Green Pastures (Psalm 23:2)

David now describes a list of four comfortable and pleasant experiences. Perhaps they all mean the same thing, but when we look at them, we can see that they are not all the same. For example, in the first one, the shepherd makes the sheep lie down, a statement that indicates a certain amount of compulsion by the shepherd and a certain amount of reluctance on the part of the sheep. In the next description, the sheep is moving, as it is in the fourth when it is led along the paths of righteousness.

The kind of situation described here, of lying down in green pastures, would have been quite unusual in Judea where David grew up and later reigned. Most of the countryside there is desert, and for much of the year there is not much water to be found. No doubt, David was aware of more lush areas throughout his kingdom where there would be large supplies of water for most of the year, if not all the time, as there would be beside the Sea of Galilee. So it looks as if David is saying that this experience of lying down in green pastures is quite rare, it is from another world, one that is not like the natural world. Instead it is a supernatural world that he has in view.

Why does a sheep need to lie down?

There are several reasons why sheep will not lie down, and they are mentioned by most writers on this verse. An obvious one is when sheep are apprehensive of danger. They see other animals around them, such as strange dogs. They get agitated and fearful, and run round in circles rather than lying down. The second reason for not lying down is when they are annoyed by flies and other parasites, and they are distracted by those pests. The third reason for not lying down occurs when they are in an argumentative mood and looking around to knock heads with other sheep. And the fourth reason for not lying down is when they are hungry, which given that they are in green pastures, means they have not made use of the supply that the shepherd has provided.

It is not too surprising then to see why humans are likened to sheep: humans get apprehensive when danger is around, they get annoyed by insects, they get agitated by disagreements, and they are restless when they have not had a healthy meal. We need a shepherd much more than literal sheep do.

What would those suggestions indicate about the spiritual life? We can go through them and make an application for each. The first one that we noted was the presence of wild animals. In the previous psalm to Psalm 23, the sufferings of Jesus are connected to wild animals. David mentions how the Sufferer copes with wild oxen, dogs, and a lion and a dog. When we look at the context, and then link them to the details in the Gospels, we will see that the wild oxen represent the accusing Jews, the dogs represent the Gentile soldiers, and the lion and the dog depict the devil. In other words, those wild animals represent the enemies of the Shepherd. And they also depict the enemies of the sheep. The wild oxen are religious enemies, the dogs are like indifferent but spiteful opponents, and the lion is like the devil who prowls around looking for someone to devour. Even as a sheep would be disturbed by the presence of such enemies, so should disciples be disturbed when our spiritual opponents draw near. What will those enemies do to us?

The second reason for why a sheep finds it difficult to lie down is the presence of annoying insects and parasites, especially on its face, round its mouth, and so affecting how it eats. Those insects would get picked up gradually as the sheep moved along and initially the sheep would not even notice them. But eventually, their presence prevented the sheep lying down and resting.

What could those parasites picture in the Christian life? One answer to that question is little things that we do not even notice to begin with until there is a lot of them. They could be classified as bad habits or little sins that we ignore. Without sounding silly, we could say that the sheep should have asked the shepherd to deal with those parasites as soon as they landed. Of course, a literal sheep could not do that, but a spiritual sheep should contact the Shepherd about them before those habits and little sins become so many that they are overwhelming and prevent us lying down and resting.

The third reason for not lying down was disagreements, if we can use that word, among the sheep. There were sheep round the manse in our previous congregation, and it was almost a daily occurrence for headbutting to take place between some of them. I did not know them well enough to say if it were the same ones each time, but of course their shepherd would have known if he had seen which ones were doing it. But when the head-butters were engaged in their actions, they also disturbed the sheep that were looking on. When we think about such behaviour among Christians, do we think that squabbles are a good preparation for lying down in green pastures? Not only unsuitable for the squabblers, but also unsuitable for those who have seen what happened.

The fourth reason for not lying down was hunger. I do not know what you think about it, but it looks to me as if the matter of a sheep eating is entirely voluntary. The shepherd here in the psalm has put plenty food within range of it, so if the sheep is hungry, it is its own fault. Of course, it could be sick, but if that is the case, the shepherd will deal with that. But as we know, a sheep can wander around and not really use the pastures provided. That happens in the Christian life as well. We are told by Jesus that we live by every word of God. Yet the frequency of eating it is entirely voluntary. God does not say how often you should read it and feed your soul. But this psalm tells us how we can know we have not read enough. We will not want to lie down and be at rest in our souls.

So I would say that those reasons are not just imagination, but real pictures of what can happen in the Lord’s flock. They do happen with literal sheep, but they also occur with spiritual sheep.

How will he make the sheep lie down?

It is impossible for a shepherd to make one of his sheep lie down without being present. It would not be enough for the sheep to be in the green pastures by itself or even alongside other sheep. The shepherd would have to draw near to the sheep, even to touch the sheep. We can see how that can happen physically to a literal sheep. But when we think of a spiritual sheep, it is an inner touch that the believer needs, and this will be brought about in his heart by the Holy Spirit.

Connected to this activity of making a sheep lie down is the necessity of tenderness. It would be easy for a shepherd to throw the sheep down, but that is hardly what is being described here. Overpowering the sheep would cause or increase fear. Rather it is gentleness that is needed. It is the same with believers and God. Obviously, the Lord could easily force one of his people to lie still, but would that be the method he would use? Jesus told his people that he would provide rest for them through gentle dealings with them (Matt. 11:28-30). And the Holy Spirit deals gently with his people as the Comforter.

Connected to the feature of touch and tenderness is the matter of time taken to bring about the desired outcome. The shepherd must have patience with a disturbed sheep. We know that Jesus shows patience with his people as he sanctifies them. Depending on the circumstances, recovery of calmness can take longer. A sheep would be distressed if it heard the roar of a lion nearby. Christians often hear the roar of the devil as he prowls around like a lion. When that happens, the tender touch of the Good Shepherd works away by the Holy Spirit until the tension has gone, but usually the process takes time.

We must remember that the process of making a believer lie down in green pastures is different from will occur when he will be sinless in heaven, with no inner or outer hindrances to the experience of enjoyment of the divine supply. Rather, in this life, the Shepherd deals with sinful sheep, even if they are being sanctified by the Spirit. Often, their wills must be overcome, their minds must be enlightened, and their affections must be stimulated, and all this requires the gracious and continuous working of the Holy Spirit within their souls.

A variety of pastures

It is not clear from the psalm when the sheep and the shepherd reached the green pastures. Perhaps, they have been on the move for a few hours and so the sheep are tired. Maybe, they have been in the green pastures for a couple of days. Obviously, the response of the shepherd would be different, depending on the circumstances. It is vital that we see that we enter the equivalent of the pastures in diverse ways depending on where we are in the Christian life.

What does the psalm indicate about the pastures? First, they are proximate, near to us, because it is assumed in the psalm that the sheep can reach them easily. Second, they are plentiful because they are described in a plural manner – pastures. Third, they are pristine because the word used indicates new grass that has just appeared, perhaps after a shower of rain. Fourth, and connected to the previous point, the grass is palatable, good for the sheep to taste.

So to work out what is signified by the green pastures, we need to think of something that is near us, abundant in amount, fresh and enjoyable. One suggestion would be the means of grace, but we do not have all of them all the time. For example, church services do not occur all the time. One means of grace does fit the four features just mentioned and it is the word of God. It is beside us, even inside us; all of it is available to us, as Paul stated when he said that the scriptures are profitable for several uses; although, it is old, it is ever new; and spiritually healthy believers will find it enjoyable.

In the Bible, we can find pastures that tell us about God and his grace – his character, his love, his mercy, his kindness and so on. And we can find the green pastures of the doctrine of salvation, especially what is contained within it about the doctrines of justification and adoption. A third green pasture are those passages that describe the glory to come, the amazing descriptions given to us of heaven and of the eternal state. We can try a fourth set of green pastures which contain the promises connected to the experience of salvation.

We need Jesus to enable us to enjoy those green pastures. This he does by dealing with the four barriers mentioned earlier that a sheep encounters that prevent it lying down and resting. An amazing aspect of this activity of Jesus is that he can do it for all his sheep simultaneously. How many sheep of Jesus are there in the world? Millions and millions. Each of them can hear his voice and respond to him as their great teacher who reveals to them the heavenly provision of grace stored up for them, and a store that does not become emptier when it is used.

The sheep at rest

What thoughts come to our minds when we think about this picture of a sheep at rest? Here are two suggestions. First, the picture of a sheep at rest indicates confidence in the shepherd. The sheep expects the shepherd to look after it. And it is the same with Jesus, the good shepherd. His sheep are confident of his help and protection.

Second, the picture points to contentment. The main reason for lying down is to chew the cud. The cud comes from their stomach, which means that they are chewing what they have already eaten. They picture a Christian who has read a portion of the Bible and then returns frequently to dwell on it with his mind and affections.

Are we confident in Jesus and content with Jesus? Or are we affected by fears, failures, fights, and lack of food. In real life, people will judge the shepherd by his sheep. This means that we are always saying something about Jesus. What people should see is our confidence and contentment.