The Good Shepherd

¹The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he restores my soul.  He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
⁴ 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. Psalm 23: 1 - 4

What is it that God so loves about sheep and shepherds?  The Bible is full of references to them. The most famous psalm read at weddings and funerals is Psalm 23. Jesus himself said he was the good shepherd – twice - just to make sure we got it!  (John 10: 11 and 14). In addition the two most famous leaders of the Jewish people in the Old Testament, Moses and David, spent their formative years as shepherds.

In Old Testament times, the concept of a shepherd / king was well understood by the people many of whom would have been shepherds and probably all of whom kept some flocks.  These kings were not tyrants lording it over the people, exacting taxes and demanding allegiance; they looked after their people and protected them. The Lord was acknowledged as the shepherd / king of Israel and it was when the people forgot this that they got into all sorts of difficulties.

Psalm 23 is a great insight into the role of a shepherd, learned firsthand by David. He understood that the way God looks after us is very similar to the way he had looked after the sheep. Just as a shepherd wants his sheep to prosper and flourish so the Lord wants his people to do the same. They will flourish through the Lord’s good provision for them through metaphorically green pastures and quiet waters. This speaks of good quality provision of all we need to both sustain and refresh us.

The shepherd makes his sheep lie down in safety and God too wants his people to feel secure and safe and he leads and guides them in his righteous ways. When they are down hearted he restores them. This is not just for his people’ sake but also for the sake of his name for when God’s people prosper and live in his safety and protection, his name in honoured.

However, even when the times are tough and it feels like we are walking in the valley of the shadow of death, we know God is with us and we have nothing to fear because he is by our side. We know he will keep us on the path of righteousness with his guiding ‘rod’ which can rescue us if necessary and protect us from danger. His supportive staff will comfort us in the hard times.

As we think about how a shepherd looks after his sheep, how much more the Lord, the Good Shepherd looks after, provides, protects and watches over us, his people because of his amazing love for us. As we trust him he will guide us and keep us on his path and bring restoration and comfort if we need it. The Lord is indeed a Good Shepherd to us.