The Story of Psalm 23

We do not know when David wrote Psalm 23. Perhaps it was when his son Absalom tried to become king. David ran away. He went down to the River Jordan. He crossed it by the ford that we call Jabbok. He went on into a land that we call Gilead. There he met Barzillai. Barzillai was a shepherd. He kept sheep. Sheep are animals about 1 metre high. They give wool for making clothes, milk and meat for food. Barzillai gave David food and shelter. Shelter means a place to hide from the weather. All this made David think. God was like a shepherd. God was like a guide. God was a good friend. David put these ideas into Psalm 23. Many people know this psalm better than they know than any other psalm. It has given help to millions of people. This is because Jesus said that he was the shepherd in the psalm. If we believe in Jesus, we become one of his sheep. We can say, “The LORD is MY shepherd.”