Shepherd

The Lord, Our Shepherd (Ps. 23 & 121) In the Bible God refers to his people as sheep nearly 200 times (e.g. Ps. 80:1, 100:3, Isa. 40:11, Jer. 23:3, Ezek. 34:11-31, John 10:1-16, 1 Pe. 2:25) Jesus, the Good Shepherd Heb. ra`ah, shepherd, companion, teacher Appeared & will appear openly, by the front door, not by stealth (John 10:1-3) Leads His own and they recognize His voice (John 10:4-5) Offered his very life to save His sheep (John 10:11 & 17-18) Offers us: Freedom from want (Ps. 23:1, 2 & 5, 34:9, Matt. 6:33) Heb. chacer, want, lack, fail, shrink back, diminish, experience bereavement, lose respect Contentment (Phil. 4:11-19, Heb. 13:5) Abundance (Ps. 23:5, 31:19, John 10:10, Eph. 3:20, Mal. 3:10) Rest/Peace (Ps. 23:2, see also Job 34:29) What does a sheep or a baby need in order take a nap? They need to feel full, cared for, quiet and safe. Still waters allow for reflection, meditation, prayer, awareness Sheep will not drink from a body of water unless the water is still. Restoration (Ps. 23:3) Heb. nephesh, life, mind, soul My family’s time in Mount Olive has been like a refreshing pause in our lives Direction (Ps. 23:3, John 10:4-5, Luke 1:79) He leads, but to have these benefits, we must keep our eyes on Him and follow(Prov. 3:19-26) For His name’s sake? (Ps. 31:3, Prov. 8:20)

Security/Freedom from fear (Ps. 3:5-6, 23:4, 27:1, Isa. 41:10)

What is the valley of the shadow of death? (Matt. 4:16, Luke 1:79) Preservation/Protection from harm (Ps. 23:4, 121, 145:20) Heb. shamar, watch, preserve, keep From attack Sheep are essentially defenseless The rod was an instrument that could be used like a club on predators of prey. From accident/capture (Ps. 121:3, 1 Sam. 2:9, Prov. 3:26) Heb. mowt, stumble, be shaken, waver, be captured The staff was an instrument like a long cane where the shepherd could pull a sheep back to safety from the danger of falling off a cliff. From “scorching” & “moonstroke” (Ps. 121:5, Isa. 25:4, 49:10, Rev. 7:16) Heb. tsel, shade, shadow, defense Heb. nakah, smite, slay, kill, beat, wound, subjugate, cause to be judged God = SPF infinity! Ancient belief that moonbeams can cause “lunacy”. From all harm (Ps. 121:7) Safe passage (Ps. 121:7, Deu.28:6) If you are following His route! Goodness (Ps. 23:6, Eph. 5:9) Mercy (Ps. 23:6) We may rejection of His shepherding By self-reliance By dependence on others Note also: Sheep will not and cannot clean themselves