The
23rd
Psalm was
written by David, Son of Jesse, who spent much of his early life
tending his father's sheep. When David wrote this Psalm, he was
writing from the perspective of a sheep and the flock's relationship
with the shepherd. The idea of the sheep and the shepherd is
actually taught in the Word of God to describe the relationship
between believers and our Heavenly Father: Heavenly because he's from
above and not beneath; Heavenly because he's from the higher realm
of spiritual elevation; Heavenly because he's spirit. This is Part 2
of 3.
“He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the
still waters.” (v 2)
It's not easy to get a sheep to lie
down. In order to get them to lie down, there are 4 things that need
to be met:
- they must be free from fear
- there cannot be any tension among the flock
- they must not be aggravated with flies or parasites
- they must be free from hunger
It is the shepherd who must see that
his flock is free from all of the above disturbances.
St. John 10:3-9:
“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.”
One thing about sheep is that they are
very easily frightened. A rabbit can jump from the bushes, and they
are terrified. When one startled sheep runs in fright, all of the
others follow without even waiting to see what frightened them.
Nothing quiets a flock of sheep like seeing their shepherd in the
field with them.
St. John
10:12-14: “But he that is a 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 a hireling,
and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my
sheep, and am know of mine.”
We as sheep have no business being
afraid when “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of
power, love and a sound mind”. (2 Tim 1:7) And we know that
he's the good shepherd and we're protected.
St John 10:28:
“And I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck hem out of my
hand.”
Sheep's nature is
very gentle and submissive. (Isaiah 53:7; Jeremiah 11:19) They are
defenseless (Micah 5:8; Mt. 10:16) and are in constant need of
guidance and care. (Numbers 27:17; Mt. 9:36)
In “animal”
society, there is an established order of dominance or status. With
chickens, it is known as the “pecking order”. Among sheep, it is
the “butting order”. They maintain their status by butting and
driving away other sheep from their favorite grazing spot. This
usually causes tension, and the sheep can't lie down and rest because
they're standing and ready to fight. When they do this, it wears the
sheep out, and they lose weight and become irritable. But when the
Shepherd is around, they forget their rivalries and stop fighting.
Just like in the
“animal kingdom”, people struggle for status in society. We call
it “keeping up with the Joneses”. We want self-recognition and
self-ascension. Some of us fight to be
“top sheep”. We butt, quarrel, and compete to get ahead, and it
causes tension and confusion. But when we submit to Our Shepherd,
his Spirit brings an end to Babylon.
Sheep will not
rest as long as they are hungry. A hungry sheep is always searching
for another mouth of food. Remember where David was in Palestine,
green pastures just didn't happen by chance. Shepherds had to search
hard for green areas or cultivate them themselves. But when the
shepherd has fed the sheep and has relieved them of their tension and
aggravation and they no longer are afraid, they will lie down.
How many know the
Great Shepherd has spread the table, and we're eating deliciously,
and we can say “He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures”. (v
2)
“He
leadeth me beside the still waters”. (v
2)
Sheep
need water to survive. If the water is noisy and turbulent, they
will not drink. They require a well or slow flowing stream - “still
waters”.
We,
like sheep, need physical water and spiritual water which is the Word
of the Living God. Our wells are on the inside of us and “out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. (John 7:38)
John 4:14 – “but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting life”
John
7:37 – “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink”.
“He
restoreth my soul” (v 3)
There's
an old English shepherd's term called a “cast sheep”. This is a
sheep that has turned over on its back and can't get back up again.
It happens frequently, and when it happens, all that the sheep can do
is lie on its back with its feet flaying frantically in the air. It
will sometimes bleat but usually it will just kick. So if the
shepherd does not arrive within a short time, the sheep will die.
That's why the shepherd is constantly watching over the flock making
sure they're accounted for and on their feet. Now I can understand
the parable of the 99 sheep and one strayed away. The shepherd knew
it was probably cast, and if it wasn't rescued, it would surely die.
(Mt. 18:12)
A
shepherd will search for hours looking for a single sheep. When he
finds it, it is usually cast. He'll turn the sheep on its side and
rub its legs to restore circulation, and then lift it to its feet.
After a while, the sheep will stumble and stagger but eventually will
walk steadily and surely. We stumble and fall yet our Shepherd is
patient and merciful and will set us back on our feet.
Another
thing about sheep is that they have no sense of direction. Unlike
dogs or cats that can find their way back home, a sheep is a “goner”
once it has lost its way. They are in constant need of a shepherd to
restore it back into the fold. Doesn't our Father restore us when
we've lost our way
spiritually
as well as physically?
“He
leadeth me into the path of righteousness for his name sake.”
(v 3)
If
sheep are left to themselves, they will graze the same hills until
they turn to a desert waste. They will graze the grass to the very
ground is damaged, even the roots. They need a shepherd who will
lead them to good grazing ground. Aren't we sometimes like sheep?
As humans we go our own way doing our own thing until we come to a
desert place; then we don't know what to do or where to turn, but
then the Good Shepherd is always there to turn us around and lead us
in the right direction. (Isaiah 53:6) Like the sheep, we have all
gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. Our Shepherd is
a LEADER NOT A DRIVER. Therefore we should follow his footsteps.
After all, Jesus said “I am the way”. (John 14:6)
~ Evangelist Mary Perry
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