Reflection on Psalm 23: ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’

Psalm 23 is perhaps the best-known and most-loved Psalm in the entire collection of 150 Psalms in the Old Testament. Therefore, it is the most loved and the most recited psalm in the Bible. The author of this psalm is none other than the poet-prophet-shepherd King David, also known as ‘the sweet singer of Israel’ (2 Samuel 23:1). David, the greatest king of Israel, composed and sang this wonderful song from his personal experience as a shepherd. This is a joyful profession of trust in God as the shepherd king, who was also ‘a man after God’s heart’. 
‘Shepherd’ is a figure of speech in Israel. Jesus is the ultimate focus, the Good Shepherd, as explained by Jesus himself in his discourse in John 10. We also need to read this in the light of the Old Testament prophetic book, the book of Ezekiel, the exilic prophet. 
Most of the verbs used in verses 2-5 are in the present tense. This is to emphasise the ever-ready help and provision for meeting all needs. The pronouns ‘my’, ‘me’ and ‘I’ all point to the personalness and intimacy in relationship. We may well consider the use of the various pronouns highlighted 28 times in this short Psalm.
The last words, “And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever”, remind us of Psalm 46:4, “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the Holy place where the Most High dwells”, and Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.’” The LORD’s sure promise for his constant and lasting care remains for his faithful ones. This is one of the most personal and trusting psalms that came out of the very deep personal experience of the greatest king of Israel, David. 
King David was a shepherd-boy in his teens, and he was absolutely faithful to his job of tending his father’s sheep safely and free from the perils of attack by robbers and wild animals. Because of his faithfulness, God rewarded him with the kingship of his nation. God was his faithful, kind and gracious shepherd. The term ‘Shepherd’ is a metaphor, a figure of speech in ancient Israel. We can see the idea behind this metaphor in 2 Samuel 5:2; Psalm 78:70-72 and Isaiah 24:28, etc. The figure of the ‘shepherd’ is also used in multiple places in the Old Testament scriptures to refer to a ruler, a king, etc.  
The faithful Shepherd is his identity: the name represents the person, his or her character. There is emotional emphasis to highlight the truth about trust in God, the Real Shepherd, the Protector, and the Shield. Verse 2b ‘still water’ refers to safe water for a sheep. If a sheep falls into running water, it becomes dangerous for it, as it can hardly get back to land because of the heaviness due to water collected into the fleece and the current of the water.
In verses 1-4, the Psalmist sings of God’s care in the imagery of a trustworthy shepherd. In ancient times, they reared sheep: since Palestine is not a plain country for good agricultural activities, people had to depend on animal husbandry, mainly sheep and goats. They had good pastoral land, primarily on the slopes of the hills, vales and plains between hills and mounds. They had shepherds steering their sheep as the mainstay of many people. 
Strong and true faith and absolute trust in God is what run through the Psalm. God is likened to a faithful and trustworthy shepherd, who is caring, gracious, loving and protecting for people who trust in him. God provides his faithful with food, drink, shelter, safety and security, rest and guidance, just as a faithful shepherd provides all these even when his life may be at risk.
We Christian use read this great Psalm at our Worship Services, Prayers, etc. because, as God’s children, we find great spiritual strength, hope and solace in our times of hopelessness and discouragement. If we have real faith in the Good God, we are assured of his loving kindness in every way and in every situation, however hard it may seem to us. So, the need is to live in right relationship with God. We do not have to fear evil or the Evil One. We need not fear even when we may have to pass through the valley of death because God’s presence is with us. Committed believers in Christ see this Psalm as something foreshadowing the everlasting love, grace, and loving-kindness of Christ in their lives. Amen. 
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The writer is a Christian Theology teacher and Church leader