The Shepherd's Rest

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [musterion] which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested [phaneroo – made visible].                                 Romans 16:25-26 

Upon Paul’s conversion, the Lord began to reveal many things to him that were utterly unknown to the religious community as a whole at the time of Christ’s appearance in the world. Since Saul of Tarsus was a renowned student of the Law of Moses, having studied under Gamaliel, he had a deep understanding of the old covenant relationship to God. However, the Messiah’s first coming, His rejection by the Jewish leaders, and the suffering He would endure leading to His death on a cross were not commonly expected.

Yet the Old Testament contains some obscure references to multiple appearances of the Messiah. These include references to the former and latter (early and late) rains, suggesting two appearances of the Messiah and the accounts in Exodus 32-34 of two deliveries of the tablets of stone to Moses and the people on Sinai. Moses destroyed the first one when he found the people worshipping a golden calf, speaking of their rejection of the Messiah at His first coming. In chapter 34, God calls Moses back to Sinai, and the tablets of stone are received and accepted by the people. Chapter 33 is a picture of the Church Age, the time between the Messiah's two comings. In Exodus 33:18-19, Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” The Church Age is represented by the revelation of the glory of the Father in the person (face) of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).

The Lord is my Shepherd

David is attributed with writing 73 Psalms in the Bible. Psalm 22 is an account of the suffering and death of Jesus, as it begins with Jesus's statement on the cross: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? The 24^th Psalm is a clear reference to the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom in the Kingdom Age. Between these two Psalms of David is Psalm 23, a spiritual depiction of the Church Age through the relationship of the Shepherd to the sheep. It is a blueprint for the intimacy that any believer can have with God in Christ.

There are several references to the Lord as a Shepherd. Psalm 80:1, Oh, give ear, Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who are enthroned above the cherubim, shine forth! The reference to Joseph relates to Genesis 49:22-24 when Jacob blesses his sons: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall. The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him, and hated him. But his bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel). Joseph means "fruitful," and it is used in many verses to symbolize the church. These verses are explicit references to the Lord as Shepherd and the church as His sheep.

The Good Shepherd 

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.            John 10:11-16 

Jesus defined this relationship most clearly in John 10. In this passage, He establishes the relationship He has with the sheep as one who gives His life for the sheep, the manifestation of His love for each one. He also spells out some of the spiritual warfare that opposes the spiritual relationship with the Shepherd. The hireling does not care about the sheep, while the wolf catches the unguarded sheep and scatters them. The Good Shepherd will do anything to provide for and protect the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28).

I Shall not Want

The Lord is my shepherd [raah – one who tends sheep], I shall not want [haser – lacking, needy]. He makes me lie down in green pastures [naah – where flocks graze]; He leads me beside quiet waters [waters of rest]. He restores my soul [causes me to live]; He guides me in the paths of righteousness [right paths] for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow [radap – chase after, pursue] me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.                          Psalm 23:1-6 

The 23rd Psalm was most likely written later in David's life, from his multiple experiences. Having been a shepherd early in his life, the image of the shepherd is an apt one. He describes himself as one of the Lord’s flock, safe under His care, fully satisfied that the Lord takes care of every need. It is the environment that allows David to enjoy all the simple pleasures which make up life—the freshness of the meadow and the coolness of the stream. It is the most complete picture of happiness and rest that ever was or can be drawn. It represents a state of mind that allows him to see beyond his own failures and shortcomings without anxiety. The emphasis is on what the Shepherd does and initiates in the life of each sheep to bring him to His rest.   

The first provision listed in the Psalm is the lying down in green pastures, a picture of feeding the flock. In Ezekiel 34:13, “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. According to Spurgeon’s Treasury of David, “Sweet and full are the doctrines of the gospel; fit food for souls, as tender grass is natural nutriment for sheep. When by faith we are enabled to find rest in the promises, we are like the sheep that lie down in the midst of the pasture; we find at the same moment both provender and peace, rest and refreshment, serenity and satisfaction.” The Lord provides not only spiritual nourishment, His Word, but also its understanding through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 

Led by the Spirit

Maturity in the believer is directly related to his willingness to be led by the Holy Spirit. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons [huios – disciples] of God (Romans 8:14). Spurgeon says: “What are these ‘still waters’ but the influences and graces of his blessed Spirit? His Spirit attends us in various operations, like waters — in the plural — to cleanse, to refresh, to fertilise, to cherish. They are ‘still waters’, for the Holy Ghost loves peace, and sounds no trumpet of ostentation in his operations. He may flow into our soul, but not into our neighbor's, and therefore our neighbor may not perceive the divine presence; and though the blessed Spirit may be pouring his floods into one heart, yet he that sits next to the favored one may know nothing of it.” Jesus told His disciples: But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out (John 10:2-3).

When the soul grows weary, He revives it; when it struggles with sin, He sanctifies it; when it is weak, He strengthens it. He gives new life when needed. It is the work of the Good Shepherd, who understands the infirmities and shortcomings of His sheep. The Holy Spirit guides and empowers the believer to walk in right paths in honor of the Shepherd and the relationship established. In Isaiah 42:16, “I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, in paths they do not know, I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, and I will not leave them undone.”

Shadow of Death 

Our heart has not turned back, and our steps have not deviated from Your way, yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death.       Psalm 44:18-19

David laments walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but his saving grace is to know that the Shepherd is always with him, in any situation. Hebrews 13:5-6 contains a quote from Deuteronomy 31:6, where Moses commands the people to be strong and courageous:  "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" The rod was used by the shepherd to count the sheep, the assurance of salvation. The staff was used to ward off enemies and give the sheep assurance of protection. Shepherd Your people with Your scepter, the flock of Your possession which dwells by itself in the woodland, in the midst of a fruitful field. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old. (Micah 7:14).

He Prepares a Table

When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all, he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: "Thou preparest a table," just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door, and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace. Oh! the peace which Jehovah gives to his people, even in the midst of the most trying circumstances!                Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon

In John 10:9-10, Jesus promises complete protection from all enemies: I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. The believer has no fear and total freedom going in or out. According to Wescott, “‘Go in and out’ is a phrase frequently used to denote the free use of an abode by one who is at home in the house. The believer who enters into fellowship with God, and is ‘saved,’ does not go in and out of that state, but can, as a child, share by turns the Divine repose of the home, and the high privilege of his sonship in the world. He claims his share in the inheritance of the world, secure in his home."

His Anointing

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.                             1 John 2:27 

The anointing of the head with oil is a reference to the anointing by the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth, guiding each believer into all truth and empowering the believer to abide in Him. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20). His cup overflows: The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot (Psalm 16:5). God’s provisions go far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

Goodness and Lovingkindness

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They drink their fill of the abundance of Your house, and You give them to drink of the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. O continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart.                     Psalm 36:7-10

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow [radap – chase after, pursue] me all the days of my life. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. When foreign leaders go abroad, they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy follow him, always, bringing him into the house of the Lord. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy 4:18).

God Causes the Growth

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.                 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 

As one observes in Psalm 23, it is the Lord who makes me lie down, leads me, restores my soul, and guides me in right paths. His rod and staff comfort me, and He prepares a banqueting table for me in the presence of my enemies. And it is His goodness and lovingkindness that follow me all my days! The entire focus of the Psalm is what the Shepherd does for His sheep. When the believer thinks he is required to do certain things to confirm the relationship with the Lord, he takes on responsibility and accepts glory that does not belong to him. Paul was addressing this issue with the Corinthians in the above passage.

The moment that any believer takes credit for something that the Lord has done, he undermines the glory that belongs to the Lord and, therefore, he diminishes the quality of the relationship he has with his Lord. In Galatians 6:14, Paul says, But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. The cross is the place where the believer gives full credit for everything in his life to God, His work, and His will. Even Nebuchadnezzar gave the Lord full recognition of His will in Daniel 4:35: “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’

Finding Rest

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke [zugos – that which binds two things together] upon you and learn [manthano – learn to understand] from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy [chrestos – fit, good for any use] and My burden is light."                               Matthew 11:28-30 

In the above statements, Jesus was inviting His disciples and anyone weary and heavy-laden to the Shepherd’s rest. Paradoxically, we can actually lighten our load by taking up His yoke. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). There is no consensus as to the meaning of the yoke of Christ, but it is given in conjunction with a call to learn from Me. The binding together of the disciple to Jesus as Lord is a willingness to understand and follow His heart as David had learned it, being a man after God’s heart. In learning of Him, the disciple emulates His gentleness and humility as he carries his cross.

When we come to Christ by faith, He gives us peace with God (Romans 5:1). When we take His yoke and learn from Him, we find the rest of surrender and obedience. The first is peace with God, the second is the peace of God. When we submit to Christ, we are yoked to Him. The yoke is easy, which means it fits well; He has just the yoke that is tailor-made for our lives and needs. This suggests that following Jesus, while requiring commitment and obedience, brings spiritual rest and peace. It contrasts with the heavy burdens of legalism and self-righteousness that the Pharisees imposed.

The Shepherd rests in who He is and desires that each one would find rest in His rest. In Hebrews 4:9, So there remains a Sabbath rest [sabbatismos – eternal rest] for the people of God. When the believer comes to fully appreciate the quality and scope of the position he has in Christ, he has found his home in the person and work of Christ. No more striving to attain rest, something he has already been given simply on the basis of faith.