Because the Lord is My Shepherd by Cooke Tony

Author:Cooke Tony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harrison House Publishers
Published: 2020-05-27T18:42:08+00:00

Blessing Seven: COMFORT

“Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

(Psalm 23:4)

When David mentions being comforted by his Shepherd’s rod and staff, it is a continuation of what he had said about not fearing any evil, even as he went through the valley of the shadow of death. The rod and staff are vital tools for a shepherd, and they aid him greatly in protecting and caring for the sheep. The rod was typically a formidable club the shepherd used to kill predators. Jesus speaks of the tenacity of the shepherd when a wolf came to attack the flock—the shepherd will never abandon the sheep (John 10:12-13).

Shepherds were not defenseless, and David understood this very well. David’s weapon of choice in his most famous battle—the one with Goliath—was the sling, and it proved to be very lethal. But David was also very familiar with the power of the rod. Consider what he said to King Saul as he described his background experiences:

“I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears…” (1 Samuel 17:34-36, NLT).

David knew that his sheep were safe when he had his rod—his club. No wonder David was comforted thinking about the rod of his Shepherd, a rod that represents the power and authority of God Almighty!

It has been observed that Psalm 22, 23, and 24 provide prophetic glimpses of Jesus in His various roles: past, present, and future. From our perspective today, Psalm 22 portrays Jesus in His past role as the One who suffered on the cross. Psalm 23 presents Jesus in His present role as our Shepherd. Psalm 24 depicts Jesus in His future role as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

When you put all these together, you have a more comprehensive picture of who Jesus is in His entirety. If we can borrow a thought from Psalm 24 and consider it in the light of the rod in Psalm 23, it is most impressive. In addition to His role as the Shepherd, Jesus is also “The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle” (Psalm 24:8, NLT). No wonder David was comforted when he thought about his Shepherd being with him through the valley.

David also was consoled when he thought about the staff his Shepherd carried. A staff was also a stick but typically different than the rod. While the rod was more of a club for fending off predators, the staff was usually a longer stick used for walking (keeping balance), and it sometimes had a hooked end that was good for reaching around the body of a sheep that had fallen to help it back up. The staff was also good for helping to guide the sheep.

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