New Bible Bites essay up on my RACE TRACK site.
PSALM 23.
Most people have heard of this scripture. Many of you have memorized it. We can quickly recite it, but let’s slow it down and see what it really means.
For Psalm 23, we’ll do it in three parts. We’ll look at some of the words in Hebrew, and also look at the detailed meanings in English.
(1)The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
(2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
There’s a lot here.
(1)The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Here, “The Lord” is God, but let’s look at “shepherd.” What does a shepherd do, and what are his responsibilities? They take care of the sheep, but let’s look at more detail.
- They provide all the daily needs for the sheep: food, water, shelter, protection from predators.
- They tend to each individual sheep’s needs, whether it be their health or comfort.
- They provide direction for the flock, and keeps track of when the sheep need to be shorn, given inoculations, or exercised. They also make sure the sheep have the proper food for the season.
- The shepherd makes sure to lead the sheep to a fresh pasture to graze each time. He is also always on the lookout for poisonous plants and other threats that may be in the area.
- He travels with the sheep as they graze, sleeping out with the flock. In inclement weather, he will construct temporary shelters for them.
The shepherd is basically on-call 24/7 for his sheep, ready to tend to their every need.
So, “God is the one who looks after me and gives me everything I need.”
The next line follows: “I shall not want.”
(Read the rest of the essay at the link below.)