Week 1

Today’s Readings:

Psalm 23 and 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Shepherds, Shepherds, Shepherds

Shepherds hold a special place in the Bible and in our faith. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, and shepherds were the first to hear about Christ's birth. Even Moses was a shepherd in Midian before he led Israel out of Egypt. The most famous shepherd in the Bible is David, who wrote Psalm 23.  

Psalm 23 starts with an interesting picture. It says,

"The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters" (Psalm 23:1-3)

The passage addresses our lack of control. We are not the shepherd, God is. Sheep are known for lacking direction; they rely entirely on the shepherd for guidance. Sheep function based on feeling. When a sheep is hungry, it will eat all of the grass in front of it and starve if it's not moved to a new area. Regarding water, sheep can go months without drinking if dew is on the ground. However, a good shepherd is only content if the sheep are given proper water.

David addressed the shepherd's character by the quality of his care for the sheep: "I shall not be in want." But David immediately explains why, as a sheep, he always has provision under the Lord's care. This shepherd "makes you lie down in green pastures."

The “Saul” of it All

In 1 Samuel 16, we meet David for the first time. The prophet Samuel is sent by God to anoint a new king for Israel because Saul, the first king, has disobeyed God. (More on Saul later because trust me, it gets juicy!)  God tells Samuel, 

"How long will you mourn for Saul since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." (Samuel 16:1b) 

The shepherd was making Samuel "lie down in green pastures."  In W. Phillip Keller's book "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23", he talks about how sheep won't lie down unless they feel completely safe and free from fear, tension, and hunger. Only a good shepherd can provide that peace. The prophet Samuel had just been thrust into all of these. For years, he had warned the people that God should be their only king. But the people didn't listen, so God allowed Saul, who looked like a king but who was much too self-reliant, to be anointed. But as Samuel feared, Saul failed.

But God, a good shepherd, eases Samuel's anxieties and makes him lie where there is healthy grass instead of mourning over what is now dry and desolate. God does this by making Samuel aware of his presence. "…I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." (1 Samuel 16:3b) 

The interesting thing about the structure of Psalm 23's opening is that the promise of lacking nothing comes not just from the acknowledgment of God as a shepherd but also from the obedience to lie in the green pastures, follow his lead beside quiet waters, and surrender to the restoration of the soul. 

It’s Not What You Think

Samuel goes to Bethlehem to find the new king among Jesse's sons. 1 Samuel 16:6 says, "When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord."

Have you ever felt that something was a perfect fit, only to have your hopes dashed? I thought that was going to be my forever job! I thought that was going to be my forever friend! God hadn't chosen Eliab to be king. Samuel couldn't see what God saw, just as sheep can't see what the shepherd sees. 

Psalms 23:3 says, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Following the shepherd down the right paths can sometimes mean passing up easy paths. Jesse had seven sons present, all of whom were the wrong paths for what God chose to do next.

When Saul was anointed, he looked like a king; tall, handsome, and courageous in battle. But Saul only cared about his name's sake (his reputation). When God gave Samuel 'no's' down the line, he wasn't picking the obvious leader; he was choosing someone who reflected His heart (God's reputation). What better option than a shepherd! David, the one they didn't even bother inviting, turned out to be the one God was looking to anoint king!

“…You anoint my head with oil; and my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5b) 

Believe it or not, this image in Psalms refers to a treatment that shepherds used to apply to their sheep when they saw their flock struggling with nose flies and other parasites. Applying oil to their heads would immediately ease their restless panicking. Imagine how Samuel felt when this rust-haired, boyish shepherd turned out to be the answer to his prayers. The oil flowing from his priestly horn onto David's head was a moment of divine choice.

We have an oil that the Good Shepherd has poured over us—the Holy Spirit. It soothes our minds when we feel restless and when parasites threaten our peace. Anointing our heads with oil is the Shepherd's way of letting us know he is near. 

Dive Deeper

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David." (Luke 2:4)

The Christmas story is bathed in the legacy of David. When the Lord told Samuel to stop mourning Saul, he had no idea what anointing David would mean.  When seven of Jesse's strongest and tallest sons presented themselves as options for a king, Samuel had no clue why rejecting the obvious choice was so crucial. Sometimes, like Samuel, we don't see the bigger picture.

We often don't know what is on the other side of our obedience. But what does it mean to be obedient? I learned from a counselor once that you have to move forward in your grief. That's what Samuel is being called into when the Good Shepherd sends him to Bethlehem. Feel disappointed about Saul, but don't let that stop you from moving forward with David. 

Mary and Joseph were members of David's royal line because Samuel obeyed. That oil that flowed down David's curls fell onto his line's future member: the Messiah. When it's hard to move forward because of your disappointment, lean into faith. It's ok for you to feel, but faith tells me that where the Good Shepherd is leading is better than where I've been.

Psalms 23:4 says, "Even 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."

David mentions the rod and staff, which represent correction and direction. It's comforting to know that while I am moving forward despite my feelings, God is correcting me and my perspective and affecting my path forward. Sheep are terribly habitual animals. Sometimes, the shepherd has to break them out of their routine by taking them somewhere fresh and new. Trust in the Shepherd. Despite how it feels, move forward in faith.