Psalm 23: Why Keep Sheep?

When we read about the offering of lambs in the Old Testament, we probably do not think much about shepherds. We usually focus on some aspect of sacrifice and make connections to Jesus or to Christians. On the other hand, when we consider passages about shepherds and shepherding, we probably do not think much about altars and sacrifices. We tend to focus on the vulnerability of sheep and the role of the shepherd as it applies to our relationship with God. All of this is fine. It accords with scripture.

Isn’t it amazing that the shepherd knows his sheep, each one? That close relationship demands careful attention on the part of the shepherd.

The shepherd spends time with his sheep providing care and assistance. He recognizes and wards off potential trouble before it can become a serious threat. He spends his time away from the sheep in search of good pasture and clean water.

When a sheep wanders off, the shepherd leaves the flock to search for the lost sheep. The good shepherd cares deeply for his sheep. So...

Why Keep Sheep?

Have you ever thought about the connection between the shepherd and the sacrifice?

It would be easier if we simply considered the shepherd as a dealer in wool. Every season he would shear his sheep and sell the wool in order to make a living. However, this would leave an incomplete picture.

A shepherd eats his sheep. He also takes the best of his sheep to offer as a sacrifice to God. During the time of Jesus some shepherds would sell some of their sheep to provide Passover lambs for travelers who could not supply their own.

A cow is sold or slaughtered. It has value, but it is a cow. A sheep is sold or slaughtered or sacrificed but it has a name and is known by its shepherd. So...

Why keep sheep?

When Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit of God visibly descended and remained on Him. It was a sign from God: The one on whom the Spirit descends and remains; this one is the Son of God. (John 1:29-33) God then announced Jesus as His Son, in whom He was well-pleased. (Matthew 3:17)

The next day John was with two of his disciples and he saw Jesus and said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” (John 1:34-35) “Lamb of God” is not a title or a name. It indicates a relationship. Jesus was the lamb that belonged to God; God’s lamb.

Not only was God the Shepherd for King David but also for Jesus of Nazareth.

There was a year in history that was different from all other years. That year, at the Jewish Passover, a most unique sacrifice was offered: The only Lamb of the Great Shepherd. God took his Lamb in whom He was so pleased, and He presented His Lamb as a sacrifice, not for His guilt, but for the sins of the world. His Lamb was not a dumb wooly animal, but His own Son who was devoted to the will of the Father. His Lamb did not go to the ‘altar of sacrifice’ (the cross) unwillingly, but yielded Himself to the Great Shepherd. In that way the Great Shepherd offered His only Lamb as the perfect and supreme sacrifice for all mankind for all ages.

It is amazing to think that The Shepherd is still in the sheep business. But that was the real reason for His sacrifice. He sacrificed His beloved Lamb for all those who were lost. The Great Shepherd loved the sheep in such a way that He gave up His one precious Lamb to go in search of the ninety-nine who were lost.

For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

Mark Stinnett

December 8, 2024

Psalm 23: The Shepherd Protects

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.

—Psalms 23:5

What does a ‘prepared table’ bring to mind?

You probably did not imagine a picnic with a blanket on the ground or a hot dog and drink at a ball game. Whether it is a formal or informal occasion, a ‘prepared table’ is one that has been properly set for a planned meal.

To keep this passage in context, the writer is a shepherd yet reflecting on himself as a sheep under the care of the Great Shepherd, God. So, how does a shepherd prepare a ‘table’ for his sheep?

Ancient shepherds would lead their flock to good pastureland. In late summer the pastureland might be in the high mountain elevations. This land was known as tableland, or in our culture, mesas. (Our English word ‘mesa’ is borrowed from the Spanish language; it means ‘table.’)

Before leading his sheep to the tableland, a shepherd would make a trip alone to survey the land. He would determine where the sheep would graze and for how long. He would note water sources and plan grazing patterns accordingly.

He would not simply look over the land from a distance but would walk through the tableland. He would search out poisonous plants and eliminate them. He would also take note of areas where predators would most likely hide. Then, just before leading his sheep to the tableland, he would return to clean leaves and brush from the water source to ensure clean and accessible water.

Because of his careful planning and diligent preparation, his sheep would find safe pasture.

Our Shepherd has already gone before us and has prepared the way. Our enemy, Satan, is ever present waiting for an opportunity when we are weak or wandering. Yet, as long as we remain close to the Shepherd, we will have comfort and bountiful blessings, in spite of the presence of our enemy.

During summertime sheep would often be pestered by flying insects. One particular kind of fly would attempt to lay eggs in the moist mucus around the nose. The hatched larvae could infest the nasal passages of a sheep causing misery. For relief sheep would beat their heads against trees or rocks and rub them in the soil. Left untreated, the larvae could cause blindness in sheep.

The solution: The shepherd would mix a salve to place on the head of the sheep. Or, as the Psalmist wrote: “You have anointed my head with oil.”

Sheep were also treated with oil, even dipped in oil, for a disease called scab. It was caused by a microscopic parasite and was highly contagious. Once contracted it could devastate an entire flock.

How does our Great Shepherd “anoint our heads with oil”? Most likely it is through the Holy Spirit. In baptism we are promised the ‘gift of the Holy Spirit’ in addition to our cleansing from sin. God’s word was delivered through the Spirit. The Spirit also intercedes for us in our prayers. He undoubtedly assists us in ways unknown to us.

As long as we accept his “anointing” we will be free of the parasite of sin and evil. Yet, we are often like a sheep that twists its head refusing the oil. When we refuse the guidance and correction of God’s word or when we refuse to submit to God’s instruction, we have refused his Spirit.

We will find contentment at the feast God provides, but only if we submit completely to God and to His word allowing his Spirit to work in us.

Anything less rejects the Great Shepherd’s protection and is sure to grieve the Spirit of God.

Mark Stinnett

November 24, 2024

Psalm 23: The Shepherd Provides

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
—Psalm 23:1-2

Good pastureland may be found at higher elevations at one time of the year and in valleys at another time. The shepherd must take the initiative to find good pasture and then lead the sheep to that place. Without his guidance sheep will graze continually on the same land eating the grass down to the root. The sheep will then become malnourished and sickly. In addition, the land itself will suffer. So, locating good pasture is not only for the present good of the sheep, but by proper land management, it is for their future good.

The Psalmist writes that the shepherd makes me lie down in green pastures. The phrase, makes me, should not be understood in the same way that a parent might make a child clean his room. The Hebrew term indicates cause, not force. It draws attention to the role of the shepherd: The shepherd causes this to happen. He does so by first searching out the green pasture and then leading the sheep to that place. The shepherd brings about this good result, not the sheep.

The shepherd will also be busy searching out good, clean water sources. Without his careful attention, sheep might stop and drink from a mud puddle even when a clean water source is within view.

Because sheep are so easily frightened, the shepherd avoids a stream or river where the water is too swift. Quiet, or restful, waters will promote the well-being of the sheep.

Are you easily agitated or filled with anxiety over your basic needs in this life? Financial difficulties weigh heavily on many people in volatile economic times. There is the fear of a shrinking job pool, college education for the kids, saving for retirement, and care for aging parents. Stress also comes from day-to-day demands involving relationship challenges in the home and at work, sickness or injury, the car, the house, aging, unpredictable disasters, etc.

Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Later, in the same sermon, he taught that we should not worry about food and drink and clothing. Those are the worries of the people of the world who have only themselves to lean on. Difficult challenges are sure to visit the lives of each one of us. The question is whether we will remain steadfast in our faith in God. He will take care of us.

Like King David, we are helpless sheep who are easily agitated and frightened by the circumstances of life.

Have you wandered off into self-dependence yet find it impossible to maintain control your life. If so, it is time to refocus your eyes on the Good Shepherd. Give yourself over to Him and He will supply rich spiritual pastureland. Drink from the Living Water of Jesus Christ and find answers, find contentment, and find rest through the Holy Spirit of God.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 

—Matthew 6:33

How does this work!?

God has made you a promise without telling you exactly how he will keep it. You must trust that God will keep his promise.

Mark Stinnett

October 27, 2024

Psalm 23: A Shepherd's Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

You undoubtedly recognize the first verse of the familiar 23rd Psalm, a psalm written by King David. Before he was a king, while still young, David was trained to take care of his father’s sheep. That training involved the sheep, of course, but also personal training with the rod and staff, the tools of the professional shepherd.

Artwork often depicts docile animals with a shepherd sitting under a shade tree by a calm stream, happily meditating on...whatever shepherds meditate on. While there would be times of tranquility, the job of the shepherd was not a bed of ease. When his sheep were secure and out of harm’s way, he would often be out searching for green pasture and fresh water. Along his journey he would be in constant thought about the path over which he would lead his sheep. He would be aware of obstacles and potential dangers, his mind always reflecting upon the good of the sheep.

When with his sheep he would watch for potential problems. He would take inventory frequently in case one wandered off. He would constantly scan his surroundings for potential predators. The shepherd would have long tiring days and his nightly sleep could be interrupted at any moment by predators or thieves or even a startled sheep.

The shepherd was provider and protector, leader and disciplinarian. He looked beyond the present moment and place, providing security and comfort even when the sheep could not see and understand his actions and thoughts. He knew his sheep, and the sheep knew the one who deeply cared for them.

Sheep are commonly depicted in artwork as soft, playful, clean, and calm creatures. In reality, they are dirty, stinking animals that are easily agitated. They can become nervous if other sheep are too close. They are easily frightened by an unfamiliar sound or quick movement, and especially the presence of a predator.

A sheep might find a comfortable place in a field and fiercely defend its position. It might also graze aimlessly, wandering off and becoming lost.

Sheep might drink from a muddy puddle with a clean water source within view. They are known to be easy prey for their adversaries. Sheep are dumb.

In one sense it is a marvel that David declared that he had a shepherd. In doing so, he declared himself to be a dumb, stinking, helpless sheep. Of all the animals he could have chosen, the sheep is among the least flattering. And yet, he was not writing about sheep, and he was not writing about himself. He knew his own helplessness, and he recognized the Lord as his Shepherd.

He did not declare ‘God’ to be his shepherd. He did not write ‘Master’ or the Hebrew word for ‘Lord.’ He wrote God’s name. He enjoyed a personal and intimate relationship with his God.

It is the nature of sheep to know their master’s voice to the exclusion of any other. The same is true with David. In declaring his God to be his shepherd, he excluded all other gods. Nothing else would be his master. He would hear only the voice of God.

The entire psalm is contained in the first line. David named his God as his shepherd and then declared his contentment. With God as his shepherd he would be nourished, protected, and disciplined. Even when he could not see or understand the way, he would have confidence in his Shepherd and his Shepherd’s leadership.

Reflecting on the first verse of Psalm 23, can you see yourself as the stinking, helpless sheep? 

Can you say...The Lord is my shepherd?

Mark Stinnett

October 20, 2024