“In spiritual graces let us study to be great and not to know it.” –Thomas Adams
Shepherds and kings, galley slaves and emperors, ditch diggers and presidents, an unlikely combination in this world is a favorite coupling in the Bible. Shepherds and kings, these were the only two groups sent an invitation to worship the infant, or at least, very young, Jesus. It is this image of God as a shepherd that drew Psalm 23 out of the heart of that ex-shepherd, King David.
The chief jewel in this, David’s crowning psalm, is verse one, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” David meditated on the Lord and, reaching back into the scope of his own experience, plucked an image most memorable and reassuring. He remembered the days when he too tended a flock. He remembered the cold, drizzly nights on the plain. He thought of the mornings when the sun would break over distant hills to drive the dew away. In those early years, every day brought hope and every morning signaled God’s mercy. Now the years had passed and David—this shepherd become king—was still marveling at his God—this King become shepherd.
David’s testimony of God’s love has stood through the ages. Two hundred and fifty years later, God’s tender love would be proclaimed by Isaiah:
“He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
Seven hundred and fifty years after Isaiah, God’s tender love would become a man and say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11-15)
Jesus Christ, carpenter and King, shepherd and Savior, an unlikely combination is this one from Nazareth. He who is fully divine without diminishing the flesh is also fully human without destroying his deity. He who walked with joy the dusty roads of Galilee also tread the sorrowful path to Golgotha that he might conquer sin and place this confession in our mouths, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Trust the Lord today and take this verse with you when you go before his throne. Have a blessed week and we will see you on Sunday.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale