To Best Believe Psalm 23, Pt. 1 (08/25/2002)

The Shepherd Who Provides Through Psalm 22

The message this morning is to believe, to best believe Psalm 23, one must study Psalm 22. And what we're actually doing is we're going to do a study of Psalm 23, but we're going to start with Psalm 22 for today.

And then we'll get into Psalm 23 the next time. But the power for the provision is found in chapter 22. The provision is found in 23, and that's what we want to study. But we're going to study 22, 23, and 24 together.

We'll begin today with first verse of Psalm 23, and then we'll go back to Psalm 22 for the remainder of the morning. Let's read Psalm 22, verse 1 together. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. I meant 23.

Psalm 23, 1. Let's do it again so you're looking at the right one. Yeah, lest you think I can't read. Alright, Psalm 23, 1. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Now, the old beautiful English, we all understand what it means when it says I shall not want, don't we?

It means we shall not have need of anything because the Lord is my shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, therefore I'll have all my needs met by the shepherd himself. David knew what it was to be a shepherd, and not the kind that was hired, but the kind that watched the very sheep of his own father.

He knew well the main undertaking of the shepherd was to meet the needs of the sheep, make sure that the sheep did not want for anything needful for their well-being and growth. But David does not speak here of himself when he says the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

But he speaks of that great shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'd like for you to turn to John chapter 10, stay there in Psalm 22 as well, but we want to look at some verses about the great shepherd in the book of John.

The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep by Name

Chapter 10, and I won't read them all, although they're all beautiful, but we're not preaching this passage. But I'll try to hit the high points, so I may skip around a bit. Start with verse 2. He that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. We should not, as the church, look at ourselves as a mass, but rather as an individual.

Each of us should realize that the shepherd knows our individual name. Just as the shepherd pictured here knew the names of his sheep, they named the sheep. That's kind of foreign to us, we think about naming puppies and things like that, but the shepherds actually gave their sheep a name because the sheep would learn their name.

And it shows that he knows our individual name, and it says that he leadeth them out. And it pictures him leading them not so much as a group, but as a group of individuals. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, he leads, you see.

And the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. That's why you have to have a bit of a problem with folks that are following false prophets.

Verse 11, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeeth.

And the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeeth, because he isn't hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, that's the Gentiles. And they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, Jew and Gentile, neither Jew nor Gentile, one fold and one shepherd.

Look at verse 19, there was a division therefore again among the Jews for this saying. Can you imagine one fold made up of Jew and Gentile? No surprise that there was a division at this saying. But ye believe not, Jesus said, because you are not of my sheep.

As I said unto you, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me is greater than all things, and no thing is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Because the Jew knew who he claimed to be when he said, I and the Father are one. I shall not want, the psalmist says in Psalm 23 verse 1.

I shall not want. This speaks of promised provision. Provision for everything. Provision for every need in life. Provision for every spiritual need. Every physical need. Every need of the body, every need of the mind.

Every need of the soul. Promised provision. Henry Ironside was born in 1876. He died about three years before I was born. So he lived a long life. His formal education stopped at grammar school. But he loved to read.

And his scholarship was recognized in academic circles. He received several honorary doctorates, including one from Bob Jones University. But he pastored the great Moody Memorial Church in Chicago for 18 years.

He followed the great Moody, D .L. Moody, and Torrey. And then Ironside was the next pastor of that great church. When he was 72 years old, in spite of failing eyesight, he gave 569 addresses that year.

This man was familiar with Psalm 23 and he said this about it. I believe Psalm 23 is the most beloved psalm of them all. And it is the one least believed. Isn't that amazing? You like to say, the Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not want. I'm still quoting Ironside. But the next time that you are thrown out of a job, are you going to say, oh dear. I don't know what on earth I'm going to do. What was that about the shepherd, he says.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. And when sickness and bereavement come, do you say, oh my, it is all up with me. Is he no longer your shepherd? Do you say these words over and yet not believe them?

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Do you believe it? Then do not ever go around with your head hanging down anymore. If all these things are true, why should our hearts be bowed down like a bulrush?

The great shepherd has undertaken to see us through. He says it's the most beloved psalm and the least believed. I think part of the problem is people read Psalm 23 without reading Psalm 22 first. Because in Psalm 23 it speaks of the great provision of the great shepherd.

But Psalm 22 speaks of the power by which the great shepherd is able to provide for the sheep. So this morning we're going to look at the power before we look at the provision. Perhaps if we were acquainted with Psalm 22, we could better believe Psalm 23.

For therein is the basis for the power to provide. So look at Psalm 22 in verse 1. To the chief musician, so this was a song. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring?

Christ on the Cross in Psalm 22

Now we need to understand before we go on into this, that this whole chapter is prophetic. This chapter, the psalmist David speaks under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And the inspiration of the Holy Spirit makes him speak the very words that the Messiah would speak on the cross a thousand years later.

To the word. Many of the little phrases, and it's not the whole chapter, but many phrases throughout the chapter were spoken by our Lord while he was on the cross. Including this one. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? I want us to look at some things and to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to this earth as the God-man. He came as God so that he might come into this place in time and space.

He became man so that he might allow us to identify with him. He became the express image of the Father. He became the very glory of God. He said, if you've seen me, you have seen the Father. He said, I and the Father are one.

He came into this world and he has suffered as we suffered. This one verse shows us three things. He suffered as we suffered. He was tempted as we are tempted. And he asked questions just as we ask questions.

And that may be the part you might not have thought about before. I certainly hadn't until I started studying this. In this he is our great example. He's far more than an example. You know we believe that.

But I'm going to speak of him as an example this morning. He is our great example. We can identify with him and he with us. And he teaches us how to go through trouble. Look at his questions. And remember as you look at these questions that he asked them while he was on the cross.

Number one, why have you forsaken me? Number two, why are you so far from helping me? Number three, why are you so far from the roaring words of my prayers? This word roaring is sha 'ag in Hebrew, sha 'ag.

It means to rumble or moan or literally to cry out. So this was an out loud cry of a prayer. Why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me? Why do you not hear the roaring of my prayers?

Verse two says, oh my God I cry in the daytime but thou hearest not. And in the night season I am not silent. But it's as if you hear me not. So the Lord Jesus himself as the man Jesus Christ asked three questions on the cross.

Why have you forsaken me father? Although he called him God in this case. Why are you so far from helping me God? Why do you not hear the roaring of my prayers God? What's interesting is we look at verse three.

We see that Jesus' answer to temptation was always the same. It was that he had spent time as a man studying. From a little boy up to the age of 12 years old where he confounded the scholars. By the age of 12 he knew more scripture than they did.

He studied that much as a man, not as God. As a man filled with the Holy Spirit. We must study that way as well. It does us no good to study in the flesh. But as a man filled with the Holy Spirit he studied the word of God.

And he still asked these questions. But in verse three he says the word but. Now that's an important word here. Because the questions that preceded it. He truly was questioning God. He was not questioning God's goodness.

He was not questioning the character of God. He was asking questions to God. There's a difference. But as he asked the question why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me? Why don't you hear my prayers?

Verse three he says to himself but. Thou art holy. O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. That's an interesting phrase. Two things he reminds himself of regarding the character of God. Number one God is holy.

He is totally separate from evil. Jesus reminds himself of this while this is happening to him. And secondly that this is the God that inhabits the praises of Israel. Now that verse has been taken out of context.

And used an awful lot by the charismatics. The charismatics try to use this verse. To prove that if we will praise God in our assembly. Then God must inhabit our assembly. It means nothing of the sort.

God must not do anything that we would move him to do. God is not a responder. He is the initiator. God is not a bride. He is the groom. If you praise him it's because he was there first. It's not a thing you can use to bring him here.

So it's used out of context in this way. So if it doesn't mean that. But what does it mean when Jesus said. Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel. Well I'll tell you it means this very simply. It is this God.

The true God whose name inhabits all of the praises of Israel throughout their history. This name of this God is the only one found within their praises. As they praise his faithfulness. His mercy. His loving kindness.

His direction. And his deliverance. He is the one who inhabits all their praises. There is none other. Jesus reminds himself of all the attributes of God. Which his people have praised through the ages.

Even as he asks the questions. God why have you forsaken me? God why are you so far from me? God why are you not hearing my prayer? But I know you are the holy one. I know you are the faithful one. I know you're all merciful and loving.

And you give me direction and you've given me deliverance throughout my life. So he won't ask the questions without the knowledge of who God is. This shows us the great importance. When we are walking through the shadow of the valley of death.

That we had already spent a lifetime in the Bible. A life of Bible study in search of knowing the true God. That inhabits the praises of his people throughout all time. If we go into a time of trouble without knowing him and his attributes.

We will become nothing but scoffers and skeptics. But if we come through these hard times with a full knowledge of God. A personal knowledge of God and relationship. But also an understanding of having learned his ways and his works.

And his own character. Then we'll make it through those times. Jesus asked questions but he took comfort in the fact that God is holy and faithful. And good. As we go into verse 4 we see that we can identify with Jesus in another thing.

The feeling that even though God has taken care of all the saints of all history. Which we would acknowledge that, would we not? And he has taken care of us in the past. The feeling that he is forsaking me now.

Now if you think about that it doesn't make any rational sense. So when we feel that way we are thinking with our emotion. But Jesus thought this way when he was on the cross. For a few moments. From his heart he said, from his mind he said I know who God is.

I know he's the holy one of Israel. I know he's a God of love. I know he's just. I know he is perfect in his mercy. I know he's perfect in his love. And I know he's the definition of good. But why have you forsaken me?

His heart cried that out. I know you've taken care of me in the past. There were many times they wanted to throw me off a cliff. There were many times they wanted to grab me and kill me right in the midst.

And I walked through their midst and they could not have me. Because you protected me. I know that you've delivered me in the past. I know that you've delivered all of our fathers in the past. In the Old Testament times.

But why have you forsaken me now? So he identifies with us and we can identify with him. In this feeling of the fact that though we know God is the shepherd. Why has he forsaken me now? Verse 4. Our fathers trusted in thee.

They trusted and thou didst deliver them. You see he knows that. They cried unto thee and were delivered. They trusted in thee and were not confounded. But I am a worm and no man. A reproach of men and despised of the people.

Now all this is prophetic as well. These are things they said about him while he was hanging on this cross. All they that see me laugh me to scorn. This is what they actually did a thousand years later.

They shoot out the lip. They shake the head. We read that in Matthew and Luke so clearly. And they said in a mocking way. He trusteth on the Lord that would deliver him. Let him deliver him now. Seeing he delighteth in him.

The enemy comes through his people and brings doubt. Even in the midst of his knowledge of the deliverance of God. For God's people throughout time. And his own deliverance in his own life. He still says why have you forsaken me?

He says you helped others but I'm a worm. I'm no man. You've left me here alone. Why? This is how he felt. But I am a worm and no man. God took care of everyone else. And he's taken care of me before.

For but. You see this word but becomes very important in this passage. It says but you've forsaken me now. Why? Interesting how many of these exact words were uttered by the Lord Jesus a thousand years later.

To answer this temptation. This temptation to feel forgotten by God. Look what he does. Look at verse nine. But thou art he that took me out of the womb. Thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help. You know what he does when he gets this feeling that God is not there to help him?

He reminds himself of his calling. It's as simple as that. He reminds himself of his calling. He knows for a fact that God called him from his mother's belly. He knows that God was with him from that time.

And he knows that he says in verse ten. I was cast upon thee. That's passive. He didn't do it. The Father did it. The Father is the one that brought about this relationship that the Son had with him. The Father is the one that caused all this to happen.

The Father placed him in the womb. The Father washed over him as he was at the breast of his mother in that manger. His Father met all of his needs. His Father called him as the Messiah. He reminded himself of his calling even as he was asking the question.

Have you forgotten me? You helped others. He really knew he hadn't been forgotten because he said, How could you have called me to this ministry and walked with me every inch of the way? And I've seen the power of it.

I've seen the dead raised. I've seen the hungry fed. The blind see the lame walk. The withered have their hands restored to serve God. I've seen this. You called me to this. He reminded himself of God's touch on his life.

Now there's a third area. Look at verse 12. This next passage shows that as a man, Jesus understood the reality of the enemy, the devil, and the pain that he could inflict on the physical body. Verse 12, Many bulls have compassed me.

Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me about. This interesting word, Bashan, it included the area in Israel known as the Golan Heights today. Give you a little idea of where it is located. But it was a very productive, fertile area noted for its fine cattle.

But it has a hidden meaning. If you go back further in ancient times, this same area was described by Moses as the place that had fenced cities, high walls, gates, and bars. The inhabitants were giant-like men who were called Rephaim in the era of Abraham in Genesis 14 -5.

These giants in the promised land pictured the formidable enemy we face, Satan himself. The one who would hinder their entrance to the promised land but also hinder their peace once they arrived there.

Verse 13, They gaped upon me with their mouths as ravening and roaring lions. 1 Peter 5 -8 says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour, whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

Jesus said, Many bulls compass me about. He's saying I have an enemy. The enemy is after me. They gaped upon me with their mouths. They are like a lion. All of this pictures Satan. Verse 14, I am poured out like water.

This passage pictures the very real pain that the enemy can inflict upon the physical body, even of God's people. I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted in the midst of my bowel.

All of this was said a thousand years later in the heart of Jesus. Some of it was spoken verbally. Some of it is what's going on in his mind. You're getting a glimpse of what the people at the cross didn't even know.

These are things he was saying in his heart. Some of them he said with his lips. Many of them he just said these in his heart. For dogs have compassed me. My strength is dried up like pot's herd. My tongue cleaveth to my jaws.

Thou has brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me. The assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. That was before this method of death was ever invented by the Romans when this was written.

I may tell all my bones. They look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture. A thousand years before it happened, this was written. Jesus, as the man, is giving full recognition of the reality of the enemy and the real pain and suffering that he can inflict.

But he ends this passage with a prayer, verse 19. But be not thou far from me, O Lord. O my strength, haste thee to help me. This is a prayer that acknowledges two things. We must have God's strength.

And sometimes it seems far from us, that help, that strength, seems far from us and slow in arriving. That's why he says, haste thee to help me. It seemed to Jesus that the Father was slow in arriving with his help.

Can we identify with any of this, ladies and gentlemen, in our own lives? The next thing we see in verse 20, the inability of the enemy to kill the soul. Yes, we may recognize his ability to harm the flesh.

But Psalm 2220, deliver my soul from the sword, Jesus says. My darling from the power of the dog. He's talking about his darling spirit, his own soul and spirit. Don't let them touch that, he says. Save me from the lion's mouth.

Don't allow Satan to have my soul and my spirit. For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. That means when I was in times of trouble in the past, as if a bull was chasing me with his horns, you heard me and always delivered me.

So do so now. Even though it seems that you've forsaken me. Even though it seems that you have not arrived on time. Even though it seems that you're not hearing my crying and my prayers. I know you are because I know your character.

I know you are because I know my calling. So I'm asking you, make haste to help me. For there is no other help, he says. Matthew 10, 28 says,. And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.

Don't fear those who can kill the body, but they can't kill the soul. But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Colossians 2, 13. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, looking at this, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Resurrection, the Church Age, and the Kingdom to Come

Psalm 22, 22 says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation, while I praise thee. This is an amazing point we're about to enter in this whole passage. All of this questioning, but yet supported by his knowing God.

And then the prayers, Be not far from me, make haste to come to me, for there is no other who can help. He says, I'm at the very place where the lion's mouth is open, wanting to devour me. And then he comes up.

He says, save me from the lion's mouth. And then he says, Then I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation, while I praise thee. Reminds me of a passage in Hebrews chapter 2, starting with verse 9.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for every man. For it became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, and bringing many sons into glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect, through sufferings.

So this was God's will that he be on this cross. For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all one. We were in him on that cross. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church, while I sing praise unto thee.

Have you seen that anywhere? It's in Psalm chapter 22, verse 22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the church while I sing praise unto thee. And again I will put my trust in him, and again behold I and the children which God hath given me.

For as much then as the children are partakers of the flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

So we see this passage in Psalm 22 ends with this triumphant witness of the risen savior. In verse 23, he recognizes my questioning was in vain. I don't need to question God's timing. For he is faithful.

Verse 23, ye that fear the Lord, praise him. All ye see to Jacob glorify him and fear him. All ye see of Israel for he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. Neither hath he hid his face from him, but when he cried unto him he heard.

Now let me point something out that's fascinating about this. You realize that this statement is made by our Lord after the fact of the cross. After he gave up the ghost. After he was in the grave for three days and three nights.

And after he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven where he is now. This is when he testifies to the church. This is when he comes into the assembly and gives this mighty testimony where he says he saw my affliction.

He did not hide his face from me. He did hear me when I was on that cross because he did save my darling soul and spirit and brought it to be with him and here I am today. And he testifies and witnesses that into every heart in this room this morning and every church that has one born again believer all across this world today.

So for almost 2 ,000 years after the fact of that day he has been testifying in the church. I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the congregation. I will praise him. Jesus has been praising God in his people ever since that time.

And what is his praise? He says, well he did see my affliction. I thought he didn't when I was hanging on that cross. But I knew him and I knew that he would. He did not hide his face from me but I thought he couldn't even see me.

He did hear my prayer. But while there I was roaring and I felt that he didn't. But my testimony to you this morning, he says, is that he did. He saved me from the lion. He saved me from the dogs. From the enemy.

We must note this, brothers and sisters, that he spoke this from the heavenlies after his physical death. It was not a deliverance from physical death but a deliverance through physical death. He testifies of this in every congregation of true believers all across the world throughout the entire church age.

Verse 25 says, My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation. I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied. There's the provision. They shall praise the Lord that seek him.

There's the purpose of the provision. God provides every need. The great shepherd provides every need because he receives our praises. The purpose of it is for his glorification. We see it right here.

Your heart shall live forever. There's the promise. It doesn't say your body will but it says your heart will. Your heart shall live forever. The promise of the provision. Eternal life. No destruction of my darling soul.

The look forward into Psalm 24 comes next. It's the kind of glory in his kingdom. The sovereign God of the nations. Universal worship of Jesus the Lord. It says in verse 27, All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord.

And all the kindreds of nations shall worship before thee. Verse 28 says,. For the kingdom is the Lord's and he is the governor among the nations. So in verse 22 he looks forward to verse 23, the provision.

I mean chapter 23. And he looks forward to chapter 24 which is picturing the kingdom age. He looks forward to all this all the way from chapter 22 where he was asking these questions. Jesus, the Lord of the soul, at death only he can keep alive the soul.

Verse 29, All they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship. All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him and none can keep alive his own soul. And then we see the seed of the apostles mentioned at the end of chapter 22, psalm 22.

The seed of the apostles shall be counted as a whole generation. And this is the picture of the parenthetical church age which is counted as a generation although it's 2 ,000 years at least in length.

Counted as one generation and it says that the seed of the Jews that did believe when Jesus came which is the apostles and their followers would prepare for this generation. Verse 30, A seed shall serve him.

Just a seed, just a remnant. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. That picture's the church age which is a parenthetical in prophecy. Old Testament prophets did not even view it. They went from the front of it to the end of it.

They saw the first coming as merged in with the second coming. They just thought it was one coming where he would set it up as a kingdom. And they missed that little parenthesis. But it's right here in psalm, chapter 22, verse 29, it speaks in verse 30, it speaks of it.

They just couldn't understand it. It shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born. That's us. That's the Gentile nation.

We weren't here yet. And this seed that started with the apostles and the New Testament Christians spread all through the age and made it to us and bore fruit in our lives. This Lord is my shepherd. Now we've made it back to chapter 23, to psalm 23.

This is the Lord who is my shepherd and this is the reason I shall not want. This Lord that is the great shepherd that laid down his life for the sheep. This Lord that went to the cross and experienced suffering that encompassed all human suffering.

This Lord who asked the questions, experiencing the same temptations as we did. God is not here. The feeling that God is not helping. The sense that God is not hearing. This Lord who felt that God has helped before but he's not helping me now.

This is our shepherd. It's almost as if he's a shepherd who became a sheep first so that he could better shepherd. Who knew the reality of the pain inflicted upon the physical body by the enemy. This is one who rose again and ascended into the heavenlies and for 2 ,000 years has testified in every congregation of born again believers of the faithfulness and mercy and loving kindness and direction and yes, the deliverance and eternal life faithfully given by God also in the utter annihilation of the devil and his angels in hell due to the fact that he fully and completely conquered on the cross due to the presence and power of God through it all.

He testifies of that now, does he not? Hebrews 12, 2, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God for consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

This one is my shepherd and I shall not walk. Father, we thank you for your word for it is the light that guides us sometimes as a ship in stormy sea we ask you to be with June, Charlotte, Marsha each of us to bless our fellowship bless our meal that we each be ever mindful of the value of each friendship each beloved brother and sister that we have in Jesus' name, amen.