Shepherding the Sheep

            Last year after returning from vacation in Kentucky, I had opportunity to read a devotional book recommended by my daughter. These are not the sort of books I normally read, preferring to spend my time on more detailed theological works. This book resonated with me because it related to her newfound profession of farming and especially of her adventure into sheep herding. My daughter noted the many instances of animal husbandry in the scriptures and how often the scriptures compare God’s people to sheep. We are all aware of this, but since most of us are not farmers and have no connection to the land or farm animals, we often miss the meaning of most of these peculiar metaphors. This is where the book she recommended was most helpful.

            This little book is titled A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. It is an exposition of the 23^rd Psalm looking at it through the eyes of a man who tended sheep among his various other enterprises. As his exposition breaks down each of the phrases of the psalm, the meaning of the passage becomes clearer in ways we would not otherwise understand without knowing the habits of the animals and their constant need for care. David is the sheep in the passage who reflects upon the acts of the Good Shepherd as a testimony of His tender care of His flock. This much you already know, but how it works out in each phrase of the psalm, you have probably missed.

            My thought today is taken from my daughter’s constant movement of her sheep. Each week she must rearrange temporary fencing to keep the sheep from overgrazing on each part of the land. Each change in pasture provides fresh plants. The sheep are always excited to move to a new area to find the sweetest forage that has already been devoured in places from which they have just moved. Sheep will eat just about anything including the worst weeds that provide little nourishment. With just her small flock, it is amazing how much they can eat in a week’s time.

            I may not have the perfect parallels as elucidated by the devotional, but I did have my own thoughts as I read. It is agreed that feasting on the green grass is a parallel to feeding on the word of God. In fact, our relationship with the Good Shepherd is known experientially through the word which often repeats through the psalm. I liken it to the 119^th psalm which never strays from the impact the word has on every movement of our Christian lives. I thought about our tendency to stay in familiar passages of the word and only graze there without reaching out to find good nourishment in other places where we are less familiar. I am reminded of Christians who don’t feed in the Old Testament except for the psalms not realizing that all of God’s word is for our enjoyment and learning about our Saviour. Many prefer messages only from the New Testament not understanding the undergirding the Old gives to it. I mentioned in an article some time ago about a popular preacher who said we must unhitch from the Old Testament. What horrible advice and what poor shepherding! The Old Testament is admittedly harder for us because of unfamiliarity, but like hungry sheep, we will find good food by constantly going over the pasture. How much sweeter these passages are when our eyes are given vibrant insight into New Testament passages.

            The main import of the psalm is for us to recognize how much the sheep depend on the care of the Shepherd. The author points out that sheep are the hardest animals to raise properly and will not fare well on their own. Their habits are not good for them and quickly get them into trouble. They have no natural defense mechanisms and easily fall prey to malnourishment, parasites, predators, the weather, and much more. The shepherd is there to defend and protect them from all harm. Their welfare is His concern, and he keeps them in good health. The sheep love the shepherd and desire his attention. His constant care is essential for their well-being. They are content to have him control every aspect of their lives. Why not be content with his care rather than fall prey to all the situations they cannot control or overcome?

            I hope to share more of these insights from time to time in the next few weeks. This little devotional is not what I normally read but I have found it does, after all, strengthen my theology.

Pastor V. Mark Smith