The Good Shepherd

A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated."

"And what," his friend asked, "do you want me to do with your ashes?"

The businessman said, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service, and write on the envelope, ’Now you have everything’."

A. Just what is death? - Separation What is the second death?-Spiritual Separation

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

In verse 4 there is a very picturesque scene. The shepherd is leading the sheep back home at evening. As they go down through a narrow gorge the long shadows lie across the trail.

In the Hebrew this is a "valley of deep shadows". The sheep, because they are so timid and defenseless, are frightened by their experience.

But they trust the shepherd, and therefore they are comforted. They will fear no evil, because the shepherd is with them.

We are reminded of the Lord’s words quoted in the book of Hebrews,

"I will never leave you nor forsake you," {cf, Heb 13:5}.

2. And then David writes, "Your rod and staff comfort me."

a. The rod was a club which was used to drive off wild animals. It was never used on the sheep but was a heavy instrument used to protect the sheep from marauding predators.

b. The staff was a slender pole with a little crook on the end. It was used to aid the sheep. The crook 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.

3. Understanding how the shepherd tends his sheep has helped me so much in understanding the character of God.

When I go wandering away he doesn’t say, "There goes that stupid sheep, Bob Kerr!" and -- WHAP! down comes that big club! No.

His attitude is, "Well, there’s Bob, wandering away again. How can I help him? How can I move in to bring him back into line? How can I comfort him, and supply what he needs?"

He may have to discipline, but he always does it in love. He reproves, corrects, encourages, and instructs in righteousness, dealing with us firmly and gently.

Question: When our children or grand children wander off, should we jump on them immediately to punish with the Club or should we, like God, determine how to gently bring them back towards the right path.

Children sometimes get confused:

A little boy was asked one day if He knew where the Lord lived? He said,

"Yes! The Lord lives in our bathroom!" The Sunday School teacher said,

"Whatever makes you think that?" The child responded, "Well, every Sunday morning I hear Daddy banging on the bathroom door and hollering, `Good Lord! Are you still in there?’"

IV/ David changes the metaphor from the good shepherd to the gracious host: Psa 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.