23rd Psalms Christians: Going Places with God
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me.
In the last lesson David begins to look at the paths his
shepherd will lead him on. Now in verse
4 the shepherd and the sheep are walking those very paths. It is time in the cycle of the sheep's year
to begin the trek from the home fold to the mountain pastures. In between lie the valleys as deep and shadowed
as the mountains are high and bright.
The only way to reach the mountain heights will be with the shepherd
through the valley of the shadow of death.
Through the valley
This verse begins the dangerous journey to the high mountain
pastures. This trip is necessary because the summer heat has burned up the
grass in the lower home fields.
Notice that David has switched from the third person to the
second person in his speech. In the
first 3 verses he spoke of I and he, but now is saying I and you. It is as if the sheep now begins to directly
talk to the shepherd. How does the
change in person affect the verse? How
does it alter the relationship between shepherd and sheep at this point?
David stops talking about the shepherd and begins to talk
with His shepherd, as he goes through the it brings him closer to the sheep.
Phillip Keller writes, "During this time the flock is
entirely alone with the shepherd. They
are in intimate contact with him and under his most personal attention day and
night. That is why these last verses are couched in such intimate first person
language."
Stephen Haboush talks similarly, "Palestine has more
mountains and hills for its size than any other country known to me. The correlate of these multitudinous mountain
heights is the presence of valleys equally numerous and as deep as the heights
are towering. I used to dread taking the
sheep thorough one particular valley in Galilee. This is called in the language of the Holy
Land "Wadi el-naar," which means "the valley of fire." Next to the Dead Sea, it is the hottest place
in Palestine, being over five hundred feet below sea-level. It is found at the lower end of the Sea of
Galilee. An ancient road runs through
this valley. In fact, it was the most
popular road in the days of Jesus.
Situated on the eastern side of the River Jordan, it was the link of the
Damascus-Jericho-Jerusalem highway.
Wadi el-naar was the rendezvous of thieves and robbers,
also of the wild beast that harassed the shepherd and his flock. I would dread leading the sheep through this
valley, but it was necessary whenever new pasture ground must be sought on the
other side. My sheep would sense the
danger and gather closely to my side. My
continual calling and the sense of my presence gave them confidence and allayed
their fear."
David writes from the sheep's perspective and says, "I
will fear no evil for thou art with me."
The valley is never enjoyable, but it is almost always necessary if I am
to be drawn closer to my shepherd. In
the valley I realize my own weakness and Jesus' great strength.
Higher Ground
As Christians we often long for a mountain top experience in
our walk with God. What we do not like
to consider is that the path to the peaks always leads through the valleys.
Think about the following Bible examples, think about the
valleys in their lives which proceeded the peaks.
|
Person
|
Valley
|
Peak
|
|
Christ
|
Crucifixion
|
Resurrection
|
|
Peter
|
Denial of Christ,
|
Sermon on Pentecost
|
|
Paul & Silas
|
Beaten thrown in prison.
|
Phillipian Jailer Saved
|
|
David
|
Chased as a outlaw by Saul
|
Crowned as King of Israel
|
|
Samson
|
Blinded, bound and mocked by Philistines
|
Destruction of Temple of Dagon
|
To our shepherd, Jesus Christ every valley can serve as a
conduit to a higher ground if I follow Him.
We may not be able with our limited sight to ever understand or see
this, but the shepherd knows the way. It
is not necessary that He tell me every reason, it is enough that in the shadows
He walks with me.
When I find myself in the valley what should be my primary
concern?" In the valley my focus
should be upon the shepherd and his leading me through, not upon the shadows
but upon the brightness of Jesus.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
David gives two ways that the shepherd uses to comfort the
sheep; thy rod and thy staff. These two
tools represent the basic arsenal of the shepherd.
Haboush writes, "My shepherd equipment was never
complete without the rod and staff. They
were the most essential tools. Without
them the shepherd is helpless. The
safety of himself and of his sheep depends upon the use of these two
instruments. Let me describe them. The rod, about twenty-eight inches long, made
of oak, was carried in my pouch attached to my cloak, and used as a club. It must be chosen carefully, a straight young
tree often being torn up for this purpose, and the bulb at the beginning of the
root being trimmed to make the head of the club. The handle is shaved to the needed thickness,
with a hole in the end by which it is tied to the belt or hung from the wrist
like a riding whip. Into the head are
hammered nails and pieces of steel."
The rod could be used as a club or it could be thrown with
great accuracy at a predator or if need be at a disobedient sheep. The rod gave the shepherd power and control
over his flock, it was his symbol of
authority.
The staff was usually a much longer more slender pole and
its purpose was complementary to the rod both were necessary to the work of the
shepherd.
Haboush writes of the staff, "The staff is made of the
same wood, but it is five or six feet long, very plain. I used the staff to help me clamber over
rocks and to lean on while watching the sheep.
But the most important use of the rod and the staff would come when I
led my sheep through dangerous territory.
Let me again remind you that the sheep in Palestine must be led and not
driven. For if we drove the sheep from
behind it would have been a tragedy and a crime. Why? you ask.
Simply for the reason that here and there serpents would be found; and
when the shepherd drove his sheep the reptiles would rise and strike their
venomous fangs into them. Accordingly,
the shepherd had to go ahead of his sheep."
Keller also write, "The staff is also used for guiding
sheep. Again and again I have seen a
shepherd use his staff to guide his sheep gently into a new path or through
some gate or along dangerous, difficult routes.
He does not use it actually to beat the best. Rather, the tip of the long slender stick is
laid gently against the animal's side and the pressure applied guides the sheep
in the way the owner wants it to go.
Thus the sheep is reassured of its proper path."
Comfort in Tools of the Shepherd
Many applications could be made from the twin tools of the
shepherd, let me make these.
The Rod
The rod was a weapon it represents authority, protection and
sometimes punishment. The rod shows that the shepherd is in control and the
shepherd will decide what must be protected and what must be punished. It speaks of the justice and judgment of
Jesus Christ, our shepherd.
Psalms 45:6 says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and
ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of justice." Here God as ruler is holding a different kind
of rod, a scepter but it also is a symbol of his authority and his judgment.
Isaiah 9:7 tells us that these two qualities are
characteristics of the coming shepherd of Israel. "Of the increase of his government and
peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to
order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this."
The rod represents the Lord's justice and judgment. That
justice and judgment should bring comfort to us as His sheep. We know our shepherd
is righteous. We know He will protect
the us as his flock. He will also deal with those within the flock who are
rebellious. Like a child who longs for the surety of a disciplined hand, the sheep find comfort in
the surety of the shepherd's unfaltering justice.
Another use of the rod by the shepherd also speaks of
judgment. Both or our shepherd authors
write of "passing under the rod."
Keller describes it this way, "In caring for his sheep,
the good shepherd, the careful manager, will from time to time make a careful
examination of each individual sheep.
The picture is a very poignant one.
As each animal comes out of the corral and through the gate, it is
stopped by the shepherd's outstretched rod. He opens the fleece with the rod; he runs his skillful
hands over the body; he feels for any sign of trouble; he examines the sheep
with care to see that all is well. This is a most searching process entailing
every intimate detail. It is, too, a
comfort to the sheep for only in this way can its hidden problems be
laid bare before the shepherd.
This is what was meant in Psalm 139:23,24 when the psalmist
wrote, ''Search me, O God, and know my
heart: try me, and know my
thoughts : and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the
way everlastlng."
In submitting myself fully to the authority of Jesus Christ
I ask Him to also examine my life and to cleanse me from sin, only then can I
meet my shepherd’s measure of righteousness.
The Staff
Yet justice without compassion is an unbearable burden, so Psalms
23 also looks to the staff. The staff
was a tool of guidance, of support and love. With it the shepherd would draw
the sheep to himself rather than drive it into compliance. The staff speaks to
me of the Lord's love and mercy. The rod comforts by establishing the
boundaries of my life while the staff comforts by bringing me back to the
center of my life, which is my shepherd Jesus Christ.
We see the same thought expressed by Paul for fathers in
bringing up their children
Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to
wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
The word nurture means training usually in a negative
fashion such as a spanking or chastening, the word admonition means to exhort,
to encourage. This presents the balance a father must use or risk provoking his
children to wrath. The same is true of
the sheep's treatment by the shepherd.
Conclusion
In my present relationship with the shepherd right now, is
He having to use the rod or the staff? Am I being obedient in following and
submitting myself to Jesus Christ or am I having to be chastized back into the
flock.
All of us all the sheep of His pasture, He has a claim on
all of us. We may think that we are running
wild in the mountains but we are still under His watchful eyes. It is my choice how I will be found,
listening for the Master's voice or running away and vainly trying to hide.
No comments:
Post a Comment