Sermons
Vander Kam on Psalm 23:6
Sermons
Vander Kam on Psalm 23:6Psalm 23:6 – "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me
all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever." (New American Standard Bible)
Beloved in the Lord: when we deal with Psalm 23, of course everyone knows it, every child in the congregation knows it, knows it by heart. Here we have a Psalm that is so very simple and yet it is also so profound, it is so beautifully given to us in such a way so that we are able to understand it and at the same time it also includes so much of life. And yet we must also realize that many a time in regard to these that are so very plain, there are also some of the greatest difficulties. And the exegetical liberties that have been taken with Psalm 23 also know no end. And those are the things that are still with us today in ever so many commentaries.
Because of the fact that they have never understood apparently that the Lord is able to take something like this, also very much alike, yet it isn't the same, but very much like the parables of Jesus. And those are not the ones that are to be pressed to every detail. And so it is also with Psalm 23, it is a shepherd and his sheep. But then in the closing part he speaks of this, "Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, Thou hast anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows." That's hardly a shepherd with his sheep.
Or in the words of my text this morning, "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." That's hardly a shepherd with his sheep. There are still the various elements of it there, but nevertheless it is also going far beyond that, so that we are not to press every one of these items that it is still the shepherd dealing with his sheep in Palestine. But then we will see that he has taken liberties himself in order that he will give to us something that goes far beyond that shepherd with his sheep. So that we will see that there is ever so much more also for the people of God at a later date.
And that He is indeed here the shepherd of Israel, and that there is also a going over of course, to John 10, that He is the Good Shepherd. And all these things are taken together, and then such liberties are taken with it so that the table; and oh you ought to read some commentaries on it, what that table is; that you can even have a table for sheep. I've never seen one like that, and you haven't either. Sheep dwelling in the house of the Lord forever! Of course not! So that it goes far beyond because there is no figure of speech, there is no metaphor that is going to be able to contain all that the Lord has put into the Word that He has given us.
So it is with the parables of our Lord, so it is with ever so many of the Psalms; that as soon as we begin to press every detail then you run stuck. And then you realize that you are not doing justice to it anymore, but that you are now in an entirely different sphere. And yet at the same time that it comes out of that kind of a context.
We speak then to you this morning on, The Assurance of The Future. Noticing in the first place, the beneficiaries; secondly, the present, the present profits; and finally also notice, the lasting, or abiding quality."
Now first of all, who are the beneficiaries of this, that there is going to be an assurance of the future? These are the ones that the Psalmist says who are His sheep; that is, those who are prone to wander. That is, those who can't find their way; that is, those who have no sense of direction. That's common, typical. David sings of that time and again in the Psalms, that that is the kind of an experience that he has had with that flock of his father. They had no direction, they had no sense of direction, they wander about, and these are precisely the beneficiaries as the Psalmist says of that assurance of the future. But then they have to know themselves to be such; know themselves to be the kind that are not able to satisfy themselves, are not able to take care of themselves. These are the ones who are always in need, always in need of the guidance and direction of another.
That is the kind of a thing that has to be brought home to us. You and I are not in that kind of a state that we are going to be able to take care of things. I would like that. I always like to be in control, don't you? Control of your own life, that you can do what you please and that you can plan and carry it out. And then we make our plans and they are dashed, because we have no control. So that James says, "It is far better that you say 'If the Lord wills, and we live.'" Maybe you won't be living anymore and there are no plans to be carried out.
Now these are the things that are brought home to us again and again but nevertheless we lay our plans, of course, and we have to. There's nobody that is able to live in this life intelligently without laying plans. But at the same time that we will also realize that we are dependent upon another, whether he is in control, whether he is leading us, whether he is guiding us. Now those are the ones to whom the Psalmist addresses this Psalm. Those who know themselves to be wandering, who have no direction, no sense of direction, who can't find the way. They have to be led to the pastures, they have to be led to the place of rest, they have to be led to quiet waters, they can't find it themselves. Now those are the ones to whom he is speaking.
And this is the Psalm that is addressed to them beloved, in order that it may give them assurance. The kind of thing that we don't have in this life. That is precisely the point. We don't have that kind of assurance; I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone for this whole coming week, let alone in the next year. Oh, we look back for a year, and we say, what has happened, so much! And yet, we were not in control of any of it, but "The Lord is my shepherd," says David. The Lord is my shepherd, and He knows where the grass is, He knows where the waters are, He knows where the quiet is, for rest, and that's where He leads.
Now those are the ones who are then also to benefit by this. They will have an assurance concerning the future. Because that is the way in which He has led His people in the past. Israel didn't know the way, and He led them out of Egypt and there they stand, immediately before the Red Sea, and Pharaoh behind them with his host. And there they cry out, "Why did you do this, to bring us here into this impossible place?" No, "The Lord is my shepherd." And He will take care of us. When you don't know the way out, when everything seems to run stuck, He knows the way. Now those are the ones that we address.
Those are the ones, beloved, for whom He has also prepared a table in the presence of their enemies, who anoints their head with oil, whose cup overflows. And those are the ones that will receive the goodness and lovingkindness of the Lord and will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That is the assurance of the future. There is a future for God's people, see! The world has no future. For the world, the curtains are falling, the lights are going out. And then to speak of assurance for the future; God's people have it. Assurance; He's the one who has it in His hands; He has time in His hand and eternity. He is above both; He is in control of both. Now, that is my shepherd.
Where could you ever find one like that? That is the one who leads me, that is the one who guides me. But then you have to seek that guidance; you have to seek that direction. And don't come to the conclusion that you can do it all by yourself, you can't, you run completely amuck, and you will lose yourself. That is the situation with God's people and that's why He addresses them as such, that's why He addresses them in this way; that it is like sheep that have gone astray, it is a symbolism that is taken up time and again in the Scriptures. "All we like sheep have gone astray," says Isaiah, "we have turned every one to his own way," anyway that you want it to go, "have turned everyone to his own way, and then the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
He knew the future, He knew the direction that you had to go, and He sees to it that that is done. Those are the beneficiaries, and those who still have the idea that they can do it all by themselves are the ones who are going to lose themselves completely in the wilderness of this world. And they are going to starve, and they are going to be disquieted, and they will not have drink, they will have nothing, and they will never find the way. But it is those who come to the table of the Lord, those who listen to His Word, those who are directed by that Word. Those are the ones for whom there is a future, and it is an assurance concerning that future.
Even though all of these parts are not to be stressed, all of these parts are not to be applied to every part of life today, nevertheless, it is in this context that He speaks, it is in that context, "The Lord is my shepherd." Well, if He is the shepherd, now I've got to be willing to be a sheep. And that is one who doesn't know much, and that is one who is so mixed up, who doesn't know the way, and doesn't seek his own welfare. He can't see himself, can't find the things that he needs, not even the basic things in life, but "the Lord is my shepherd," and He will make all things well. And if the Lord isn't your shepherd, forget it, you're lost, there's nothing left. You'll wander around in the wilderness, and that doesn't last long, and then you have killed yourself.
Secondly, notice; the present profit. Now that's what the Psalmist is talking about in this verse when he says, "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life." Yet he is speaking here concerning all the various pitfalls, all the various pitfalls that are there. He says, speaking of this, and remember that he is speaking of sheep, that "he prepares a table before them in the presence of his enemies." That is, in the presence of every trial; that is, in the presence of all difficulty. And in that way he applies, that is the way in which he is a shepherd who is able to overcome these things.
And Thou preparest him goodness and mercy, lovingkindness, and they follow him all the days of his life. It is just the opposite of what the sheep had been experiencing before. The very opposite of that which was their experience throughout life, where it was danger upon danger; and I tell you, there is danger in Palestine. It is dangerous to be a sheep; not so dangerous in Michigan, but in Palestine it's dangerous. That's why he even speaks of this. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death," which means this, that late in the afternoon through these caverns, in these hills, in these mountains; it got so dark. And that he has to go through there, these sheep have to go through there; they're not too good otherwise, even in the bright sunlight.
But then when they go through these shadows, the shadow of death. "I will fear no evil though," I won't be afraid. Because His goodness and lovingkindness attends me; and besides, His rod and His staff, they comfort me. That is, He has that shepherd's crook and with that He guides, He nudges; nudges the one that gets out of line. But at the same time it's also a weapon. And any large cat, mountain lion that comes, the shepherd is armed. "They comfort me," I'm glad He's got that, because I'm helpless. That is the way the sheep has to talk, that is the way in which he has to look at things. Because when he goes through the valley of the shadow of death, that is, when he gets through these dark caverns in these hills where it gets so dark even while it is still daylight; you can't see very far ahead. Oh, I'm afraid, I'm afraid.
But even then, "I will fear no evil, Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me." I'm so glad that He is there with me. And that should evil overtake, He is able to take care of it. So lovingkindness and goodness accompany me. That is the present reality, that is the present situation, that is the way in which He leads, that's the way in which He has led us in the past. And we all bear witness to that, do we not. We bear witness to that, that His hand has been over us for good. He has led us every step of the way, as far as we have come through life so far. He has led us every step, He has made all things well, His goodness and His lovingkindness, they lead us so that His lovingkindness and His goodness is so great that I don't even see the evils that are around me anymore; they have overcome them, they have overshadowed them. They are so much more than what the evils were. His grace is greater than all our sins.
And here you have it in different form, in a metaphor, that is "goodness and lovingkindness." That kind of a relationship of shepherd and sheep; He has fallen in love with them. That doesn't happen otherwise. He has to take care of them; it's a job. But no, David sees it entirely different; "The Lord is my shepherd." To him it is a tremendous calling, and that's the way he wants his sheep to see it. That is the way he is going to lead. And finally, that shepherd even lays down his life for the sheep.
Zechariah speaks of that, you know. That they are going to smite the shepherd, the sheep will be scattered for a while, but He will bring them together again, because "The Lord is my shepherd." And He is the one who brings that constant comfort, already now, it's a present reality, a present truth, you have it all around you. The goodness and lovingkindness of God, you burst with it. When you take a look at that; oh, we take so much for granted; but when you look at how the Lord leads us, what He gives us every day; you burst with thanksgiving for all that He is, and all that He does. That's what the Psalmist is talking about.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life; I don't have to fear. It's here now, I see it, he is taking care of things. And I tell you; He takes good care of things. And that is a real comfort to His people. They derive the comfort for the future from the present. If you can't see the future in the light of the present, then of course, you have a very dark view of the future. But you see it in the light of the present, and then you say, "Well, if this continues then I have nothing to fear. The Lord is on His throne." When we see everything around about us crumbling, when we see morality around us crumbling as it is today, when it seems as though Christianity can't last much longer or you will be persecuted severely. "Thy goodness and lovingkindness will lead me every day of my life." Okay. Then the assurance of the future is complete, I don't feel it. "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me."
And then finally yet, notice, the abiding quality. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Now here he is not using that metaphor so much anymore, as you realize. There's no sheep that is allowed into the house of God. There are even those who speak of this, you know, this really refers to the temple. No, it doesn't, because of the fact that is precisely the point that David was not able to build the temple, and he is the author of this Psalm. So that it is not the temple that he is speaking of, but in the very presence of God, in His temple, in His presence, in the house of the Lord, where we come together now, but also where God's people have always come together, whenever they come together, that is the house of the Lord.
And that is the place where He is going to abide forever. That is, it's not one of these things that is sporadic, not once in a while, but it is this, that is the common dwelling place. That is the place were He belongs; that's home; there is no other. I will dwell in the house of the Lord; I will dwell there. I'm not going to be roaming anymore. See, this is of course the contrast; the sheep roam. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So that there I am going to be safe, there I am going to be in the place where I'm supposed to be, where I'm supposed to be.
Not wandering about anymore, but where I'm supposed to be, in the house of the Lord. Because we formed part of it, and consequently that's where we belong, that's where we have to be, and I'm going to dwell there forever. There is going to be no end to that; that is the place where I'm going to dwell now, where I now dwell, and that is the place where I'm going to stay.
That house is not going to crumble, see. Here, especially in America when something is fifty years old, then we knock it down, it's getting too old. They don't do that in Europe but here we do. So that antiques, we don't really have. But here it is forever, forever. I will dwell in the house of the Lord; of Yahweh, of Jehovah, of my covenant God. I will dwell there forever. Whatever happens around me, I can't help it, I can't do much about it either. But I will dwell in the house of the Lord, to have communion with my God, to be in His presence, to hear His voice, to have fellowship with Him forever. That is the lot of God's people.
We have something of that given to us here at the Lord's Table. This is the feast that is the foretaste of the eternal feast. Christ speaks of that several times, especially in His parables. Speaks of that coming feast, that king's banquet, that king's wedding feast. This is a foretaste of it. And I will dwell there forever.
Assurance of the future; yah, it is this, it is going to be unbelievably great; your and my future, as believers, as children of God. As those who recognize Him as our Shepherd. It is unspeakable; it is going to be one continual joyous feast. That's the future; the future belongs to the people of God. Amen.
We thank Thee, heavenly Father, for the Word wherein Thou hast spoken. That Word of love and that Word of grace. We pray, apply Thou it to our hearts. That we may live before Thee as those who seek Thy guidance, Thy direction. Bless us now Father, as we come to Thy table. Wilt Thou grant that we may come with a believing heart, and that we may receive the blessing which Thou hast laid in it. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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