Jesus our Good Shepherd

24 March 2020

A devotional reading of Psalm 1

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

Verse One

Because The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in

green pastures…

Lack…

The context of this Psalm is framed around a Shepherd who provides for His flock: Protection, guidance, food, water, rescue

He makes me lie down in green pastures…

A better translation of the Greek, “He causes me to lie down…” You cannot train sheep to sit. They only lie down if they are well fed and well-nourished. More aptly stated, “He causes me to lie down” – causation – the shepherd’s ability to lead to food and water.

Green pastures…

I imagine a nice little green English field with a baby lamb is resting on here, but this is not the scenery of the Middle Eastern wilderness. Finding grass and succulents for flocks requires intimate knowledge of the land, for the land itself is dry, harsh and barren. There is only green grass 3 months a year.

There are fertile grassing areas, but only skilled Shepherd’s knew the way and could lead their flocks there.

Verse 1 point: From the sheep’s perspective – we’re about to learn about a good shepherd.

Verse 2

He leads me beside quiet waters…

In the desert – water is life. And it is scarce.  Sheep are skittish animals. They run off in any direction if they are scared. They will not drink from rushing water – the noise unsettles them. The word still water – is not referring to stagnate water (that is full of disease), but still, non-rippling quiet water.

So a skilled Shepherd not only needs to be able to find clean, safe, drinking water, oftentimes they need to create pooling brooks for the sheep to drink from. Otherwise, they will die of thirst.

Water for us is easy. We turn on a tap: We bathe in it, shower in it, wash the dishes in it, wash our clothes or cars with it. We flush the toilet with it, water the garden with it, grow our crops with it, provide it for our animals. We buy it easily from the shops. We have coffee and tea all the time – probably without ever thinking – that we are drinking the most vital fluid, our bodies need to survive.

50-60% water: blood plasma, cells, skin, organs…

1 in 10 of world’s population does not have access to sanitation – of which water plays a critical role: Health, Time, Education, Women Empowerment

Should you enter a town or a village without running water or clean sanitation and say, “God will lead you to quiet waters” - you are in effect saying, “God will lead you to life”.

Which gives much more power to the words of Jesus when He said to a woman at a well at the hottest time of the day in Israel, “I will give you living water – and you shall never thirst again”(Jn 4).

As a social outcast, most likely due to her immoral sexual relationships, this lady had to collect water at ‘noon’ (vs. 6). This was part of the hottest time of the day – you stayed inside, had siestas, tried to stay cool – you did not go out and do manual labour – which is why she went out at noon – she was guaranteed she could avoid the public.

Underlying this concept of never thirsting again meant she would not need to collect water in isolation – she would be in community again.  She actually sees this as really practical “give this water to me so I don’t need to keep coming here” (vs 15). God leads us to life.

Verse 2 point: God leads us to life.

Verse 3

He refreshes / He restores my soul…

Hebrew word: ye·shu·v·vev

Shuv: means to repent / return. Literally: turn back – he returns my soul

The notion is the sheep is lost: The sheep is lost so the shepherd must go and find it for a lost sheep cannot find its way home.

There is an urgency to this for when sheep are lost, they try and hide, start to quiver and begin to bleat. In doing so, they alert nearby predators where they are – they put themselves in danger.

The shepherd must give of themselves if they want the sheep back: Generally, they are also so scared they must be carried back; Luke 15:5 The Lost Sheep – carried back on shoulders.

He guides me along the right paths…

Rights paths or paths of righteousness.  

Not all paths lead to life.

There are many paths in the wilderness sheep can follow – some will take them straight of the edge of a cliff. No, these paths are paths that lead to life.

1 Cor 10:23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive”.

As believers, we are free in Christ – but not everything is good. Gordon D. Fee states, “We are not under law, but we are not a lawless people”.

God still requires holiness – which is both loving others AND – living according to His moral code and ethics.

For his name’s sake…

shepherd goes after the sheep for His reputation.

A good shepherd does not lose His sheep.

God will follow after His people – comforting for parents whose children have gotten lost. Pray according to God’s name – it’s God’s testimony on the line.

Verse 3 point: God will follow after His people

Verse 4a

Even though I walk through the darkest valley…

Passing through valley’s is part of life for flocks.

This time, the sheep are not paralysed by fear like in the previous verse and need to be “carried back”.

This time, they can walk through – yet fear is following them.

Valley’s can have wild animals, echoic places, robbers can be hiding in ambush. Yet, because of the shepherd the sheep shall “Fear no evil”

We all have to travel through dark valley’s in life – the key is not to let the valley’s become the place we settle in – we are to pass through them.

The shadows of the valley can cover us at times – the shadows can literally come onto us – but they are not part of us. Never let a valley define your identity – your being.

Verse 4a point: We all travel through valley’s – the key is not to live in them.

Verse 4b

[Enter God: Shift from the sheep / David / onto God the person]

for you are with me…

Here we have incarnation.

Here we have Immanuel – God with us. A title that will be assigned to Christ in the Christmas story (Matt 1:23)

You are with me – fear needs to be replaced with the presence of God.

Rod…

Mace – a weapon. 2 ft long – with iron or spikes driven into the end. Close range – kill lions and wolves.

Sheep have no defence against their enemies – they don’t have claws, they cannot run fast, they don’t have sharp teeth or strong jaws – the only the power the shepherd wields cans protect them.

Staff…

Hook – pulls sheep off the edge of dangerous paths.

Verse 4b point: God can protect.

Verse 5

A table in the presence of my enemies…

In this ancient culture, the master of the house (male) provides the food – he (male) does not prepare it, only females and servants do.

Yet here is God, acting as both a good shepherd and a good host.

God, takes on a different role here by identifying himself with females – which in Israel – an Androcentric society – was nearly always overlooked – despite the fact God said, “In His image, He created them male and female.

God has an issue with discrimination but not with distinction.

This is seen in Mark 6 where Christ himself prepares a meal in the desert in the midst of his enemies.

Anointed with oil…

Heals the sores and wounds of the sheep.

Cup overflows…

The good shepherd is not stingy in His provision or service. Again, these precious resources come at a cost to the shepherd. Special reserves saved for honoured guests are given to us by God our Good Shepherd.

Verse 5 point: The good shepherd offers peace, provision, protection

Verse 6

Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life…

We are being followed.

We are being pursued – by God’s love.

The difference between this and stalking is that there is the inference of good intent and good interaction.

It’s not that we are being watched only – we are being pursued.

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever…

Forever – can mean length of days. Whose days: God’s days or David’s days?

The house of the Lord - where does this owner live?

Shepherd’s stayed in the wilderness with the flock.

Does that mean the whole earth (which is the Lord’s) is a place where God is? Does that mean every place we step is holy? What does it mean that if the earth is Lord’s house – how should we treat this planet? 

Verse 6 point: We are pursued by God’s love

[Transition to Jesus our Good Shepherd]

Christ would take up this role officially in John 10 “I am the Good Shepherd”.

In Mark 6 we see Christ fulfilling the requirements of a Good Shepherd:

In Mark 6:30-44 we read this story…

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary (wilderness) place.

Wilderness – place for shepherd’s

33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

He likens the people as sheep - clue

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

37But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages ! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

38“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

Lays down in green grass

Christ knows how to order the sheep “quiet waters”

41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.

He prepares a meal surrounded by His enemies. Compare to Matthew 14:12 “John’s disciples – then they went and told Jesus”.

Family honour – Jesus’ cousin was just beheaded for challenging Herod about his sexual immorality. They were ready for a fight. Jesus, you challenge the occupying authority – what will you do? You could be next?

But in this hostile environment – Jesus prepares a meal.

Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish.

12 baskets – but there were 13 of them – people often forget to count Jesus. Interesting how Jesus as a leader, never used His position to take. Jesus didn’t have an entitlement mentality.

Some ministers take all the perks they can in their ministry role – Jesus never did. When He was hungry – He didn’t use His role as the Son of man too fed Himself – He fasted.

Who do I deal with my own sense of entitlement? We all have areas we indulge in entitlement without knowing, let’s pray about overcoming them.