JEHOVAH-ROHI: “The Lord Our Shepherd”
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1)
Whenever I think of the Twenty-third Psalm, especially when it is used to describe our Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd, I like to think of it as part of a trilogy. Trilogy comes from a Greek word that means “a series of three” – three dramas or literary works, etc. The three classic literary works here are Psalm 22, Psalm 23, and Psalm 24, better known as “The Cross, the Crook, and the Crown”.
Psalm 22 pictures our Lord on the cross where he suffered, bled and died for our sins, suffering in our place that we might be saved. In Psalm 23, we see our Lord pictured as a Shepherd and using the crook. The crook, a long staff with a gentle hook at the top, is a tool used by a shepherd to gently correct the sheep and to keep them in the fold. In Psalm 24, we learn that one day our Lord will wear a crown when He is crowned Lord of all.
In Psalm 22, our Lord, pictured as The Good Shepherd, gives His life for the sheep ( “I am the good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” John 10:11). In Psalm 23, he is “that Great Shepherd, brought again from the dead through the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20), who tenderly cares for his sheep. In Psalm 24, he is The Chief Shepherd, who appears as king of glory to own and reward the sheep. (“And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” I Peter 5:4).
One of the most beautiful images of God in the Bible is that of a shepherd leading, protecting and caring for his sheep. Rohi is the Hebrew word for shepherd, and there is no more tender word to describe the relationship between God and His people. In order to strengthen our relationship as sheep with the Shepherd, we must always trust in Him. Yes, without hesitation, we must trust in His leadership, trust in His love, and trust in His correction. Let me give you an example of what a shepherd does that demands trust and respect from His sheep. At times, there may be one sheep that has a constant problem of running away from the sheepfold. This activity not only endangers does the life of the sheep, but that of the shepherd as well. To correct this behavior, the shepherd will sometimes break a leg of the undisciplined sheep. When this occurs, not only does the shepherd have to constantly carry the wounded sheep, but he must also feed, wash, shelter, and stay close to the animal at all times. After all of this attention and the leg of the sheep heals, a healthy pattern of love and trust has developed, and all the sheep wants to do from then on is to hang around the shepherd. There may be times when the Great Shepherd sees that we lack the discipline and trust that we need for a healthy relationship with Him. He may figuratively allow our leg to be broken. He really knows what we need and He knows how to meet that need in our lives, whether great or small. The lesson at the time might be difficult to go through, but if we trust the Shepherd, one day we can say with the song writer, “’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.” Hallelujah! Jehova-Rohi, the Lord our Shepherd.
May God bless us to grow in Grace.
