A SHEPHERD LOOKS AT PSALM 23 #8

 A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 #8

Thy Rod and Staff comfort me

      WHEN THE SHEPHERD is afield with his flock in the high

country, it is customary for him to carry a minimum of equipment.

This was especially true in olden times where the sheepman did

not have the benefit of mechanized equipment to transport camp

supplies across the rough country. Even today the so-called

"shepherd shacks" or "cabooses" in which the herder spends his

lonely summers with the sheep are equipped with only the barest

essentials.

     But during the hours that he is actually in the field the

sheepman carries only a rifle slung over his shoulder and a long

slender staff in his hand. There will be a small knapsack in

which are packed his lunch, a bottle of water and perhaps a few

simple first aid remedies for his flock.

     In the Middle East the shepherd carries only a rod and

staff. Some of my most vivid boyhood recollections are those of

watching the African herdsmen shepherding their stock with only a

long slender stick and a rough knob-kerrie in their hands. These

are the common and universal equipment of the primitive sheepman.

Each shepherd boy, from the time he first starts to tend his

father's flock, takes special pride in the selection of a rod and

staff exactly suited to his own size and strength. He goes into

the bush and selects a young sapling which is dug from the

ground. This is carved and whittled down with great care and

patience. The enlarged base of the sapling where its trunk joins

the roots is shaped into a smooth, rounded head of hard wood. The

sapling itself is shaped to exactly fit the owner's hand. After

he completes it, the shepherd boy spends hours practicing with

this club, learning how to throw it with amazing speed and

accuracy. It becomes his main weapon of defense for both himself

and his sheep.

     I used to watch the native lads having competitions to see

who could throw his rod with the greatest accuracy across the

greatest distance. The effectiveness of these crude clubs in the

hands of skilled shepherds was a thrill to watch. The rod was, in

fact, an extension of the owner's own right arm. It stood as a

symbol of his strength, his power, his authority in any serious

situation. The rod was what he relied on to safeguard both

himself and his flock in danger. And it was, furthermore, the

instrument he used to discipline and correct any wayward sheep

that insisted on wandering away.

     There is an interesting sidelight on the word, "rod," which

has crept into the colloquial language of the West. Here the

slang term "rod" has been applied to hand-guns such as pistols

and revolvers which were carried by cowboys, and other western

rangemen. The connotation is exactly the same as that used in

this Psalm.

     The sheep asserts that the owner's rod, his weapon of power,

authority and defense, is a continuous comfort to him. For with

it the manager is able to carry out effective control of his

flock in every situation.

     It will be recalled how when God called Moses, the desert

shepherd, and sent him to deliver Israel out of Egypt from under

Pharaoh's bondage, it was his rod that was to demonstrate the

power vested in him. It was always through Moses' rod that

miracles were made manifest not only to convince Pharaoh of

Moses' divine commission, but also to reassure the people of

Israel.

     The rod speaks, therefore, of the spoken Word, the expressed

intent, the extended activity of God's mind and will in dealing

with men. It implies the authority of divinity. It carries with

it the convicting power and irrefutable impact of "Thus saith the

Lord."

     Just as for the sheep of David's day, there was comfort and

consolation in seeing the rod in the shepherd's skillful hands,

so in our day there is great assurance in our own hearts as we

contemplate the power, veracity and potent authority vested in

God's Word. For, in fact, the Scriptures are His rod. They are

the extension of His mind and will and intentions to mortal man.

Living as we do in an era when numerous confused voices and

strange philosophies are presented to people, it is reassuring to

the child of God to turn to the Word of God and know it to be His

Shepherd's hand of authority. What a comfort to have this

authoritative, clear-cut, powerful instrument under which to

conduct ourselves. By it we are kept from confusion amid chaos.

This in itself brings into our lives a great sense of quiet

serenity which is precisely what the psalmist meant when he said,

".... thy rod ... comfort[s] me."

     There is a second dimension in which the rod is used by the

shepherd for the welfare of his sheep - namely that of

discipline. If anything, the club is used for this purpose

perhaps more than any other.

     I could never get over how often, and with what accuracy,

the African herders would hurl their knob-kerries at some

recalcitrant beast that misbehaved. If the shepherd saw a sheep

wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or

getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club

would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal

scurrying back to the bunch.

     As has been said of the Scripture so often, "This Book will

keep you from sin!" It is the Word of God that comes swiftly to

our hearts, that comes with surprising suddenness to correct and

reprove us when we go astray. It is the Spirit of the Living God,

using the living Word, that convicts our conscience of right

conduct. In this way we are kept under control by Christ who

wants us to walk in the ways of righteousness.

     Another interesting use of tbe rod in the shepherd's hand

was to examine and count the sheep. In the terminology of the Old

Testament this was referred to as passing "under the rod"

(Ezekiel 20:37). This meant not only coming under the owner's

control and authority, but also to be subject to his most

careful, intimate and firsthand examination. A sheep that passed

"under the rod" was one which had been counted and looked over

with great care to make sure all was well with it.

     Because of their long wool it is not always easy to detect

disease, wounds, or defects in sheep. For example at a sheep show

an inferior animal can be clipped and shaped and shown so as to

appear a perfect specimen. But the skilled judge will take his

rod and part the sheep's wool to determine the condition of the

skin, the cleanliness of the fleece and the conformation of the

body. In plain language, "One just does not pull the wool over

his eyes."

     In caring for his sheep, the good shepherd, the careful

manager, will from time to time make a careful examination of

each individual sheep. The picture is a very poignant one. As

each animal comes out of the corral and through the gate, it is

stopped by the shepherd's outstretched rod. He opens the fleece

with the rod; he runs his skillful hands over the body; he feels

for any sign of trouble; he examines the sheep with care to see

that all is well. This is a most searching process entailing

every intimate detail. It is, too, a comfort to the sheep for

only in this way can its hidden problems be laid bare before the

shepherd.

     This is what was meant in Psalm 139:23, 24 when the psalmist

wrote, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my

thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me

in the way everlasting."

     If we will allow it, if we will submit to it, God by His

Word will search us. There will be no "pulling the wool over His

eyes." He will get below the surface, behind the front of our old

self-life and expose things that need to be made right.

     This is a process from which we need not shrink. It is not

something to avoid. It is done in concern and compassion for our

welfare. The Great Shepherd of our souls has our own best

interests at heart when He so searches us. What a comfort this

should be to the child of God, who can trust in God's care.

     Wool in Scripture speaks of the self-life, self-will,

self-assertion, self-pride. God has to get below this and do a

deep work in our wills to right the wrongs which are often

bothering us beneath the surface. So often we put on a fine front

and brave, bold exterior when really deep down below there needs

to be some remedy applied.

     Finally the shepherd's rod is an instrument of Protection

both for himself and his sheep when they are in danger. It is

used both as a defense and a deterrent against anything that

would attack.

     The skilled shepherd uses his rod to drive off predators

like coyotes, wolves, cougars or stray dogs. Often it is used to

beat the brush, discouraging snakes and other creatures from

disturbing the flock. In extreme cases, such as David recounted

to Saul, the psalmist no doubt used his rod to attack the lion

and the bear that came to raid his flocks.

     Once in Kenya photographing elephants, I was being

accompanied by a young Masai herder who carried a club in his

hand. We came to the crest of a hill from which we could see a

herd of elephants in the thick bush below us. To drive them out

into the open we decided to dislodge a boulder and roll it down

the slope. As we heaved and pushed against the great rock, a

cobra, coiled beneath it, suddenly came into view ready to

strike. In a split second the alert shepherd boy lashed out with

his club killing the snake on the spot. The weapon had never left

his hand even while we worked on the rock.

     'Thy rod ... comfort[s] me.' In that instant I saw the

meaning of this phrase in a new light. It was the rod ever ready

in the shepherd's hand that had saved the day for us.

     It was the rod of God's Word that Christ, our Good Shepherd,

used in His own encounter with that serpent Satan - during His

desert temptation. It is the same Word of God which we can count

on again and again to counter the assaults and attacks of Satan.

And it matters not whether the guise He assumes is that of a

subtle serpent or a roaring lion that desires to destroy us.

There is no substitute for the Scriptures in coping with the

complexities of our social order. We live in an evermore involved

and difficult milieu. We are part of a world of men and women

whose code of conduct is contrary to all that Christ has

advocated. To live with such people is to be ever exposed to

enormous temptations of all sorts. Some people are very subtle,

very smooth, very sophisticated. Others are capable of outright,

violent, vituperative attacks against the children of God. In

every situation and under every circumstance there is comfort in

the knowledge that God's Word can meet and master the difficulty

if we will rely on it.

     We turn now to discuss and consider the shepherd's staff. In

a sense the staff, more than any other item of his personal

equipment, identifies the shepherd as a shepherd. No one in any

other profession carries a shepherd's staff. It is uniquely an

instrument used for the care and management of sheep - and only

sheep. It will not do for cattle, horses or hogs. It is designed,

shaped and adapted especially to the needs of sheep. And it is -

used only for their benefit.

     The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern, the

compassion that a shepherd has for his charges. No other single

word can better describe its function on behalf of the flock than

that it is for their comfort.

     Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of power,

of discipline, of defense against danger, the word "staff" speaks

of all that is longsuffering and kind.

     The shepherd's staff is normally a long, slender stick,

often with a crook or hook on one end. It is selected with care

by the owner; it is shaped, smoothed, and cut to best suit his

own personal use.

     Some of the most moving memories I carry with me from Africa

and the Middle East are of seeing elderly shepherds in the

twilight of life, standing silently at sunset, leaning on their

staves, watching their flocks with contented spirits. Somehow the

staff is of special comfort to the shepherd himself. In the tough

tramps and during the long weary watches with his sheep he leans

on it for support and strength. It becomes to him a most precious

comfort and help in his duties.

     Just as the rod of God is emblematic of the Word of God, so

the staff of God is symbolic of the Spirit of God. In Christ's

dealings with us as individuals there is the essence of the

sweetness, the comfort and consolation, the gentle correction

brought about by the work of His gracious Spirit.

    There are three areas of sheep management in which the staff

plays a most signicant role. The first of these lies in drawing

sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will

use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its

mother if they become separated. He does this because he does not

wish to have the ewe reject her offspring if it bears the odor of

his hands upon it. I have watched skilled shepherds moving

swiftly with their staffs amongst thousands of ewes that were

lambing simultaneously. With deft but gentle strokes the newborn

lambs are lifted with the staff and placed side by side with

their dams. It is a touching sight that can hold one spellbound

for hours.

     But in precisely the same way, the staff is used by the

shepherd to reach out and catch individual sheep, young or old

and draw them close to himself for intimate examination. The

staff is very useful this way for the shy and timid sheep that

normally tend to keep at a distance from the shepherd.

     Similarly in the Christian life we find the gracious Holy

Spirit, "The Comforter," drawing folks together into a warm,

personal fellowship with one another. It is also He who draws us

to Christ, for as we are told in Revelation, "The Spirit and the

bride say, Come."

     The staff is also used for guiding sheep. Again and again I

have seen a shepherds use his staff to guide his sheep gently

into a new path or through some gate or along dangerous,

difficult routes. He does not use it actually to beat the beast.

Rather, the tip of the long slender stick is laid gently against

the animal's side and the pressure applied guides the sheep in

the way the owner wants it to go. Thus the sheep is reassured of

its proper path.

     Sometimes I have been fascinated to see how a shepherd will

actually hold his staff against the side of some sheep that is a

special pet or favorite, simply so that they "are in touch." They

will walk along this way almost as though it were "hand-in-hand."

The sheep obviously enjoys this special attention from the

shepherd and revels in the close, personal, intimate contact

between them. To be treated in this special way by the shepherd

is to know comfort in a deep dimension. It is a delightful and

moving picture.

     In our walk with God we are told explicitly by Christ

Himself that it would be His Spirit who would be sent to guide

us, and to lead us into all truth (John 16:13). This same

gracious Spirit takes the truth of God, the Word of God, and

makes it plain to our hearts and minds and spiritual

understanding. It is He who gently, tenerly, but persistently

says to us, "This is the way-walk in it." And as we comply and

cooperate with His gentle promptings a sense of safety, comfort

and well-being envelops us.

     It is He, too, who comes quietly but emphatically to make

the life of Christ, my Shepherd, real and personal and intimate

to me. Through Him I am "in touch" with Christ. There steals over

me the keen awareness that I am His and He is mine. The gracious

Spirit continually brings home to me the acute consciousness that

I am God's child and He is my Father. In all of this there is

enormous comfort and a sublime sense of "oneness," of

"belonging," of "being in His care," and hence the object of His

special affection.

     The Christian life is not just one of subscribing certain

doctrines or believing certain facts. Essential as all of this

confidence in the Scriptures may be, there is, as well, the

actual reality of experiencing and knowing firsthand the feel of

His touch - the sense of His Spirit upon my spirit. There is for

the true child of God that intimate, subtle, yet magnificent

experience of sensing the Comforter at his side. This is not

imagination - it is the genuine, bona-fide reality of everyday

life. There is a calm, quiet repose in the knowledge that He is

there to direct even in the most minute details of daily living.

He can be relied on to assist us in every decision, and in this

there lies tremendous comfort for the Christian.

     Over and over I have turned to Him and in audible, open

language asked for His opinion on a problem. I have asked, "What

would you do in this case?" or I have said, "You are here now.

You know all the complexities; tell me precisely what is the best

procedure at this point." And the thrilling thing is He does just

that. He actually conveys the mind of Christ in the matter to my

mind. Then the right decisions are made with confidence. It is

when I do not do this that I end up in difficulty. It is then

that I find myself in a jam of some sort. And here again the

gracious Spirit comes to my rescue just as the shepherd rescues

his sheep out of the situations into which their own stupidity

leads them.

     Being stubborn creatures sheep often get into the most

ridiculous and preposterous dilemmas. I have seen my own sheep,

greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep

cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea. Only my long

shepherd's staff could lift them out of the water back onto solid

ground again. One winter day I spent several hours rescuing a ewe

that had done this very thing several times before. Her stubbor-

nness was her undoing.

     Another common occurrence was to find sheep stuck fast in

labyrinths of wild roses or brambles where they had pushed in to

find a few stray mouthfuls of green grass. Soon the thorns were

so hooked in their wool they could not possibly pull free, tug as

they might. Only the use of a staff could free them from their

entanglement.

     Likewise with us. Many of our jams and impasses are of our

own making. In stubbon, self-willed, self-assertion we keep

pushing ourselves into a situation where we cannot extricate

ourselves. Then in tenderness, compassion and care our Shepherd

comes to us. He draws near and in tenderness lifts us by His

Spirit out of the difficulty and dilemma. What patience God has

with us! What longsuffering and compassion! What forgiveness!

     Thy staff comforts me! Your Spirit, 0 Christ, is my

consolation!

                           ....................

To be continued