Through The Valley

Through The Valley

Psalm 23:4-6     

 

This week we are going to cover the verses four to six of Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is known and noted for being one of the, if not the, most well-known chapters in all of the Bible. It is one that is known by both believers and non-believers, one that has been read by various U.S. Presidents in times of deep difficulty in our nation, when in need of peace and safety, and times when the nation is in need of reminding of the hope that the Lord alone can bring.

The reason that the Psalm is so prominent and important, is due to all that it points to. It begins where we began last week, the green pastures, the still waters, the restoration of one’s soul, and the paths of righteousness; but the Psalm doesn’t end there, it continues to highlight where God is, what He will do, when in this live, we go through the valley. 

 

Read: Psalm 23:1-6

 

Illus. Valleys.

 

The definition of a valley in nature is a long depression between uplands and hills, or mountains, or a low point. It is also a figure of speech for situations in one’s life; personal valleys are places, periods, or situations that are filled with fear, gloom, darkness, depression, or despair. Just as Psalm 23 shifts abruptly to the valley, so it seems that the valleys in one’s life comes similarly.

As David continues to tell us about life with the Lord as his Shepherd, he gives several truths to cling to. I want to pull three of those truths from his text that I pray will serve as reminders to you even though you walk through the valley.

 

1. Don’t Forget Who Is with You

 

Psalm 23:4(a), Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me…

 

• Verse 4 paints the picture of going through the valley, but verses 1-3 gives the key to understanding the journey David wrote of properly.

 

Psalm 23:1(a), The Lord is my shepherd…

 

• David, once a shepherd himself prior to being a king, likened his relationship with the Lord to sheep and shepherd.

 

• Each phrase and verse of Psalm 23 is powerful, expressive of his relationship to the Lord his shepherd, and his words not only apply to his relationship with the Shepherd in his life, but to you and I.

 

• A shepherd is the name or title given to a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.

 

• The Bible often refers to us, God’s people, as sheep…and the relationship between shepherd and sheep was quite common in David’s day…

 

Psalm 100:3, Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

 

• But the Lord was not just any shepherd, the Lord was His personal shepherd.

 

• The Lord is not only David’s personal shepherd, He is ours as well!

 

John 10:14, I am the good shepherd, I know My own, and My own know Me. 

 

John 10:27, My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

 

• In Psalm 23, there is a shift in scenery between verses 3 to 4:
  • In verses one to three, David wrote about the Lord his shepherd who provides needs, lets you lie down in green pastures, leads beside quiet waters, restores your soul, and guides in the paths of righteousness.

 

• Then in verse four, a shift, from the green grass to the dark valley…To the shadow of death and the fear of evil in the valley

 

• Things change in verse 4 and it begs the question, what happened? What happened was, David encountered a valley on his journey.

 

• The scenery is not the only change we see, however, we also see a change in the way David is writing…He goes from the from the impersonal to the personal. A turn from merely talking about the Lord, into talking to the Lord personally.

 

• David started out: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes, He leads, He restores, He guides, for His namesake.

 

• And in verse 4, it changes: though I walk through the valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod, your staff, you prepare, you anoint, my cup overflows.

 

• As the scene moves to the valley, so David moves from He and me, to I and you.

 

• There is something about the valley that changes who God is to us. There is something about the valley that produces a deepening, a greater level of intimacy, a deeper determination that the Lord is the only One who can help, the only way out, and a turning from the impersonal, to the personal.

 

• Something shifts from merely who He is, to who He is to me personally.

 

• David wrote, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.

 

• David knew that the Lord was his shepherd and the shepherd was not absent, but rather, present in the valley. The was present in the difficulty, the Lord was present when he was faced with all sorts of evil and calamity.

 

• The Bible speaks of valleys in terms of difficulties. Yet in the midst of them, a reminder that the Lord is not absent, but with you in them.

 

• Though valleys speak of difficulty, what is known about shepherds in that day, is that they would lead the sheep through valleys for specific reasons; When it was hot, to cool them; No water, there were streams in the bottom of the valleys; And another reason was to get them to higher ground.

 

• Even our modern mountain highways follow the valleys to reach the summit and get to higher ground and over the mountain.

 

• And there are times in your life where the Lord will lead you upward through a valley in your life.

 

Matthew 28:20, Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (NASB 95’)

 

• David wrote, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me!”

 

• So often in Scripture, there are reminders in the dark valleys of their lives not to fear, because He is with them! “Fear not, I am with you!” (Is. 41:10)…The Lord promises His very presence, though you go through the valley, fear no evil, he is with you!

 

• Be reminded as you walk through the valley, that the Lord is not merely the shepherd and Lord of the mountaintops, but He is the Shepherd and Lord of the valleys, and He doesn’t send you off alone when things get dark, but will still be your Shepherd in your valley, don’t forget who is with you.

 

Illus.  Who is with you?

 

1 Kings 20:28, Then a man of God approached and spoke to the king of Israel, and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Since the Arameans have said, “The Lord is a god of mountains, but He is not a god of valleys,” therefore I will hand over to you all this great multitude, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’”

 

• Note that David did not write, though I walk TO the valley, rather, though I walk THROUGH the valley.

 

• As he walked through the valley He did not forget who was with him!

 

• Because the Lord was with him, he said, “I fear no evil.”

 

• In his book, A shepherd looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller wrote, “nothing so quieted and reassured a sheep as to see me in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector put them as ease as nothing else could do.” –

 

1. Focus on the Shepherd Not the Shadows

 

Psalm 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 

• When David wrote about the shadow of death, he used the Hebrew word tsalmaveth, which is defined as deep shadow, deep darkness, death-shadow, distress, danger.

 

• David recognized that even in the shepherds and leading, he may go through the valley of the shadow of death, but that shadow is just a shadow of death, not the substance of it.

 

• And if your eyes remain on Jesus, your Great Shepherd, then you know that the deepest darkness, the shadow of death, is only a shadow.

 

Quote, C.H. Spurgeon., “Death in its substance has been removed, and only the shadow of it remains. Someone has said that when there is a shadow there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s pathway even for a moment. The shadow of a dog cannot bite; the shadow of a sword cannot kill; the shadow of death cannot destroy us.”

 

• He is talking about the reality that Jesus by His death, burial, and resurrection has conquered death.

 

• The one who conquered is with you, He is your shepherd, He has conquered death.

 

• And for the sheep of His pasture, death is but a shadow. It cannot hurt you, cannot destroy you.

 

• The shadow and fear of death is merely attempting to block out the light on the other side of the shadow.

 

• Still, those “shadows” often consume much of our focus.

 

• David set his focus not on what the shadows could do, but on what his shepherd could do…

 

Psalm 23:4, Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

 

• The rod was a club or stick the shepherd would wear at his belt to either correct wandering sheep, or fight off attacking animals.

 

• The staff was a long walking stick, with a hook at one end. The staff was used to guide and pull back in straying sheep.

 

• The rod was for correcting and protecting, and the staff for directing. David did not fear because he was focused in on the Shepherd and His tool set.

 

Illus. Focus in the Valley.

 

Numbers 13:23, Then they came to the Valley of Eshcol, and from there they cut off a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs.

 

Psalm 84:5-7, Blessed is the person whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the roads to Zion! Passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

 

John 10:11, I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

 

1 Corinthians 15:54(b)-57, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Hebrews 13:5, Be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

 

• That word content in Greek means to be satisfied, that what you have is enough, it is sufficient.

 

• The writer of Hebrews wrote “be content” and then “because.” We are given the action and the reason. The path to follow, and the focus.

 

• Be contend, because God said he would never leave you or forsake you…He is with you! Focus on that!

 

Illus. What is that?

 

• The question then comes, who has the final say in your valley? In darkness, difficulty? Who is leading, guiding and guarding? Are you focusing on the Shepherd, or the shadows?

           

III.  Fill Up on What He Prepares

 

• Vs. 4, David said that the rod and staff of his shepherd brought comfort to him.

 

• The word for comfort is to comfort, console, or put at ease.

 

• The verse could be translated this way, “Your rod and your staff put me at ease!”

 

• His protection, correction, and direction keep me on the right path, even though I walk through the valley.  

 

Psalm 23:5, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 

• The picture being given is of a table prepared by the Lord in the midst of David being completely surrounded in the presence of His enemies.

 

• Without moving on from the picture of the darkest valley, David recognizes the great provision and goodness of the Lord, even in the presence of those against him.

 

• The table prepared speaks of what the Lord’s provision, His care, His awareness, His power to protect, and His desire for personal connection with you when you are surrounded.

 

• His care, concern and connection do not eliminate the presence of enemies or difficulties on this earth, nor do they eliminate His presence and provision.

 

• The question is, are you taking a seat at the table the Lord has been preparing?

 

Illus. Enemies?

 

• The Lord prepares a table in the presence of all that is going on, are you aware of what He has prepared and is preparing?

 

• He anoints your head with oil, in that day speaking of refreshing, there was also a scent in the oil that made the guest smell pleasant. Oil is also a picture of the Holy Spirit…The helper!

 

• In the presence of enemies, His cup overflows.

 

Psalm 23:6, Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, and my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

 

• Goodness and lovingkindness, which is a term also translated “mercy.”

 

• The goodness and lovingkindness of God will follow you all the days of your life.

 

• Goodness, all that is good and right.

 

• Lovingkindness, mercy, covenant faithfulness…

 

• God’s goodness and commitment to you will follow you all the days of your life.

 

• What does that mean follow you all the days of your life, it means they are present in your life for all of your days.

 

• His goodness and mercy will be present in your life as long as life lasts. And…You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

• If He is your shepherd, you will dwell in His house forever.

 

• It wasn’t just David’s hope that he would dwell in the Lord’s house…it was his reality.

 

• For those in Christ, it is the reality of your life, the end point of your pursuit, and the destination of your journey.

 

• Take your seat at the table.

 

John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be.

 

Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV)

 

Ephesians 3:16-19, I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

 

 

Psalm 23:4-6