The LORD, Jesus Christ, the Psalmist’s Good Shepherd
Introduction
A Psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving. King David wrote the majority of them, and David was the author of the 23rd Psalm. This Psalm is both a petition for, and declaration of, the mercy, protection, and leadership of God. Each and every one of the 150 Psalms in the Book of Psalms contains, to one degree or another, Messianic imagery and prophesies that point to the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ (because the true Author Is God, The Holy Spirit). For example, the immediately preceding Psalm, Psalm 22, which is sometimes referred to as the Psalm of the Cross, is, by no coincidence, entirely Messianic. Jesus had to die on the Cross to atone for the sins of His Flock, and purchase the Sheep with His shed blood in order for Him to be the Shepherd of their souls as we read in Psalm 23.
The Psalms should also be viewed, sometimes with more clarity than others, that there are three petitioners and perspectives in view. First and foremost, it is the Lord Jesus Christ Who Is speaking from His Heart to God the Father. Second, it is the human writer inspired by God the Holy Spirit to write these Psalms of Praise, Thanksgiving, and Petition for salvation. Third, while they are also speaking from the heart of the human author, as in this case in the 23rd Psalm by David (the human scribe), they should also viewed as speaking from the heart of every true believer upon his or her reading them.
The 23rd Psalm is only six verses long, yet it is filled with significant Christian Gospel imagery, spiritual implications, and enlightenment for the believer.
Psalm 23:1, Ҧ[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.
We can see that this is, unmistakenly, “a Psalm of David”, because it is stated as his, but also that king David, in his youth, had become well acquainted with shepherding…being the famous young shepherd boy, who tended his father’s flock. As the protector of that flock, David had to defend it by killing both a lion and a bear. With that Shepherding experience, David voluntarily went into battle with the giant Goliath, whom David miraculously defeated, to bring victory for Israel over the Philistines.
1 Samuel 16:11, “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all [thy] children?And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest (David), and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.“
1 Samuel 17:34, “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine (Goliath) shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.“
“The LORD (Jesus Christ) Is My Shepherd“
We must now consider the import of “The LORD Is My Shepherd“.
“The LORD“
We need to be fully aware at the outset of this study that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Is “The LORD“, and moreover, “Lord of lords” and “King of kings“, as we read in Revelation 17:14, “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.” and Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.“
Jesus’ Lordship is derived by His Ownership as we read in John 3:35, “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” We also know from 1 Corinthians 6:20 that, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.“
We also see this clearly in Colossians 1:16-20, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all[ things] he might have the preeminence. ¶For it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, [I say], whether [they be] things in earth, or things in heaven.”
Jesus Christ is LORD by Divine decree, as we read in Psalm 2:6&7, “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” and in Hebrews 1:1&2, “¶God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”
Philippians 2:9-11, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.“
Jesus is LORD because of His Sacrificial Atoning Death, as we read in Romans 14:9, “For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.“
Jesus is the believer’s LORD by Faith, as we read in Romans 10:9&10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.“
“Is My Shepherd“
It is particularly noteworthy that the prophet Isaiah declared and prophesied, as he was moved by God, The Holy Spirit, regarding The LORD Jesus Christ in Isaiah 40:11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.” And is it not strange, but yet true, that the Jews remain blind to that fact to this day?
Psalm 79:13, “So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.”
Psalm 80:1, “¶[[To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph.]] Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest [between] the cherubims, shine forth.“
Psalm 95:6&7, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker. For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,”…
Psalm 100:3, “Know ye that the LORD he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture.“
Psalm 107:41, “Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh [him] families like a flock.“
Ecclesiastes 12:11, “The words of the wise [are] as goads, and as nails fastened [by] the masters of assemblies, [which] are given from one shepherd.” Jesus is that One Shepherd!
We should also remember the historical “Types” in the Bible who were shepherds, for example: Abel (Genesis 4:4), Abraham (Genesis 21:28), Isaac (Genesis 27:9), Jacob (Genesis 30:31), Moses (Exodus 3:1), and Amos (Amos 1:1).
Jesus Is The Good Shepherd!
Jesus unequivocally identified Himself as the “Good Shepherd” and that the elect of God are His sheep, as we read in John 10:1-10, “¶Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. ¶Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.”
And reading further on in John 10:11-16, “¶I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.” Jesus was speaking to the Jews and the other sheep would come from the Gentiles for which together Jesus is the One Good Shepherd.
And again we read where Jesus was speaking to the Jews in John 10:26-30, “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand. I and [my] Father are one.”
1 Peter 2:25, “For ye were as sheep going astrayG4105; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” (Please see also “The Parable of the Lost Sheep“)
The word for “astray” in the original Greek is πλανάω (planaō)G4105 , and the King James Translators interpreted that word as following manner: deceive (24x), err (6x), go astray (5x), seduce (2x), wander (1x), be out of the way (1x). Note that the word “planets” is from the Greek word πλανήτης (planētēs)G4107, which is derived from πλανάω (planaō)G4105. Note that planets are also referred to as “wandering stars” as we read in Jude 1:13, “Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wanderingG4105 stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
1 Peter 5:4, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.“
Numbers 27:15, “¶And Moses spake unto the LORD, saying, Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.“
Jeremiah 50:44, “Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who [is] a chosen [man, that] I may appoint over her? for who [is] like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who [is] that shepherd that will stand before me?” The “Shepherd” Who will stand be for God is Jesus!
Hebrews 13:20&21, “¶Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.“
Zechariah 13:5-7, “But he shall say, I [am] no prophet, I [am] an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. And [one] shall say unto him, What [are] these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, [Those] with which I was wounded [in] the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.
Jeremiah 50:6, “My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away [on] the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.” Jesus assigned priests and pastors as shepherds to stand watch over His flock of sheep (His Church), but during times of apostasy the people led astray and become lost.
And this prophesy in Ezekiel is astounding when you think about…It is all about Jesus, THE ‘ONE SHEPHERD’ (and Prince in the name of David) of the Eternal Israel of God: Ezekiel 37:24-28, “¶And David my servant [shall be] king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, [even] they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David [shall be] their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”
Saving the Flock, the Sheep of His Pasture
The “lost sheep” of Israel are the “elect of God”, from both of the Old and New Testament eras. Remember when Jesus answered to the Syrophoenician woman (a Canaanite and hence a Gentile) in Matthew 15:24, “¶But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But it was clear that, after she petitioned him by equating herself to a dog begging crumbs at the Master’s table, in Jesus’ mercifully granting her petition to heal her daughter, the woman was in fact among the “lost sheep” of the house of Israel in the spiritual sense.
Remember also the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-6, “¶What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost , until he find it? And when he hath found [it], he layeth [it] on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together [his] friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. Whereupon Jesus then immediately expounded the meaning of that parable in the next verse, Luke 15:7, “I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” This parable was a prelude to the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Psalm 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.“
Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Psalm 44:22, “Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.” And the Apostle Paul referred back to this verse in Romans 8:36, “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Note that it says the sheep (the believers) are “counted” or “accounted” as going to the slaughter, because it does not necessarily mean literally killed, but rather “viewed” as having been killed/slaughtered for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Song of Solomon 1:7&8, “Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest [thy flock] to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.“
Isaiah 43:11-13 makes clear that it is Jesus, “I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when [there was] no strange [god] among you: therefore ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I [am] God. Yea, before the day [was] I [am] he; and [there is] none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let (stop) it?“
And then there are the unfaithful pastors who God condemns, but God will nonetheless still gather and save, as the Good Shepherd, His sheep despite those evil pastors who scatter the flock as we read in Jeremiah 23:1-3, “¶Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock,and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.“
Finally, what did Jesus tell us in Luke 12:32? “¶Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.“
“I Shall Not Want“
The words “not want” חָסֵר (ḥāsēr)H2637 as we read in the old English of the King James translators does not mean to “not desire” but should rather be understood to mean that the speaker is saying that because The LORD is his Shepherd, the speaker will “lack nothing”, exactly as we find in Deuteronomy 2:7, “¶For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God [hath been] with thee; thou hast lacked חָסֵר (ḥāsēr)H2637 nothing.“
Psalm 34:9&10, “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for [there is] no want מַחְסוֹר (maḥsôr)H4270 to them that fear him. The young lions do lack רוּשׁ (rûš)H7326, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want חָסֵר (ḥāsēr)H2637 any good [thing].“
Psalm 34:22, “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.“
And with Jesus’ protection as the Good Shepherd, then the believers, God’s Elect, His Church, His Flock, will have no lack for anything for their salvation. Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.“
Hebrews 4:10, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.“
Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.“
Jude 1:24, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” and Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.“
Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father [be] glory for ever and ever. Amen.“
Psalm 23:2, “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
Jesus as the believer’s Good Shepherd provides for us at all times. We can lie down and rest in the green pastures of His Word. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” and Psalm 37:7, “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.“
Psalm 37:18&19, “The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.“
Jesus Is The Good Shepherd that Ezekiel Prophesied Would Come
Our LORD God, Jesus Christ, Who Is the Good Shepherd, satisfies and nourishes our souls, in this life and into eternity, from His Word, Who Is Jesus. Ezekiel 34:11-16 is almost an exposition of Psalm 23, “¶For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up [that which was] broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.“
Ezekiel 34:23&24, provides a key pointer and descriptor of Jesus as God’s Good Shepherd: “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, [even] my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken [it].”
Blessed are they who can say that they are at rest…in mind, body, and soul, knowing that Jesus is their Savior and Good Shepherd. Neither the heat, nor sun, will smite the Believers (the heat and sun typifying God’s wrath in the evil time/Judgment Day), and the great waters of God’s Judgment will be still, and quiet, for the Believers. There are no waves of God’s wrath against them.
Is it not also interesting that Jesus Is both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb, just as He Is both the High Priest and the Sacrifice. Jesus Is All in All!
More verses to consider:
Psalm 74:1, “¶[[Maschil of Asaph.]] O God, why hast thou cast [us] off for ever? [why] doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?“
Psalm 77:20, “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.“
Psalm 78:52&53, “But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.“
Zechariah 9:16, “And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they [shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.“
Once again, back in Isaiah 40:11, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry [them] in his bosom, [and] shall gently lead those that are with young.“
Isaiah 49:8-13, “¶Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that [are] in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures [shall be] in all high places. They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.“
Look back again at Ezekiel 34:11-16, “¶For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, [even] I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and [in] a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up [that which was] broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” Please also see “The Parable of the Lost Sheep” within this exposition of Luke 15 and its context regarding the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
Psalm 95:7&8, “For he [is] our God; and we [are] the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as [in] the day of temptation in the wilderness:“
Revelation 7:17, “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.“
Psalm 36:7-9, “How excellent [is] thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.“
Ezekiel 34:31, “¶And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, [are] men, [and] I [am] your God, saith the Lord GOD.” and also Ezekiel 36:38, “As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts; so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.”
Psalm 23:3, “He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.“
“He Restoreth My Soul“
God provides a way of escape in Jesus, such that the believer’s souls will not remain dead in the grave or be in Hell. Remember, as we learned in the Judges 4&5 study, that Jesus “led captivity captive” and plundered the house of the devil to save a people for Himself.
Our souls were initially condemned to die and go to Hell with the fall of Adam, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:21&22, “For since by man [came] death, by man [came] also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” and Romans 5:19, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” 2 Corinthians 5:19, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.“
Psalm 30:3, “O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave (שְׁאוֹל (šᵊ’ôl))H7585: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit (שְׁאוֹל (šᵊ’ôl))H7585.“
1 Corinthians 15:57, “But thanks [be] to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“He Leadeth Me in the Paths of Righteousness“
Psalm 5:8, “Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.“
Psalm 107:6&7, “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.”
Psalm 119:105, “NUN. Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.“
Romans 3:21&22,”¶But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:“
“For His Name’s sake“
It is for God’s Glory that He saves sinners! “Hallowed Be Thy Name!” Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.“
1 Samuel 12:22, “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.“
Psalm 25:11, “For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it [is] great.“
Psalm 31:3, “For thou [art] my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.“
Psalm 79:9, “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name:and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.”
Psalm 106:8, “Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.“
Psalm 109:21, “But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.“
Psalm 115:1, “¶Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
Psalm 143:11, “Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.“
Isaiah 48:9, “For my name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.“
Ephesians 1:6, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” and Ephesians 1:14, “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praiseof his glory.“
And let us not forget the guidance by Jesus regarding what is known as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Matthew 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”
Psalm 23:4, “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.”
Walking Through the Valley of “The Shadow of Death“
This world, whether anyone realizes it or not, is the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Every human being who ever lived or who will ever live, as well as all of this material creation, is cursed to die because of the fall of Adam. The walk is mankind’s entire journey through this sin-cursed world, and the ultimate “death” is the eternal death in Hell. The believers are walking through the shadow of it because it is not our dwelling place or eternal habitation. The believers are merely strangers and pilgrims. It is referred to as the shadow of death, so only the shadow remains. Death is no longer is to be feared, because it can no longer hurt or destroy the believer. 1 Corinthians 15:55, “O death, where [is] thy sting? O grave, where [is] thy victory?“
Psalm 107:8-15, “Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, [being] bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and [there was] none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.“
As condemned sinners, all human beings, whether they realize it or not, are held as prisoners in the prison house of the devil awaiting Judgment Day to be cast into Hell for eternity! This is why we need Jesus to set the captives free. We need God’s Sovereign Grace! Jesus came the first time to set the prisoners free, as we read in Isaiah 42:7, “To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, [and] them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.“
Psalm 107:10-15, “Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, [being] bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and [there was] none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, [and] he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!”
Matthew 4:16, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.”
Luke 1:79, “To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace“.
and Luke 4:18, where Jesus began reading from Isaiah 61:1–2, “The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,“
Job 3:5, “Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.“
Job 10:21, “Before I go [whence] I shall not return, [even] to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;” Job 12:22, “He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.” and Job 16:16, “My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids [is] the shadow of death;”
Job 24:15-17, “The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth [his] face. In the dark they dig through houses, [which] they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. For the morning [is] to them even as the shadow of death: if [one] know [them, they are in] the terrors of the shadow of death.“
Job 34:21&22, “For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. [There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.“
Psalm 44:19, “Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.“
Isaiah 9:2, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.“
Amos 5:8, “Seek [him] that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD [is] his name:“
“I Will Fear No Evil, For Thou Art With Me”
We do not read that evil will no longer exist in this world, just that the believers no longer fear it (or fret about it). More importantly, the real “evil” that the believers no longer have to fear is the “Day of Evil“, which is more commonly known as Judgment Day. We see this in Proverbs 16:4, “The LORD hath made all [things] for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” and Jeremiah 17:17, “Be not a terror unto me: thou [art] my hope in the day of evil.“
The believers have nothing to fear because Jesus Christ is always with them. Where the sheep are there the Good Shepherd is also. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “… lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.“
Psalm 3:6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set [themselves] against me round about.” and Isaiah 43:2, “When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.“
Psalm 27:1, “¶[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD [is] my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD [is] the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?“
Psalm 27:3, “Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this [will] I be confident.“
Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.“
Ecclesiastes 12:13&14, “¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.“
Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us?“
Finally let us all remember what Jesus said in Luke 12:32, “¶Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.“
“Thy Rod and Thy Staff They Comfort Me”
The “Rod“
The original Hebrew word that is translated here as “rod” is the word שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ)H7626, which can also be translated as “sceptre“.
Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ)) H7626 shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].
Numbers 24:17, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ))H7626 shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.“
Psalm 45:6, “Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: the sceptre (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ)) H7626 of thy kingdom [is] a right sceptre (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ)). H7626
In all three verses above we can see that the “sceptre” is representative of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Ruling Authority.
And the Apostle Paul explained that this was talking about Jesus and His Rulership, as we read in translated Greek in Hebrews 1:8, “But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre (ῥάβδος (rabdos))G4464 of righteousness [is] the sceptre (ῥάβδος (rabdos))G4464 of thy kingdom.” For more on this please review this post on Hebrews Chapter 1.
The rod, which is more of a club, was used to thwart enemies of the flock, but also to prod wary sheep back into the fold. But it is also used to count and separate the sheep as we read in, Leviticus 27:32, “And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, [even] of whatsoever passeth under the rod (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ)),H7626 the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
But the “rod” can also be a “rod of correction”, to bring chastisement, which, for the believer, is a good thing as we will see below.
Psalm 119:71, “[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.”
Psalm 119:75, “I know, O LORD, that thy judgments [are] right, and [that] thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort,according to thy word unto thy servant.“
Psalm 94:12, “Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;“
Proverbs 12:1, “¶ Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof [is] brutish.“
Proverbs 13:1, “¶A wise son [heareth] his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.”
Proverbs 13:18, “Poverty and shame [shall be] to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.”
Proverbs 13:24, “He that spareth his rod H7626 hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”
Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.”
Proverbs 23:13, “Withhold not correction from the child: for [if] thou beatest him with the rod, H7626 he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, H7626 and shalt deliver his soul from hell.“
[Proverbs 15:5, “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”]
Proverbs 26:3, “A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod H7626 for the fool’s back.“
Proverbs 29:15, “The rod H7626 and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to [himself] bringeth his mother to shame.“
Also, we read in Hebrews 12:6-8, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. ¶If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” This verse hearkens back to the Old Testament: Psalm 94:12, “Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;” and Proverbs 3:11&12, “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.“
For more on the importance of the “Rod of Correction”, please see “Our Loving Father’s Discipline” that expounds on Hebrews 12:4-11 in the study of Hebrews 12. And note also Job 5:17, “Behold, happy [is] the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:“
The above verses can be seen to have both earthly and spiritual implications.
The “Staff” (a Walking Stick for Support and Rescue)
The Shepherds of old evidently employed two tools in their hands. The original Hebrew word, which is translated as “staff”, is מַשְׁעֵנָה (mašʿēnâ)H4938, and is primarily used in the context of a walking stick for support, as is the case of an aged man. The staff, with its crook/hook, was also used to pull sheep out of pits, crags in the rocks, or mire. In 2 King 4:29, Elisha’s “staff” (מַשְׁעֵנָה (mašʿēnâ))H4938 was intended as a means of conveying healing for the sick.
Both the Rod and the Staff Bring Comfort to the Believer
So then, both the rod and the staff are, therefore, both representative as a means of comfort to the shepherd’s sheep. So it is also for the believer. The Rod, which is the Word of God, as wielded by the Hand of God, is for our “correction” and “chastisement” as we read about in Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod (שֵׁבֶט (šēḇeṭ))H7626 of correction shall drive it far from him.” God’s “staff” is also the Word of God to teach us that He, in Jesus, Is our True Comfort and Salvation.
Also, Psalm 19:9, “The fear of the LORD [is] clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD [are] true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are [they] than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: [and] in keeping of them there [is] great reward.“
Then there is also the “rod” of Judgment, which we read about in Revelation 2:27, “And he (the believer in Christ) shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
“Comfort” for the Believer
The word translated in English as comfort in the original Hebrew is נַחוּם (naḥûm) H5151 meaning “Comfort” and “Consolation” (but sometimes “ruefully” and with “lamentation”). For a treatise on the meaning of “nahum”, it is worth taking a look at this study on The Book of Nahum.
Psalm 23:5, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.“
“Thou Preparest A Table Before Me in the Presence of Mine Enemies“
The original Hebrew word that is translated as “preparest” is עָרַךְ (ʿāraḵ)H6186 which can also be translated as “furnished” or “set in order”. We see this in Proverbs 9:1-6, “¶Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished (עָרַךְ (ʿāraḵ))H6186 her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: [as for] him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine [which] I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.“
The point here is that “Wisdom”, which is synonymous with God’s Word, is provided by God as a feast to the believer. Remember the role of Pastors (another name for the earthly Shepherds of Jesus’ Flock) as typified by Peter, are commanded by Jesus in John 21:16&17 to “Feed my sheep.” The believers are fed by the reading and hearing of The Word, Who is Jesus, and the unbelieving world around the table, who do not partake, are the enemies of both God and the believers. But we should also remember that our enemies are 1) our own flesh with its lusts, 2) the world with its enticements, and 3) the devil.
And remember what Jesus said in John 15:18, “¶If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant isnot greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.“
Other examples of God furnishing a table are referenced in Psalm 78:19, “Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” and king David providing Mephibosheth “to eat bread at my table continually” as we read in 2 Samuel 9:7. For more understanding of the meaning of Mephibosheth vis-a-vis king David and the Gospel message that it encapsulates, please see: “Mephibosheth and God’s Covenant of Grace“. Similarly Joseph provided food at his tables to his brothers who did evil against him in Genesis 47:12“And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to [their] families. Please also note that these were the same brothers that threw Joseph into the pit and sold him into slavery in Egypt. They were in effect Joseph’s enemies. Nonetheless, Joseph, like Jesus, was merciful to them and said to them first in Genesis 45:5, “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.” and second in Genesis 50:19 ¶ “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for [am] I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; [but] God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as [it is] this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.”
Prefiguring the Last Supper?
We read in Esther 7:1, “¶So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.“This was the last feast where king Ahasuerus sat down with Haman in the presence of Esther.
Did God ever sit down at a feast table with Satan in the presence of believers where wine was also present? Indeed He did. At the last Passover feast, the “last supper,” God (as Jesus Christ) sat next to Judas Iscariot (who we know was indwelt with Satan, Luke 22:3) in the presence of Jesus’s eleven other disciples (believers represented or “typified” by Esther) at the Passover feast where we know the Jesus instituted the sacrament service with wine (representing His shed blood). As Jesus said in John 13:18, “I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture (Psalms 41:9) may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.“ Jesus ate at a prepared table in the presence of His enemies, the devil and the devil’s host.
“Thou Anointest My Head with Oil“
The “oil”, in the original Hebrew is שֶׁמֶן (sheh’-men)H8081, which is from the olive tree, is used by God to represent, or “Typify”, God, The Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Anointing with oil, “typifies” being anointed by God with His Holy Spirit. This becomes clear when we look at the following information provided by God, from His Word, The Bible:
Psalm 89:20, “I have found David my servant; with my holy oil (שֶׁמֶן (sheh’-men))H8081 have I anointed (מָשַׁח (māšaḥ))H4886 him:“
Acts 10:38. “How God anointed (χρίω (chriō))G5548 Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
In 1 John 2:20&21, we read more about the “annointing” of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit, also referred to synonymously as “unction” “from the Holy One”, “¶But ye have an unction (χρῖσμα (chrisma)G5545 from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
This is made all the more clear in 1 John 2:27, “But the anointing (χρῖσμα (chrisma) G5545 which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing (χρῖσμα (chrisma) G5545 teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.“
And “The Holy Spirit” Is also known as “The Spirit of Truth” as Jesus told us in John 14:17, “[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” and John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” and John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.“
Also, Psalm 92:10, “But my horn shalt thou exalt like [the horn of] an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil (שֶׁמֶן (sheh’-men))H8081.” (Please see below regarding “manna” which tasted like “fresh oil”.)
Psalm 28:8, “The LORD [is] their strength, and he [is] the saving strength of his anointed (מָשִׁיחַ (māšîaḥ)) H4899.” “Anointed” can also be translated as “Messiah”.
Finally, in Psalm 133:1-3, we read of the precious “ointment” that is the anointing “oil”, “¶[[A Song of degrees of David.]] Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! [It is] like the precious ointment (שֶׁמֶן (sheh’-men))H8081 upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.“
“Anointing” spiritually exemplifies the calling and choosing by God of His Elect, and blessing and empowering them with The Holy Spirit.
Manna Had “the Taste as the Taste of Fresh Oil”
Finally, before we leave the meaning of oil, along with its “Typifying” God’s Holy Spirit, let us look back at the Manna from Heaven that represents the Body of Jesus Christ as Jesus tells us in John 6:48-51, “I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.“
God describes the manna that was provided to the people of Israel during their forty year sojourn in the wilderness: Numbers 11:7&8, “¶And the manna [was] as coriander seed, and the colour there of as the colour of bdellium. [And] the people went about, and gathered [it], and ground [it] in mills, or beat [it] in a mortar, and baked [it] in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.“
Again when we look at the spiritual “Types” that the description of manna provides, it becomes clear that the manna represented the Body of Jesus, and given that manna’s taste was “as the taste of fresh oil“, therefore the “taste” of the “fresh oil” represents the indwelling of God, The Holy Spirit. We can also derive the meaning of eating the Manna from Heaven, such that when the believers partake of the salvation wrought by Jesus’ Body and Blood, then they also will be blessed by the Gift of The Holy Spirit.
“My Cup Runneth Over“
Psalm 116:13, “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.“
Psalm 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
“Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me All the Days of My Life“
Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:“
“I Will Dwell in the House of the LORD For Ever“
Psalm 27:4, “One [thing] have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”
John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.“
Psalm 37:18&19, “The LORD knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.“
Conclusion
The believers are granted eternal life in Jesus Christ, being drawn to Jesus by God the Father, and are made spiritually alive by the quickening of God’s Holy Spirit, and they will dwell with God forever in Heaven. Jesus tells us this in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” and John 14:3, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also.” Psalm 65:4, “Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple.“
Appendix: Other Examples of Shepherds in the Bible
Abel
Genesis 4:2, “And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. & Genesis 4:4, “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:” The New Testament commentary also informs us in Hebrews 11:4, “¶By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.“
Laban and His Daughter Rachel
Genesis 29:9, “¶And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep: for she kept them. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.“
Genesis 46:32, “And the men [are] shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.“
Numbers 14:33, “And your children shall wander רָעָה (rāʿâ)H7462 in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.” and Numbers 27:17, “Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd רָעָה (rāʿâ)H7462.” and Judges 14:20, “But Samson’s wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend רָעָה (rāʿâ)H7462.”
Israel
Genesis 46:32, “And the men [are] shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.“
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