VICTORIOUS LIVING IN THE VALLEY

STUDIES IN PSALM 23

By Rev. William Claire Greiner

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

David is telling us here that if the Lord is our Shepherd we shall not want for restoration.

Sheep are careless, curious, and cantankerous creatures.

A lovely old hymn reminds us: "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love."

William Thompson in his book, The Land And the Book, tells us that some sheep always keep near the shepherd, and are his special favorites. "Each of them has a name, to which it answers joyfully; and the kind shepherd is ever distributing to such choice portions which he gathers for that purpose. These are the contented and happy ones. They are in no danger of getting lost or into mischief, nor do wild beasts or thieves come near them. The great body, however, are mere worldlings, intent upon their own pleasures or selfish interests. They run from bush to bush, searching for variety or delicacies, and only now and then lift their heads to see where the shepherd is, or, rather, where the general flock is, lest they get so far away as to occasion remark in their little community, or rebuke from their heir keeper. Others, again, are restless and discontented, jumping into everybody’s field, climbing into bushes, and even into leaning trees, whence they often fall and break their limbs. These cost the good shepherd incessant trouble. Then there are others incurably reckless, who stray far away, and are often utterly lost."

Amazingly when a sheep is running away and refusing to heed the shepherd’s voice calling it back, a good shepherd does not get angry. Nor will he let it perish. He leaves his flock in the hands of an assistant, or to the care of his dog, and he goes after the straying one, through the woods and the rocky mountains, in the heat of summer or the cold of winter, to bring it lamb back to the fold.

We are reminded of the parable of our Lord in Matthew 18:12,13 -- "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray."

It’s interesting that most pictures portray the shepherd returning with a small lamb draped over his shoulder. In reality it is usually an obstreperous ram or a wayward ewe that had needed to be hunted down and restored.

The word "restoreth" means to "bring back to a former or normal state, as being repaired or rebuilt to its original power or performance."

When one restores a battery that is run down, he attaches it to another battery which is at full strength with jumper cables. The power from the full battery is released into the battery which is dead.

As the sheep needed daily restoration from the shepherd, so we are in need of daily forgiveness and cleansing that leads toward a full restoration of relationship and power

1 John 1:9,10. "If we confess our sins......" The verb forms here are in the Greek progressive aroist tense. It implies that the Christian will sin, but with each sin, there is ample forgiveness if the sin is properly confessed and repented. As we continually confess He will continually forgive and continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The shepherd realized that forgiveness and restoration was an important experience for the sheep, and so he offered it daily. So, too, the church of Christ must always remember its unique role as a Citadel of pardon reaching out to the lost and fallen, and those stained in life, offering forgiveness and reconciliation through Christ. The church should be a hospital for the sick the sullied, and stained in life; never a country club for the self-righteous.

Kirkegaard said, "Christ was not crucified upon a church altar between two stained glass windows, but upon a cross between two stained men."

Sometimes a sheep is missing because it is a "cast" sheep.

A "cast" sheep or a "cast down" sheep is an old English shepherd’s term for a sheep that has turned over on its back and cannot get up again by itself. It is a pathetic sight.

This is how It happens. A heavy, fat, or long fleeced sheep will lie down comfortably in some little hollow or depression in the ground. It may roll on its side slightly to stretch out or relax. Suddenly the center of gravity in the body shifts so that it turns on its back far enough that the feet no longer touch the ground. It feels a sense of panic and start to paw frantically, but it only makes things worse. It rolls over further, until now it is quite impossible for it to get back up. Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally it lies there lashing about in fear. Predators such as buzzards, vultures, dogs, coyotes and cougars know that a cast sheep is easy prey and death is not far off. It is a serious situation, and if the weather is very hot a cast sheep can die in a few hours.

When a sheep is missing, often the first thought to flash into the shepherd’s mind is: "One of my sheep might be cast." So the shepherd goes in search of the missing one. When he finds it, he rolls it over and lifts it to its feet. Straddling the sheep with his legs he holds her erect, rubbing her limbs to restore circulation, all the while talking to it gently.

Sometimes a sheep becomes cast because it has too much wool which is burdensome and heavy. The remedy is for the shepherd to shear the sheep clean, which is not always a pleasant process. Sheep do not especially enjoy being sheared.

Wool in scripture depicts the old self-life. The accumulation of things, possessions, worldly ideas, etc. weighing me down. No high priest was ever allowed to wear wool when he entered the Holy of Holies. It would speak of self, of pride, of personal preference, and God could not tolerate it.

Revelation 3:17 -- "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked."

Another reason a sheep is cast because it is too fat. It needs a rigorous diet. So, too, many Christians need to go on a spiritual diet. Many are pigging out on wrong things.

Perhaps today you are saying with David in Psalm 42:11— "Why art thou cast down, o my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me?"

You might need a good shearing and change of diet.

There were several ways by which the Palestinian shepherd led his sheep.

I. BY EXHORTATION.

The Shepherd would speak often to the sheep. This helped them to learn his distinct voice patterns of rhythm, resonance and timber. This familiarity to the shepherd’s voice developed a deep trust in the shepherd. The raising of his voice in strident tones for scolding affected the sheep greatly. The lowering of the voice in tones more sympathetic and compassionate rewarded the sheep as well.

It is much like a parent and his child. The child recognizes the tone of voice. He also has the ability to hear that voice above all others whether in a crowded room or church or mall.

The shepherd trained his sheep to come at his call, even if there were several flocks intermingled. The shepherd trained his sheep to go in order, in twos or fours, in squares and circles. A sheep from the outer circle in a flock of a thousand will come when its name is called.

A stranger once declared to a Syrian shepherd that the sheep knew the dress and not the voice of their master. The shepherd said it was the voice they knew. To prove this, he exchanged dresses with the stranger, who went among the sheep in the shepherd’s dress, calling the sheep in imitation of the shepherd’s voice, and tried to lead them. They knew not his voice, but when the shepherd called them, though he was disguised, the sheep ran at once at his call.

Jesus in the discourse of the Good Shepherd in John 10:3-5 -- "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

Sometimes an unruly sheep will not heed the Shepherd’s call, and will start to stray away. The shepherd puts a stone in his sling, and tosses it so it lands just in front of the straying sheep as a warning. It usually brings the wandering one back to the flock.

II. THE SHEPHERD LEADS BY EXAMPLE.

David says, "He leads me..."

The Palestinian shepherd always walked ahead of his sheep. This was especially true when young lambs were about to enter new pastures. They needed special guidance as to where they should walk among "new and strange surroundings."

A tourist was walking down the road in rural Jerusalem and was confronted with a shepherd and a small band of sheep crossing the road. Observing the beautiful animals the tourist remarked to the shepherd, "How did you get such a beautiful flock of sheep?" The shepherd replied, "I simply took care of them while they were lambs."

Leadership by example and exhortation are extremely important and valid for us today.

We have the exhortation of God’s voice coming to us through His Word. We have the example of the Shepherd walking before us, "being tempted in all points such as we are, yet without sin." "Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith."

Notice now where the Shepherd leads us.

Literally translated it is: "He leads me in right paths."

The Hebrew word translated "paths" means "a well-defined, well-worn trail." This indicates again how stupid sheep are, because even when the trail is well laid out, they still need a shepherd. They are inclined to wander away, no matter how obvious the path may be. That is why they need the Shepherd. He knows the trails. He has been there before, and the sheep trust him. He goes before, not merely to point out the way, but to see that it is practical and safe.

I think the most anxiety-producing factor in the world today is uncertainty about the future. What is going to happen tomorrow, and the next day? There are decisions we must make which affect only not only our own lives, but the lives of everyone with whom we are associated: our family and our neighbors and our business associates. We are constantly making decisions, and they can be fearful.

There is the classic story about a man undergoing basic training in the army. He was pulling KP and was given the assignment of sorting potatoes. There was a huge mound of them and the mess sergeant told him to put all the bad ones in one bin, and all the good ones in the other bin. He came back about two hours later to find the man just looking at one potato. There was nothing in the bins. The sergeant said, "What's the matter, don't you like the work?" The soldier said, "It's not the work; it's the decisions that are killing me."

I often feel that way, don’t you? With the countless decisions confronting us each day, we need wisdom. We need a shepherd. We need someone who knows the trails, someone whom we can trust. We need a decisive word from someone who knows the way. And the one who knows the way is our Shepherd.

The lovely little chorus reminds us that "My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow."

But the question arises -- "How can we discover His will for our lives?"

First, submit wholeheartedly to the leadership of the shepherd. Unless we are willing to admit that we don't know the way through the wilderness, and submit to his leadership, we will never find the way.

Jesus said, "If the eye is single, then the whole body will be full of light. If the eye is dual (or evil), how great is that darkness," (Luke 11:34).

Jesus is saying that if our eye is fastened on Him, if our eye is single, then our whole body will be full of light. We will know what to do. We will know the truth, and we'll act on it. We'll have understanding and wisdom. But if we have one eye on Christ, and the other on the world or on our circumstances or our boyfriend or girlfriend or whatever, if the eye is dual, how great is that darkness! We never know where we are to go. We will have no sense of direction, and will wander in darkness.

We have to submit wholeheartedly to the leadership of the shepherd. We must be willing to say, "I'll go anywhere. I'll do anything. I'll be anything. I'll carry any load, live anyplace you want me to live, do anything you want me to do."

Once we're willing to say that, then God can reveal his will. Paul said it another way: "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service...and you will know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," {cf, Rom 12:1b-2}.

The second thing we must do is to obey what we know now to be God's revealed will for us. Probably 95% of God's will is already revealed in His Word. We have to begin by obeying the truth that we have. If we are not raising our children in the nurture and admonition of Christ, we cannot expect God to direct us. If we as men are not loving our wives as Christ loved the church, the Lord will not reveal more of his will. If you wives are not in submission to your husbands, God's leadership will not come to you. But when we obey the 95% of the truth that we have, then the 5% that is indefinite simply follows along as a matter of course.

This does not mean that we have to be sinless, but it does mean we have to be willing to face and put away sin as God points it out to us. If we are willing to be brought into conformity to Jesus Christ in every area of our life, and we are allowing him freedom to work, then He will reveal more truth to us. But He won't if we are consciously holding out, and defending sin. He reveals additional truth only to men and women who have open and obedient hearts.

But what about those areas of life where the Scriptures do not give specific information? This is where we are led by the peace of God. As we spend time in prayer and waiting upon God there comes the sense of peace, an inner conviction, about the correctness of a certain direction. "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15). The peace of God will be the umpire in our life and will let us know what to do.

Ruth and I have discovered that we can trust that peace. When we move on the basis of it we discover that God supports and undergirds our actions and, through confirming circumstances, further strengthens our sense of peace.

God will lead His flock in the right paths. That is a promise!

And He does this "for his name's sake." It isn't our name which is at stake. It is His name. It's His character, His reputation that is at stake.

God must fulfill His promises, or His reputation is impugned. His name is Faithful, and He has promised that He will lead us in the right paths. To me that is a tremendous source of encouragement.

The nomadic shepherds were always putting their reputation and lives on the line. When they would meet together, as they often did around a campfire, they would share the events of the day or the week. For days, months, and years afterward it would be mentioned as a disgrace to any shepherd who permitted a stray lamb or sheep to perish without going in search of it, or if he led his sheep in wrong paths to wrong pastures.

On the other hand, if the shepherd has exposed himself to great danger to save a sheep or his flock, that will be mentioned to his great credit. Others will praise him as a brave shepherd. They would say Ibrihim went after his sheep and saved it from the mouth of a lion or a bear. If he had not done this he would be branded as a coward.

The shepherd had a vital stake in the sheep under his care. While he was concerned for the well being of his sheep he jealously guarded his own reputation as a good shepherd of sheep as well.

A lawyer tries to win the case of his client, but also for his own name sake (reputation). If he loses too many cases, his reputation as an effective lawyer becomes eroded. A doctor tries to save the life of his patient, but also "for his own name’s sake."

So the Shepherd of Love has a great stake in our lives today. He leads us into the paths of righteousness "for His name sake." It is His name we bear when we carry the name of Christ.

Suddenly the mood of the psalm dramatically changes. Up to this point David was speaking mostly of the shepherd in the sunshine, but now he begins to relate his experiences with Him in the shadows. The shepherd was one the sheep could rely on both in sunshine and in shadow, both in the day and as well as the darkness.

As the shepherd is leading the sheep, perhaps on the way home at evening, they pass through a narrow gorge where long shadows lie across the trail. In the Hebrew this is a "valley of deep shadows". The sheep are frightened by the experience, but they trust the shepherd, and therefore they are comforted.

Divine shepherding means more than just green pastures, still waters, and lack of want of any good thing. It encompasses with regularity the valley of the shadow of death. But through it all we have the companionship of the shepherd.

That is why we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do to me," (Heb 13:6).

I’m reminded of the Lord's words in Hebrews 13:5: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." That is a great comfort.

ILLUSTRATION: The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves. On the night of a boy’s thirteen birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test. He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone. Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and the tribe. But on this night, he is blindfolded and taken several miles away. When he takes off the blindfold, he finds himself in the middle of a thick woods and he is terrified! Every time a twig snaps, he visualizes a wild animal ready to pounce. After what seems like an eternity, dawn breaks and the first rays of sunlight enter the interior of the forest. Looking around, the boy sees flowers, trees, and the outline of the path. Then, to his utter utter astonishment, he beholds the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with a bow and arrow. it is his father whohad been there all night long.

A "walk" here means a firm step, a step of assurance. It is not a faltering step, or a creeping step of a crouching man walking in fear, but rather it is a walk in safety sureness, and security. A walk means progress. Sometimes we get so weary of this world and so homesick for heaven that we would rather run than walk. But sometimes the kind of experiences we have in the valley must be taken in the pace of a walk. It does not have to be a slow walk, but neither should it be an impatient one. More times than not if God is to teach us some lesson through our valley experiences we will learn it at the gait of a walk rather than the hurried pace of a run. There is the valley of sickness, the valley of old age, the valley of financial loss, the valley of bereavement, the valley of betrayed friendship...

Notice that David did not say, "Yea though I walk in.." or "stay in" or "abide in" or "remain in" or "live in" or "camp in" or "tent in" or "wander in" or "get lost in" but he said, "Yea though I walk "THROUGH."

Thank God, there is a way out of the Valley. There is a way THROUGH the shadow. THROUGH the blackness there is brightness. THROUGH the darkness there is daylight. Through THE GLOOM there is glory. THROUGH the twilight there is the evening star. THROUGH the valley there is the vision of beauty.

F.B. MEYER said,: "In Damascus there is a long, dark, narrow lane, ending in a tunnel. It has been there for ages. The traveler descends, and passes through; but on the other side he emerges into he courtyard of an oriental palace, flashing with color and sunlight."

So it is for the Christian. THROUGH THE RAVINE THERE IS THE RAPTURE GLORIOUS.

Old Fernando D’Alfonso was a Basque sheep herder employed by a big Nevada sheep ranch. He had the reputation of being one of the best sheep ranchers in the state. His credentials traced back to almost 20 generations of Iberian shepherds. In an article printed in the National Wool Growers Magazine, D’Alfonso wrote most vividly of a literal valley of shadow of death.

"There is an actual Valley of the Shadow of Death in Palestine, and every sheep-herder from Spain to Dalmatia knows of it. It is south of the Jericho Road leading from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, and it is a narrow defile through a mountain range. Climatic and grazing conditions make it necessary for the sheep to be moved through this valley for seasonal feeding each year. The valley is four and a half miles long. Its side walls are over 1500 feet high in places and it is only 10 or 12 feet wide at the bottom. Travel through the valley is dangerous because its floor has gullies seven or eight feet deep. Actual footing on solid rock is so narrow in many places that a sheep cannot turn around. About halfway through the valley the walk crosses from one side to the other at a place where the path is cut in two by an eight foot gully. One side of the gully is about 18 inches higher than the other; the sheep must jump across it. The shepherd stands at this break and coaxes or forces the sheep to make the leap. If a sheep slips and lands in the gully the shepherd’s rod is brought into play. The old-style crook circles a large sheep’s neck or a small sheep’s chest and the animal is lifted to safety. If a more modern narrow crook is used, the sheep is caught about the hoofs and lifted up to the walk.

"Many wild dogs lurk in the shadows of the valley, looking for prey. The shepherd, skilled in throwing his staff, uses it as a weapon. The sheep have learned to fear no evil in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, for their master was there to protect them."

Notice, David did not say merely, "The valley of death." But rather, "the valley of the shadow of death."

Dr. Robert Moyer: "The shadow of something is often more ominous than the substance it represents. Stand a man out by a street light at night, and he will cast a shadow three times the length of his normal height. The shadow of the man becomes more ominous than the man himself."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "Who is afraid of the shadows? The shadow of a dog cannot bite me, the shadow of a sword cannot slay me, the shadow of a gun cannot kill me, and the shadow of death cannot harm me. When there is a shadow there must be light somewhere, and so there is. Death stands by the side of the highway in which we have to travel, and the light of heaven shining upon him throws a shadow across our path; let us then rejoice that there is a light beyond. Nobody is afraid of a shadow, for a shadow cannot stop a man’s pathway even for a moment."

David is saying in effect, "Death itself cannot harm me, for the evil that death represents (the sting) is no longer there."

Even medical science has established that death itself is one of the least painful experiences through which we all pass.

Woody Allen: "I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens."

The author of the book "The Song of Our Syrian Guest" reveals something of a sheep’s fear of death. He says that should a wolf come in the midst of a flock, the sheep become wild with fright. They run and leap in a most frantic way. However, the shepherd who is with them, reacts positively and immediately. He leaps to a rock or hill, where he can be seen and hear, in a voice that registers calm confidence. Upon hearing the call the sheep remember the shepherd and begin instantly to run in a circle round about the shepherd with all their strength. Their corporate strength becomes irresistible, the wolf is often smothered or sometimes even crushed to death."

If the fear of death is clouding your mind and closing in on your emotions, flee to the Shepherd of your soul. Let His familiar voice calm your heart and erase your fears. He conquered this last enemy of your soul long ago!

By the way, did you notice the changing of the pronoun here from "he" to "thou" is significant. Up to this point the Psalmist has been using the third personal pronoun "he" in verses 1-3. However, now the shadow of the valley and the fear of the grave has made him draw closer to the shepherd. He unconsciously slips into the language of the second person. It is no longer "he" but a tender, intimate word "thou." Instead of being overwhelmed or embittered by life’s despair or discouragement, he permit’s these abrasives to drive him into the bosom of Christ.

The rod, or nabut, was a club which was used to protect the sheep from marauding predators and also for controlling the sheep. It was about three and one half feet long and was deeply embedded with flint stone and pieces of jagged rock. It generally hung conveniently along side the shepherd’s tunic by a leather thong. The shepherd could fling it much like the Australian bushmen uses a boomerang. It was a reliable weapon.

The staff on the other hand was a slender pole, 40 to 50 inches long, with a little crook on the end. It could be hooked around the leg of a sheep to pull him from harm. Or it could be used as an instrument to direct, and occasionally to discipline the sheep, with taps on the side of the body.

1. TO NUMBER THE SHEEP

F.B. Meyer says: "Morning and evening, every sheep passed under the rod as it went out and came in. Each sheep was recognized, inspected as it passed under the scrutinizing eye of its shepherd. The Eastern shepherd did not count or number his sheep so much as he gave them each a name. He made sure each member of the flock was present, and safely folded for the night. The rod reminded the sheep daily that it had a name and was an individual in the shepherd’s fold. What a pleasant thought. Each morning we arise to go forth to our daily duties. His rod "touches us." 

Our Shepherd tenderly calls each of us by our name and gives personal superintendence to our private needs.

F.B. Meyer goes on to say: "Our names may be unknown amongst the great and learned; but they are written in heaven; our dwelling places may be lowly and ungarnished among the mansions and palaces of the rich; but we have ‘houses not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.’ Our sphere of ministry may be limited, but we shine as stars of the first magnitude in the sight of God. We are accounted as the small dust in the balance, as smoking flax, or bruised reeds; but in the eye of our Heavenly Father we are prized as very precious jewels, entered in His inventory, and destined to shine in the regalia of His Son before The gaze of all worlds........The myriad stars of heaven seem to make up one huge flock. Their Shepherd is God, who is driving them through space; or who watches them, as it were, resting on the heavenly slopes as a flock of sheep on the downs at night. And He has a name for each of them. It is therefore to be supposed that He will not be as minute in His care of each one of us? Will He not have a name for each of us? Will He not number us when He tells the tale of His sheep, even as He numbers the hairs of our heads? This very morn He touched you with His staff and counted you. You are the destined object of His care."

The shepherd’s rod often dealt the sheep sharp hard blows around its heels and across its back. However, when this act of discipline was done it indicated to the sheep that the shepherd’s eye was upon him and loved him and would not allow the sheep to destroy himself by some foolish act. The rod was always ready for immediate use should the authority of the shepherd ever be threatened by some rambunctious ram or obstreperous ewe.

A shepherd once had in his flock a sheep that followed him everywhere. He ate from his hand and followed him more like a dog than a sheep. He was asked one day to explain this evident love of the sheep for him. The shepherd replied: "You wouldn’t believe that the first year of this sheep’s life, he was very wayward and stubborn. He cost me innumerable long hours of searching. Finally one day I simply broke the leg of the sheep, bound it up and carried it wherever I went. I fed it by hand, I carried water to it, I took care of its every need. Subsequently when it was fully healed it had become so accustomed to a closer relationship with me, it has never strayed again."

So are God’s dealings with us. Many a physical misfortune followed by a forced time of physical repair, has alerted us to a spiritual relationship we left unattended due to our self-governed but mis-managed lives.

Gardeners prune not the useless weeds or the renegade trees, for they are not worth the effort. However, watch how meticulously they curry and prune the trees who have the future of fruit.

The shepherd’s staff was crooked at one end. Often the shepherd used this crook end of the rod to help the weaker sheep over the brooks or rescue it from the bog. It came into particular play while the sheep were passing through the valley of the shadow of death. Often the sheep would fall into the six or seven foot deep ravines created by the fierce waters of erosion. Many sheep had to be extricated or lifted out of these crevices by the shepherd. He would take the crook end of his staff, lower it down underneath the front legs of the sheep and hoist it back to safety. The rod of recovery was also used to help free many of the sheep that became entangled with the bramble bushes and snarly briar patches which clung stubbornly to the sheep’s matted wool.

Remember when Peter through his unbelief began to sink in the waves, the Savior caught him and supported him, so that they walked together to the boat. That is picture of our Shepherd’s tender care.

Sin not only grieves our Shepherd, but it often plunges us into circumstances of misery and trouble which threaten to overwhelm us. At such times He is not unmindful of us, and though we may seem to have forfeited all claim to His care, yet He is "a very present help in time of trouble." He comes after us in the wilderness, not stopping until He has discovered the pit into which we have fallen, and from which He does not fail to pull us forth, placing us on His shoulders if we are too weak to walk and bringing us back. His greatest recompense -- that we are safe!

Most Eastern shepherds traveled without sheep dogs, and thus they became the sole protectors of their flocks. The rod, a lethal piece of the shepherd’s equipment being deeply embedded with flintstone and jagged rock, became an ominous sign of the protection the shepherd offered his sheep. He would often use his rod to strike down many of the foes of sheep. They were known as expert marksmen with their rods. They could hurl it with deadly accuracy and kill a wild dog or wolf at 30 or 40 paces.

There are many spiritual foes that would destroy the flock of God. Satan is described as a lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

Distinctions between the rod and the staff (See folder).

The word "comfort" comes from the Latin. Com means with and thus speaks of company, and fortis is the word for "strong." Hence the word comfort encompasses the idea of "strength through companionship."

Dr. K.W. McClaughlin of Richmond, VA, tells this story of an experience in Palestine. While talking to an old shepherd, he inquired into what sense it could be correctly said, that the shepherd’s staff was used for purposes of comforting his sheep. The old shepherd proceeded to explain. "In the daylight," he said, "I carry the staff across my shoulders. When the sheep see it, it speaks of my comforting presence. But on the other hand if night overtook us on some mountain side, of if we were caught in a heavy mountain mist, so that the sheep could no longer see the staff, then I would lower it, tap it on the rocks along the pathway, so as to give the comforting sound of my presence. Hence, the staff became a symbol of comfort both by sight (across the shoulders) and by sound (tapping on The rocks). The shepherd staff indeed became a symbol of strength through companionship."

Death is a companionship, not a lonely journey. It is a comfort, not a confusion. It is a transition, not a conclusion.

It is an arrival at home, not a stop on the way. 

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