Psalm 23. We are moving right through this Psalm. We're gonna pick it up. Verses four to six. Does anyone need a handout? It's the second, it's like the third time we'll be visiting this Psalm. And we're on the last page, five, six, and seven. Anyone else? You didn't get it? That should have been handed out tonight. All right, thank you. It is a very rich psalm. And I'm thankful for this. We're gonna be picking it up in verses four through six. This is part three of our series on Psalm 23. 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 mine 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. Let's pray. Father, tonight, we thank you that you are our great shepherd. You are the good shepherd. You are the chief shepherd. And Father, tonight, we thank you for your presence in our lives, how you manifest your presence, Lord. If we, Lord, just humble ourselves, if we confess our sins, Father, we know you cleanse us and you are with us. Those of us that are saved, those that are not saved need to receive you as Lord and Savior in their hearts, in their lives, to walk with you, to know your presence, through every trial, through every path of life. Father, thank you for your faithfulness tonight. Thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ, our great shepherd. Help us to learn more about him tonight. We ask it in Jesus' name, amen. Now, let me begin by stating, if you look at verses one to three, what's David doing there? What's the language? Who's he talking about? Well, David is talking to us about the Lord. He's talking to us about the Lord. And beginning in verse four, David begins to talk to the Lord about himself. Think about that. He's talking, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not, he's talking about himself to the Lord. And then in verses four, he's talking to the Lord about the Lord himself. And notice he begins in verse four, about, he is talking about himself. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. But then he begins to say, for thou. He's talking to the Lord. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou prepares the table before me. Thou anointest my head. So do you see the difference there of the emphasis And so David is no longer speaking about his shepherd, but to his shepherd. This suggests that the Lord is no longer out in front leading him, but he is beside him. So think about walking with the Lord and the Lord is at your side. That's what David is trying to get across here. So number three, well, let me just give you the main points, not the main, just the main three points of our outline. If you remember, verses, verse one is who the sheep exalt and it's the Lord that we exalt. And then that takes us down to verse three. sorry down the part of verse one and then what the sheep experience that takes us the rest of the verses one to three and then in verses four to six what the sheep express what the sheep express so this is us this is a very This should lead us to believe what God wants us to talk about, to express to Him. And I hope you gather some good direction here from this psalm in your relationship to the Lord. So we're going to talk about how we should praise God, and verses 4 and 5 We are to praise him for the shepherd's protection. Aren't you thankful for God's protection? We should never take for granted, you know, we drive here and there and sometimes maybe you didn't even pray about it. Maybe you didn't even think about the Lord, but he's with you. He's going, He's protecting you. Even when you're not thinking about Him, He's thinking about you if you're saved. Amen? So, think about the protection of the Lord and we ought to praise Him for that. But then, He tells us where He protects us. Look what it says in verse 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me. Aren't you thankful that the Lord is with you in the darkest valleys? The word valley, like for us, like you may think, well, I'm going to look out in the valley. And you're thinking of a flat, grassy expanse lying peacefully between mountains. There's the valley, like a dale or a meadow. But that's not what the valley is in the Old Testament or in the Bible. What it means in the Bible, it's a deep ravine or a gorge. And what would it look like? Very narrow, very dark, very damp. And it's usually encased by steep stone walls, making it virtually inescapable. Think about all the dangers down there, all the snakes, the wild beast, criminals also in the valleys. So brethren, we're talking about a very dangerous place. Now, why would sheep be in the valley? Well, think about Israel during the summer and grass. Like any other country, they have four seasons. So it's going to be a very short time, short season to feed the flocks. So then they had to take their flocks and lead them into the valleys where green plants grew in the cool, damp soil at the bottom of these valleys. And so not only did they lead them in there during times of need, but they had to get from pasture to pasture. So a lot of times they had to lead them through the valleys to get to another pasture on the other side. It is very possible that the Valley of Death could have been a real specific valley. of that time and actual place, an extremely dangerous one, and through which shepherds were forced to cross. But for us, when you think about, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Valleys for us are symbols of the darkest times of life. The valley of the shadow of death could speak of the life's greatest, gravest circumstances. Even where death is a real possibility. You've been with other people and with family members and where death is real, death is close. These are dark valleys, such as severe illness or disease. sudden attack on your health, a serious accident, deadly weather conditions. Do we know anything about that? A violent criminal attack, war or a terrorist attack, famine or extreme poverty. So brethren, as David, we should not be afraid. to walk through these valleys, the valley of the shadow of death. Why? Because thou art with me. God is not gonna abandon us, amen? That's, you know, you go through those valleys, you're not defenseless. He's with you, you're not alone. He's gonna protect you. He's gonna keep you close by his side. That's what David was sharing with us here. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. And then he tells us why he was comforted. Look what it says. Thy rod and thy staff, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Am I hearing something, or is that someone else? Oh. I'm hearing it out there. I'm like, Scott's listening to another preacher tonight. He doesn't like what's going on in here, so he's out there. David was comforted, right? How? Look what he says. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Let's talk about the rod and the staff. You see, the rod was a club the shepherd used. He carried it to fight off the wild animals and the thieves. It was a deadly weapon. So the rod was for protection. It was a deadly weapon. But the staff was an instrument that he used as a tool to, not a weapon, but a tool to help the sheep, to deal with the sheep. The shepherd had his staff to lean on for support. As he journeyed across rough ground and rocky crags, most staffs had a hooked end, so the shepherd would use it to catch the sheep's leg or neck or pull it out of a hole or back into the fold. He would nudge the sheep with his staff when it began to stray and when it was hesitant to move along with the flock. You see, that's what the Lord does with us, amen? He fights off our enemies. believe it, believe that the Bible says we are more than conquerors in Christ. It's real. He will fight our enemies. The Lord will also, he's going to take care of us. He's going to pull us back into the fold. Amen. He's not going to let us stray. So David was fearless in the valley because he knew his shepherd would protect him from all deadly threats, including his own waywardness. His shepherd would keep him close to his side in the darkness and would be with him through every step until he passed safely through to the light on the other side. That is our great shepherd. Now moving on to verse five. Thou preparest a table in the presence, before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. So verse five. What is the Lord? We're going to praise him, right? Because he's going to protect us in the darkest valleys, but he's also going to protect us when we face our enemies. What he's talking about in verse five. Now prepares the table before me where in the presence of mine enemies. So this isn't just obviously the sheep's life or the flock. He's now making a comparison to his experience, his human experience. How many enemies did David face? Remember, not long after Samuel identified young David and anointed him as king, David began to face opposition. How many years did King Saul seek to kill David? Ten years. That's a long time. Think of your life. Ten years of your life fleeing, being pursued, yet you knew God had a plan for your life. How many battles did David fight when he became king, finally? How many enemy nations? Remember, God said, no, you're not going to build me a house because you're a bloody man. You're a man of war. So how many battles did David fight? And so brethren, even his own son tried to seize the kingdom from him. But David testified that Who was with him? He said, thou prepares the table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. The Lord was with him in every battle. The Lord was with him. And the Lord will be with us. And remember, as we read, like go to Psalm 62, amen. The Lord was his strength. The Lord was his protection. The Lord was his refuge all along. And the Lord refreshed him. How? Well, the Lord nourished him. He said, thou prepares the table before me. The Lord nourished him. Think about when David was a fugitive. Do you know that people brought food to him and took care of him? Even when he was on the run from his enemies, God was looking out for him, feeding him. David's talking about this, amen? In a very practical way, God took care of him. There's so many verses there in 1 Samuel 21 and 1 Samuel 25 and 2 Samuel 17. Even when he was a fugitive in the wilderness, God fed him. And he used other people to do it, put it on their heart. So God, the Lord spread a table before him in the presence of his enemies. But secondly, the Lord anointed his head with oil. Now, we know oil is a symbol, but we'll get to that in a moment. Remember what he said, thou anointest my head with oil. Think of David when he was anointed by Samuel. That's amazing. He was called and anointed, but he had to wait to be the king. So he knew that. And then, remember, how the Lord protected him. And really, how many times did he talk about Saul that he wouldn't touch him when he had opportunity? He could have killed Saul. But he said, I'm not gonna touch the Lord's anointed. Right? So, he knew that God was saving him because he was anointed with oil as the future king. but he also had an anointed purpose for him and that's why he preserved him, that's why he protected him, that's why he was taking care of him. But then we think of the oil as symbol of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the New. Do you know that the Lord empowered David for every battle that he had to fight, the Spirit of God came upon him and empowered him for the work he had to do. But think about the sheep. How important is oil to sheep and the shepherd with his sheep? When a sheep was injured, the shepherd would use oil to soothe and heal its wounds. They poured oil on their sheep's heads and backs to repel the insects. There we go, Brother West. We need to do that on everyone that comes in. We anoint them with oil. Hopefully, you're not getting eaten up with fleas in here, believe it or not. as they grazed, the fragrance of the oil would repel the snakes that hid in the thick grass. So think how important oil is. But think of how important God's anointing is on our life. God's Holy Spirit upon our life. God's power upon us. The Lord anointed his head with oil. But then he says, my cup runneth over. Can you imagine, even in the midst of the difficult life that he led, that God allowed him to lead, and the sufferings and disappointments of life, you know what? In the midst of all that, he experienced God's blessings. Not only did he experience them, they were running over. He was overflowing, amen? Isn't that how God is? He will overflow. He will provide in ways and blessings that we don't expect. And he did everything with joy. That's amazing. Even though he was in the midst of the battle, the joy of the Lord was with him. The love of the Lord was in his life. The confidence of the Lord, the trust was overflowing in his life. Even though his soul was often in distress, his spirit never ran dry. Amen. You could be suffering in your soul, but your spirit is going to be overflowing with waters, God's waters, God's anointing, God's presence. And so God provided all he needed. in the presence of his enemies, to face the battles. He anointed him. He spread a table. He nourished him. And his cup, he blessed him. His cup was overflowing. And then, well, before I move on, isn't it comforting for us to know that we are never alone in life's valleys? The Lord has promised his unfailing presence. when we are walking through the valleys, He will move to our side. He will escort us through them, even carrying us when it's necessary, amen? You know that the sand and the feet in the sand and then it becomes one, amen? Because the Lord was carrying. That's the picture here. We can come victoriously through every trial with the Lord at our side. Life's darkest valley is surely the valley of the shadow of death. At times in our lives, we only pass through death's shadow, and we escape it to live another day. But if the Lord delays his return, all of us will fall into death's grip. it will come. Many, unfortunately, live in the fear of dying. But there is no need for the Lord's sheep to be afraid, amen? Because our great shepherd, Jesus Christ, he already passed through death's valley, and he came out on the other side, triumphant, the resurrection, amen? And then he leaves for us a shining light to follow, amen. When we pass through the valley of death ourselves, he's not gonna leave us alone, amen. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15, he plucked the sting from death and left it powerless. It became a defeated foe. That's why I always say, I realize, like for Christians, and you go to funerals, you know, Matthew's had a funeral today, his uncle, and you know, it's never easy. But for a Christian, like I said, Jesus already tasted death for us. So what happens when you close your eyes? That's life eternal. It's not death. You're not dying, you're living. Do we understand that? It's not like you die. It's like you live forever. Wow. It's all because Jesus removed the sting from death and left it powerless. Remember, Hebrews tells us that he seized the power of death from Satan. He emerged from the grave with its keys. The death and hell, he has the keys in his conquering hand. Revelation 118. In 1 Corinthians 15, 58 says, thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. So you praise him for his protection. Praise him. up for protecting you in the presence of your enemies in the life's darkest valleys. But last of all, verse six, less praise him for the shepherd's promises. What are the promises here? Praise him for the shepherd's promises. Verse six, letter B. What to say? You know what he promises? Help for today. Amen. Help for today. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Brethren, We, David, experience enough of life to know this, God is good all of the time, amen? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me how many days? All the days of my life, all of them. Think of David's life. In every circumstance, God's goodness flowed out to him in battles and false accusations. His life as a fugitive, the death of his child, the heart-rending problems within his own family. God's goodness was always there, amen? Think about his time of horrific sin, adultery, and murder, God displayed. goodness and mercy to him, even when he deserved death, he did. In times of distress, we could read his prayers, amen, all through the Psalms. David called out for God's mercy to preserve him. And what did God do? He showed David his steadfast love. Brethren, the Lord had proven himself true to his character, his own character, and true to his word. David expected God's goodness to continue throughout the rest of his life. And he knew that Jehovah would be unfailingly true to his own great name. And that's, you know, God makes these promises and he will never, never fail in his word or his promise because it's his character. It's his word. We may fail when we promise. God will never fail. Amen. So you have help through the days of your life, all the days of your life. God's goodness, God's mercy. But then we have help for the future. Amen. Promises hope for tomorrow, not only help for today, but hope for tomorrow. What is that hope? with what it says, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. David looked back at the events of his life. He could see the faithfulness of his shepherd. God's constant care filled him with great assurance and hope for the future. And that's, brethren, let's look back in our lives and count your blessings. Count God's faithfulness to you. How many times has God delivered you? How many times has God protected you? How many times has God's goodness been extended to you in his mercy? You think he's gonna fail? No. What God did in the past, that gives us hope for tomorrow. And that's what David's talking about here. We know how much David loved the Lord's house, amen? The tabernacle in Jerusalem. He loved it. He envied the sacred privilege of the priest who lived there. He longed to dwell there himself, just two pages over or whatever. A page over in your Bible, 27, four. One thing am I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after. What did he say? That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. How much did he love God's house? You know, even though when he was king, we know that he was forbidden by God's law to dwell in the tabernacle. That's why he envied the priest, amen? And then we see his desire to build the Lord a temple, a dwelling place that would be more worthy of God's matchless glory than the tabernacle. That's found in 2 Samuel 7. But the Lord did not allow him to build that earthly temple. He was able to look, even though the Lord didn't allow him, he was able to look beyond this life to the fulfillment of his glorious dream. What is that? He would dwell in God's house forever. That's amazing, the understanding that God gave him. It wasn't his earthly tabernacle he was talking about. It was God's eternal tabernacle, the heavenly Jerusalem. He knew he would dwell there with the Lord forever. David concludes his psalm with a precious reminder that life down here will end someday. But those who know the Lord will move to a new realm to live for all eternity. David is looking forward to a time when he will be in the presence of the Lord. And that is the destiny of every child of God today. We won't turn there, but remember John 14, one through three, he's going to prepare a place. And if he's going there to prepare a place for us, he's gonna come back for us to take us with him so that we can be with him forever. John 14, one through three. So in conclusion, think about this. The son of God, the creator, The Great Shepherd became the Lamb of God so he could suffer judgment that was due to us. The Lamb of God was slain at Calvary for our sin, the sin of the world. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. He became the door, amen? He became the gate by which we enter into the sheepfold, John 10. He became the way that we enter into the Father's house, John 14. And then the Bible tells us the chief shepherd is coming back for his sheep. And he will transport us into the Lord's house where we will be with him forever and ever. That's over there in 1 Thessalonians 4, the rapture. He's gonna take us to be with him forever and ever. The lamb will shepherd us, feed us, and lead us throughout eternity. Go to Revelation 7, 17. What's going to happen? And the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them on the living fountains of water And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes. Amen. Our shepherd, Jesus. And brethren, we have to say this, how wonderful it is to be one of his sheep. Why would anyone not want to be in his flock? Why would anyone choose to wander aimlessly through life unprotected? unguided and uncared for. Unprotected, unguided, and uncared for. Why would anyone refuse to choose him and the wonderful privilege of living with him forever? Why would someone want to reject that? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Thank the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd. Amen. I hope you can say that tonight. And if he is your shepherd, every verse in this psalm is true about your life. Every promise is for you right out of this song and he will never fail. Let's pray.