The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host by David Gibson

A four-hour sermon on Psalm 23

The Lord of Psalm 23: Jesus Our Shepherd, Companion, and Host by David Gibson is a book I listened to after seeing it favorably reviewed by Whitney Newby, who I identify to Erik as “the home-schooling Christian mom of four I follow.” What you really need to know is that this book is essentially a four-hour sermon that sheds new light on one of the Bible’s most recognizable passages. Psalm 23 only contains six verses, but they are so, so rich. I took notes while listening to this book, and I want to share some insights that especially stood out to and touched me.

Jesus Our Shepherd

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.
3      He restores my soul.
   He leads me in paths of righteousness
       for his name’s sake.

The first three verses of Psalm 23 describe Jesus as our shepherd and us as his sheep. Even just the first four words of the psalm deserve pause: “The Lord is my”. God, self-sufficient and self-existent, is the subject here, and we, lowly and utterly dependent, are the object. And he is ours. This describes an extremely personal relationship. In a sense, the whole psalm is captured in verse 1. Verses 2 through 6 exist to support that first verse. Because the Lord is my shepherd, my provider and protector, I lack for nothing. What else do I need? I may desire other things, but that is beside the point.

Jesus Our Companion

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.

Verse 4 of Psalm 23 positions God as being with us. He is our companion through the valley. Our lives will require us to walk through darkness, but we do not need to fear, “for you are with me”. This phrase is its own line and is located near the center of the psalm, which in Hebrew poetry denotes importance and emphasis. And really, this line encapsulates the message of the entire Bible.

Notice that up until this phrase, David has been writing in third person. But here, he changes to the second person, speaking to God directly. As Gibson says, “Worship always turns from third-person description to second-person adoration.” Gibson also points out that Psalm 23 echoes the Exodus. He draws many parallels between the two of God’s covenant faithfulness and constant provision, and I thought the connection was really cool.

In verse 4, Jesus is described as having a rod and a staff. The rod signifies both presence and action. Gibson describes how in that time, shepherds used their rod to count their sheep at the end of the day and to defend them against predators. The staff is for correction, to nudge sheep in the direction they should go. We often focus just on the rod and not the staff. Gibson makes the wise observation that we want Jesus to protect us from others with his rod, but we don’t want him to protect us from ourselves with his staff.

Jesus Our Host

5  You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies;
   you anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows.
6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
       all the days of my life,
   and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
       forever.

David now portrays Jesus as the perfect host, preparing a feast for us and anointing our heads, acts of generous hospitality. “It is in God’s nature,” Gibson says, “to serve us as much as it is to save us.” The fact that we don’t know exactly what “table” and “enemies” refer to to is a good thing, because it stops us from “limiting the application of the sufficiency of God’s grace.” This is like how we never find out what the thorn in Paul’s side really is (2 Corinthians 12:7).

The word “follow” in verse 6 is better translated as “pursue” and refers to the doggedness and determination of God’s goodness and mercy. Mercy can also be understood as steadfast love—love that hasn’t gone anywhere but after the person, “love that stayed, sought, and stuck.” This is so comforting, as after all the focus on us following the Good Shepherd, we look over our shoulder and see God’s goodness and steadfast love following us.

Psalm 23 begins and ends with “the Lord.” Gibson exposits how the format of the text matches its content; “the covenant Lord literarily encompasses the song even as it praises the covenant Lord for literally encompassing our whole life.” Praise God that he is before us, with us, and behind us.