🐑 Psalm 23 – Part 1: Jesus, Our Good Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd…”

These are the opening words of one of the most beloved and quoted Psalms in the Bible—Psalm 23. I still remember learning it as a little boy. My mother was my first Sunday School teacher, and this Psalm was the first Scripture I truly connected with. Even though I went to a Christian school where we memorized plenty of verses, Psalm 23 stood out. It spoke to something deep in me.

But here’s the revelation:
Psalm 23 isn’t just poetic. David was writing prophetically—and he was writing about Jesus.

Yes, David knew Jesus—not by name, but in relationship. Let me show you how Psalm 23 reveals not just a comforting image of God, but a clear prophetic picture of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our God, and our Good Shepherd.

📜 The Famous Psalm

If you haven’t read it lately, let’s refresh our memory:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:1–4

Now, some translations say “Yahweh is my shepherd.”

🧐 Hold on… Yahweh?

That’s the covenant name of God—the same name He gave to Moses at the burning bush: YHWH. That’s not just any name. That’s The Name.

So let me ask you this…

👉 If Yahweh is the Shepherd…
👉 And Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd…
Does that mean Jesus is Yahweh?

👀 Stay tuned—I'll dive deep into that in another post. But for now, just let that simmer.

🐏 Why Shepherds?

David—who wrote this Psalm—was literally a shepherd before becoming king. He knew firsthand what it meant to care for sheep. But he’s not the only one in Scripture with that title.

Let’s look at the lineup:

Moses was a shepherd out in Midian 🐐
King Cyrus, a Persian king, was called a shepherd by God (Isaiah 44:28) 👑
But most importantly… Jesus.

“I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” — John 10:11

Boom 💥
Right there—Jesus is connecting Himself to Psalm 23.

He’s telling the Jews, “Hey, you remember that Shepherd David was talking about? That’s Me.”

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!” — John 5:39

Every time you quote Psalm 23, you’re actually declaring Jesus. 🙌

👑 David the Prophet

Now this part blew my mind when I first saw it.

We all know David as the giant-slaying, harp-playing king, right?
But did you know Scripture also calls him a prophet?

“Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that He would set one of his descendants on his throne…” — Acts 2:30

So that means the Psalms aren’t just songs—they’re prophetic visions.

Check this out:

“The LORD said to my Lord:
‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” — Psalm 110:1

👀 Wait a minute—“The LORD said to my Lord”?

That’s not a typo.
That’s God the Father speaking to someone David calls my Lord—and that’s Jesus.

Jesus even quotes this to stump the Pharisees (Matthew 22:44). And they were left speechless. 😶

And then there’s this:

“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.” — Psalm 110:4

Now that’s wild. Melchizedek wasn’t a Levite. He was a priest-king, a mysterious figure pointing to Christ. And here David is saying: “My Lord” is THAT kind of priest.

✝️ The New Testament Confirms It

Now let’s fast forward to the book of Hebrews:

“But of the Son He says,
‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…’” — Hebrews 1:8

“Sit at My right hand
until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” — Hebrews 1:13

“You are a priest forever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.” — Hebrews 7:17, 21

Do you see it now?

👑 God the Father is calling Jesus God.
He gives Him a throne.
He swears He’s a forever-priest.
And it all traces back to what David wrote centuries earlier.

💬 Personal Moment

Let me get real with you for a second.

There was a night—not too long ago—when I felt like God had gone quiet on me. Life felt heavy. I was questioning my calling, my identity, even whether God still saw me.

That night, I was sitting in my living room. The house was quiet, everyone else had gone to bed. I grabbed my Bible, curled up on the couch, and opened to John 10—honestly just hoping for something, anything, to give me peace.

I read these words:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them.”

And in that quiet moment, it felt like Jesus was whispering to my heart:
“Simba, I know you. I haven’t forgotten you. I’m still your Shepherd.”

And I wept.

Not from sadness—but because I felt seen, known, and deeply loved.

🧡 Your Shepherd and Your Friend

Now here's something cool from the Hebrew:
The word for "shepherd"—roh'eh—shares a root with the word for companion or friend.

That means Psalm 23 could just as easily say:

“The Lord is my closest friend.”

Think about that!
The God of creation—the One who called the stars by name—is also the One who walks beside you, speaks to you, and loves you like no one else ever could.

He’s not just your Savior—
He’s your Shepherd. Your Protector. Your Friend.

💭 Final Thoughts

Whew! That was a lot. But if you're still here, thank you 🙏
Let it soak in for a second.

Psalm 23 is more than comforting words.
It’s a prophetic declaration of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for you.

“Adonai Roh-i” — The Lord is my Shepherd.
And He’s never leaving your side.

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The Kingdom Chronicles: Exploring God's Word with Simba Nicely