Bible Study Series: Dwelling In The House Of The Lord, Psalms 23:6

 DWELLING WITH THE LORD

PSALMS 23:6

A QUICK REVIEW

VERSE I

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want

• Jesus is the Shepherd

• Believers are the Sheep

• Cannot get to no want unless you are His sheep

VERSE 2

 He makes me lie down in green pastures 

 He leads me beside quiet waters

• The Shepherd provides all provisions

• Rest, food, shelter 

VERSE 3

He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness

• The shepherd trains us in the Word and restores us to right fellowship with the Father

VERSE 4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil

• The shepherd protects us and provides confidence through trials

VERSE 5

The shepherd prepares a table before me in the presence  of my enemies 

• God has a hedge of protection around us while we dine with Him

• The enemy look on with envy and jealousy but unable to affect our joy

VERSE 6

SURELY GOODNESS AND MERCY FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER

FROM RECEIVING TO GRATEFULNESS 

This last verse moves from what the Shepherd does to the maturity of the believer. It moves from 

Receiving blessing to reflections and confidence in the shepherd,

This verse represents a state of state of complete faith. King David moved from a state of being fed to a state of confidence,

SURELY GOODNESS

The Hebrew word for surely is ak which means a particle of affirmation. David is confirming his devotion to the Lord.

The verse focuses on the confidence of the believer with his/her life in Christ.

Confidence is derived from experience in troubled times.  He is sure of his shepherd. There is no doubt in his mind of the care of the Lord.

It is good to be sure of your position. Not only are you sure of your position but you are sure of your

Future. 

SURELY GOODNESS

God describes Himself as surely goodness. Jesus

Said that there is no one good but the Father. Luke 18:19

The word good in Hebrew is towb.

The lexicon gives a number of synonyms: beautiful, best, better, bountiful, cheerful, joyful, loving, prosperity, sweet, precious, kindness

The Bible speaks all these and more as characteristics of God

Revelation 10:9   The Word is sweet as honey

1 Peter 1:19  The precious blood of Jesus

Titus 3:4    Kindness and loving God

John 15:11  My joy may be in you

2 Corinthians 9:7  God loves a cheerful giver

Matthew 7:17  Every good tree bears good fruit

John 17:25  Righteous Father, I know you

Psalms 129:9  Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity

No one will have all these characteristics all the time.

I would like to think, I am good sometimes. It is

An on and off thing

Malachi 3:6.  I am the Lord,  I change not

The Lord is good all the time. 

Even when your circumstances are bad, God is good.  

Joseph said to his brothers after being sold into slavery and forgotten for 20 years.  You meant it for evil but God meant it for good. God planned Joseph’s Hell on earth, so he could rise to be second in command to the Pharoah of Egypt and

Save many lives

God is surely good, you can count on it. Unlike us

We may be good today but rotten tomorrow. You

may count us today, but you might not find us tomorrow.

MERCY

Mercy is God’s compassion for the miserable. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He showed compassion for those He came in contact with.

He never missed an opportunity to take time to show kindness by healing those who came to Him. 

A widower was on her way to bury her only son.

Jesus stopped the possession and restored his

Life.

The blind received their sight, the lepers were cleaned, and the lame were given the ability to walk.

Demons were cast out of afflicted people.

He feed five thousand families who came to hear

Him teach before he sent them home. 

God’s mercy is infinite and boundless. God’s

Mercy knows no race, color, or nationality,

Position or financial status. God is no respecter

Of person.   

God’s mercy is a source of comfort to all who believe in Him,

God comforts us by the conviction of our sins and the promise of forgiveness. 

God comforts us in our weakness of faith by 

Helping our unbelief

God comforts us doing the process of maturing doing this Christian journey of life with the power of the Holy Spirit

God comforts us through adversity and temptations with refuge in Christ

God comforts us by hearing and answering our prayers

Because we live in the flesh and are constantly in need of Him, He shows mercy,  

All of us can reflect on our lives and see the Hand of God. I can say with certainty; if it had not been for the Lord I would not be here.

Not only does God show mercy to believers, but He commands us to be merciful to others, 

In Matthew 9:13 God said go learn the meaning, I will have mercy and not sacrifice.

The desire to be merciful comes from the heart. 

Mercy requires sacrifices. Mercy requires your time and your kindness.

There is no mercy in seeing a brother in need,

Saying a prayer, but doing nothing to help. What

Good is a prayer if it does not move you to an act

Of kindness?

FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE

This is a personal commitment

Grace and mercy will not follow us unless we are

Committed to being obedient to God's commands

If we want God to favor us, we must show favor to others

If we want God to continue to be merciful to us, we must be merciful to others. 

Mark 4:24.  With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you, and even more.

God’s grace and mercy showed up in our lives before we knew Him 

Jesus died while we were sinners

DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD

A decision to make God’s house your residence

Requires a personal daily commitment and devotion.

God already dwells in us with His Holy Spirit

We are the temple of the Lord. How often do

We dishonor the temple with our disobedience.

To dwell in the house of the Lord we must commit ourselves to be submissive to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit

Living in God’s house we are subject to God’s rules. Our agenda must align with God’s agenda

God must be first in all our activities.

Living in God’s house we must become role models for the younger generation

Titus 2:1-3

2 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. 

3 Likewise, teach the older women 

WHAT DOES DWELLING IN GOD’S HOUSE LOOK LIKE?

Continual prayer

Glorifying the Lord in all that we do.

Continual  praise and worship

Constant fellowship

Constant thankfulness

Constant gratefulness

Trusting Him with our lives

Faithful to Him

Always doing the right things

Kindness and love

FOREVER

From now forward, eternity future 

A total commitment. Not sometimes but all the time. 

To the end of our days

It is confidence in eternal life

Bible Study Series: The Prepration Of The Shepherd. Psalms 23:5

 THE SHEPHERD’S PREPARATION

PSALMS 23:5

HE PREPARES A TABLE BEFORE ME IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES, YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL, MY CUP OVERFLOWS

There are three types of characters in this text. The shepherd, the sheep, and the enemy.

We all have been each of these characters at some time in our lives. We started our lives

as the enemy of Christ. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. When you accepted

Christ as your personal savior, you became His sheep. If you are a parent, a role model

a counselor you have been or are a shepherd. We are in one or all of these roles now.

THE SHEPHERD PREPARES

This sounds like something Jesus would say. He said to His disciples be His crucifixion

.

I am going to prepare a place for you.

The Shepherd takes the responsibility for the preparation. He was not ordered to do it

by the Father. It was his own initiative. The shepherd knows the needs of His sheep.

The shepherd is always at work for His sheep.

Like a parent, always getting prepared for some event. Unlike a parent, the shepherd

knows all the events and they only happen according to His will. Every event that happens

is for the good of the sheep.

All events occur according to the shepherd's plan. The plan of the shepherd includes getting

the sheep ready for the plan. You and I had to be prepared to work in God’s plan

He gave us a measure of faith. He drew us to himself. He died as a ransom for our sin.

He cleaned us with His divine word. That was just the beginning for us to work in

His plan

THE TABLE

The Hebrew word for table is Shulchan which means something spread out. David understood

the shepherd's responsibility. Sheep being out of the fold all day would be taken to a flat place

with abundant grass to eat before going in the fold to sleep. Sometimes in the fold, the shepherd

would spread our feed in a trough for the sheep to eat. The sheep want to lie down unless

they are full.

From a spiritual point of view, the Lord is a great chef. The table contains all the spiritual fruits; love, joy, kindness, gentleness, self-control, patience, and faithfulness for the development of Christian character. The Lord serves up His word, topped with commandments and promises.

We can not lay down and rest peacefully with out trusting the Lord

Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.

IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES

God favors us so all can see. The devil hates to see God’s people blessed. Sheep

graze in full view of the enemy. David as a young shepherd protected his

sheep from lions and bears. When David became king, he protected Israel with the

same dedication. The king’s table is laid out with an abundance for all his subjects

While the enemy looks on he is aware that we are blessed by Jesus our shepherd.

We are reminded of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19. Lazarus a beggar

was laid at the gate of a rich man who ignored him. They both died. The rich man

was conscience and tormented in hell looked and saw Lazarus by the side of Abraham

enjoying eternity. The rich man in hell asked if Lazarus could console him with a finger of

water. But there was a great chasm between them which could not be crossed.

A table was prepared for Lazarus in the plain sight of the rich man.

The enemy see the blessings God bestows upon His people but can't do anything about them.

Like the rich man he look up and saw the comfort of Lazarus, but was fixed in his

position of misery unable to change his situation.

That valley of the shadow of death is always upon us. But God protects and provides an

abundance as we travel through the valley. O what comfort we enjoy as we trust the Lord

Jesus in the midst of our storms

HE ANOINTS MY HEAD WITH OIL

Jesus treats us as His guests. He died while we were sinners to make us guests at His table.

In Biblical times, God anointed selected people with special responsibilities, talents, and

power to serve His people and to glorify Him.

Aaron the first priest of Israel was anointed with oil to serve in making sacrifices and offering

to the Lord. Saul the first King of Israel was anointed to serve and given the spirit of God.

David was anointed as the second king of Israel. Jesus’s head was anointed with expensive

perfume by a woman disciple. In another instance, His feet were washed with the hair and tears

of another woman disciple. He was anointed and treated as a guest before His death and resurrection as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Every believer is anointed with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to be His servant.

We are treated as guests at the table He prepared for us. His guidance, direction, and

wisdom are available to us.

MY CUP OVERFLOWS

Jesus has provided a special cup for His sheep that is refreshing, life-giving, and sustaining.

Not only does He provide enough, but more than enough. He promised to give us the desires

of our hearts. He does all for us for His name's sake. He provides a state of extreme pleasure

in His love. Not only are we happy, and joyful but excited to be at His table.

There is no feast on earth that comes close to the time Jesus has set aside to dine with

us. None of us has earned the right to feast with Jesus and do not deserve an overflowing

cup of His graces. This is a testimony to His love and compassion for us.

Rev. M. Mitchell

BIBLE STUDY SERIES: THE PROTECTION OF THE SHEPHERD PSALMS 23:4

 THE PROTECTION OF THE SHEPHERD

Psalms 23:4

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. 

Israel is a place of mountains and valleys. The highest mountain

Peak is Mount Hermon which is 7336 feet above sea level.

The city of Jerico in the Jordan Valley is 845 feet below sea level

The elevation of Bethlehem is 2500 feet above sea level. Shepherds

Spent their lives with their sheep in the mountainous grassy area

Tending their sheep. 

David as a teenage shepherd fought lions and bears to protect

his sheep (1 Samuel 17:34).  The road to Jerico from Jerusalem

was 18 miles uphill where robbers hid out (Luke 10:30). The Shepherd

risked his life for his sheep fending off wild animals and thieves. 

As God's sheep, we live in a dangerous environment where death 

can overtake us in many ways. The shepherd knows the dangers

That are around us and lie ahead of us at all times. His job is our

Protector. 

The phrase, the shadow of death may describe a life without God. A

Life ignorant to promises of Jesus, A life absent of the grace and

Mercy that the shepherd provides. We exist in a world of darkness,

A world with a destination of death. But we are led in the path of

Of righteousness. We are led through the path of darkness to 

Bring light to those destined to hear the Word of God. 

Matthew 28:19 is the great commission for making disciples and teaching the Word of God. This path leads us to dark areas to 

Bring light. 

In the presence of the Shepherd, there is faith and not fear. 

God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound

mind. Fear comes when we take our focus off the Shepherd.

I believe God designed our lives to be compatible with the environment He placed us in. He designed the mountains and the

Valleys, He designed quiet streams and rough rivers. He spit the

Earth apart underground to allow earthquakes. He designed

Volcanoes with hot lava deep in the earth for eruptions. He designed

A weather system to allow storms, tornados, and hurricanes.

Our lives are a series of highs and lows. Times of quiet and times of

Storms. Times when it seems safe and time when it is dangerous

The Shepherd leads me to a place where I need protection. A place

Of dangers seen and unseen. It’s the right path because it is for 

His namesake. He leads me to places I would not go and allows circumstances I prefer not to face. 

The Apostle Paul was sent by God to places where his life was in danger to spread the Gospel. He was persecuted and stoned and left

For dead.

Acts 13:2-3

 "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 

In each city Paul preached, he was protected by the Lord.  He faced

Hardships, but he was protected in all of them. For His NameSake 

Paul preached the Gospel. For His NameSake, many were saved.  

For His Namesake churches of Jesus Christ were established.

You and I are led by the shepherd through trials and tribulations

So the World can see Christ through us.

Proverbs 15:24

24 The path of life leads upward for the wise

to keep him from going down to the grave. 

HIS ROD AND STAFF COMFORT ME

We will never escape the presence of evil people. They exist everywhere.  In the Lord's presence, we have nothing to fear

There is not but one person to fear and that is the Lord.

Proverbs 19:23

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life:

Then one rests content, untouched by trouble. 

With the shepherd, sheep have no thought of fear, they are content to be in his presence and enjoy the provisions he leads them to. 

The rod of the shepherd is a heavy club used by the shepherd to beat predators.  The rod is a symbol of the Lord’s immeasurable strength.

The Lord has His angels camped around us everywhere we go.

Psalms 18:1-2

18 I love you, O Lord, my strength. 

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 

The Lord and you are a mighty army’ What enemy can stand against you? The enemy may cause trouble, but the Lord is careful to 

Take us to, through, and out of trouble. 

The Staff of the shepherd is specifically designed for the care of the sheep It is a long slender stick with a curved end. It is used to manage

And direct the sheep. Sheep are notorious wanders. When one

Wanders off, the Shepherd uses the cured end to grab the sheep by the neck and pull it back into the fold.

The staff is a symbol of God’s guidance and direction. Like sheep we 

Often wander in directions not pleasing to the Lord. The Lord through

The power of the Holy Spirit  guides us back to Him 

Hebrews 13:20-22

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

Our success in the proclamation of the gospel is planned and assured in the midst of trials and tribulations. The Work of the Faithful in Jesus

Christ will never fail.

Philippians 2:1-4

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

The path that shepherd leads us on is designed to unify the body of Christ

COMFORTS ME

What does comfort look like?

    Encouragement

    Assurance 

    Love

    Compassion

    Kindness

COMFORT REQUIRES TWO PARTIES

The one who gives comfort and the one who receives comfort

You cannot comfort someone who does not want to be comforted

The Lord is ready to comfort

To be comforted you must trust the Lord. You must receive what

He promised you.  You must let go and let God

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 

  

Notice you were put in a position to receive comfort, so you are

Prepared to comfort others.

Your trouble is for His namesake.

It is by your comfort that you can testify to the comfort of the Lord.

The path of righteousness is designed for the time we live on Earth to

Bring enlightenment to the World. God has equipped us with the ability and the desire to light up the world with His love and compassion