now watches over them  (cf. John 10:11-15; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 5:4).

A good follow-up to this psalm is Psalm 100, which expresses the praise we should render to God as His people and the sheep of His pasture.

OUTLINE

I. THE SHEPHERD'S PROVISION (Psalm 23:1-3)

   A. NO LACK OF PHYSICAL NECESSITIES (1-2)

      1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want (cf. Luke 12:22-32)

      2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures

      3. He leads me beside the still waters (cf. Revelations 7:17)

   B. NO LACK OF SPIRITUAL NECESSITIES (3)

      1. He restores my soul (cf. Revelations 3:19)

      2. He leads me in the paths of righteousness, for His name's sake

         (cf. 1Co 10:13)

II. THE SHEPHERD'S PROTECTION (Psalm 23:4-5)

   A. THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH (4)

      1. I will fear no evil, for He is with me (cf. He 13:5-6)

      2. His rod and staff comfort me (cf. He 12:5-11)

   B. IN THE PRESENCE OF ENEMIES (5)

      1. He prepares a table before me in their presence (cf. John 16:33)

      2. He anoints my head with oil, my cup runs over (cf. Ephesians 3:20)

III. THE SHEPHERD'S PRESERVATION (Psalm 23:6)

   A. ALL THE DAYS OF ONE'S LIFE (6a)

      1. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me

      2. All the days of my life (cf. 2Timothy 4:18)

   B. FOREVER (6b)

      1. I will dwell in the house of the Lord

2. Forever (cf. John 14:1-3)

 

Table of content:

 

Week # 1          (The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.)

Week # 2          (He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.)

Week # 3          (He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.)

Week # 4          (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.)

Week # 5          (Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.)

Week # 6         (Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.)

Week # 7          (Conclusion)

 

 

There will be a prayer weekly, a word of the week weekly, a question weekly, God's Names weekly, questions to answers weekly, and a different version of Psalm 23 weekly.

 

Thanks to all who have responded through the different sites, blogs, or just through email. God bless you!  It's a blessing to study God's Word! (Psalm 119:105)"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."