Confidence in God's Shepherding

November 3, 2024 Background Scripture: Psalm 23; John 10:11 — 14 Lesson Passage: Psalm 23 Psalm 23 is for many Christians the first biblical passage memorized, Many church assemblies have recited it in concert as either part of the opening exercise or the closing one for Sunday School. It is often used together with the Model Prayer as a staple for Children's Worship service. It is a very easy passage to memorize. Sometimes that is a drawback when it comes to appreciation for the message it conveys. The words can become so familiar to us that we fail to comprehend the depths of the spiritual message conveyed by them. As simple as the words of this psalm are, the message they declare is inexhaustible. We can better comprehend the depths of the spiritual message within this psalm by reacquainting ourselves with its human author. Every resource book I have used refers to Psalm 23 as a psalm of David. The bible's first mention of David presents him as a young boy, perhaps a young teenager or pre-teen. He was too young to enlist in Israel's military—even though they were engaged in a war during that time. The Law stipulated that the census for Israel should be based on the men who are twenty years of age and older and able (or fit) to go to war. We note that when David's brothers were fighting for Israel against the Philistines, they chastised him for coming to the battlefield rather than remaining at home with those "few sheep". From this we see that David's family chore was to care for the small flock of sheep owned by their father, Jesse. When the Lord sent the prophet to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king to replace King Saul, it was then that Jesse stated that David was his youngest son and the keeper of sheep. Furthermore, the scriptures describe David as a skilled musician with a harp. It was his musical ability that brought him before Israel's first king, Saul. David was recommended to the king as one who could console him with the harp whenever the king became agitated because the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul. When the Philistine's hero, Goliath, teased and taunted Israel's entire army, David heard it. Although David was too young for the military and untrained in warfare, he volunteered to fight Goliath for Israel. King Saul advised David that the task was too much for him, but David shared his testimony of protecting his father's sheep from a lion and a bear. He shared about how he rescued lambs from the mouth of both a lion and a bear. David went on to say that the Lord had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear. He did not attribute his protection to his own ability. David assumed accountability for the protection of the sheep and their lambs, but David depended on God to protect him. David did not have weapons of war. He had a shepherd's staff, a sling, and some smooth stones for the sling. These were all he had to protect his daddy's flock. His faith in God was all he needed for his own protection. Sheep have no natural fom of protection against predators. Sheep depend on the protection of the shepherd. If there are no anxieties in the flock, it is because of the calming presence of the shepherd. There are some situations and circumstances in life in which people are vulnerable and become anxious. We must rely on the Lord to be our protector. As a young shepherd, David understood his role in protecting the flock no matter what situation, or environment, they were in. Animals are most vulnerable to predators when they are feeding or drinking. Predators watch their inattentive prey while they are feeding. At those times, shepherds must be alert. David had equal expectations of God in being his protector from situations in life when he was vulnerable. When we look at the words in Psalm 23, they reflect the experience of a shepherd who had walked with God in faithful submission. Jesus presented himself to the Jews as the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep. Faith in Jesus is confidence in God's shepherding. Robert C. Hudson October 25, 2024