The Emotions of Psalms, Part 14 – Psalm 23: Feeling Secure
Psalm 23 September 27, 2026
Introduction
- Recently on a business trip to Vegas…not my favorite place. But we stayed at this swanky hotel…it was opulently decorated, had people all over the place to serve you, we had access to every amenity we could want, delicious restaurants, games and pleasures to be sucked into, and security everywhere. Got up to our rooms and the curtains opened on their own as you walked in to reveal a beautiful view over the city and the mountains, a giant bed and a massive tv, and 24/7 concierge service all to make you feel like a king.
- As Leslie and I took it all in, we both appreciated the privilege of staying in a place like that, but were quick to realize that it was only temporary – the best the world has to offer provided no security, only distraction.
- Have studied many emotions, several positive: feeling confident, delighted, and contented and even more negative emotions: feeling abandoned, wrathful, overwhelmed, impatient, grief/sadness, shame, bitter, frustrated, and afraid
- 3 points today – Psalmist’s Pathos, Psalmist’s Processing, Psalmist’s Pointing
Psalmist’s Primary Pathos: Bitterness
- Psalm 56
- 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake. - 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me. - 5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
- Context of Psalm = David was a shepherd and understood the role of a shepherd in the life of a sheep – how vulnerable they are apart from their shepherd
- J Vernon Mcgee tells the story of a conversation he had with a rancher, and this is what the rancher had to say about sheep: “I have out on the range right now about two thousand sheep. I have a whole army of helpers out there taking care of those sheep. I have about that same number of cattle, and nobody is with them. Every cow will bring in a calf at the end of the year. We don’t need to put anybody with them, but we have to put somebody with the sheep.” He continued, “A sheep is not only the most helpless creature in the world, but a sheep is the most stupid creature that God ever created. A sheep is helpless, can’t defend itself. It doesn’t have sharp claws, doesn’t have fangs—no way of defending itself. It’s not like a jackrabbit. A jackrabbit doesn’t have fangs or claws either, but he can run. A sheep can’t run. He can’t get away from trouble. If two little sheep were to wander away from the flock, over the hill just two hundred yards, they couldn’t find their way back. They’re lost and you’d have to go get them. If a wolf comes along, he’ll kill one of the sheep. You’d think the other little sheep would be smart and say, ‘While he’s eating my brother I’m going to get back to the flock,’ but he doesn’t do that. He just goes around saying ‘baa, baa’ and waits to become dessert for the wolf. A sheep is a helpless and very stupid little creature….[So if] a sheep is safe, it’s because the sheep has a wonderful shepherd.”
- This Psalm is speaking from the perspective of a sheep – and the security they feel with a loving shepherd guarding them
Psalmist’s Processing
- V1 = The Lord is in charge, so I am secure
- The Lord = sheep owned by the Shepherd
- Phillip Keller, “It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my shepherd.” They seem to hope that by merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life. One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t.” – A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
- “is” = present continuous tense
- “my” = personally known
- Shepherd = dependable, loyal, faithful, etc. all the qualities of a protector
- Rest of the Psalm can be read as aspects of what it means for His Shepherding of us: provides (v2), guides (v3), protects (v4), hosts (v5), and gives me goodness and mercy (v6)
- Therefore: “I shall not want”
- C.H. Spurgeon “It is not only “I do not want,” but “I shall not want.” Come what may, if famine should devastate the land, or calamity destroy the city, “I shall not want.” Old age with its feebleness shall not bring me any lack, and even death with its gloom shall not find me destitute. I have all things and abound; not because I have a good store of money in the bank, not because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because “The Lord is my shepherd.” The wicked always want, but the righteous never; a sinner’s heart is far from satisfaction, but a gracious spirit dwells in the palace of content.”
- The Lord = sheep owned by the Shepherd
- V2 = The Lord is my provider, so I am secure
- “He makes me” – the Lord loves me enough to overcome my selfish, foolish, immature, wanderings
- “lie down” = the Lord gives me rest in beautiful, abundant places
- Present continuous tense – He is always doing this
- “He leads me” – If I submit to Him
- Besides still waters = places of provision, safety, and peace
- V 3 = The Lord is my guide, so I am secure
- He restores my soul = my soul is secure in Him
- “Leads me in paths of righteousness”
- Knows I am prone to wander – therefore, leads me exactly where I should go, in His righteousness
- Why? – for His name’s sake
- He glorifies Himself by loving and saving me.
- A shepherd’s reputation was rooted in the health and safety of his sheep. It is the same with our Shepherd, He maintains His reputation and brings glory to His Name by guiding us in His righteousness
- He glorifies Himself by loving and saving me.
- V4 – The Lord is my protects, so I am secure
- Nothing to fear…not even the shadow of death or deep darkness…because the Lord is with me
- Center of the chiastic structure of the Psalm
- C.H. Spurgeon “…it is not “the valley of death,” but “the valley of the shadow of death,” for death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains. Some one has said that when there is a shadow there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us. Let us not, therefore, be afraid.”
- Rod of correction/defense and staff of guidance/deliverance = comfort
- Nothing to fear…not even the shadow of death or deep darkness…because the Lord is with me
- V5 – The Lord is my host, so I am secure
- My enemies cannot touch me (my spirit) when I am with Him
- He hosts me and as a good host, no harm shall come of me, even when evil is present
- Oil = Holy Spirit
- I am filled to overflowing with the Spirit in His presence
- My enemies cannot touch me (my spirit) when I am with Him
- V6 – The Lord is good and merciful, so I am secure
- “Mercy” (Heb. Hesed) = steadfast love, covenantal faithfulness
- “Follow” = pursue me…the Lord wants to give me His goodness and knows I need His mercy
- “All the days of my life”…not some, but all, and forevermore into eternity
- “I shall dwell”
- God is present with me (v4) and my dwelling is with Him (v6) = chiastic middle and crescendoing end
- No doubt, certainty….my dwelling shall be with Him
- Revelation 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””
Psalmist’s Pointing
- C. H. Spurgeon – “The position of this psalm is worthy of notice. It follows the twenty-second, which is peculiarly the Psalm of the Cross. There are no green pastures, no still waters on the other side of the twenty-second psalm. It is only after we have read, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ that we come to ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ We must by experience know the value of the blood-shedding, and see the sword awakened against the Shepherd, before we shall be able truly to know the sweetness of the good Shepherd’s care.” – The Treasury Of David, I, p. 398
- Psalm 22 = Jesus is the Savior for all sins and will not abandon us, Psalm 23 = Jesus is Shepherd and Lord of our life, Psalm 24 = Jesus is the Sovereign King of the world and will reign forever.
- Must know Jesus of Psalm 22 before can really know Jesus of Psalm 23 and Psalm 24
- Psalm 22 = Jesus is the Savior for all sins and will not abandon us, Psalm 23 = Jesus is Shepherd and Lord of our life, Psalm 24 = Jesus is the Sovereign King of the world and will reign forever.
- John 10:10-15 “10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
- Our Good Shepherd the Shepherd who calls His sheep doesn’t only provide (v2), guide (v3), protect (v4), host (v5), and love (v6) us in this temporary place; He promises that He will bring us home
- John 10:27-29 “27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
- Our Good Shepherd not only keeps us eternally secure, but He keeps us secure with Him. That’s the whole emphasis of this Psalm, that our God is with us and invites us to be with Him forever.
Conclusion
- You know, when we were in that hotel, we were still in the middle of a desert in a city that doesn’t have enough water for itself, surrounded by a sinful culture that constantly tempts you to join in. Those security guards were there for a reason – theft and violence could happen at any moment as the people who sat gambling their most often walk away with empty pockets and nothing to show for their hours of wasted time except having been distracted from reality.
- Our God doesn’t merely put us up in some fancy hotel to distract us from the dangers all around; He has prepared a place for us with Him to be our home forever
- John 14:1-3 ““Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
- Amen. Amen. – Prayer through Psalm.