Sermon Tone Analysis

Leader Guide ESV, Unit 11, Session 6

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Edited by Rev. Lex DeLong, M.A., Sept. 2022.

Summary and Goal

In this final session from the life of King David, we turn our attention to one of his most famous writings: Psalm 23.

This psalm is beloved for many reasons, and countless believers throughout history have been both challenged and comforted by its words.

But more than that, in Psalm 23, the former shepherd boy turned king points us to a greater Shepherd and King who was to come.

In this session, we will see that the Shepherd about whom David wrote would provide for His people, guide His people, and love His people.

We will see that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who accomplished all of this by laying down His life so that He might provide eternal life for us.

Session Outline

++The Good Shepherd provides (Ps.

23:1-2).

++The Good Shepherd guides (Ps.

23:3-4).

++The Good Shepherd loves (Ps.

23:5-6).

Session in a Sentence

The Lord is the Good Shepherd who lovingly cares for His people.

DDG (p.

84)

In the throws of World War II, with the fate of humanity on the line, the great British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stood up and addressed the House of Commons.

His task was a difficult one.

He needed to provide his people with hope in the face of the seemingly unstoppable German war machine.

But at the same time, he needed to be honest; the English people knew what was happening on the continent of Europe.

And so, on January 22, 1941, Churchill stood before the gathered government officials and declared:

“Far be it from me to paint a rosy picture of the future.

Indeed, I do not think we should be justified in using any but the most somber tones and colours while our people, our Empire and indeed the whole English-speaking world are passing through a dark and deadly valley.

But I should be failing in my duty if, on the other wise, I were not to convey the true impression, that a great nation is getting into its war stride.” 1

Ask:

What kind of dark valleys are people at times, required to walk through?

As believers in Christ, we too are not promised a rosy picture of the future in this life.

However, unlike Great Britain and her allies in World War II, believers have a Good Shepherd who provides for them, guides them, loves them, and assures their victory.

Therefore, we do not look for escapes from life’s difficulties, but the Lord’s leading through them .

In Psalm 23, the former shepherd boy turned king points us to a greater Shepherd and King who was to come.

In this session, we will see that the Shepherd about whom David wrote would provide for His people, guide His people, and love His people.

We will see that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who accomplished all of this by laying down His life so that He might provide eternal life for us.

Point 1: The Good Shepherd provides (Ps.

23:1-2).

ReadPsalm 23:1-2 (DDG p. 85).

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

DDG (p.

85)

In these first two verses of Psalm 23, we discover...

Three truths about the Lord’s provision:

++1.

The Lord’s provision is powerful

++2.

The Lord’s provision is personal

++3.

The Lord’s provision is purposeful.

Of the many different names we have for God, David used the covenant name “the Lord” to open this psalm.

This is the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush: “I am who I am” (Ex.

3:14).

God shared this name with Moses to set Himself apart from the false gods of the Egyptians.

The Lord alone is the one true God, the Creator God; He alone is all-powerful.

1.

The Lord’s provision is powerful.

Here David connects God’s holy name, “the Lord,” or “Yahweh,” with God being a shepherd.

The Great I AM is also the Great Shepherd.

The One who gives life and breath to all humanity, the One who created everything, the One who parted the waters of the Red Sea for His people to cross on dry ground is the One who provides for His sheep.

The all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God provides for every need His people have, even the most basic ones.

2. The Lord’s provision is personal.

David could have chosen a war metaphor to describe the Lord.

“Warrior,” “king,” and “sword and shield” all would have been fitting and were used elsewhere of the Lord (see Ex. 15:3; Ps. 24; Deut.

33:29, respectively).

Instead, David opted for a personal one—shepherd—and his use of the personal pronoun “my” heightens this.

God wasn’t just a shepherd, He was David’s shepherd.

David had been a wildly successful warrior in Saul’s army, so he knew firsthand the power of warrior imagery.

Yet he chose to describe God as a shepherd.

Having been a shepherd prior to becoming a warrior, David was well-acquainted with a shepherd’s responsibilities and expectations.

He knew how difficult sheep were to lead and that their sole chance of survival rested on the effectiveness of their shepherd.

He understood that shepherds were with their sheep up to twenty-four hours a day, which explains why Jesus in the New Testament could say, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

David chose the metaphor of a shepherd because it communicates a personal God who cares deeply about His people.

The Creator God is not a far off, detached monarch; He is an up-close and involved protector of those who belong to Him.

Ask:

How should God’s provision being personal affect the way we view our circumstances?

(God knows us and knows what we need in life and what we don’t need; we can trust that our circumstances, no matter how pleasant or dire, are tailor-made for our good and God’s glory; finding ourselves in a situation of lack should drive us to God not with complaints but with prayers for His provision and our contentment)

DDG (p.

85)

3. The Lord’s provision is purposeful.

Sheep are known for being helpless, so their shepherd is assigned to lead them and make sure their needs are taken care of.

He directs them to places where they can rest in green pastures with plenty to eat and they can find refreshment from the quiet waters of a slow-moving stream.

Thus, a purpose of the Lord’s provision is to give you all that you need so you will trust and rest in Him.

The Lord’s provision is purposeful.

David knew that sheep are inherently timid and are usually too afraid to lie down, even for their own good.

But in a rare moment of confidence and trust in their shepherd, sheep will lie down when they experience “freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger.” 2 Though David’s path likely was difficult as he wrote this psalm, he was convinced that the Lord was providing what he needed for his good.

The level to which you believe this is the extent to which you will trust Him and step out in obedience.

Ask:

Why do we find it difficult to rest in the Lord’s provision?

(we have not allowed ourselves to be trained by His provision in the past; we struggle to trust someone else with our needs; we have little faith in our God’s ability and desire to care for us; we believe our sin will make God vindictive; because God doesn’t always provide like we think He should)

The Lord our shepherd has promised to provide every one of our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus (Phil.

4:19).

As a Christian, contentment in the Lord begins with a confidence in the Lord’s provision.

All that we need, He gives, and all that He gives has a purpose.

We should receive the Lord’s provision with gratitude and joy and use it to bring glory to the One who provided it to us (1 Cor.

10:31).

Point 2: The Good Shepherd guides (Ps.

23:3-4).

Read Psalm 23:3-4 (DDG p. 86).

3 He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

DDG (p.

86)

Countless wrong paths exist in this world, and we have seen people, even ourselves, fall prey to many of them.

It is good, then, to be reminded that Christ, the Good Shepherd, leads us along the right paths.

Two such paths are the vertical path (walking humbly with our God) and the horizontal path (walking lovingly with each other).

· The Vertical Path.

The first four of the Ten Commandments describe our vertical relationship with God (Ex.

20:1-11), a path we are to walk along with humility (Mic.

6:8).

One of the best ways to do so is to walk daily in His Word.