July-August 1997
PERSONAL
The Shepherd's Flock
Simple yet profound, the 23rd Psalm reminds us
of our relationship with our heavenly Shepherd.
by Joseph Tkach
You probably can't name many songs that have been written about sheep. Other than "Mary Had a Little Lamb," sheep songs don't automatically pop into mind. But there is one song about sheep that we all know. It is one of the most familiar and loved pieces of literature in history.
It's recited at weddings with a sense of celebration and anticipation. It's read at funerals to give comfort and assurance. Children often memorize it. It is spoken by people of all different languages.
It is a psalm that may be so familiar you don't have to look it up.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
-- Psalm 23
We need to always remember three things from the simple, familiar and profound words of the 23rd Psalm.
1) Expression of ownership.
A shepherd marks his sheep with a sign so others can know the sheep belong to him. When we say, "The Lord is my shepherd," we not only are declaring our dependence on God but we are also declaring his ownership of us.
In some cases, the sheep are branded to show ownership, but shepherds do not prefer branding because it damages the wool.
Today, the common way of indicating ownership is to tag the sheep in their ears. But ear-piercing is a rather modern invention. In the days of old, the shepherds would mark the lamb by cutting a notch in its ear. Each shepherd had his own distinctive ear-notch design.
Christians bear the cross of Jesus as the mark of our ownership.
2) Expression of dependence.
David was a shepherd, and he knew how much his sheep depended on him.
In America, we suffer from thinking we are more independent than we really are. We have a document called the Declaration of Independence. We grew up fixated with John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and Clint Eastwood and their ultrarugged American individualism.
But this psalm is a different document for Christians. It is the declaration of dependence -- our dependence on God.
When we say, "The Lord is my shepherd," we are saying that we need help -- God's help.
3) Expression of our personal relationship.
Do not miss the significance of these words, "The Lord is my shepherd." It is not just a statement of our need for God and of our belonging to him. It is a statement of relationship with passionate attachment.
When I take my children to school, I am delighted to watch my daughter pointing to meand saying, "That's my dad." She doesn't mind pointing me out and saying to others: "Hey, this is my daddy. I love him."
When we say, "The Lord is my shepherd," we are saying we love God. As Christians, we belong to God. God is in charge and he knows what is happening everywhere at all times. He doesn't need to sleep or rest. He knows all.
He is the Bishop of our souls. He is the Great Shepherd. And he watches over everyone.