The Lord of Psalm 23 E-Book

David Gibson

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Expository Study of Psalm 23 Reveals the Beauty and Deep Theological Meaning behind a Familiar Part of Scripture Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable passages in the whole Bible. Though relatively short, this poetic depiction of God's love epitomizes Christ's goodness and provision as he leads his children. Even lifelong Christians will find fresh encouragement by closely studying these familiar words. David Gibson walks through each verse in Psalm 23, thoroughly examining its 3 depictions of the believer's union with Christ as sheep and shepherd, traveler and companion, and guest and host. Gibson provides canonical context for the Psalm's beautiful imagery, inspiring praise and wonder as readers reflect on the loving Shepherd who meets every need. - Rich Theology: Adapted from 3 engaging sermons by David Gibson - Expository: Closely examines Psalm 23's imagery and what it reveals about the relationship between Christ and his followers - Uplifting and Informative: Encourages deep reflection on Christ's provision, comfort, and eternal strength - With a Foreword by Sinclair Ferguson

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“There is no passage of Scripture I have turned to as frequently or as desperately as Psalm 23. It has blessed, guided, and strengthened me in my hardest seasons and darkest days. Yet I have not come close to mastering its content or exhausting its riches—something that became clear as I read this lovely, helpful, challenging, easy-to-read guide to one of the Bible’s brightest treasures. I give it my highest recommendation.”

Tim Challies, author, Seasons of Sorrow

“To read this book is to sit under the best pastoral care—that of a pastor who expounds God’s word clearly, lovingly, and with delight. The word shines here, as we take time to follow the whole shape of Psalm 23; ultimately, the Savior of the Scriptures shines, Jesus the good shepherd, who is with us all the way home.”

Kathleen Nielson, author; speaker

“The Lord of Psalm 23 combines an attentive reading of the text with rich theological insight, all brought together to nourish and comfort the heart. I warmly encourage you to read it and meet the Lord afresh. This book was a tonic for my own soul at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed.”

Tim Chester, Senior Faculty Member, Crosslands Training

“Reading Psalm 23 through the lens of union with Christ—the good shepherd incarnate—The Lord of Psalm 23 brings assurance, comfort, and guidance to those of us who ask, ‘Can the Lord prepare a table in the wilderness?’ This is a wonderful encouragement.”

Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

“A pastor’s heart breathes through this book. Just as the psalm’s own words are heartwarming and beautiful, so on the lips of a caring pastor these meditations warm the heart and delight the soul. They did me good. They will do you good.”

Christopher Ash, Writer in Residence, Tyndale House, Cambridge

“There are two ways of reading and studying Scripture. One is like clipping down a motorway, traversing big chunks, getting the sweep of the story. The other is like milking a cow—you just sit there with one text and keep pulling and squeezing. The latter is what David Gibson does with Psalm 23—he ‘milks’ it marvelously, and your cup will run over!”

Dale Ralph Davis, former pastor; Former Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson

“The Psalter is the hymnbook of the Bible. God’s people were instructed to come into his presence with singing and into his courts with praise (Ps. 100:2, 4). As they lifted up their hearts in song, they gave voice to their laments and tears as well. No psalm is likely more beloved and consequently more abused than the twenty-third. In this short book, David Gibson unpacks the beauty and depth behind these almost too familiar words so we can hear and sing them anew.”

Harold Senkbeil, Executive Director Emeritus, DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel

“An old text has become a new friend. After reading The Lord of Psalm 23, I have fallen in love with this psalm all over again. David Gibson draws out its blessings with profound and soul-stirring richness. As you read this little volume, the beauty of the good shepherd will shine with even greater brightness in your mind’s eye. What a great shepherd, companion, and host we have in Jesus; and this book brings that truth to full light. Read it, meditate on it, and pray over it. Doing so is time well spent, because it is time spent taking in the glories of Christ.”

Jason Helopoulos, Senior Pastor, University Reformed Church, East Lansing, Michigan

“The Lord of Psalm 23 is a superbly well-titled and rare gem of pastoral theology. David Gibson demonstrates great skill in shining fresh light on the familiar verses, with delightful felicity of expression, fueled by penetrating, insightful reflection. Widely researched, with detailed attention to the text, and rooted in practical application, the book fills our vision with the shepherd Lord himself and brings us to worship him in renewed amazement and appreciation of his covenant grace and mercy. Reading this sensitive and warmhearted pastoral exposition has been a refreshing spiritual tonic to my soul.”

David Jackman, Former President, The Proclamation Trust

“Just when you thought you knew all there was to know of Psalm 23, along comes David Gibson’s deep and pastoral dive into this beautiful psalm. Your mind will be sharpened and your heart warmed as the author walks you through each verse with precision and a pastor’s eye. And with every step, he points us to Jesus, the true good shepherd, who came to lead us home. I loved it!”

Jenny Salt, Associate to Archdeacon Women’s Ministry, Sydney Anglican Diocese; Host, Salt—Conversations with Jenny

“The beauty of David Gibson’s journey through the Twenty-Third Psalm is its sustained focus on God. When the Lord is your shepherd, you have everything you need. His wisdom will lead you. His rest will restore you. His presence is with you. His strength will protect you. And his goodness and mercy will follow you all the way home. Read this book, and your soul will be nourished with a fresh view of all that is yours in Christ.”

Colin Smith, Senior Pastor, The Orchard, Arlington Heights, Illinois; Founder and Bible Teacher, Open the Bible

The Lord of Psalm 23

Other Crossway Books by David Gibson

Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End

Radically Whole: Gospel Healing for the Divided Heart

From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective, edited with Jonathan Gibson

The Lord of Psalm 23

Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host

David Gibson

Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson

The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host

Copyright © 2023 by David Gibson

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Cover design: Jordan Singer

First printing 2023

Printed in China

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-8798-6 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-8801-3 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-8799-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gibson, David, 1975– author. | Ferguson, Sinclair B., writer of foreword.

Title: The Lord of Psalm 23 : Jesus our Shepherd, companion, and host / David Gibson ; foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson.

Other titles: Lord of Psalm twenty three

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2023. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022058467 (print) | LCCN 2022058468 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433587986 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781433587993 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433588013 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Psalms, XXIII—Commentaries.

Classification: LCC BS1450 23rd .G48 2023 (print) | LCC BS1450 23rd (ebook) | DDC 223/.207—dc23/eng/20230321

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022058467

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022058468

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2023-08-21 08:59:58 AM

For Drew Tulloch

In Him I have an offering, an altar, a temple, a priest, a sun, a shield, a Savior, a Shepherd, a hiding place, a resting place, food, medicine, riches, honor, wisdom, righteousness, holiness, in short, everything.

John Newton

Contents

Foreword by Sinclair B. Ferguson

A Note on Singing the Twenty-Third Psalm

The Twenty-Third Psalm

Introduction

Part 1 The Sheep and the Shepherd

1  Who He Is

2  What He Provides

3  Where He Leads

Part 2 The Traveler and the Companion

4  How He Leads

5  Where He Is

6  What He Holds

Part 3 The Guest and the Host

7  How He Welcomes

8  What He Sends

9  Where He Invites

Acknowledgments

General Index

Scripture Index

Foreword

Occasionally in the chapel services at the seminary where I taught, one of the students would introduce the guest preacher with the four magical words “He is my minister.” There are few descriptions under-shepherds of Christ’s flock value more than these simple words expressing the special bond of affection that exists between pastor and people. I have never had the opportunity to use these words—that is, until now. For David Gibson is not only my friend; he is my minister. By the time you have finished reading these pages, you will realize why I count it a great privilege to sit under his ministry.

The Lord of Psalm 23 takes us through the six verses of what—at least where I come from—is by far the best-known and most frequently sung psalm in the Bible. In the days when hymnbooks were standard issue in churches, in many places—not least, funeral chapels—the books almost opened themselves at Psalm 23. I have known that psalm almost since I learned to talk, or at least since a well-meaning aunt gave me a child’s storybook version of it as a present. Its words (especially sung to the tune “Crimond”) have been the soundtrack of my life. It is not entirely my aunt’s fault, however, that I have not always appreciated it. Where her kind gift misled me was the way its front cover pictured David, the psalmist. There he sits beside a rock, a young teenager with glowing complexion, handsome face, spotless clothes, and an untarnished shepherd’s crook. This David was exactly the kind of boy I was not and never would be. Familiarity with this image did not so much breed contempt as cloud my mind to what generations of believers had found life-sustaining and soul-nourishing in this great psalm.

I suspect others share my experience. I cannot now recall exactly when all this changed; but I know what caused the change and opened my eyes to the obvious truth that lies on the surface of the text. What was needed was to experience some degree of what David describes in verse 4 as deep darkness, “the valley of the shadow of death.” Then the ghost of my childhood image of the psalmist would be exorcised. Then it would become clear that this psalm is not the product of an untried shepherd boy musing on how God is like him but the testimony of someone who bears the scars of trials, failures, loss, and—yes—the sins of his youth that led him two psalms later to ask God not to remember them (Ps. 25:7). This David had been in the valley of deep darkness; he had tasted the supplies of God even when—indeed, especially when—surrounded by his enemies. It was then he had learned what his forefather Jacob meant when he spoke of the Lord as “the God who has been my shepherd all my life long” (Gen. 48:15).

Probably you are holding this book in your hands because you wonder (as I did) why this psalm has meant so much to so many Christians, or because it has meant so much to you personally, and you are eager to discover more of its riches. In either case, you are putting your hands—and more importantly your mind and heart—into the safe hands of David Gibson. His ministry combines the quality of intellect and insight that makes him an outstanding expositor of Scripture (more able than he himself realizes) with the heart and devotion of a pastor who loves the church he serves. Here, in The Lord of Psalm 23, he shares with all of us the food that has first nourished his own flock. And if I say that the content of this book is typical of the quality of his ministry (not just an unusual “spike” in it), I hope this will reassure you of the integrity and reliability of what he writes here. I feel sure that, like many others who have told me how much they have valued David Gibson’s other books, you will want to read more from him in the future. But, first, you are about to appreciate and enjoy this one!

Sinclair B. Ferguson

A Note on Singing the Twenty-Third Psalm

Psalm 23 is a superlative song of confident trust in God. Its words of praise radiate with delight in the Lord as they cause us to worship him for who he is and what he does. The poetic beauty of its heartfelt adoration means, of course, that there are as many different versions of the Twenty-Third Psalm in hymns and songs as there are interpretations of it in commentaries, sermons, and other theological tomes.

This book originated in a series of three sermons preached to the Trinity Church family in Aberdeen, and in our worship services we followed each sermon by singing a different version of the psalm. These are included at the ends of the three parts of this book.

The first hymn, written by Christopher Idle in 1977, is “The Lord My Shepherd Rules My Life.” Idle wrote it, he said, “to provide a version of the twenty-third Psalm in familiar meter which would avoid the archaism and inversions of the established sixteenth-century version of the Scottish Psalter.” He sought to capture the biblical view of a shepherd, whose role is to rule rather than coddle and cosset his sheep. His choice of tune, “Brother James’ Air,” was composed by James Leith Macbeth Bain (ca. 1840–1925), who was born in Perthshire, Scotland. Bain was a healer, mystic, and poet known to his friends as Brother James. The tune is twelve bars long and so requires the last two lines of each verse to be repeated.

Next is a hymn from the 1650 Scottish Psalter, “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want.” This is probably the best known of all metrical versions of the Psalms. The text was written by the English Puritan William Whittingham (1524–1579), a translator of the Geneva Bible who married John Calvin’s sister and succeeded John Knox as pastor of the English-speaking congregation in Geneva. Whittingham was dean of Durham from 1563 until his death. The hymn is in common meter, and so, many tunes fit its text. In recent years, however, the tune “Crimond” has become the favorite, with “Wiltshire” a close second. “Crimond” was composed by Jessie Seymour Irvine, whose father was at one time minister in the village of Crimond in Aberdeenshire. Queen Elizabeth heard the tune at Crathie Church, where the royal family worships when staying at Balmoral Castle. She chose it for her wedding in Westminster Abbey in 1947, and it was sung there again at her state funeral in 2022 as the second Elizabethan age drew to a close.

The third version included here is my favorite, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is.” This paraphrase was penned by Henry Williams Baker (1821–1877), a vicar in the Anglican Church. He was editor in chief of the iconic hymnbook Hymns Ancient and Modern, for which he wrote a number of texts. John Bacchus Dykes was music editor for the hymnary, and he wrote the beautiful tune “Dominus regit me” specifically (the opening phrase of the psalm in Latin). The Irish tune “St Columba” is found in some hymnals and suits the text very well. The hymn has six verses corresponding to the six verses of the psalm. There is New Testament imagery: the “ransom” is from Matthew 20:28, and the “living water” from John 4:10; and the fourth verse says, “Your cross before to guide me.” There are other rich allusions to the Lord Jesus in this hymn, which we will come to later in the book.

The choice of these songs over others does nothing to denigrate the many alternative renderings of Psalm 23 set to music and verse. Rather, these are presented here simply to aid your worship as you read this book and to add yet more layers—an idea you will encounter a lot in this exposition—to the treasures contained in the psalm.

The combination of words of address in sermon and words of response in song and prayer is part of the powerful rhythm of corporate worship. It enables us to perceive the same reality from different angles and to engage the reality of who God is with all our being. May the words of these hymns and the words of this book combine to move your heart, soul, mind, and strength to love Christ more.

The theologian and the hymn writer traverse day by day the same country, the Kingdom of our Lord. They walk the same paths; they see the same objects; but in their methods of observation and their reports of what they see they differ. So far as theology is a science the theologian deals simply with the topography of the country; he explores, he measures, he expounds. So far as hymn writing is an art the writer deals not with the topography but with the landscape: he sees, he feels, and he sings. The difference in method is made inevitable by the variance of temperament of the two men, the diversity of gifts. But both methods are as valuable as inevitable. Neither man is sufficient in himself either as an observer or a reporter. It is the topography and the landscape together that make the country what it is. It is didactics and poetry together that can approach the reality of the spiritual kingdom.1

1  Louis F. Benson, The Hymnody of the Christian Church (Richmond, VA: John Knox, 1956), 25.

The Twenty-Third Psalm

A Psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.1

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness2

for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,3

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely4 goodness and mercy5 shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell6 in the house of the Lord

forever.7

1  Hebrew beside waters of rest.

2  Or in right paths.

3  Or the valley of deep darkness.

4  Or Only.

5  Or steadfast love.

6  Or shall return to dwell.

7  Hebrew for length of days.

Introduction

Some texts of Holy Scripture are hard to preach on or write about, not because they are especially difficult for the pastor or theologian to understand but because they are already so profoundly precious to the hearer and reader.

I suspect this is more true of Psalm 23 than of any other part of the Bible.

I came to preach on this psalm to my own church family after visiting a dear friend in the congregation who was hospitalized for major, life-changing surgery. After his operation, for several weeks my friend was able to read only very small portions of text. One day he showed me his copy of W. Phillip Keller’s book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Keller reads the individual phrases of the psalm through his shepherd eyes and runs each word through his shepherd hands; the result is a thoughtful and intimate reading of Psalm 23.1 We discussed the book and why it was helpful, and as I walked home that day, the idea for three sermons on Psalm 23 came to me. I did some reading and initial study, outlined the sermon series in a way that seemed to make sense, and even sourced a picture of a deep, dark valley to advertise the sermon series to our congregation. It was sure to whet their appetite! I proudly showed my artwork to my friend next time I visited the hospital.

“No,” he said, almost immediately. “That hillside in your picture is so soft and gentle you could do forward rolls all the way down! In my mind ‘the valley of the shadow of death’ looks and feels like the valley in ThePilgrim’s Progress.”

We will come to that valley later in this book, and to John Bunyan’s vivid depiction of it. Bunyan certainly helped me understand it much better, and I hope I can do it justice here. But my friend revealed something that might happen as you read these pages. Psalm 23 has comforted so many of us during the most painful and difficult moments of our lives that to have someone else analyze it line by line and tell you what it means, when you have already felt what it means in such a precious way, can be a profoundly disappointing experience. If you’ve actually lived in the valley, you don’t need me trying to describe it to you. That feels like taking something beautifully well-worn and exquisitely comfortable out of your hands, playing around with it, knocking it out of shape, and handing it back to you now beyond recognition.

I hope and pray your experience will not be like this. My aim is for this exposition to be like revisiting an old friend, with the familiarity and ease of such an encounter offering a gateway to learning new and unexpected things that detract in no way from what the two of you already have but, rather, serve only to add new layers of depth.

The riches in this psalm are inexhaustible. We will see that even the small phrases in it are, to use Martin Luther’s lovely phrase, “a little Bible.”2 These six short verses are a window into the sixty-six books of Scripture, and they take us through the whole story of redemption in an elevated, majestic, and also personal, intimate way. In the pages that follow, I simply want to walk through each phrase of the psalm and, as best I can, portray the beauty of its meaning for us. The walk will not be linear, like a straight line tracing the tightly composed argument of an epistle. Rather, this journey will be more circuitous and involve revisiting some parts of the psalm in light of its other parts and, indeed, other portions of the Bible.

On the one hand, “this Psalm is so clear, that there is no real need to comment upon it”;3 on the other hand, it contains numerous words and ideas that are “open ended” and regularly “under defined.”4 I trust that in what you read here you won’t lose track of that first truth about the clarity of Psalm 23, and that your experience of the Lord Jesus as shepherd will only become richer and sweeter. That goal can also be realized because of the second truth about the “open ended” nature of the psalm. This reality is not to be feared. You will see that the English Standard Version, which I am working with in this book, and which is printed in full at the start, contains no less than seven footnotes on issues of translation, and we will engage with many matters like this. So, simply by reading this version of the psalm, we are already embarking on a path of finding more treasures in this psalm than meet the eye on a first reading. This combination of truths about Psalm 23 is part of why the psalm is universally loved and also why we will not quickly plumb all the depths it contains.

I am going to lead us through Psalm 23 with the help of Alec Motyer’s incisive outline, which is tucked away, almost obscurely, in The New Bible Commentary. Out of gratitude for his outstanding work as a commentator, I have retrieved Motyer’s profile of the psalm, and it has guided my reading here in three vignettes: the sheep and the shepherd (vv. 1–3), the traveler and the companion (v. 4), and the guest and the host (vv. 5–6). As part of this, Motyer observes that each of these sections has a personal confession at its heart—“I shall not want” (v. 1), “I shall not fear” (v. 4), and “I shall dwell” (v. 6)—with the reason for these three confident assertions beautifully explained in each section.5

If these portions of the psalm make up its skeletal structure, then the spine of the psalm is the close, deeply personal relationship between its author and the person it describes. This is expressed as a “he-me” relationship in the opening lines, which is close enough, but then most beautifully and seamlessly becomes “you-me” in the valley of the shadow of death. As Motyer says, “The darker the shadow, the closer the Lord!”6 From that point on, the psalm only ever directly addresses the Lord as good shepherd, closest companion, and generous host.

This means that this psalm is in our Bibles as an exquisite depiction of the Lord Jesus Christ. More than that, it is a song of personal praise flowing from what it means to know and adore him as belonging to me, personally. So in these pages, in faltering words, I have one simple aim: to show you in the images, poetic beauty, and themes of Psalm 23 just how the Lord Jesus takes complete and absolute responsibility for those who are in his care.

I believe this is the point of the shepherding imagery, which blends into the hosting imagery. In the ancient Near East, shepherds were entirely and absolutely responsible for their sheep, and hosts were entirely and absolutely responsible for their guests.7 This is why the words of this psalm have nourished God’s people ever since they were written down. From start to end, the language describing God is active, intensive, causative—he makes, he leads, he restores, he leads again, he is with me, he prepares, he anoints