Surely, "Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." What will become of us after we die? Goodness to creatures; mercy to sinful creatures. Goodness is God giving us what we dont deserve. David tells us ho God sustained him in the verse we are looking at today. There is no restoring there, no troubling there; no dark misty shade of death to chill the sunlight of the road. Its guilt dogs my steps. In Heavenly Love abiding, No change my heart shall fear, And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here. When I cared for the sheep, they lacked nothing, and the Lord is a better shepherd than I was so the same will be true for me. As we conclude our meditations on Hope in Troubled Times, I would like to look at Psalm 23. But even when I walk through the darkest valley, my Shepherd will be with me. And God will wipe away all tears from your eyes. The man's physician had suggested that he see his minister. Dr. Philip W. McLarty. These are just the two things into which God's beneficence, generally considered, naturally divides itself. Let this prospect reconcile us in the midst of all affliction, if we be Christians, and let us prepare for that dwelling in the house of the Lord forever. There is quite enough here for the satisfaction of the animal; and the mere animal lives here in contentment, and takes its fill of happiness for its little inch of time. I t is not easy for those, whose habits of life are insensibly formed by the customs of modern times, to conceive any adequate idea of the pastoral life, as obtained in the eastern countries, before that simplicity of manners, which characterized the early ages, was corrupted, by the artificial and false refinements of luxury. In all probability its prosperity was chiefly due to the neighbouring Tiberias, which Herod Antipas [2583] had built, about ten years previously. On that Sunday, I said that I was going to suspend my series on The Life of David and begin a series of meditations that I called, Hope in Troubled Times. This is the last in that series of meditations, because we plan to resume corporate worship services this coming Lords Day on Sunday, May 31, 2020, at which time I shall continue my series on The Life of David.. When you can say, The Lord is my Shepherd, you will be able to say, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. But what does that show but that men will be so changed there that churches such as we have known here will not be needed? Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. Firm faith. The deliverance has made the singer look forward to the end, and his confidence in the issue is confirmed. The original is 'lead gently.' "Thou art with me.". I love that picture. So I have an enemy in the, My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord. 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. Enlarge it towards the sunny south; take in many a piece of ground which is now covered by worldly occupations, business, or pleasure. Now today, we are looking at the last verse of this Psalm. [1] Douglas MacMillan, The Lord Our Shepherd, p. 82. For us, I suppose we could apply it to the blessings we experience in God's church. Cf. I. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh, The Shepherd-King'And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt them mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel! fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons. He understood the special relationship and care a shepherd has with the sheep. He leads me beside still waters. W. McGarveyThe Four-Fold Gospel, The Return to Capernaum - Healing of the Centurion's Servant. By daily habits of devotion, by the culture of a child-like faith, by holy familiarity with Divine things, I will seem to myself to be constantly engaged in God's service.3. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. -- Psalm 23:4. iii:14). Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.' Note the number of psalms in Books 1 and 2. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever (Psalm 23:6). 1141. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Thus, when our Lord says, Behold, I come as a thief (Revelation 16:15) , --common sense will fix the resemblance to a single point, that He will come suddenly, and unexpectedly. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. It shall follow incessantly, supply fully, solace richly, sustain powerfully, pass with him through the Jordan, and enter with him the bright portals of glory. Carey: Henry Carey, 1723 Psalm 23 Joseph Addison, 1712 DOXOLOGY The Lord my pasture shall prepare, And feed me with a shepherd's care; His presence shall my wants supply, And guard . He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. --Psalm xxiii. You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. It is a fearful doctrine, but clearly stated in Scripture with regard to many individuals of the human race, that, so far from "goodness and mercy following them all the days of their life," everything that He gives them seems only the more to estrange them from God and goodness. Now today, we are looking at the last verse of this Psalm. The guiding God: or the picture of the leading. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water (Rev 7:17). Having trouble logging into your account? Your experience in heaven will be very different from your life in this world, but your relationship with Jesus will be the same. These are just the two things into which God's beneficence, generally considered, naturally divides itself. (Jerusalem, December, a.d. 4. If a family needed a shepherd, it was always the youngest son, like David, who got this unpleasant assignment. 4. Firm faith. And Davids faith is strengthened as he takes in what the Lord does for him. David writes in verse 1a, The Lord is my shepherd.. Though in the, The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA, [1242]Dominus Regit Me: John Bacchus Dykes, 1868 Psalm 23 Henry W. Baker, 1868 The King of love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his, And he is mine for ever. It is a rich study from the perspective of a shepherd on Psalm 23. Behind me, before me, beside me, beneath me above me. Because some of my enemies are in the rear; they attack me from behind. "The house of the Lord.". 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. The Lamb of God is the Lion of Judah. And this is how the Good Shepherd keeps us close to Himself. iv. CONCLUSION . "And God said unto Moses, I am, that I am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. The Good Shepherd keeps me close to Himself through His goodness and mercy that are always chasing after me. Goodness or Goriness, an element of God's nature. Goodness to creatures; mercy to sinful creatures. 4The Valley of the Shadow of Death.--Psalm xxiii. I highly commend this book to you. Today the familiarity, poetry, and beauty of the 23rd psalm have a different tone. In our studies we looked at Christ - the . It is remarkable how much, connected not only with the Ministry of Jesus, but with His innermost Life, gathers around that little fishing town. There will be the going in and out, and finding pasture - all through; but the end is not here, but above. I. He chases after you in mercy. So, thank God, that in Christ He does not chase after you with the wildfire of judgment. Day and night, summer and winter, in fair weather and foul, they labored to nourish, guide, and protect the sheep. You could not draw a richer picture of a regenerated earth than by just supposing such an extension of its Sabbaths as alone would render safe the removal of its churches. Shepherds had to live with the sheep twenty-four hours a day, and the task of caring for them was unending. Brothers and sisters, nothing can ever separate us from you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Rom 8:39). Beware of sinking into the vortex of selfishness, and burying your mercies in the grave of forgetfulness. It was this Lord whom David called my shepherd. James Montgomery Boice writes: In Israel, as in other ancient societies, a shepherds work was considered the lowest of all works. We take the faith and feeling of the man to expand and enlarge, till they embrace the great and ultimate future of the life that is to be, and he says, "I feel that I have been led onwards to that. The poem supposes the man who speaks to have spiritual life in him, and the good man thus utters his confidence in the protection and in the care of that God under whose loving fatherhood he has been brought on his way. But apart from these considerations, let us come to the revelation of the Bible. He shared our life. Mercy and goodness, O my God! Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.--Ps. Age is a thing that may be very beautiful. Psalm 23:1-6 How God Empowers Me is a sermon which shows from Psalm 23 how God can empower you through a personal relationship with Him. [924] (Epistle 341.) If Saul hear it, he will kill me. They are divided into five books, each closing with a benediction, evidently added to mark the end of the book. It is your hops and desire, and, please God, it will be your privilege, to dwell much in the house of the Lord. And He says, I give my sheep eternal life. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 1. He could not else be good. He who spake thus out of the bush to Moses was the same who in the fullness of time appeared upon the earth in the form of man. Protecting mercy. Then comes the assurance of expectation and hope. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows, (Psalm 23:5). Psalms 23:1-6 , the prayer of David, or a psalm of David, rather. We will be with Him where He is We will see His glory: He will be our Shepherd, and He will guide us to streams of living water. I'd like to take a few moments this morning to think about the 23rd Psalm. They talked for awhile, and then Allen took a pad of . Gods kindness is meant to lead you to repentance (Rom 2:4). xxiii. At the beginning, the psalmist begins with a picture of the shepherd and the sheep, but the psalmist doesn't leave us with the metaphor, he brings to an actuality. Goodness is God giving us what we dont deserve, and if you belong to the Good Shepherd, Gods goodness is always chasing after you. xxiii. Poor man! The Good Shepherd' and his one Flock' - Last Discourse at the Feast of Tabernacles. ^d 1 Verily, verily, I say to you [unto the parties whom he was addressing in the last section], He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The perfection of manhood; the "rest that remaineth;" the "fulness of joy;" the glorious fellowships that know no break, and that bring no pain, are in our Father's house. 3. They were originally used as songs in the Jewish Temple Worship. The Purposes: 1. Gospel: Mark 7:14-23. Gods goodness and mercy are chasing after you to bring you closer to the Good Shepherd. What is your position if you choose to be your own shepherd? Psalm 23 is one of those places. II. Intro: The Lord could have compared His people to anything in the world.He could have said, "My people are like bears, they are strong!" He could have said, "My people are like lions, they are courage, fearless and brave!" He could have said, "My people are like foxes because they are so shrewd and wise." He could have even said, "My people are like . And the Discourse which followed, ere He once more left Jerusalem, is of the same character. goodness. xxiii. Who wants to say that? Psalms 23:1-6. iii:14). ", II. Some of us are anxious, fearful and even distressed at what the future might bring. "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. II. --PSALM xxiii. Old Testament prophecies were full of declarations that false shepherds would arise to. III. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. Mercy and goodness, O my God! What will the next world be like? Psalm 23:4. Did you know that the Bible uses that picture to describe Gods judgment of the wicked. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. And it will be Jesus Himself who leads you into them. cxvi. ", 1. Its certainty is founded upon the Divine existence; its communication upon Divine veracity; its possession is the fruit of immutable, unwavering, undying love. Alexander MaclarenExpositions of Holy Scripture, The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." The greatest blessing you can know in life is to be wholly owned by the Son of God. As he was taking care of his fathers sheep, lying on his back in a lush green field beside a gently flowing stream, he penned the words of this memorable psalm. Gal 5:52. Please include this statement on every copy distributed: By Colin S. Smith. THE SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP. Age is a thing that may be very beautiful. Biblical IllustratorSurely goodness and mercy shall follow me. "Shall follow me." If God was chasing after you with judgment and condemnation, of course you would run. Not only the Creator but the Creation too will be an object of wonder to the redeemed. We conclude our Sermon Series on PSALMS this week. 5. "Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity," etc. If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy Arno GaebeleinThe Lord of Glory, The Great ShepherdHe shall feed his flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Now here is where a shift takes place in this psalm. And who knows what the future holds? His wisdom ever waketh, His sight is never dim, -- He knows the way He taketh, And I will walk with Him. His kingdom will come. But he said, "my" shepherd. Believers thank God for everything and blame Him for nothing. Shall I be able, I To Malachy. Now, in context, the sheep here is apparently returning to the shepherd's house. J. LawlorSt. Evil will be overthrown. Psalm 23 6 Commentary: Heaven. "For ever with the Lord!Amen, so let it be;Life from the dead is in that word,'Tis immortality." That is . Sin prepares a table before me in the presence of my friends. But more is promised. II. Why not "go before"? It is a delightful passion. Worship In The Wilderness. His writing has informed much of my meditation today. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. My heart wanders and my spirit falters. The "I Am. I. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, (Psalm 23:6). And the other man, though he had great ability and great genius, and had a long and wonderful life, which, however, nobody would say, or pretend to say, that he spent it in walking with God, he says, "I wish that I had never been born." David led the sheep, .read more. In verse 5, the metaphor has changed. 4. ), 1. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.--Ps. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 3. The querulous old man puts together all that he had gone through, finds it dark and disappointing, and concludes by saying, "I am this day so and so, and I wish that I had never been born." xxiii. Who is this one who is my shepherd? The good man says, "I have needed both; I have had both all my days, and surely they shall follow me all my days."2. 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