A Shepherd's Insights

Psalm 23: The endless effort put forth by our Savior for His sheep.
The L-rd is my Shepherd: if we are willing to allow Him to have authority or control – and outright ownership of our lives. The beautiful relationships given to us repeatedly in Scripture between G-d and man are those of a father to his children and a shepherd to his sheep. To think that G-d is deeply concerned about me as a particular person immediately gives great purpose and enormous meaning to me short sojourn upon this planet.
David, in this Psalm, is speaking not as the shepherd, but as a sheep; one of the flock. After all, he knew from firsthand experience that the lot in life of any particular sheep depended on the type of person who owned it. So one needs to know something about His character and understand something of His ability, to call Him, ‘my Shepherd.’ All this is a bit humbling. It drains the ego from one and puts things in proper perspective. We belong to Him simply because He deliberately chose to create us as the object of His own affection. He demonstrated at Calvary the deep desire of His heart to have mankind come under His benevolent care. He Himself absorbed the penalty for their perverseness, stating clearly that ‘all we like sheep have gone astray, …in Isa. 53:6. Therefore the characteristics of the L-rd is that He chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own, and delights in caring for us.
Each shepherd has his own distinctive earmark which he cuts into one of the ears of his sheep. In this way, even at a distance, it is easy to determine to whom the sheep belongs. It is not the most pleasant procedure to catch an ewe in turn and lay her ear on a wooden block, then notch it deeply with the razor-sharp edge of the knife. There is pain for both of them. But from our mutual suffering an indelible lifelong mark of ownership was made that could never be erased. In the OT when a slave in any Hebrew household chose of his own free will, to become a lifetime member of that home, he was subjected to a certain ritual were his ear lobe was marked for life as belonging to that house.
I shall NOT want: which means not lacking – not deficient – in proper care, management, or husbandry. Many of G-d’s people may be called to experience lack of wealth or material benefits, yet amid such hardship one can still boast of not lacking the expert care and management of their Master, for they have learn to trust in Him, for it is the Master in people’s lives who make the difference in their destiny. People who have known hardship, disaster, and the struggle to stay afloat financially become permeated by a deep, quiet, settled peace and radiate a serene confidence and quiet joy that surmounts all the tragedies of their time. Contentment should be the hallmark of a person who has put their affairs in the hands of the Shepherd. Our Shepherd goes to no end of trouble and labor to supply us with the finest grazing, the richest pasturage, ample winter feed, and clean water. He will spare Himself no pains to provide shelter from storms, protection from ruthless enemies and the diseases and parasites to which sheep are so susceptible.
A diligent sheep-man rises early and goes out first thing every morning without fail to look over his flock. It is the initial, intimate contact of the day. With a practiced, searching, sympathetic eye he examines the sheep to see that they are fit and content and able to be on their feet. In an instant he can tell if they have been molested during the night – whether any are ill or if there are some which require special attention.
Repeatedly throughout the day he casts his eye over the flock to make sure that all is well. This is a sublime picture of the care given to the flock of the Good shepherd. For He neither slumber nor sleeps.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.
1. Owing to their timidity they refuse toile down unless they are free of all fear.
2. Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.
3. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down.
4. They will not lie down if they have a need of finding food. They must be free of hunger.
Rest comes when there is a sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations, and hunger. It is the sheep-man who must provide release from these anxieties and disturbing influences. Nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see the Shepherd in their mist that dispels the terror of the unknown. His presence in the picture throws a different light on the whole scene, suddenly things are not half so black or nearly so terrifying. The outlook changes and there is hope, rest returns and one can relax in His arms.
When our eyes are on our Master they are not on those disturbances around us.
In the case of freedom from fear of predators or friction within the flock, the freedom of fear from the torments of parasites and insects is essential to the contentment of sheep. Sheep, especially in the summer, can be driven to absolute distraction by nasal flies, bot flies, warble flies, and ticks. When tormented by these pests, they are up on their feet, stamping their legs, shaking their heads, ready to rush off into the bush for relief. The shepherd must apply various types of insect repellents to his sheep. He will see that they are dipped to clear their fleeces of ticks. And he will see that there are shelter belts of trees and bush available where they can find refuge and release from their tormentors.
In a Believers life there are bound to be many small irritations. There are the annoyances of petty frustrations and ever-recurring disagreeable experiences. We refer to these upsetting circumstances as ‘being bugged.’ We can say to our Shepherd “Master, this is beyond me I can’t cope with it – it’s bugging me – please take over and send relief!” He will applies the healing, soothing, effective antidote of His own Spirit and presence to our particular problems.
Freedom from hunger – green pastures do not happen by chance. They are the product of tremendous labor, time, and skill in land use. Green pastures were the result of clearing rough, rocky land; of tearing out brush and roots and stumps; of deep plowing and careful soil preparation; of seeding and planting special grains and legumes; of irrigating with water and husbanding with care the crops of forage that would feed the flocks. When lambs are maturing the ewes need green, succulent feed for a heavy milk flow, there is no substitute for good pasturage. This portrays how the Shepherd works to clear the life of rocks of stony unbelief. How He tries to tear out the roots of bitterness. He attempts to break up the hard, proud human heart and He then sows the seed of His own precious Word so that it will grow and produce rich crops of contentment and peace. He waters this with the dews and rain of His own presence by the Holy Spirit. He tends and cares and cultivates the life, longing to see it become rich and green and productive.
He leadeth me beside the still waters: there again the clue to where the water can be obtained lies with the shepherd. Just as the physical body has a capacity and need for water, so Scripture points out to us clearly that the human personality, the human soul has a capacity and need for the water of the Spirit. The Good Shepherd knows where to still, quiet, deep, clean, pure water is to be found that can satisfy His sheep and keep them fit.. Generally speaking, water for the sheep came from three main sources…dew on the grass…deep wells…or springs and streams. The diligent manager, makes sure that his sheep can be out and grazing on the dew-drenched vegetation. It means he himself has to rise early to be out with his flock. In a Believer’s life one copes with life’s complexities when they rise each day to feed on G-d’s Word to help them make it through the rest of the day. Now, strange as it may appear on the surface, the deep wells of G-d from which we may drink are not always necessarily the delightful experiences we may imagine them to be. Many of the places we may be led into will appear to us as dark, deep, dangerous, and somewhat disagreeable. But He is there with us in it, and is very much at work in the situation. It is His energy, effort, and strength expanded on our behalf that produces a benefit for us. He can make sense and purpose and meaning come out of situations which otherwise could be but a mockery to us. Over-coming life is imparted to us by His Spirit and we will be refreshed and satisfied.
He restoreth my soul: When cast down and dejected, tasting defeat in one’s life and feeling the frustration of having fallen under temptation, hopeless; one can reach out to be restored! A cast sheep is a very pathetic sight. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in frightened frustration. If it does not get help in a short time it will die. It is not only the shepherd who keeps a sharp eye for cast sheep, but also the predators who find it as easy prey and vulnerable to attack.
Our Shepherd is keeping a count of His flock and repeatedly saving and restoring His cast sheep, this magnificent the story of the ninety and nine sheep with one astray.
In a Believer’s life there is great danger in always looking for the easy place, the cozy corner, the comfortable position where there is no hardship, no need for endurance, no demand upon self-discipline. Sometimes our Shepherd may move us to a pasture where things aren’t quite so comfortable – not only for our own good but also His benefit as well. Too much wool can cast down a sheep; wool in Scripture depicts the old self-life in the Believer. It is the outward expression of an inner attitude, the assertion of one’s own desire and hopes and aspirations. This can weigh, drag, and hold one down.
Remember no high priest was ever allowed to wear wool when he entered the Holy of Holies. This spoke of self, of pride, of personal preference – and G-d would not tolerate it. The Master must take us in hand and apply the keen cutting edge of His word to our lives. It may unpleasant business for a time, we struggle and kick about it and we get a few cuts and wounds, but great relief when it is all over.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake; Sheep are notorious creatures of habit, they follow the same patterns. If sheep was to flourish and the owner’s reputation was to be held in high esteem as a good manager, the sheep has to be constantly under his meticulous control and guidance. To save-guard against these adverse animal traits, many precautions are taken. In a word – there must be a predetermined plan of action, a deliberate, planned rotation from grazing ground to another in line with right and proper principles of sound management, keeping them moving onto wholesome, new, fresh forage.
A believer’s patterns and life habits are so much like that of sheep it is well nigh embarrassing. Scripture points out that most of us are stiff-neck and stubborn lot, inexorably interlocked with personal pride and self-assertion. We like to purse our old paths and graze on its old polluted grounds. One must go on either with G-d or at which point one chooses to go back to their old ways. Are you willing to pay the cost? Instead of being one of the crowd, are you willing to be singled out, set apart from the gang? Instead of your right, are you willing to forego them in favor of others? Instead of being boss, are you willing to be at the bottom of the heap? Instead of finding fault with life are you willing to accept circumstances in an attitude of gratitude?
Yea, though I walk through the valley: the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘Thou’ enter the conversation, it becomes a intimate discourse of deep affection, sheep that have gone the long drives and stayed in solitary care of the shepherd.
In the Believer’s life we often speak of wanting ‘to move onto higher ground, mountaintop experiences and we envy those who have ascended the heights and entered into this more sublime sort of life. We often imagine we can be ‘air lifted’ onto higher ground, but on the rough trail of the Believer’s life this is not so, for one has to gain higher ground by climbing up through the valleys. And it is in the valleys were all lessons are taught. One has to notice that the verse states, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” it does not say I die there, or stop there – but walk through. But even here, for the Believer, death is not the end but merely the door into a higher and more exalted life of intimate contact with the Father. Not something to fear or dread, but an experience through which one passes on the path to a more perfect life. In the valleys of our lives we fine refreshment from G-d Himself. It is not until we have walked with Him through some very deep troubles that we discover He can lead us to find our refreshment in Him right there in the midst of our difficulties.
The person with a powerful confidence in Y’Shua; the one who has proved by past experience that G-d is with him in adversity; the one who walks through life’s dark valleys without fear, is the one who in turn is a tower of strength and a source of inspiration to his companions.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me: this was common equipment of the primitive sheep-man as the main weapon of defense for both himself and his sheep. The rod was an extension of the owner’s right arm, a symbol of his strength, his power, his authority, and his discipline. Moses’ rod speaks of the spoken Word, the expressed intent, the extended activity of G-d’s mind and will in dealing with mankind. It implies the authority of divinity, and it carries the convicting power and irrefutable impact of Thus saith the L-rd. It is G-d’s Word that can meet and master the difficulties if we will rely on it.
The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern, the compassion that a shepherd has for his charges, it is of comfort also for himself, for he can lean on it for support and strength. It is also used to draw sheep together into an intimate relationship, or to catch a stray sheep, and used to guide sheep.
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter that draws folks together or draws us to Y’Shua. He is the one that says: “this is the way-walk in it.”
Thou preparest a table before me: sheep grazing is called ‘the table’. The sheep-man prepares the tableland before the sheep arrive. He takes along a supply of salt and minerals to be distributed over the land at strategic spots for the benefit of the sheep. He must find the best bed grounds, and determine how vigorous the grass and upland vegetation is. He will check to see if there are poisonous weeds and take drastic steps to eradicate them. Plus remove any predators, and cleans out the watering holes, or drinking places. Preparing the table was no easy task.
Believer’s like sheep, thing they need to try everything that comes their way. We have to taste this thing or that, sampling everything just to se what it’s like, whether it is good for us or not. Our Savior knows every wile, every trick, every treachery plan of satan and his companions, therefore our Shepherd wants to forestall such a calamity. He has already gone before us into every situation and every extremity that we might encounter.
Thou anointest my head with oil: Insects that torment the sheep and drive them almost to distraction. The shepherd must apply an antidote to their heads, a homemade remedy composed of linseed oil, sulfur, and tar, which is smeared over the sheep’s nose and head as a protection against nose flies. Just as with sheep, there are continuous and renewed application of oil to forestall the ‘flies’ in our lives with a continuous anointing from the Spirit.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me: The sheep with such a shepherd knows of a surety that his is a privileged position. Goodness and mercy will be the treatment he receives from his master’s expert, loving hands!
I will dwell in the house of the L-rd for ever!