Special Meetings 05 Psalm 23: — John W. Bramhall

The Shepherd’s Psalm and Its Three Great Truths

Well I know nothing else to do but read the 23rd psalm, so shall we turn to that blessed chapter. It has been so rightfully called the Pearl of Psalms, and it has also been called the Shepherd's Psalm.

How blessed to recognize the value of it. One has said it is probably the first psalm that we ever learn in life. And it is also the last one that we enjoy in life. For it is precious to the young and it is also precious even to the aged at the end of the road.

But here are the words of the beloved psalmist as he writes this Shepherd's Psalm. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His namesake. 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.

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

It is one of the most precious psalms in the word of God we know. Coming between two great psalms. The one preceding it being the 22nd often called the psalm of the cross. The one that follows it the 24th often called the psalm of the crown.

Psalm 22 pictures the good shepherd in death giving his life for the sheep. Psalm 23 pictures the great shepherd of the sheep caring for them. Psalm 24 pictures the chief shepherd who is coming again in glory.

How precious to realize the setting of this wonderful psalm. There are many sermons that have been preached and will yet be preached on this wonderful psalm. And many varied ones. But I want in simplicity tonight To bring before your heart as well as your conscience.

The Secret of a Happy Life, Death, and Eternity

Three facts that are revealed in this wonderful psalm and its precious truth. One is and first It reveals the secret of a happy life. Second it reveals the secret of a happy death. And third it reveals the secret of a happy eternity.

I don't believe you could want anything better than that. The secret of a happy life The secret of a happy death And the secret of a happy eternity. The most important words of this psalm are perhaps the first five.

The introduction upon which all is based. When a person can say the Lord is my shepherd Only five words. You can count the words on the fingers of one hand. And you will find of the five words The little personal pronoun my is the most important.

It does not say the Lord is a shepherd, though true. Neither does it say the Lord is the shepherd, and that is true. But it says the Lord is my shepherd. I never forget the incident that has been recorded From an incident that took place in First World War One.

There was a British chaplain Who every time the boys of his regiment Were to go up to the front lines. He gathered them together before they departed. And he read them the shepherd's psalm, the twenty-third.

As he read the psalm he explained to them the importance of the first five words. He reminded them of the necessity They needed Christ as a personal saviour. When his message was finished It was his custom to say to the men Boys, please remember these five words The Lord is my shepherd.

And then he said if possible Take a pencil and mark the fingers of your hand And representing one word on each finger of these five The Lord is my shepherd. And he emphasised the meaning of that index finger That the saviour should be personally known and confessed And possessed as their own saviour.

After one of the battles, it was called the Battle of Bullycourt. Following the battle they were looking upon the field of battle for any flame and wounded. And they found one of the boys of his regiment.

When they found the lad completely dead He had died on the battlefield. But they found that his right hand Was gripping the index finger of the other. Saying in depth The Lord is my shepherd. O beloved one the truth it is.

These five words are the most important of the whole psalm. That you and I may be able to say The Lord is my shepherd. The personal possession of the Lord Jesus Christ As Lord and Saviour. Can you call him yours?

Can you say he is mine? For the important fact concerning your soul's welfare Both in time and at death and through eternity Is to be able to say with assurance The Lord is my shepherd. Now may I make it as simple as possible How you can make him your shepherd.

How you can make him your personal saviour. John the apostle wrote in the first chapter of his gospel. John wrote in chapter one verse eleven and twelve These words saying He came unto his own And his own received him not.

A remark that referred to the Jews The earthly people of God. The saviour came to his own people And his own received him not. Then John follows by saying But to as many as received him. To them gave he the right, the privilege The authority, the power To become the sons or the children of God.

Even to them that believe on his name. May I emphasize It is important that you and I receive him As our personal Lord and Saviour. To say with assurance with the psalmist The Lord is my shepherd. I have received him for my very own.

Oh my beloved friend. Have you never received the Lord Jesus into your heart? Have you never received him as your personal saviour? Have you never appropriated him by faith. And said Lord Jesus I receive thee for my saviour today.

There is no other one who can save you. For Peter said neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name of the heaven Given among men Whereby we must be saved. And my beloved it is the saviour you need.

And you can appropriate by faith Into your heart That blessed saviour if you will. And then you will say The Lord is my shepherd. Now may I dwell with you for the moment together On the three great truths When one can say the Lord is my shepherd.

Satisfaction, Contentment, and Peace Under the Shepherd

They have found the secret of a happy life. The secret of a happy death And the secret of a happy eternity. First of all the secret of a happy life. And may I repeat again You'll never have a happy life As God can give it to you until Christ becomes your saviour.

One has written a lovely chorus we often sing. If you want joy, real joy Let Jesus come into your heart. And how true it is. It is Christ becoming the possession of the heart And the saviour of the soul.

That is the secret of a happy life. Note very quickly And thoroughly if possible As we go down the chapter. The happiness that is given to those who have the saviour. For know what the psalmist says The Lord is my shepherd.

And first I shall not want. Implying without question of doubt I shall be satisfied. Satisfaction. May I say that no one satisfies the soul like the Lord Jesus. I shall not want. And as the original suggests It means nothing shall I lack.

And what a joy to know That the heart that is Christ Has satisfaction. And that satisfaction is in the possession Of Christ the saviour. May I quote incidentally the words of Paul Written in Philippians 4 and verse 11.

And I quote them from the translation of J. M. Darby that I appreciate. Which says I have learned in those circumstances in which I am To be satisfied in myself. And the joy of knowing. There is an inward satisfaction That exceeds And is greater than the outward circumstances of one's life To have an inward satisfaction.

And that inward satisfaction to Paul was Christ. And in all the circumstances that he found himself There was a satisfaction within that nothing could take away. And that satisfaction was none other than the possession of Christ.

The Lord is my shepherd. Not only satisfaction. The psalmist goes on to say There will be contentment. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures And leadeth me beside still waters. Contentment. The green pastures The pastures of the word of God With their food for the child of God that is found in And beloved me.

I say When the Lord Jesus was near he looked upon the people. He saw the multitude and sheep that had no shepherd. And his heart went out to them in compassion. They were discontented. They were not being fed.

The green pastures of the truth of God. When the Lord is my shepherd. The green pastures of the word of God And the still waters of this precious book. The water of life for the soul Gives blessed contentment.

O my beloved. How precious to be one of his sheep. How blessed to have the contentment that only Christ can give And to graze in the pastures of his precious word To feed the soul To drink of the still waters Of peace that are found in the pages of this book Through the Saviour.

But go further if you will please. There is not only satisfaction and contentment But there is peace. As you have the same picture The still waters reminding us not only of contentment but peace. And there is in verse three restoration.

He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the path of righteousness For his name's sake. There is the assurance of restoration. As in the path of life I may stumble As in the path of life I meet difficulties.

I may stray but there is restoration. Then thank God for such a shepherd. One of the loveliest hymns that has blessed the heart in younger days Has been that children's hymn That declares though I forget him and wander away.

Still he doth love me wherever I pray. Back to his dear loving arms do I flee. When I remember that Jesus loves me He restoreth my soul. My beloved what a joy it is to have such a shepherd Who goes after the wandering sheep Who restores the straying ones of the flock To bring them back to himself And then to give them his guidance.

He leadeth me in the path of righteousness For his name's sake. Would you like to be walking in the path of righteousness? No one but the good shepherd can lead you in such path. That precious hymn. I saw the words of that hymn in their original script.

They're upon the wall of a certain man that I knew In the city where I once lived in the north. Written by Henry Gilmore. He leadeth me oh blessed thought. Oh words with heavenly comfort wrought Whatever I be, wherever I Whatever I do, wherever I be Still is God's hand That leadeth me.

He leadeth me Oh blessed thought. What joy it is To be guided by this shepherd. And may I say He's never lost a sheep. I give unto my sheep eternal life And they shall never perish. Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

My father who gave them me is greater than all. Neither shall any pluck them out of my father's hand. I am my father alone And beloved if I am addressing my words To a soul who has not this shepherd May I assure you Of his ability To keep the soul who puts his and her trust In him.

He's never lost one. And he will bring them home Safe to the eternity abound At the end of the pilgrimage below. And I would assure you my friend If you are not saved He can save you. And he will not only save you He will keep you.

Hallelujah. Kept by the power of God Through faith unto salvation. Ready to be revealed at the last time. He leadeth me in acts of righteousness For his namesake. And for his namesake He will keep you right to the end.

Praise his name. He then does something else. Please if you go down with me to verse five. It brings a similar thought As he says in verse five Thou preparest a table before me In the presence of mine enemies.

Oh how precious to realize His protective provision. Thou preparest a table before me In the presence of mine enemies. And my beloved the believer who knows Christ Has a threefold enemy The world, the flesh and the devil.

And in the presence of this threefold enemy There is constantly divine provision to feed the sheep. Thou preparest a table before me In the presence of mine enemies. And as David the shepherd lad Took care of the sheep And watched for the enemy The bear, the lion As well as men He fed the sheep.

And there was a table of provision Thus given for them As they went their way Following the shepherd They were protected By his own blessed hand. And what joy we can recognize In the very presence Where the world in it.

And the enemies of the believer And of God and Christ dwell. The believer has a table. There is a psalm that says Can God prepare a table in the wilderness. Can he furnish a table in the wilderness. And God did that For the people of Israel for forty years.

And through the wilderness journey God fed them. And forty years Three times a day at least They were fed As they gathered the manna each day. They were fed for the whole day's supply. For forty years.

The disciples wondered if the Lord Jesus Could feed five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. And they forgot and did not realize Who he was and what he had done. For approximately two and a half to three million people For forty years in the wilderness.

Oh beloved what a shepherd That guided through the wilderness these earthly people And fed them all along the way Till they reached the promised land. My beloved This is the secret of a happy life. He prepares a table before me In the presence of mine enemy.

More than that Thou anointest my head with oil. There is not only protection But there is the healing from the wounds That the sheep Have inflicted upon them as they travel. The thorny bushes The rough ground The falls perhaps over the ravines.

As the shepherd protected and guided and guarded them. And how he ministered to them when their wounds Were existing. And he poured the healing oil Upon the sores of their heads Or their feet and their body As thus they were in need of it.

My beloved there are many wounds in life We know it. But there's only one who can pour in The oil and the wine And heal. And that's the blessed Lord Jesus. What a shepherd. And then the Not only healing You go into verse five he says My cup runneth over.

My portion runs over. For if the shepherd thought As the shepherd was thinking of those cups of watch He would know something. Sheep will never drink from running water. You'll never find sheep drinking from running water.

The water has to be filled. And then the shepherd also In the full may have had vessels That he pours the water in Cups for them to drink from. And well He fill it to the full and even over the brim. My cup Runneth over.

I think of a dear old lady that said My cup runneth over and my saucer too. Well look to God that we realize What blessing. The portion of the believer's heart and life can be filled When the Lord is my shepherd.

And yes as you conclude the thought In verse six and the first part of it The concluding Exhortation is and confession. Surely goodness and mercy Shall follow me all the days of my life. And you can recognize as we were singing tonight The truth of those words.

Certainly Goodness and mercy Shall follow me All the days of my life. Why? Just one reason Because the Lord is My shepherd. Hallelujah. The joy of knowing This shepherd It is the secret Of a happy life.

Composure, Confidence, and Courage in the Valley of Death

But then we said It is the secret of a happy death. Oh yes beloved it is. For what a joy to realize That this shepherd is not only concerned with my life He is concerned with my death. And he assures me Knowing him as my shepherd I shall have a happy death.

Note verse four to which we retract our comment. Verse four the psalmist said 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.

Now let me apply it To what may be one of the most solemn and serious And perhaps fearful experiences That men and women face And often times with terror. And yet for one who has the shepherd There needs be no fear.

There is no necessity To not have any fear Of that valley of the shadow of death As we come to the end of the road Now note certain facts in the verse. As the shepherd makes his confession As David makes his confession Yea though I walk Through the valley of the shadow of death.

Now will you note the first emphasis Is on the word walk. Yea though I walk. For as he speaks of the word walk He declares When I come to that valley I will not run. I will not be panic stricken I will not be alarmed.

But I will have composure. There will be composure When I come to that valley I shall take it in perfect stride. Oh what composure In death. Blessed composure Because the Lord is My shepherd. There is not only composure But to some extent there will also be.

And note what follows Confidence. I will walk through The valley of the shadow of death In the hills of Judea When David was the shepherd And even today There were many canyons. Some of those canyon walls Would reach five hundred feet high.

Some of them were very narrow And the shepherd would lead his flock through them And the sheep would follow with confidence. And the psalmist expresses the truth When the Lord is my shepherd And I come to the valley of the shadow of death I will not only have composure I will have confidence.

I'm going through I'm going through. And what joy to recognize The confidence of one who has the shepherd As his or her own savior. When that valley of death comes The confidence of going through it. There's one thing it's sure You'll never say in that valley You're going through it Going through it There's another side to it And the other side is the death side.

And oh the joy Of recognizing The soul that is Christ As their shepherd and savior Has confidence I'm going through This experience. Oh I remember a beloved brother Who many of you would know by name If I mentioned him He's now with the Lord.

Telling me that he thought on one occasion He was going home to be with the Lord. And he said Brother Graham Hall He said I was anxious to go through with it And find out the experience. What would it be to go through that valley.

And most people you know want to run away from it. Don't they? But oh the joy of knowing When Christ is my shepherd and savior I'm going through And with confidence Then know something else. He not only has composure He not only has confidence But he has courage.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil No evil. My beloved may I say When that time comes All the evil will be behind. The evil of a wicked world The evil of an adversary whose name is Satan And his power Will be left behind The evil even of the flesh Which with its shortcomings We are so prone to manifest.

All the evil will be left behind. And as I go through that valley I need fear no evil. And there can be courage. For there's nothing to fear. You know I'm glad I'm sane. You say why? Because I know it's going to be easy to die than if I were not sane.

I'll tell you the saddest experience in one's Christian ministry Is having a funeral of an unsane person. I don't think I've ever been In the depths of sadness And despondency. Except when I've had to take the funeral Of an unsane person.

I think of two girls. Both of them had attended some of my meetings as children Years ago. Both of them killed in an accident About the same time A double funeral. And neither of them had ever trusted the Lord.

And the mother unfortunately I must confess had led them astray. And I tell you that was the biggest funeral to attend. Beloved I'm glad I'm sane. Can I ask you the question? My friend listen. Are you afraid to die?

Face it. Do you know the shepherd? Do you know the shepherd? For when that day comes for one who knows the shepherd I will fear no evil. And then look There was not only composure and confidence and courage.

The Shepherd’s Presence and Comfort in Death

Best of all There was a companion For thou art with me. Thou art with me. And I wonder if you've ever noticed When you read this psalm Before you come to the fourth verse He writes about the shepherd.

But in verse four he speaks to the shepherd And says thou art with me. My beloved may I say it frankly. It may not seem a happy subject. And I'm telling you that it is a subject for a happy death. But may I suggest to you Look face it.

Every one of us normally will come to that place. We will come to that experience. Now shall we be able to say with confidence and joy And assurance. Thou art with me. Never will I forget. A Christian friend up in South Carolina said to me Mr. Graham Hall would you please go and visit one of my Former workmen.

An old colored fellow. She said an old colored man has been a servant in our family for years. And she said I believe he's born again. But he's got heart trouble. And he will not live very long. I said I'll be glad to go visit him.

And you know I went to see that dear old fellow. It was a cold winter day. I knocked at the door. Young girl came to the door. I said is Uncle Jim in? They called him Uncle Jim. His name was Jim Vaughan.

She said we call him Uncle Jim. I said is Uncle Jim in? She said yes come in. And I stepped into the room. And there was the old man sitting in front of a fire. The day was cold. He was wrapped in his clothes.

He was wrapped in an overcoat. He had a blanket around him. And before the fireplace he sat With a tray of food upon his lap Just about to begin his dinner. And I looked And said apologetically Uncle Jim I'm sorry I came at your dinner time.

But I said Uncle Jim if you don't mind I'd like to talk with you while you eat. He said alright boss. And I said Uncle Jim I understand you know a very good friend of mine. Who's that boss? I said the Lord Jesus Christ.

He said the Lord The Lord. And then he did something I don't think I would have done. He said to the girl here take my plate. I threw I threw. And the fried chicken and the rice and the corn bread went away.

He was such a mouthful. And I didn't know whether this preacher would have done that or not. He said I'm through I'm through. And then he said the Lord He's so great He's so high. He up there But he's down here with me.

I thought he'd have another heart attack But he didn't. He didn't live long afterward though. But he knew the shepherd was with him. Oh beloved. Frankly we don't know how we're going. Do we? Neither do we know when we're going.

But beloved let's make sure We know with whom we're going. When that moment comes Thou art with me. And then note he not only had a companion He had comfort. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. For all through the shepherd life.

The shepherd watched and cared for the sheep. He had two weapons. Usually there were about three weapons. Three things that the shepherd carried. Two were for weapons. But he had a staff. He had a rod And he had a sling.

But the sheep knew That rod and staff was for their comfort Protection all along the way. Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. That rod had protected the sheep from the enemies around And the marauders that would take the life of the sheep.

And that staff had been the source of guidance And deliverance again and again Together with the implement of the sling that was often also used. And what the shepherd had done to care for his sheep Through life Was the comfort that even in death He will still be faithful For what he has been that he will be.

And what joy to realize The secret of a happy death. As we see the composure The confidence The courage The companions And the comfort. When we go through that valley Can I tell you lovingly My dear friend Let's realize We must face that valley If our Lord did not come for us Then may we know The Lord is my shepherd.

Eternal Dwelling and the Warning of Final Judgment

And I found the secret of a happy death Last of all at the close of the psalm. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The secret of a happy eternity. My beloved may I say The happy life will only be for a number of years.

The happy death will be very much shorter than that. But the happy eternity will be forever and ever Forever and ever Forever and ever. And because the Lord is my shepherd I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Oh beloved. The joy of knowing There is a happy eternity. Can I read one verse in contrast Before closing. In the book of Revelation chapter fourteen please. These solemn words are written And I would set them before you As a vivid contrast To what we have mentioned is a happy eternity.

Chapter fourteen. I would like to read verses ten and eleven And listen to the solemn words. They do not reveal a happy eternity. They reveal the most unhappy eternity A soul can ever experience. The saint shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God Which is poured out without mixture Into the cup of his indignation.

And he shall be tormented With fire and brimstone In the presence of the holy angels And in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment Ascendeth up forever and ever And they have no rest day nor night.

Who worship the beast and his image. And whosoever receiveth the mark of his name May I link it with one more verse in Revelation twenty. And verse fifteen The closing verse. May I read the solemn words Verse fifteen of chapter twenty in the Revelation.

And whosoever was not found Written in the book of life Was cast into the lake of fire. What a contrast In eternity. Beloved we would just say simply The words of the poem Eternity, eternity. Where will you stand eternity.

To heaven or hell. For you and me. Make now your choice Which shall it be. And beside you stands pleading The blessed Lord Jesus Who is the good shepherd gave his life And shed his precious blood to save your soul And bring to you the blessings of a happy life.

The blessing of a happy death And the blessing of a happy eternity. My friend. Do you not wish to receive tonight The Lord Jesus as your saviour And have this blessedness Of a happy life, a happy death And a happy eternity.

Oh beloved if you think it's a happy place to be a part of. You have never been in eternity yet. For it's even greater and more bliss When we get home to the Father's house above. May every one of us be able to say With assurance and confidence The Lord is my shepherd.

Closing Prayer for Salvation Through the Good Shepherd

Shall we pray Blessed Father. It was thyself who did give the good shepherd Sending him from the glory above To seek the sheep that was lost. We thank thee. He loved the lost sheep And in pity and compassion Wended his way to save that lost one By going to the cross To pay the penalty and price for our sins.

We thank thee Father. He still waits to save tonight. If there be one within our midst Who needs the shepherd. Who knows within his or her heart. I need Christ the Son of God as my saviour. May the Holy Spirit convict them Of that need so greatly.

They will this moment say Lord Jesus I will trust thee. Trust thee with my soul. Guilty, lost and helpless Thou canst make me whole. There is none in heaven Nor on earth like thee. Thou hast died for sinners.

Therefore Lord for me. As we close the conference Tis our deep and earnest petition Father. Every one will have the joy Of a happy life A happy death A happy eternity All because of singing from their souls.

The Lord is my shepherd. For we ask it in thy holy name Lord Jesus And for thy glory. Amen.