Word of Salvation – Vol.08 No.38 – September 1962
The Good Shepherd
Sermon by Rev. P. H. Pellicaan on Psalm 23:1-4
Scripture readings: John 10:1-16; Psalm 23
Hymns: 408:1,3,4; 20:2,3 (After Law)
22:4,5 (After Creed) 164:1,2,6; 42; 468
Beloved congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,
I have to bring you today a simple and glorious message. A gospel that can be understood by everybody, the children included. It is sometimes hard to understand the meaning of a text, but this psalm is as clear as crystal. We see in these words a picture of the most beautiful of all the children of men. In this Old Testament poem we recognize the features of the merciful Saviour who is lifting His shepherd’s rod over the sheep of His flock. I’m not going to give a description of Him, or to make a drawing of Him, because, if we are going to listen to these words as we ought to do, then He himself, the good Shepherd, will speak to us, and His sheep will know His voice.
if we
I cannot tell you anything about this psalm which you don’t already know. I don’t even want to try and make it new to you. It will be sufficient if we listen to this old message, recognize this well-known voice, if we obey the shepherd’s call, urging the sheep to come to Him.
And this message is strong enough, joyful enough to overcome all the misery and anxiety in our lives. I think we could aptly describe our age and the situation we’re in by saying that the wolf is at large. His howling makes us feel uneasy. If you have the courage to listen nowadays, you may well be scared stiff. The whole world is scared. The wolf is lurking and to most people he is known by the name “war” and all its consequences of sudden destruction, death and ruin.
Let’s be honest about it and state that we all are scared. And there is every reason to be, for the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.
The result of that fear may be that some will lose their self-conceit and their foolish easy-going attitude: “Don’t worry, everything will turn out alright.” If that is the only assurance you have, then you are to be pitied.
David had another kind of assurance. That is the first thing that strikes us when we read this psalm: his unassailable assurance! He is not discussing a problem: is it possible that in all the confusion of this world, there is some pattern? Is it possible that there is a shepherd who is guiding his sheep step by step? He does not say: I wish I could believe that there is a shepherd. He does not even say: I HAVE a shepherd, but he says, confidently and in full assurance: the Lord IS my shepherd. I am HIS. And there is no need to discuss this statement because it is a fact which cannot be altered. A general statement that the Lord is the shepherd of His people is not good enough. Luther once said: The heart of religion is to be found in the word “mine”. He is MY Shepherd, and I am HIS sheep. There is a personal relationship. These sheep of the Shepherd have ceased to be nameless individuals. They are not just numbers but they are personally known by the shepherd. Our generation is practically nameless. We are counted by millions. A nation is considered influential if they have some terrible means of destruction and if they are able and prepared to sacrifice millions of soldiers. We are counted by millions and we will die by millions in the next war. And one man more or less does not matter and is of no significance.
We have come together today for worship. We do that jointly, all together. And collectively, in a crowd, we are not afraid of big words and of important statements. Together we confess our faith. If we would have to do it personally, individually, I’m afraid some of us might refuse to do so. We sing together, and we all joined in. In our hymn we promised for instance that we would nevermore… turning, depart from God’s ways. And again, I’m afraid, if we were put to the test, we did not mean that personally. It is alright to sing it together, but it is another thing to make it true in our own personal life…! We do not accept our personal responsibility when we are part of a crowd. If we do something jointly which we would not do if we had to do it on our own, than it does not amount to much. What is the value of mass-hypnosis? The courage we feel when we are in a crowd, when we know that we all belong together is just make-believe. The crowd of people mostly consists of many lonelinesses, put together…! When we are on our own we are scared. Let us face the facts and let us stop hiding in the crowd. Let’s ask ourselves that old question, a very personal and therefor a searching question: What is MY only comfort? Whose am I? We all realise that we are living in a lost world. We are heading for disaster. The wolves are howling, and the sheep will be scattered, The only security to be found nowadays is the silly optimism: she’ll be alright mate…!
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According to the evolution-theory mankind will develop into something glorious. But there are more people, innocent people in this civilized 20th century than in the whole of the dark middle ages! There are more slaves now than there were in the past. With unfounded optimism we cannot overcome the terrible dangers that are ahead. When we hear David say, so simply and joyfully, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” then we are faced with the inescapable question: “What am I to God?”, and “what is God to me?” And in answering that question do not use generalities. They are worthless. Only a clear “yes” or “no” is needed. Are YOU a sheep of the good Shepherd? Can you repeat what David is saying in this psalm, with joy and assurance? Is it true that the Good Shepherd has called you and is still calling you? Is it true that He is leading the way, and that you are following Him consistently? Like a sheep….?
In itself it is not flattering to be compared to a sheep. Nobody likes to be compared with such an animal. It is an image of weakness, defencelessness, stupidity. A sheep is the most defenceless of all animals. A horse can kick, a bee can sting, a cat can scratch. A sheep has nothing to defend itself with. It only has …a shepherd! It is understandable that a sheep was mostly used for sacrifices. And so it is not what you would call a compliment if you are called a sheep!
Fancy that – we with our big plans, with our loud voices, with our arrogance, our high standard of living! We are like sheep, weak, defenceless, stupid beings. And quite often even bad sheep. I read about a Roman priest who said to his congregation: you are supposed to be sheep, but sometimes I wonder. You behave sometimes like pigs…!
But that is only one side of the picture. In the Bible humiliation and exaltation are always coupled together.
Be it true that we are powerless and not as intelligent as we like to believe ourselves to be, we are following the great Shepherd, the Son of God. We are His flock, and He very much wants us to be His sheep.
We ask Him to guide us from step to step – that is humiliation. But our Guide is the Saviour – that is exaltation! We realise that we are dependant on someone else with body and soul – that is slavery. But that Someone on Whom we depend is the Son of God – that is Freedom!
The shepherd leads the way because He is shepherd. And the sheep follow because they are sheep.
And that is the overall picture of the Christian life. It is as uncomplicated as that. The big question in your life, the decisive question, is not a matter of profound philosophy, but it is so simple and clear that even children understand it. Who or what is guiding you in your life? Who has authority over you? If you don’t know an answer to these questions, then I am afraid you don’t know the good Shepherd! This 23rd Psalm is a favourite also with many nominal Christians, who like to think that the message in this psalm is that whatever you do and wherever you go, the shepherd will always take care of you. But I cannot read that in these words. You belong to His flock, and then you follow Him, or you don’t and then you are lost in this world. It is very easy to find out whether you are a Christian or not. That is not a complicated problem.
We like to make problems out of simple things. But this is really a very basic thing. The Lord is my Shepherd..!
In these clear words we find the whole treasure of faith. He calls us, and we come. He leads and we follow. He decides and we accept.
We don’t know in what circumstances David wrote this psalm. It was suggested that this song originates from the time that he had to flee fron his son Absolom. But it is also suggested that he wrote it at the end of his life, looking back over all that had happened to him. Then so it is said he became aware of God’s guidance. Let us admit that we don’t know when the psalm was composed. Your guess is as good as mine. And it doesn’t matter really. For these words of comfort and assurance fit in everywhere. The Lord is my shepherd – it is a children’s song, but also the evening-song of a tired pilgrim. It is a fitting psalm when we come to the Lord’s Table, but it is also very fitting to repeat it in days of bereavement and sorrow. It is suitable for ALL occasions. And that is easily explained. It is because the Lord is our shepherd ALL THE TIME. He leads us when it is very easy and pleasant to follow Him but He also guides us when it is extremely hard and trying to follow in His footsteps.
It is remarkable – I should say: significant – that the previous psalm 22 is the psalm of the suffering Servant of God, the Man of sorrows. That’s a psalm of desolation, of hopeless misery. In order to save His sheep out of deadly danger, the Good Shepherd had to give His life. And that is the reason why psalm 23 leaves no doubt about the safety and the happiness of Jesus’ flock. Therefor David could add in one breath the words: I shall lack nothing. It is also possible to translate these words as: I do lack nothing. I shall lack nothing and: I do lack nothing. That is quite a statement isn’t it? Could, we say the same? We do lack, nothing. But here is so much we do lack, very much so.
I SHALL not lack… that is even harder to repeat. That is just the weakest spot in our thinking: the future…!
We all begin to realise these days that we have no guarantee whatsoever of future peace and prosperity. The world is in a state of anxiety. Why do the nations in Europe unite, as far as defence and economy is concerned? Out of fear for the future! They realise that they have no security any longer. I SHALL LACK NOTHING. this is the thing we are all after, both as individuals and as nations. And this seems to be a rule without exceptions. It is not an exaggeration, not an over-statement. Yet here it is God’s Word and therefor it is true. Sheep of the good Shepherd will never lack. Never! Yet the wolf is howling and we remember that word of our Saviour who said: I send you amidst the wolves. And yet here it is and it is true: I shall NOT lack. And in John 10 the good Shepherd Himself gives us the same assurance: I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
How come that we often doubt this statement? There may be some pious explanation for it, but in fact we may be heading for times when we will lack very much. We think that these words are very suitable in a sermon but are totally unable to help us in our times of need.
How come we doubt these words? That is because we have cut out the heart of this psalm. What is the heart of psalm 23?
It is that little word “mine” the Lord is MY Shepherd. He who realises what that means also knows that he has in that Shepherd everything he may ever want. He has a guarantee for life. It is impossible if you have this Lord for your Shepherd to say: Well, having Him is quite a bit, but I still need something else.
I do not lack and I will not lack. And that is not just an empty encouraging word, “you’ll be alright mate!” but it is the infallible truth of God’s own Word! It is the word of faith.
That means: you don’t SEE it yet but we rely on it with our whole soul. And once, after this life, when looking back we will acknowledge: we never lacked. In one of the psalms it is said: They shall sing in the ways of the Lord. Things which we don’t understand now, will become cause of joy and singing afterward.
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me… guides me beside the still waters. He restores my soul, He leads me in the paths of righteousness.” It is sweet music from a shepherd’s flute rising up out of the quiet valley where peace dwells and happiness. This is peace beyond our understanding.
And this is not a word written down by a hermit, or a dreamer, by someone who does not know what is going on in the world. No! These words were written by a man who was tossed to and fro by the tempests of life. A man who was hunted as a criminal, a man who knew despondency and hopelessness. His son tried to kill him. He was punished by God after he had sinned. He suffered a lot. But when David looks back and sees God’s guiding hand, then he sings about green pastures and quiet waters.
So don’t get the impression that a believer’s life is always easy and pleasant. David’s own life is evidence of the opposite. But David is singing of the shining miracle that in the very deepest misery God’s comfort, help and guidance is most powerful. Every Christian knows that from experience.
Behind these quiet words – we FEEL it and know it – is hidden a world of threats, a night full of darkness and horror. But all that fades out of the picture as soon as a sheep in extreme danger is aware of the fact that the shepherd is near to protect and to save. We don’t need more than that. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not lack!
If you don’t know what that rest, that assurance is like, then you have evidence that you don’t know that Shepherd!
I’m not going to argue about it. I’ll not try to give proof of that assurance. It is a fact in your life or it is not. If you don’t know it, then it’s no use to argue about it, the only thing that is left for you is to pray that the Shepherd may call you. And whenever you hear His voice and He is calling you – NOW! – be sure to follow Him!
Are you a sheep of His flock? To answer that question you don’t have to look at yourself. You are not His sheep if you find in yourself certain qualities. The assurance that you belong to Him is not to be found in you. It is to be found in HIM. And in Him only. It is not our character, nor our qualities and our meekness which make us into sheep of His flock. It is rather the other way round. It was our need, our poverty, our being lost, our sin which made Him come to this world to save us. He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
Our assurance is to be found in His love towards us, and not in our love toward Him. He leads us FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE, David said. That is the mighty guarantee you can rely on. Thank God I don’t have to rely on my own conviction, my own love, my good intentions. He leads us for His name’s sake.
This Shepherd connected His name to His flock. And He will never let down that name. It is the name into which we were baptised. And therefor, for His name’s sake, His sheep will never get lost. As soon as David has discovered this great guarantee, he is willing to go everywhere with this Shepherd.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me. There is no fear in His flock. And again I want to draw your attention to the previous psalm, the psalm of the cross. In THAT psalm we don’t see green pastures and quiet waters. But there a smitten Shepherd is groaning: My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me.
Passing this horror we arrive at the peace and the comfort where even the shadow of death disappears. The SHADOW of death… it has been said, and quite rightly, that where shadow is, there must be light also. In the valley of death is light! Because Christ descended in the deepest darkness of our existence to bring light. And realising that, we become aware of the fact that this Shepherd of psalm 23 is not a meek, kind, soft figure. No, we meet a powerful man who takes hold of us and despite all dangers and threats never lets go again. For His name’s sake! A sheep is defenceless. It can only rely on the shepherd. Your rod and Your staff they comfort me. A rod and a staff are the implements of a shepherd. That staff is stretched out over us. It is a very simple psalm. A children’s hymn.
And blessed is he who will not be offended by it.
A voice is calling. The voice of the shepherd. And the sheep follow. The wolves are howling, but the sheep see the staff and the rod, and they do not fear.
And our Saviour assured us: Nobody shall snatch them out of My hand.
Did you hear your name this morning?
Are you aware that you are called?
Do you know that voice?
Oh Man, what a privilege…..!
Amen
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