by Jilene Scherenske
This is the eighth in a series of articles on Psalm 23. I have found this study to be a great blessing to my soul and trust it will be to yours also. The reader should be aware that I have used Phillip Keller’s book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 as a resource. I refer often to his book and knowledge of the care of sheep. Then I take his insights, combine them with the Word of God and meditate thereon. This is the result of my meditations.
Ps 23:4b
…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Rod - 07626. jbv shebet, shay'-bet - from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:--X correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.
Staff - 04938. hnevm mish`enah, mish-ay-naw' - or mishteneth {mish-eh'-neth}; feminine of 4937; support (abstractly), i.e. (figuratively) sustenance or (concretely) a walking-stick:--staff.
Comfort - 05162. Mxn nacham, naw-kham' - a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself):--comfort (self), ease (one's self), repent(-er,-ing, self).
“…thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
Let us begin by looking at the rod. As a boy the shepherd would select a young sapling and dig it up from the ground. Then he would painstakingly carve it until it perfectly fits his body, his height and strength and his hand. Then he wouldpractice with it over and over again until he was adept at throwing it with amazing speed and accuracy. It became an extension of his right arm. It symbolized his strength, power, and authority. If we remember scripture, we will remember that David claimed great success with the use of his rod to the point that he had killed many a lion and bear (I Sam 17:34-37). Also remember Moses, a desert shepherd at the time, was told to lie down his rod and it became a serpent. That rod went on to symbolize for Pharaoh and the Israelites the authority and power of God behind Moses.
So, what is the rod to us today? It is the Word of God! The Word is the authority of God. Just as sheep find comfort in seeing the rod, so there is to our hearts great consolation as we realize the power of God’s Word. The Word of God is an extension of God’s will, God’s mind. Have we not all been ministered to by His Word? Have we not experienced its power in our lives? Do we not consider it the Authority for our lives, the law by which we live? If you read through Proverbs the word ‘rod’ is used nine times. In every case, if one considers the word ‘rod’ to be the ‘authority’, the verse becomes quite clear.
Look at how Moses’ rod was a symbol of the authority of God. God, by His power, turned Moses’ rod into a snake (Ex 4:2-4). It was a measly piece of wood, but God used it to reveal His power and His will.
God used Moses’ rod to bring the 7th plague of hail (Ex 9:22-23) and the 8th plague of locusts (Ex 10:12-13) and the Bible implies that his rod was also used to bring about the 9th plague of darkness (Ex 10:21-22). Then it was used both to part the Red Sea and to close it (Ex 14:16,21, Ex 14:26-27). In Horeb God used Moses’ rod to bring water from the rock (Ex 17:5-7). He used the rod to help the Israelites win the war against the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-15). Finally, God used Moses’ rod to bring water from the rock in Kadesh (Num 20:8-13). It was a stick!!! A common worthless dried up stick!!! But by it God revealed His authority, His power. The rod was nothing of itself, but God used this worthless piece of nothing to reveal His power and thus, His authority. I am reminded of a situation one of my friends had with their big black dog. They had gotten the dog for protection, but he was a bully and would sometimes attack the children. They took him to more than one dog training school, yet he remained aggressive. One day he again began to attack one of their kids and the father took the dog and threw him against their fireplace. Not a pleasant scene, but, lo and behold, that dog was forever after docile because now dad had proven he was more powerful than the dog. Now dad became the authority because of his power. That is what Moses’ rod did for God. It revealed His power and that His power was greater than anything anyone else could muster. That power gave God His Authority.
Remember? Aaron’s rod was placed in the Ark of the Covenant. Why? Because it also symbolized God’s authority. The people were murmuring against Moses and Aaron. It seems that there were many who desired the priesthood. It was a place of high honor and many sought it for that and not out of a heart of serving God. So God had every tribe bring a rod, a dead branch, most likely the rod that had been used for a long time as a symbol of authority for each particular tribe. They write their tribe’s name on it and give it to Moses who, as God had instructed, laid each rod up against the tabernacle for the night. The next morning it is Aaron’s rod that is in full bloom with buds and blossoms and even yielding the fruit of almonds, thereby clearly expressing God’s will that Aaron is to be the high priest and thus silencing the murmurs against him and Moses. Like all the other rods/sticks, Aaron’s rod was a dried-up old stick! The miracle was unmistakable. Not only was this a direct work of God pointing to His authority, but it was a miracle in that the blossoms and buds and fruit remained for years in the Ark of the Covenant to silence the rebels and verify God’s authority and power. Numbers 17
The rod is used by the shepherd to symbolize his authority over the sheep. As the authority over the flock, it protected the sheep. When the shepherd sees a sheep wandering away, he will throw the rod just on the other side of it and thus chase it back to the flock. If he sees a sheep grazing toward poisonous plants, he will do the same, all with the aim of protecting that sheep, never harming him, only bringing him back to the flock.
We read in Psalm 119:9-11, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. It is the Word of God as a rod in our lives that keeps us from sin. It chases us back to Jesus every time! All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2Ti 3:16 It always shows us the right way to go, then reproves us for the wrong path we are on; then it turns us around, and finally, heads us back to Jesus. By doing so, the Word of God keeps us following Jesus and thus keeps us safe. I cannot express how absolutely valuable and necessary it is for us to view God’s Word as our Authority and to act accordingly.
Another purpose for the rod is to examine the sheep. The shepherd, when letting the sheep out of their corral, has them pass by his rod, one by one, and examines each sheep thoroughly. Because of their thick coat of wool, it is not apparent on the surface whether a sheep might have parasites, wounds, or defects. Therefore, periodically the shepherd must fully examine them. He will run his skilled hands over their bodies feeling for signs of trouble and he will use his rod to part the wool in order to see the condition of the skin, the cleanliness of the fleece, and the condition of the body overall. The sheep are comforted by this process for they know it is for their good. In this way there will be no “pulling the wool over his eyes.” This is exactly what Psalm 139: 23-24 means. It says: Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. We need to beg Jesus to pass the rod of His Word over us daily to see what lies beneath the surface, what lies in our hearts so that He can cleanse us of things that will eventually destroy us. Keller says that wool in the Bible always speaks of the self-life, of self-will, self-assertion, and of self-pride. By using His Word, God will get below the outer shell that might look so good and go beneath to find our desires to do our own thing, in our own time, to think of ourselves higher than we ought.
But there is another beautiful picture in this passing under the rod. The Shepherd knows every sheep by name. They each are known thoroughly by him. He knows their weaknesses to stray. He knows their physical weakness. He knows their weakness to time and time again seek out the poisonous plants, or the putrid pools of water. He knows all about each one individually. So, Jesus, our Shepherd knows all about us, lovingly passes us under His rod. Ps 139:1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. He knows us thoroughly. Not for one moment does He ever neglect me. He takes notice of me, gives me His special care, keeps me; at all times I am under His watchful eye.
So the rod keeps us safe by always bringing us back to Jesus. It reveals the dirt, the wickedness that may be hidden and, lastly, it also protects from the enemies. Just as David protected and saved himself and his flock from the lion and the bear so shepherds today protect their flock from such predators. They are experts with their rods. Jesus used the Rod of the Word against satan when he attacked him in the wilderness. Three times He said to satan, “it is written”. We are powerless to stand against satan when he attacks, but the Word of God is “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword”. No matter who attacks us, the Word is our safety. By reading it we will be saved from going the ways of the world. We will be rescued from the perils of our own fleshly desires.
So, what is the purpose of the staff? There are four main uses for it. 1) The shepherd uses it to draw sheep together into an intimate relationship. 2) Second, he uses it to gently lift a newborn lamb that has become separated from his mother. If he were to use his hands, the odor then on the lamb might cause the ewe to reject the lamb. Sometimes there may be thousands of ewes lambing simultaneously and thus newborns can easily become separated. The shepherd knows whose they all are and works quickly with his staff to place the lambs side by side with their dams. 3) The staff is also used to guide the sheep gently into a new path or through some gate, or along some dangerous and difficult route. 4) Lastly, the shepherd uses his staff to reach out and catch certain sheep to bring them to himself for close examination. Or sometimes he may actually hold his staff against the side of a particular sheep that is perhaps a favorite; sort of like petting a dog! One thing it is never used for – to beat the sheep! Instead, the staff is gently laid against the animal’s side and a little pressure applied to signal which way the shepherd needs for the sheep to go. Always, the staff is a comfort to the sheep as it encourages closeness to the shepherd, guides them in safety, and cares for them lovingly.
In the Bible the staff is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Who draws Christians together in a warm and personal relationship with each other. But even more importantly, He draws us into a close relationship with Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth (John 16:13). It is the Holy Spirit that makes the Word of God plain to our hearts and minds. He works gently on us to call us to Himself, to assure us of His love, to assure us of His protection. He comforts us continually. It is He Who makes our relationship with Jesus intimate.
Remember, sheep are incredibly dumb. They go their own way often, which is always the wrong way. Keller remembers one sheep who, for but a few mouthfuls of green grass, would climb down a steep cliff, then slip and fall into the sea. On more than one occasion he had to rescue it out of the water by using his trusty staff. Often a sheep would push itself into a bush full of thorns just so it could get a mouthful of green grass, only to then realize that it was stuck and could not back out of the bush! Again, the shepherd and his trusty staff would come to its rescue and pull it out. We are also dumb like sheep. Oh, how we hate to admit it, we are so blind to the error of our own ways. We will often go down dangerous paths just to get what we want. We will often get ourselves into some kind of mess that we can’t get out of all by ourselves. It is then that the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and convicts us of our sin. It is imperative when we find ourselves in need of rescue that we first admit that we need rescuing! Then ask for forgiveness – “I’ve once again gone my own way, done did my own thing, Lord, and, once again found my way to be so wrong. Forgive me, Lord.” Then the Holy Spirit lifts us up and puts us back on solid ground.
Sometimes we get separated from Jesus. We are dumb like a newborn lamb and cannot find our way back or we leave the security of the flock, we forsake church. Surely one Sunday will not matter, we think. But one turns easily into two and then three Sundays missed and then we lose our feeling of belonging and thus do not feel a need to return. There is a disconnect. Yet the Holy Spirit is faithful, and He will work in one’s heart to make him sense his need for fellowship. May I add, the Holy Spirit can greatly use we who are faithful by having us make a call to people missing and letting them know they were missed and loved! Of course, we must first realize when someone is absent – care enough to notice that they are missing. In that way we can be a tool used by our Shepherd to help bring them back into the fellowship of believers.
Sometimes Jesus uses His staff to guide us to step out and enter a new gate, go down a new road. It is the Holy Spirit Who gently leads us down that path. Oh, how we hate change! But the Holy Spirit is an expert at knowing us and knowing what it will take to get us to effect that change. His guidance is gentle but firm.
Lastly, the Holy Spirit is always at work in our lives to bring us closer to Jesus. Re 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1Jo 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. Ps 145:18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong… Jesus uses His staff, His Holy Spirit, to draw us close and then He examines us to reveal any flaws, fixes them and then leads us in closer closeness to Him! What a beautiful thing the staff is! We are filled with the Holy Spirit from the point of salvation. It is simply but for us to allow that same Holy Spirit to control us! Let Him draw us near, let Him examine us, let Him change our direction! All we have to do is simply open the door! Allow that staff to guide us.
Can we not see now how the rod and staff are indeed a source of comfort? Without them we would be wayward and living in dangerous territory and immensely lacking joy. What a comfort it is indeed to realize that Jesus will bring us back to Him when we go astray, which we are very prone to do. He will toss His rod of correction toward us, never at us, so that we come running back to Him. What a comfort to know He continually passes us under His rod to purify us and let us know how special we are to Him. What a comfort to realize what an Authority is the Word of God and and that we can be secure in it, knowing that when we follow it, obey it, we will stay safe and full of joy. What a comfort to know that He protects us from the enemy. Then it is a great comfort to realize that Jesus always keeps us very close to Him, guides us into His will, treats us as His favorite, and cares for us way beyond what we realize!
Application
The Word of God….how much do you consider it to be your Authority? How serious are you about obeying it? How much time do you spend in it so that you know what it says so that it can direct your life? Is it indeed your Authority or do you sometimes look to another?
Can you think of some occasions in your life where you know Jesus swung His rod near you to chase you back to Him? Have you thanked Him for it recently? I am thinking about a time in my life when I forsook Him. Forsook my devotions and prayer. Just lived life without considering Him much, if at all. His rod came into play when sores erupted in my mouth that, to make a long story short, drove me back to Him and His Word. I am so thankful for that rod of correction!
When we pray, it ought to be on the Authority of the Word of God. We ought to pray God’s Word. Praise Him for Who He is according to scripture (“God, thank You for being the eternal God. Thank You for being my Refuge. Thank You that underneath me are Your everlasting arms and thank You that You will thrust out the enemy from before me and destroy him” (Deut 33:27). Remind Him of His promises as we pray those back to Him (Lord, thank you that You have promised that You will never leave me, nor forsake me. What comfort that brings to my soul.” (Heb 13:5). Pray verses relating them to ourselves “Lord, work in my heart to be patient and kind. Ream out any envy and pride that harbors there. Let me not behave myself in a fleshly way. Let me not seek my own way. Let no evil thought find fertile ground in my mind and heart.” (I Cor 13:4-5).
Do you allow yourself to pass under His rod? How often do you ask God to search your soul to see if there be anything hidden within that ought not be there? He knows all about it anyway! But sometimes He waits for us to give Him permission to reveal it to us! He waits for us to be ready to receive it. I have noticed something about small children. You can sit them down for a meal, but if they do not feel hungry, they will not eat! I think our souls are a lot like that. Our soul, our mind, will and emotions, have to be ready to receive whatever God wants us to hear, especially when it comes to sin. We do not like to admit wrong. We do not consider ourselves to be wicked, yet that is exactly what we are when we won’t seek to know our sin, or when we are not quick to ask for forgiveness when we do see it. But when we are hungry for Him, then we will hear Him. We can only be fed when we are hungry! Beg to be hungry for Him at all times. The best way to develop hunger is to look to the Word as your Authority. Reading it, meditating upon it, will make one hungry for more and eager to banish whatever hinders one from seeking it.
Do you realize how very special you are to Jesus? He knows every hair on your head. He calls you by name. He loves you beyond your imagination. Knowing that He is God Almighty – that makes me speechless! How can I possibly word what Jesus is to each one of us? To me personally? I do not even begin to understand the whole of it! But I thank Him for His love and care.
When was the last time you thanked Jesus for His protection from the enemies? There are all kinds of enemies. Of course, the first one that comes to mind is satan. He is so sly, so subtle, that we must rely on Jesus to reveal satan’s evil hidden agenda to destroy us. One wrong thought can lead us down a very devastating path if allowed to linger. Then there is the world that would attempt to pull us away from Jesus. In so many ways it seeks to take our focus off Jesus. Of course, our own flesh is bound and determined to go its own way. Even when we are seeking to do as Jesus would lead us, our flesh takes over and directs us to do it in our own way, in our own time. We are prideful. We are full of fleshly desires. We are self-centered. I find it takes a lot of time in God’s Word to keep these enemies at bay, and even then, they threaten continually. If it were not for Jesus keeping me, cautioning me, warning me, guiding me I would fall! Allow the rod of His Word to be your Protector and thank Him for it!
The Holy Spirit is continually at work to draw you closer to Jesus. He prompts in so many ways. Are you resisting His wooing or readily running to it? Is there some behavior in your life that you just do not want to forsake, yet you go there again and again, only to find yourself in need of rescue from the Shepherd? Perhaps you do desire to be rid of it, but you are striving in your own way to forsake it. Only the Holy Spirit through the Word can cure it! We must do it His way!
When the Holy Spirit speaks to you about some change in direction, how open are you? Are you resistant? Are making up excuses? Are you reasoning about how impossible that is? I can immediately think of three ways God has changed my direction in the last decade. Firstly, my prayer life needed revamping. It was pathetic! Little by little as I followed God’s direction, He changed all that! Though I do not think I’ll ever be satisfied with my prayer life in that it will never be fervent enough, focused enough, etc., yet there have been major changes! I am so blessed! Then God told me to read His Word. You would think that would be a no-brainer, but for years I had spent long hours in Bible study and meditation, but never took the time to just simply read through the Bible. I asked Him how in the world I had the time to add that also to my time with Him, but I knew I needed to obey. Now I am in love with reading the Word through in a year! I look forward to it each day. Lastly, He prompted me to get involved in a pregnancy crisis organization. It took a year for me to respond to that one! But I have been there now for almost four years and it has also been a great blessing to my life in so many ways. Whatever change God is prompting you to do, do it! Do not delay. Blessings abundant are awaiting you!
Jesus is ever drawing us closer to Him. He uses both the rod of His Word and His staff, the Holy Spirit. My prayer is always, “Lord, let me walk closer to You today than I did yesterday”. May this be your prayer as well.