HE PRESERVES AND PROTECTS ME
Psalm 23:1-6 ESV
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. 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. 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.
V. 4a:
Meaning of Text
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
David just shared how God leads Him to rest and on paths of righteousness, a word that we learned means “straight” or “true.” Now, David acknowledges that following God also includes dark and challenging valleys too.
David uses a metaphor of a dark and deadly valley to symbolize life’s most challenging and uncertain times, like death. But saying “I will fear no evil” implies facing evil too.
There are many valleys and shadows we could walk through: There is the shadow of evil. Something evil done to us or done to our community. There is the shadow of illness and disease. There is the shadow of conflict. The shadow of betrayal. The shadow of persecution. And of course the shadow of death and grief of a loved one. Being a follower of God doesn’t mean a complete absence of the darkest valleys…
David writes this with a tone of being acquainted with dark valleys, but his heart is confident and at peace, knowing God is with him!
I will fear no evil, for you are with me…
David gets personal with the pronouns “I” and “You.” David addresses the Shepherd as if He is right there in the valley. David is fearless of whatever may lurk in the uncertainty of the valley because he has experienced God as near and powerful.
Though we go through valleys where darkness protects those who do evil and death casts its shadow, our fear is eclipsed by the presence of God. “For You are with me.” As in all life, it is the Lord’s presence alone which can give us complete comfort and security. When God sends His people from Egypt to the Promised Land, He gives them one absolute guarantee: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Ex. 33:14). -The Preacher's Commentary, Complete 35-Volume Set: Genesis – Revelation (Function). Kindle Edition.
Cultural Context
During the summer months, shepherds would lead their sheep into the distant range and high country away from home. During this trek, the flock is entirely alone with the Shepherd, and under his most personal and constant care. To get to the lush and green high country, you would have to go through the low valleys first.
While this valley of the shadow of death is a metaphor, a real valley called the Wadi Qelt, has been called the Valley of the Shadow of Death. “Wadi Qelt is a long, narrow, gorge-like valley full of caves where it is easy to get lost. Floods from the highlands of Jerusalem carved the wadi through the desert. The gorge was mostly a dry riverbed, and although walking in it was much easier than climbing over the rocky hills, it was still a treacherous ravine. Streams of water, descending from Jerusalem to the depths of the Dead Sea, some 1,000 meters, could overtake travelers in an instant if it rained in Jerusalem. Moreover, bandits and wild animals hid in the caves and gorges of the wadi.” -Marco Barneveld, https://magazine.wideoyster.com/long-reads/hiking-in-wadi-qelt/
The Wadi Qelt, was a dangerous but popular road used to travel from Jerusalem to Jericho. Every major figure in the Bible walked this rocky and dangerous path. David ran from Jerusalem through the Wadi Qelt after his son Absalom declared himself king (2 Samuel 15:23-16:14). When Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan, when a man was beaten and robbed traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho, Jesus was referring to this road.
Application
Following God doesn’t mean our journey will be void of evil, difficulty, or death in this life, but fear does not have to be the state by which we get through. In fact, comfort and peace can be our state instead.
Fear can overtake our vision of God. Fear can deplete our joy. Fear tests our courage to do hard things and sometimes everyday things. An unhealthy fear hinders you from living life. Fear, unchecked or unbridled, can become irrational and debilitating.
Fear is a real emotion, but fear can also go to unrealistic places. Fear has been described as: False Evidence Appearing Real. We can focus so much on the darkness of a valley we are going through that we imagine, expect, or predict something to happen that never materializes. FEAR can make us false prophets.
Fear has also caused people to: Forget Everything And Run! Fearing all the time can be a symptom of an undeveloped view of God and this life. To fear evil is to forget God is greater and has defeated the enemy. To fear death is to forget Jesus has defeated it and that we inherited eternal life.
“For the child of God, death is not an end but merely the door into a higher and more exalted life of intimate contact with Christ. Death is but the dark valley opening out into an eternity of delight with God. It is not something to fear, but an experience through which one passes on the path to a more perfect life.” Phillip Keller, pg. 70
We don’t have to fear evil because the enemy has been defeated. We don’t have to fear the uncertain because it’s not our job to know all things; that burden belongs to God. We don’t have to fear death because Jesus overcame sin and death so we may have life.
Thankfully, we walk through valleys, not camp in them. Valleys are temporary; the goodness and faithfulness of God are permanent.
Verse 4b: Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Meaning of text
In the Middle East, Shepherds carried a rod and a staff. A rod was a slender stick with a rounded knob on the end. The staff was a long stick with a hook on the end of it. The rod is a symbol of protection and authority, while the staff represents guidance and support.
The Lord grants us even more than His presence. He also grants us His power…The “rod” beats off the external enemy, while the crooked “staff” snatches us from harm’s way. Figuratively, it protects us from the internal enemy—our own wandering foolishness. -The Preacher's Commentary, Complete 35-Volume Set: Genesis – Revelation (Function). Kindle Edition.
The comfort David mentions here is not merely spiritual or emotional comfort but includes tangible protection and provision. The comfort David experiences arose from knowing he remains under the watchful care of an all-powerful God.
Cultural Context and Application
Four uses of a shepherd's rod:
The rod is a symbol of power and authority.
David finds comfort in God’s authority and power to protect him from harm.
“When God called Moses, the desert shepherd, and sent him to deliver Israel out of Egypt from under Pharaoh’s bondage, it was his rod that was to demonstrate the power vested in him. It was always through Moses’ rod that miracles were made manifest–not only to convince Pharaoh of Moses’ divine commission, but also to reassure the people of Israel.” -Keller, pg 81
The rod speaks, therefore, of the spoken Word, the expressed intent, the extended activity of God’s mind and will in dealing with men…There is great assurance in our own hearts as we consider the power and authority in God’s Word. The Scriptures are His rod. They are the extension of His mind and will to humanity. -Keller, pg 81
The rod at times was used to discipline or correct any wayward sheep.
The second dimension of the rod was for discipline. Keller said this about the African shepherds he witnessed and learned from: “I could never get over how often, and with what accuracy, the African herders would hurl their [rods]…If the shepherd saw a sheep wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal scurrying back to the bunch.” -Keller, pg 82
The Word of God rebukes and corrects us when we go astray. The Holy Spirit, using the living Word, convicts our conscience of right and wrong.
D.L. Moody said, The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible
We need the Word of God because we contend with the shadow of the enemy. Even though he has lost and has no authority over us, his influence still tempts and entices us through this world. When the devil, the serpent, tempted Jesus, what did Jesus use to counter these attacks? The rod, the Word of God.
We need the Word of God because we contend with the shadow of the flesh. When we want to do what is right, we still have the flesh right there, craving to do wrong. The Rod, the Word of God, checks our hearts and directs our steps!
The rod was used to count and care for the sheep
Another interesting use of the rod was to examine and count the sheep or passing “under the rod” (Ezekiel 20:37). A sheep that passed “under the rod” had been counted and looked over with great care to make sure all was well with it. The skilled shepherd would take his rod and part the sheep’s wool to judge and determine the condition of the skin, cleanliness, and growth of the body. As each sheep comes from the gate, it is stopped by the shepherd’s outstretched rod. He opens the fleece with the rod; he runs his skillful hands over the body; he feels for any sign of trouble; he examines the sheep with care to see that all is well. This is a most searching process entailing every intimate detail. It is, too, a comfort to the sheep, for only in this way can its hidden problems be laid bare before the shepherd (and mended). -Keller pgs 82-83.
This recalls David's words in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
As Keller says, If we will allow it, if we will submit to it, God, by His Word, will search us. There will be no “pulling the wool over His eyes.” He will get below the surface… and expose things that need to be made right. -Phillip Keller, pg 83
The rod was used to protect the shepherd and the flock
A shepherd could use a rod to beat and shake out bushes to scare away snakes or defend against aggressive predators. A shepherd would shoot a rod through his hands, striking and killing predators.
“Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of power, of discipline, and of defense against danger, the word staff speaks of all that is longsuffering and kind.” -Phillip Keller, pg. 86
The staff is a unique tool used for the care and management of sheep-and only sheep.
Three uses of a shepherd's staff:
Drawing sheep together.
The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become separated. The shepherd does this because he doesn’t want the Ewe to reject her offspring if it bears the odor of his hands.
Similarly, in the disciples' lives we find the comforter, the Holy Spirit, drawing together into fellowship with God and one another.
Guiding Sheep Along
The shepherd will lay the long, slender stick gently against the animal’s side, applying pressure to guide the sheep where the owner wants it to go and reassuring it that it is on the right path. Keller says he has witnessed shepherds keep their staff on a sheep as they walk, creating a special bond and deeper comfort to the sheep.
Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit would come to guide and lead us into all truth. The Holy Spirit would confirm and reassure us of the truth of God, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit reminds us of whose we are and gently guides us to go in the right way.
Following Christ is more than believing and abiding by a list of teachings and commands; we are in fellowship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit makes Christ’ love and affection known to us.
Rescuing sheep from danger
“Being stubborn creatures, sheep often get into the most ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas. I have seen my own sheep, greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea. Only my long shepherd's staff could lift them out of the water back onto solid ground again…another common occurrence was to find sheep stuck fast in labyrinths of wild roses or brambles…the thorns were so hooked in their wool they could not pull free…only the use of a staff could free them from their entanglement.” -Keller, pg 89
Likewise, many of our entanglements are our own making, but then in his compassion and care the Shepherd comes to deliver us.
Closing
Jesus said to His disciples: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
The question isn’t if we will face difficult valleys, but how we go through them.
The Shepherd may keep you from something, but He can also keep you through something.
As believers in God and followers of Jesus, it is in the hardest valleys of life that we experience a greater measure of the goodness and faithfulness of God. Dark valleys stretch and grow our faith, and they provide us with firsthand experiences of God’s faithfulness. God isn’t just good in the good times; God is good all the time!
We are uncertain of what is around the corner or what will happen, but God is fully aware. We are actually in the dark about a lot of things. We have no idea how much God has protected, preserved, and prevented for us. We can go through any valley and through any shadow those valleys cast because we are not alone. We have God, His Word, His Spirit, His Son, His church, and His promise that He will be with us wherever we go!
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.
Keller, W. Phillip. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Zondervan, 2007.
Salvation Prayer
Jesus, I know that I am a sinner in need of Your grace. Today I confess You as my Lord and put my trust in You alone. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Thank you for forgiving me and making me new. Lead me as I follow You from this day forward.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Discussion
What do you think David means by “the valley of the shadow of death”?
What are some different “valleys” you or those you know might experience in life?
What stands out to you about David saying, “I will fear no evil” instead of saying, “There will be no evil”?
Think about a difficult valley you have already walked through. How did you experience God’s presence, protection, provision, or faithfulness during that season? What did that experience teach you about God?
How can correction actually be a form of God's love and protection?
Pastor Ryan said, “Thankfully, we walk through valleys, not camp in them. Valleys are temporary; the goodness and faithfulness of God are permanent.” What would it look like practically for you to walk through your present circumstances with greater confidence in the Shepherd rather than being controlled by fear?
How can we pray together for you today?
If Jesus isn’t the shepherd of your soul, the Savior and Lord of your life, are you ready to make that decision today?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!