Few passages of Scriptures have sustained followers of Christ across the centuries, in moments of both rejoicing and lament, like Psalm 23. It has therefore been really helpful to spend some time recently with David Gibson’s excellent book The Lord of Psalm 23 (Crossway, 2023) as part of our staff devotions. Rather than provide a full review, I thought I’d jot down some brief thoughts on how useful this book has been to me in the last couple of weeks.

It’s an impressive work that sheds new light on a very familiar passage, bringing it to life in unexpected ways; Gibson shows real exegetical skill in uncovering layers of meaning that some readers may never have considered before. For example, his awareness of the Exodus imagery lying just beneath the surface of the text was both new to me and incredibly helpful in deepening my understanding of the psalm [1]. Gibson demonstrates how David’s experiences as a shepherd-king echo Israel’s wilderness wanderings, with God as the ultimate shepherd leading his people through danger toward the promised land.

Here’s a particularly helpful point that Gibson makes about the need for true ‘soul restoration’ (Psalm 23:3) in our increasingly busy and fragmented world:

“The idea of time for soul restoration is so important and is the main way to express the fact that what David is celebrating in verses 1–3 is that he is not the one carrying out the main activity in his life. The shepherd is the primary agent in his life: making him rest, leading him, restoring him, leading him again… The fact is that we know what it is like to experience fragmentation within ourselves or within the various components of our lives such that one bit of us that has gone “too far too fast” ahead of other parts of who we are, and we are in need of being made whole again. When we move too quickly through life, we tend to make poorer choices, we often prioritise the wrong things, and we can begin to equate our very selves with the status we have achieved or the accumulation of possession we have amassed. In none of those modes of unreflective living is there space to say, “The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.” [2]

In this book, Gibson delivers his characteristic strengths: faithful exposition of Scripture, rigorous scholarship, and pastorally sensitive application. He makes complex Biblical concepts accessible without dumbing them down. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a study companion in preparation for talks or small group resources on Psalm 23. But above all, use it as an opportunity to deepen your reflection and stir your worship of the Good Shepherd who lovingly calls and faithfully leads His own.

References

[1] Gibson, D. The Lord of Psalm 23. Crossway, 2023. pp.31-35.
[2] Ibid, pp.44-45.