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(4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
For those who have just a few sheep, that would be no problem, but when there
are hundreds and sometimes thousands of ewes in one flock, the staff becomes
very important. As much as he is able, the shepherd watches the lambs being
born. Then, if there is any confusion at all between the lamb and the ewe, he
uses his staff to hook the lamb around the neck through the body (a very deft
maneuver), picks the lamb up by his staff, and carries it to the proper ewe. He
cannot touch the lamb. If he touches the lamb, the ewe will not suckle it
because there is a wrong odor—the smell of the man—and the ewe fears it too
much. It will not feed it. These are the lambs one may see people feeding with a
bottle. The staff, then, is used to bring the lamb into an intimate relationship
with its ewe.
Secondly, the staff is used to reach out and grab a lamb for close
inspection. In this way, it frequently precedes the passing under the rod. The
shepherd hooks it by the neck or leg and leads it to where he will examine
it.
Thirdly, the staff is used in guiding the sheep as they are moving along,
because sheep tend to wander off. They always think the pasture is greener
somewhere else, and they start to wander away. The whole flock will be going one
way, but there will be one that heads in her own direction. The shepherd will
frequently use the blunt end to jab the sheep in the ribs and nudge it back in
the direction of the flock.
The staff represents God's
Spirit. It indicates gentle guidance, whereas the rod suggests sterner
measures such as offense or defense—protection. God
leads, guides, by His Spirit. Recall John 16:13, where Jesus told His disciples that He would
not leave them to fend for themselves, but He would provide another guide:
"However, when it, the Spirit of truth,
has come, it will guide you into all truth; for it will not speak on its own
authority, but whatever it hears it will speak; and it will tell you things to
come."
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
Psalm 23 (Part 3)
Related Topics:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
Psalm 23
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