David - Both Shepherd and Sheep
Posted: Monday, September 28, 2009
by William Walker
Everyday Christianity
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
"But now your kingdom shall not continue; the Lord has sought out [David] a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince and ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." 1 Samuel 13:14 Amp
Although Samuel did not yet know it was David to whom the Lord referred, he spoke these words under God's anointing to tell Saul his days were numbered.
In 1 Samuel 16, God instructs Samuel to go to Jesse the Bethlehemite "For I have provided for Myself a king among his sons." In following God's instructions, Samuel invites Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice to the Lord where they will be consecrated (and where God will point out the leader He has chosen).
One by one, Jesse's sons come before Samuel. The eldest, Eliab, impresses Samuel and he thinks, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." But the Lord tells Samuel, "Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
All seven sons present at the ceremony pass before Samuel but he tells Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these."
"Then [he] said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? [Jesse] said, There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep."
Samuel knows he has been sent to anoint a new king. Jesse, are these all the sons you have? Oh, yeah, says Jesse, there is this other one who had slipped my mind.
"There is yet the youngest; he is tending the sheep."
"Samuel said to Jesse, Send for him; for we will not sit down to eat until he is here.'"
"Jesse sent and brought him. David had a healthy reddish complexion and beautiful eyes, and was fine-looking. The Lord said [to Samuel], Arise, anoint him; this is he.'"
Despite the description of David's complexion and appearance, this is not the reason he was a man after God's heart. I believe the real reason can be found in the psalms that David wrote later. These psalms reveal the nature of his relationship with God.
Let's take a look at Psalm 23.
Imagine with me for a moment that the setting of this psalm is not during the time David was king but, rather, years before as he tended those "few sheep", as his oldest brother, Eliab, referred to them (1 Samuel 17:28 ).
Let's say it is night time. The flock is gathered together and David sits with them. Then, he begins to speak to them, softly, telling them of his own Shepherd:
"THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake."
He tells his sheep that he, too, has a Shepherd One who cares for him just as he cares for them.
David's Shepherd refreshes and restores him, as well as leads him in righteousness not by his own efforts but by the power of His Own Holy Name.
Then, in the midst of the next sentence, David begins to speak to the Lord -- not as a shepherd but as a sheep.
"Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me."
David recognizes and acknowledges to the Lord that he is protected even when he goes off on his own, not led by God. This protection (the rod) and guidance (the staff) are a comfort to him.
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over."
In the midst of his daily life, with its problems and challenges, David acknowledges the Lord's leadership. His cup, filled already to the rim, overflows with blessing. The Lord anoints David's head with oil an action of the time to refresh and renew an athlete in the heat of the day.
At the end, David speaks again to his sheep to testify of, and give praise to, his Shepherd:
"Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place."
David's moment by moment awareness of God's presence with him gives him the confidence to confess the unending blessings that are upon him, not just in the eternity to come but through all the days of his life.
Both shepherd and sheep. That's David.
And it is also you and I. We, too, are the Lord's sheep.
Jesus says, "The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never lose it or perish throughout the ages. [To all eternity they shall never by any means be destroyed.] And no one is able to snatch them out of My hand." John 10:27-28 Amp
In Matthew 10, Jesus sends the disciples and through them, us to go out as shepherds to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel " doing all our work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves." Matthew 10:17 Am p
David was not only a man after God's own heart but a man who had a heart for God.
Throughout the psalms of David, we see a man who regularly, as a matter of course in his day, practiced the presence of God. David praised God and testified for Him, as well as complained, pleaded, and cried to Him.
We know that David was not a man after God's own heart because of a perfect life. And neither are we.
Both shepherd and sheep. That's what David was.
And that is what I ask to be.
Love,
Brother Bill
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)Hi Brother Bill.Welcome to Searchwarp Writers' Community.Thank you for a very inspiring, uplifting, well written article about David -- the Shepherd and the Sheep.Best to you.Nenita
I am also glad that sometimes sheep do dumb things - gives one hope... thanks for writing this piece, enjoyed the read! Marijo (Mary Jo - my dad was a interesting speller)Welcome to Searchwarp
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