For “a Psalm of David” [Verse 1] see at Psalm 3:1.
The psalm is composed by David when he was a simple shepherd boy. In his simplicity, he had fellowship with God and experienced it deeply. An intimate, deep fellowship with God is not dependent on social status, but on fearing God.
The psalm begins with the LORD Himself, and then not with what He gives, but what He is [Verse 1]. He is not ‘a shepherd’, or ‘the shepherd’, not even ‘our’ shepherd, but “my shepherd”. This can be said by anyone who has come to know Him as the good Shepherd of Psalm 22. It speaks of the continuous, uninterrupted and unfailing care and protection He has taken upon Himself for us. What all that means is said to us in detail in the following verses.
In those verses we see that the Lord Jesus provides rest, food, water, refreshment or restoration, guidance, preservation, comfort, fellowship, oil, an overflowing cup, goodness and lovingkindness and finally an eternal dwelling place in God’s house. The Shepherd’s care for all these needs and circumstances is the guarantee that the believer will arrive at his destination.
Everything speaks of a deep trust in the complete and unfailing care, providence and protection of God in all things. A mother cares for her baby in everything, but for only a short time. A father and mother devote parental care to children, but also for only a limited time. But a sheep completely depends on the care of the shepherd from birth to death, who does everything for the sheep, as the rest of the psalm shows. That is what God is to each believer personally. Therefore, it does not say, as already said, ‘our’ shepherd, but “my shepherd” (cf. [Gen 48:15]).
Those who can say that the Lord is his personal Shepherd can also say: “I shall not want.” There is, through fellowship with God, the assurance that He will give enough for today. Also there is the confidence that He will continue to do so in the days to come.
[Verse 2] is the response of a believer’s heart to the Lord’s promise: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” [John 10:9]. The first thing He provides is rest and food (cf. [Song 1:7]). Rest and food are needed to regain strength. The food is the Word of God [Heb 5:12]; [1Pet 2:2]. Rest for a sheep is more than just resting. A sheep is a clean animal; it takes time to chew food. So a believer takes time to ‘keep the Word in the heart’ by pondering over the Word over and over again in the presence of the Shepherd.
Nor does the Shepherd drive His sheep hard (cf. [Gen 33:13]), but gently leads them to thirst quenching waters. The water is a picture of the Holy Spirit, from Whom the believer may drink [1Cor 12:13]; cf. [John 7:37]. This means that the Holy Spirit is given the opportunity to strengthen him inwardly in order to follow the path behind the Shepherd.
The Lord Jesus is an example for those who are shepherds in God’s church. He has given these shepherds to His church [Eph 4:11], that they may care for the believers, who are seen as a flock [Acts 20:28]; [1Pet 5:2]; cf. [Ezek 34:1-10]; [John 21:15-17]. Those who shepherd and are faithful in it will be rewarded by Him when He has appeared as the chief Shepherd [1Pet 5:4].
A subsequent blessing is that He restores the soul of the believer [Verse 3]. That is, the Lord brings us back from wrong ways, a thought supported by the parallel: “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (cf. [Jer 6:16]). This is necessary to remain attuned to the voice of the Shepherd. Then we remain in fellowship with Him, because sin removes us from Him. That is why our feet must be washed by Him each time, so that we can walk close to Him [John 13:10].
The Shepherd knows the right way. A sheep has no orientation, but is completely dependent on the guidance of the shepherd. Therefore, the sheep must listen to him. The same is true for a believer. And this is only possible if we are brought back from the wandering ways of sin and are close to Him.
The Shepherd guides the believer “in the paths of righteousness”. This is not the same as the easiest paths. It is not the path where righteousness is obtained, but where righteousness is done, where everyone is given his or her due, and above all, where God is given His due. It is the path marked by righteousness, the path according to God’s thoughts. “He guides me” means that He Himself walked that path.
It is the straight path, the right path, to the destination: the house of the LORD. The Shepherd guides the believer in that path not because of him, but “for His name’s sake”, that is, the Name of God. That is, the honor of God is involved. It can be compared to the honor Solomon receives from the Queen of Sheba because of what she sees of the walk of his servants [1Kgs 10:4-5].
In addition to providing guidance, the Shepherd also provides protection. He knows that the path may well lead “through the valley of the shadow of death” [Verse 4]. The path to the eternal dwelling place with God can lead through dangerous territory; all kinds of difficulties and worries can loom up, casting the shadow of death. There are spiritual enemies at every turn who are out to harm the believer.
The shadow of death is the threat of death. The Shepherd is the Light. Whoever follows Him “will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life” [John 8:12]. Therefore, the believer who confidently calls the Shepherd “my Shepherd” is not frightened by a shadow. Nor does the reality of death frighten him, for the Shepherd has overcome death because He was laid in the dust of death [Ps 22:15]. The Shepherd here does not so much go before the believer but walks beside him, causing him to experience His nearness. As a result, he goes his way without fearing any evil.
Because of this nearness to the Shepherd, the psalmist suddenly speaks not of, but to the Shepherd and says to Him: “For You are with me” (cf. [Isa 43:2]; [Heb 13:5]). Herewith he expresses his full confidence in the Shepherd that He is always with him. It is good not only to know it, but also to express it. What danger or trouble or enemy is stronger than Him? No one is, right? There is only fear if we do not fix our eyes on the Lord (cf. [Matt 14:29-30]; [1Kgs 19:1-3]; [2Kgs 6:15-17].
The Shepherd has a rod and a staff with Him. The rod is a club with which the lion and the bear are defeated; it is the weapon with which He drives out the enemy. The staff is the means by which the Shepherd guides the believer. It is both a ruler’s staff and a staff to lean on, a staff for support while walking, as someone leans on a staff. Among other things, the Shepherd uses the staff to discipline an erring or self-willed believer to keep him in the path of righteousness or bring him back.
Both of these means, of which the use of the staff sometimes causes the believer pain, comfort him, he says. The comfort is that through these means he experiences the care of the Shepherd, Who wants to keep him in fellowship with God.
