Knowing the Unchanging God: Psalm 23's Promise

The talking box shows the danger of owning the right thing with no power inside it. The old man bought the radio, called the village, pulled the shiny antenna, tuned and tuned, but the talking box was not talking because there were no batteries. Jesus is not a concept, and knowing about him is not the same as knowing him. The question stands plain: does a person have Jesus with no battery, no life of the Spirit at work?

Isaiah 40 shows the unchanging God as so big that the universe is measured by the span of his hand. The waters of the earth sit in the hollow of his hand. The mountains can be weighed in his scales. Yet Isaiah also shows that this same great God uses his greatness to care for lambs. His bigness does not make him far away. His power bends down to carry weak sheep.

Psalm 23 then gives David’s own witness. David does not say the Lord is a shepherd in a general way. David says, “The Lord is my shepherd.” That small possessive word carries the whole promise. A sheep has no bank account, no strength, no wisdom, yet the sheep can say, “I shall not want,” because the shepherd is great.

The shepherd makes the sheep lie down in green pastures because only the shepherd can fill the stomach and give real rest. The shepherd leads beside still waters because sheep fear running rivers, and the shepherd knows how to make the water quiet. In the same way, Jesus can still the rough waters of trouble, sickness, pain, and fear.

The shepherd restores the soul for his name’s sake. David’s life proves that restoration is not for people who never sinned. David lied, sinned with Bathsheba, arranged Uriah’s death, and counted the soldiers in stubbornness, yet God restored him. Sin still has consequences, but the unchanging God is able to bring a fallen sheep back.

The valley of the shadow of death is not a camp. Psalm 23 says the sheep walks through it, not in it forever. A shadow cannot bite like a dog, because wherever there is a shadow there is light. The presence of God, not the absence of trouble, comforts David.

The rod and staff show both discipline and rescue. The shepherd may strike the wandering sheep, and he may lift the fallen sheep from the ditch. The table in the presence of enemies, the oil on the wounded head, and the overflowing cup all show that God provides, heals, welcomes, and refuses to abandon his sheep. Goodness and mercy do not merely follow. They hunt down the one who belongs to the Shepherd, from earth all the way to the house of the Lord forever.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Bought Jesus without the battery? A person can hold the right words, attend the right places, and still lack the living power that makes faith speak. The old radio had the right shape and antenna, but without batteries it remained silent before the whole village. Knowledge about Jesus can become a lifeless possession unless the Spirit is truly at work in the heart. [62:55]
• 2. God’s bigness cares for lambs Isaiah’s God measures oceans in his hand and heavens by his span, yet that greatness does not crush the weak. The same power that holds the universe also bends down to tend lambs. True knowledge of God joins majesty and nearness, so fear of life becomes smaller before the Shepherd’s care. [67:00]
• 3. The valley is walked through Psalm 23 does not pretend that the valley is imaginary. The text says the sheep walks through it, which means trouble is real but not final. The shadow of death cannot destroy the sheep when the light of Christ stands behind it and the Shepherd is present inside it. [77:03]
• 4. Discipline is love with consequence The shepherd’s rod is not hatred, and forgiveness is not freedom from consequences. David was restored, but David also suffered because sin leaves ripples behind it. God’s discipline brings wandering sheep back into the pack before their freedom destroys them. [79:42]
• 5. Mercy hunts God’s sheep down Psalm 23 ends with goodness and mercy following, but the word carries the force of hunting down. God’s mercy is not weak, passive, or easily escaped. The Shepherd pursues the sheep all the way from grass on earth to the house of the Lord forever.
  
  ## [87:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [60:08] - Introduction and Family Gratitude
• [60:48] - The Talking Box Without Batteries
• [62:39] - Knowing God, Not Just About Him
• [63:16] - Isaiah 40 and God’s Greatness
• [67:00] - The Great God Cares for Lambs
• [68:19] - Psalm 23 and David’s Shepherd
• [70:03] - The Lord Is My Shepherd
• [70:44] - Green Pastures and Still Waters
• [73:19] - Restoration for His Name’s Sake
• [76:27] - Walking Through the Valley
• [78:54] - Rod, Staff, Discipline, and Rescue
• [82:31] - A Table Before Enemies
• [84:47] - Oil for the Wounded Head
• [87:14] - Goodness and Mercy Hunt Down
• [89:21] - Mission, Gospel Work, and Readiness

Bible Reading

Psalm 23
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even 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. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” [01:08:19]

Isaiah 40:11-12
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?” [01:04:47] [01:06:55]

Observation questions

1. In Isaiah 40:11-12, what two pictures are placed side by side to describe God—his greatness over creation and his care for his flock? [01:07:00]
2. In Psalm 23, what actions of the Shepherd are listed in the first three verses, and what do those actions show about the sheep’s needs?
3. In Psalm 23:4, what words show that the valley is a place of passage and not a permanent home? [01:17:03]
4. What pictures in Psalm 23:5-6 show the Shepherd’s care in the presence of danger, wounds, enemies, and the future? [01:24:47]

Interpretation questions

1. David says, “The LORD is my shepherd,” not just “the LORD is a shepherd.” Why does that little word “my” matter so much for the rest of Psalm 23? [01:10:03]
2. If the God who measures the waters in the hollow of his hand also gathers lambs in his arms, what does that say about the kind of power God has? [01:07:00]
3. The valley of the shadow of death is still dark and still real, yet David says he will not fear because God is with him. How does God’s presence change the meaning of suffering, even when the suffering does not immediately go away? [01:21:44]
4. Psalm 23 says the rod and staff comfort the sheep. How can discipline and rescue both be forms of comfort for someone who belongs to the Shepherd? [01:18:54]

Application questions

1. It is possible to have the right words, the right beliefs, and even a religious routine, yet still live like a talking box with no battery. Where does life with God feel real and alive right now, and where does it feel empty or only outward? [01:02:55]
2. Sheep have little strength of their own, yet they can rest because the shepherd provides. What is one place in life where the heart keeps roaming instead of lying down, and what might it look like to trust the Shepherd there? [01:10:44]
3. The Shepherd leads beside still waters and can calm what is rough and frightening. What waters feel loud or unsettling right now—fear, sickness, family strain, guilt, uncertainty—and how has that affected trust in Christ? [01:12:10]
4. David needed restoration after real sin, and restoration did not erase consequences. Is there any place where confession, repentance, or returning to God has been delayed because of shame or stubbornness? [01:13:19]
5. The valley is something God’s people walk through, not something they camp in. What valley feels long right now, and what would it look like to keep walking with God instead of giving in to fear or hopelessness? [01:17:03]
6. The Shepherd’s rod and staff both correct and rescue. Looking back, has there been a hard moment that now seems like loving discipline or rescue from God? What made that clearer over time? [01:19:42]
7. Goodness and mercy do not merely trail behind; they hunt down the one who belongs to the Shepherd. Where is it hardest to believe that God’s mercy is still pursuing, and what would change if that were deeply believed? [01:27:28]