Psalm 23:4INTRODUCTION: We are in the middle of a three week series on this Psalm, and we are looking at what it means to have the Lord as your shepherd. Verse 1 – “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” – is really the theme of the whole Psalm.
This Dark Night can come upon us for any of three reasons: 1.) Because we are holding onto mortal sin or deliberate venial sins. The Holy Spirit gives the comforting sense of His presence to us in our hearts in the early stages of our walk with Christ. He does so in order to show us that He is our heart's desire and to refresh us along the way. Find a Chapter Join Out of the Darkness Walks Donate Take Action Find Support About Suicide Our Work Blog.
When the Lord is your shepherd, he provides everything that you need. We saw last week that the Lord in this Psalm refers not only to God in the Old Testament, but also to Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus is the true fulfillment of this psalm, for he is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.Last week we looked at “The Shepherd on the Path” from verses 1-3, and we saw how Jesus provides for your needs along the pathway of this life. Today we will look at “The Shepherd in the Valley” from verse 4 and see how Jesus provides for you during the dark times of your life, even as you walk the passageway from life unto death. (Read verse 4 and pray.)A preacher began his sermon by glaring out over the congregation and proclaiming in a very loud voice: “Every member of this church is going to die.” Most of the congregation looked pretty somber at this, and he was about to proceed when he noticed that one man in the front row was smiling back at him. So he decided to say it again, more loudly this time.
“I said – every member of this church is going to die!” And he hit his fist on the pulpit this time for emphasis. Well, the rest of the congregation looked even more grim, but the man in the front row still just smiled at him.
The preacher was very frustrated at this, so he mustered up all his energy and with as much volume and drama as he could summon he said a third time: “I said – every member of this church is going to die!” But the man in the front row smiled even wider. At this point the preacher called him out. “You there, did you hear what I said?” And the man said, “Yes sir, you said that every member of this church is going to die.” So the preacher asked him, “Then why are you smiling?” And the man replied: “Because – I’m not a member of this church!”Death is not something we like to talk about, but we all have to deal with it. Aside from conception, death is the most universal of all human experiences. They say there are two inevitables – death and taxes. (Maybe I should have waited until April 15th to preach this message.) That means that today’s message has application for all of us, not simply the infirm or the elderly. None of us has a guarantee on tomorrow, and young people die as well as old.
“Every member of this church is going to die.” (Non-members, you can stop smiling!)How many of you have recently experienced the death of a relative or a close friend? (show of hands) You see, death is very common, yet we rarely talk about it. We are uncomfortable talking about it.
The subject has become almost taboo. It has been suggested that our culture holds to a reverse-Puritan ethic, where the Puritans were comfortable talking about death, but avoided talk about sex. We do the opposite. Talk about sex is commonplace, but it seems we’re afraid, deathly afraid to talk about death.Yet David in this Psalm speaks of not being afraid – Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” The valley of the shadow of death could represent any dark moment in life, but it certainly emphasizes the darkest moment of all – the passing from life unto death.I. The Fear of DeathI want to talk first of all this morning about the fear of death. The book of Job calls death “the king of terrors.” (Job 18:14) Why are people so afraid of death?
I can think of a number of reasons.A. We fear the unknownFirst of all, we fear the unknown. Death is an unknown. None of us have ever experienced it, and, with a few exceptions, none who have experienced death have ever come back. And for those who have come back, Scripture is silent about their experience.
We don’t really know what it is like to die. We naturally fear the unknown, and so there is a natural fear of death, even for the believer.B. We fear separationSecondly, we fear separation. There are several separations that take place at death. First of all, there is the separation of the body. We are born into this world both spirit and flesh. We have never known any other type of existence.
Death brings a separation to our very being. Our spirit leaves our body, and many people are terrified at the thought of this separation.Then, there is the separation from our loved ones. When death comes, we must leave our family and friends behind. Now for the believer, this separation is just for a short time. But for the unbeliever this can be a terrifying prospect. The poet Dylan Thomas captured this fear of dying and separation perfectly when he wrote: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”And then for the unbeliever, death also means separation from God.
This is the worst separation of all. We were created to be in relationship with God, but those who die without Christ are separated from God forever. And so the second reason we fear death is because we fear separation.C. We fear judgmentA third reason we fear death is because we fear judgment. Death is itself a judgment. Romans 6:23 says “the wages of sin is death.” But there is also a judgment that comes after death. Hebrews 9:27 says: “It is appointed for man to die once and then to face judgment.” And so death means that we cannot continue in sin without final consequences.
There is an accounting; there is a judgment; and so there is fear.D. We fear the finality of deathAnd finally, a fourth reason we fear death is because death is final, or as the Bible calls it in Job 16:22: “the journey of no return.” And this is perhaps the reason why people fear death the most.
There is no cheating death. Death comes for us all, and when it comes there is no turning back. There is no negotiating. There is no return. We fear the finality of death.II. The Presence of the ShepherdAnd yet even with all these reasons to fear death, David was not afraid. Because he had a shepherd to guide him through.
The presence of the shepherd was the key to David’s lack of fear in the face of death.A. A shepherd in all circumstancesYou see Jesus is a shepherd in all circumstances. He is a shepherd for all seasons. He is not only the shepherd of green pastures and quiet waters, but he is also the shepherd who walks us through the dark valleys and the difficult times of our lives.Jesus never promised you a trouble-free life.
Maybe someone else did, but not Jesus. We live in a world that is under the curse of sin. There are real consequences to sin in our world, and believers are not exempt.
Believers face times of illness or bereavement or financial difficulty just like everyone else. Praise God the shepherd does not abandon us when the going gets tough! Jesus is a shepherd in all circumstances, including the dark valley of death.B. The valley of the shadow of deathThat is why David can say, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) A valley is a low place, naturally dark and full of shadows.
The shepherd would often guide his sheep through the valley, and it is a very appropriate symbol for death.The shadow of death speaks of the darkest place, the most severe trial, when death is so near that its shadow is hovering. We are often told that the shadow here refers to the harmlessness of death for the believer, that it’s only a shadow, and a shadow can’t hurt. That is true of course, but the emphasis here is more on the closeness of death, so close that you are walking through its dark shadow.That word “through” is an encouraging word in this verse, because it shows that the valley of the shadow of death is only a passageway. It is temporary, not permanent. It is something we pass through, not some place where we make our home. As Charles Spurgeon puts it, “Death is not the house but the porch.” Where there is shadow, there is also light. And light is stronger than darkness.As David walks through the valley, he says he will fear no evil.
It is dark, the way is difficult, there is danger all around, and yet even in the passageway David fears no evil or harm. He says, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” David is unafraid because the Lord is with him.And the same goes for you. When you go through the dark valleys of life, and especially when you go through that darkest valley of all, the valley of the shadow of death, know that the shepherd goes with you.
He does not just give you a map! He goes with you. He goes before you. He leads the way.C. The rod and the staffAnd then finally David makes mention of the rod and the staff. The shepherd used the rod to fight off wild animals, and he used the staff to guide and control the sheep. And so here David speaks of the Lord guiding and protecting him from harm, even as he walks through the dark valley.
This is a great comfort to us as believers, even as we walk through the passageway of death.We have a tendency to want to hide death from our loved ones who are failing, to skirt around the issue and not make mention of it. I believe we should instead offer comfort to those who are dying, by helping them to focus on the good shepherd who guides and protects them all the way.III.
The Casting Out of All FearAre you afraid of death? You don’t have to be. We have a Shepherd in the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 2:14-15 says that he shared in our “humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!
I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Let’s go back over the fears we listed earlier and see how Jesus overcomes these fears for us.A. Jesus knows the wayAre you afraid of the unknown? Death is not unknown to Christ. He has passed through death and was raised to life again. 2 Timothy 2:11 says this: “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him we will also live with him.” You don’t need to be afraid of the unknown, because Jesus already knows the way. And he will take you through.B. To be absent from the body is to be present with the LordHow about fear of separation?
Are you afraid of the separation of your spirit from your body? 2 Corinthians 5:7 says: “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” The separation of your spirit from your body will usher you into the direct presence of your Lord as you await the resurrection.Are you afraid to be separated from family and friends? There will be a reunion! 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 says: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”Or perhaps you are afraid for the ones you leave behind. The same Shepherd who guides you through the valley remains here also to take care of your loved ones. Remember, he is the shepherd on pathway as well as of the valley.C.
Jesus took your punishmentAre you afraid of judgment? If you do not know Christ, then let me say that you should be afraid of judgment, for judgment is certain, and judgment is real. But if you are trusting Christ as your Savior, then Jesus paid the punishment for your sins on the cross. Hear God’s word from Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”D.
Death is not final for the believerAnd finally, are you afraid of the finality of death? Remember that for the believer death is not final, but merely a passageway to life eternal.
Hear the words of Jesus in John 11:25-26: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”For the believer, death is in fact a deliverance from death, from pain, hunger and sorrow, and entrance into the very presence of God and his blessings.
As 1 Corinthians 2:9 says: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will guide you safely through the passage. He knows the unknown, he bridges the separation, he takes the judgment upon himself, he transforms the finality of death into eternal life. No wonder Paul could cry out in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’. Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”So how do you prepare for death? Get to know the Shepherd.
Grow close to him who will lovingly lead you through the passage in his perfect timing; Rest in his promise of resurrection and the glories that wait on the other sideCan you say “The Lord is my Shepherd?” Then you can also say, “Yea 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.”CONCLUSION: The story is told of a young boy who was at summer camp and learned the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer in this way. He was taught to touch each of his five fingers as he spoke the first five words of the prayer – “The Lord is my shepherd.” And when he got to that fourth word “my,” the camp speaker told him to grasp his fourth finger tightly: “The Lord is my shepherd.”That winter the boy got lost in a snowstorm, and the searchers got to him too late.
The boy had frozen to death in the snow, and they found him huddled against a tree in his jacket grasping his ring finger with his other hand. The parents were told to contact the youth speaker from the camp who explained to them his message to the children. He expressed his deepest sympathy for the parents but comforted them with the assurance that their son was now in heaven and that his final thoughts before slipping into unconsciousness had been: “The Lord is my Shepherd.” He had not died alone. He had not died in helpless fear. He died trusting the Lord as his shepherd to guide him through the valley of the shadow of death.Is the Lord your Shepherd? He desires to be.
God so loved the world he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Turn from your sin. Turn to Christ. He is the Good Shepherd.
He will guide you through life, he will be with you in death, and he will welcome you into his eternal home.© Ray FowlerYou are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this message provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and that you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For any web postings, please link to the sermon directly at this website.Please include the following statement on any distributed copies:By Ray Fowler. © Ray Fowler.