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.
Psalm 23:4 ESV
We come to the third and final week in verse four. Though we can have severe trials in life, how does the Lord protect us from harm? What tools does he have available, and what can we expect?
Our passages: Psalm 23:4 & 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10. Preacher: Ian Bayne (31st May 2020).
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Recap
It’s our final week in verse four, so let’s recap what we’ve learned in this verse.
We’ve looked at the valleys of life and how they often follow good times, quite differently. It’s normal and expected for Christians to face hard times of different shapes, sizes and intensities. One of the great challenges of difficulties is that they obscure our perspective on life and what’s important.
Valleys help us grow in humility, and build our faith and trust in the shepherd to guide and defend us. We can be world defying and eternally aspiring.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 ESV
The valleys of life are the places where we’re most vulnerable to predators.
Our predators are:
1. Predator: Our own hearts
Our own hearts can deceive us. We have intrinsic sin present in us.
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. [18] For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
[24] Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Romans 7:17-18, 24 ESV
2. Predator: The world
The world around us is presenting us alternatives to God
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-is not from the Father but is from the world. [17] And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15-17 ESV
3. Predator: The devil
He seeks to destroy God’s kingdom. Because God loves us the devil seeks to destroy us in the spiritual war that rages on behind the scenes.
Evil is manifested through argument, accusation and attack.
We need to be aware. The sheep’s defence is the shepherd and because of the shepherd we are armed and dangerous.
Explanation
Today we’ll look at the last part of verse 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.
Psalm 23:4
Comfort and consolation is offered
The word “comfort” here means console.
When I was growing up, my mother was the local nurse, and many people would die because the hospital was so far away. A neighbour died while he was washing the dishes. She tried to resuscitate him, but to no avail.
The next day I was struck by how, as we sat in the room, people from the neighborhood and church came over. They came to console them.
Job in the Old Testament had three comforters: three of his friends who came to console him after he lost everything.
This is the kind of meaning comfort has here – so we can see how it is applicable to even the most grevious trials in our lives.
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Isaiah 40:1 ESV
Isaiah spent many years prophesying against Israel. Even when they are judged and sent into exile after a series of conquests there is still comfort available.
Rod and staff: tools of the trade
A shepherd has a rod and staff. Many shepherds subsequently combined them into a crook in later years. Why does a shepherd carry a rod and staff?
They are to:
- Defend
- Discipline
- Divide
- Deliver
1. Defend
There were lions and bears in those days wanting to eat the sheep. A big stick was used to defend the sheep.
2. Discipline
Sheep can steal other lambs. Farmers take the sheep out who don’t have lambs get taken out so this doesn’t happen. Sometimes the shepherd needs to discipline them to move them out.
Rams can sometimes attack farmers.
3. Divide
Need to divide the good from the bad, the far from the thin, old from young, and the sheep and the goat. Depending on what’s needed.
It’s all about balance.
Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25:32 ESV
Sheep are well behaved. Goats are not. (In Jesus’s parable, the goats go to the left and are condemned)
4. Deliver
Jesus tells a parable of the lost sheep being delivered (Luke 15:1-7).
Sometimes sheep don’t want to come back. They’re not dumb but they can be naughty.
The shepherd will catch the sheep and bring them back. Our shepherd is particularly dilligenct in his search and protection of his sheep.
As we covered in verse 1, the Lord has a known number of sheep and he cares for each one.
This leads to a situation like referred to in the 1970’s hit: Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can’t leave. The Lord will come and get you and bring you back if you are part of his flock. This in itself is a comfort that he’s looking out for us.
Application
Protection and comfort
His rod and staff comfort us still.
who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:5 ESV
We are protected by God himself. We saw how this was through calling, leading and driving if necessary. He will discipline his sheep as and when required.
Discipline
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
Hebrews 12:6 ESV
Discipline isn’t pleasant, but it’s an important part of growing.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 ESV
It tells us he loves us. If you love your children you won’t let them run riot. You’ll teach them to respect others, because you know it will help them get on in life.
Aspiration
The Lord is calling us to aspire to Holiness.
For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy.
Leviticus 11:44a
This is because we bear the vessels of the Lord – we are his people and draw near to him, therefore we should not be unclean in his sight by doing sinful things.
Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.
Isaiah 52:11 ESV
We should look at how we can please God, not the powers of darkness.
Rescue
The purpose of the rod and staff is deliverance. To be returned to the fold.
The story of David and Goliath is told in 1 Samuel 17, where David rescued the Israelites from the Philistines.
Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45 ESV
Everyone is trembling at Goliath. A shepherd boy, David, has brought food for his brothers. He goes out to meet Goliath. He takes a sling and 5 stones. It’s a detail not mentioned explicitly in the passage, but from v43 we know he also took his rod and staff.
And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
1 Samuel 17:43 ESV
He thinks that David will come at him with a stick, not a sling and stone, and therefore isn’t expecting to be hit from a distance.
Salvation
When God equips us we can come through the big valleys. But this isn’t the point of the story. David represented the whole nation when he overcame Goliath, he was pointing to a greater rescue:
Jesus is referred to as the son of David. Jesus saves his kingdom. This is recognised when he’s referred to as the son of David.
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.”
Matthew 9:27 ESV
Goliath is dead, as sin died on the cross – defeated by the good shepherd. All we need to do is follow behind him.
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