As the Lord sat on the mountain side and delivered the lessons that would become known as the sermon on the mount I can only imagine a solemn, reflective demeanour settled upon His hearers. When He said, ‘love your enemies’, no doubt each of them pictured, in their mind’s eye, the ‘enemy’ they would find it hard, if not impossible, to love. When He said, ‘do good to them which hate you’, I feel sure each wondered how this was possible and marvelled what radical, sweeping teaching this was. The Jews were an occupied nation under Rome’s subjection. They had little love for their overlords who taxed and suppressed them.

Let me be as emphatic as I can be. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely central and foremost in my esteem. Paul tells the Corinthians ‘the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God’. I agree with that. He says to the Galatians, ‘God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’. I agree with that. I hold both of these assertions by the apostle to be true. May it never be said that I am not amongst the foremost advocates for preaching the cross.

The Lord’s people have long cherished Psalm 23 for its spiritual value and poetic beauty. It is a psalm of David, a man beloved of God. David’s spiritual journey led him to experience much of the breadth of human emotion and fallen man’s condition in dealing with his Maker. David walked on the mountain tops of spiritual joy yet he plunged, too, into the depths of human weakness and wickedness. Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance David recorded his experiences and Psalm 23 is an example for the ages.

Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee (Song Of Solomon 1:3). The names of people in scripture is important. Often we discover a Bible name reveals something of the character or circumstances of the person to whom it is given. There are delightful lessons to be discovered in the meaning of the names Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Ruth (with her first husband, Mahlon) and David, to mention just a few. We should not miss God’s wisdom and providence in the giving of birth-names which afterwards serve a scriptural purpose. 

True faith is not blind and firm trust and reliance of God’s elect on their Saviour is never misplaced. True faith brings personal happiness to believers because it teaches us that God has already justified, sanctified, redeemed and reserved His chosen people for glory. In itself our faith does not do anything to accomplish or enable our salvation. The purpose of faith is to inform the elect of their inheritance and teach us to glorify the Lord who has secured everything needful for our deliverance and ‘hath done all things well’.

We are greatly privileged if we can say the words of this beautiful psalm with David, and know them to be true. To know the Lord Jesus Christ as ‘my Shepherd’ is to know Him by faith as Saviour, Provider and Friend. The inspired writers of Scripture, directed by the Holy Ghost, tell us what this means, and clearly identify the Lord Jesus Christ as the Shepherd of whom David speaks.