Investigating the Bible: The Lord is my shepherd

King David compared himself to sheep. A common misconception is that sheep are stupid; why would David use that comparison? Research shows sheep are intelligent. They can recognize and remember for two years the faces of up to fifty other sheep or humans. David in his youth had been a shepherd, so he knew that sheep are smart, but dependent. Looking at the life of a shepherd reveals David’s relationship with God.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3, English Standard Version used throughout). Shepherds knew each sheep by name, and so David trusted that God knew him intimately. The images of sheep grazing calmly on grass by quiet water, illustrate David’s trust that God would provide. Not only physical provisions, but David recognized that God provided spiritual help, restoring his soul. In another place, after David had committed adultery and murder, he turned to God for forgiveness. “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit.” (Psalm 51:4, 10-12)

Evil actions do not have to be the end if a person repents and turns to God, as David did. David Berkowitz, called the “Son of Sam,” terrorized New York City in the late 1970’s. He randomly killed six people. In the 1990s he said he had converted to Christianity, and doesn’t want to get out of prison, which he considers his place of ministry. It’s a hard message to accept for the surviving family members of the innocents he killed, but it is the kind of forgiveness God offers.

“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.” (Psalm 23:4). The shepherd’s staff was longer and lighter, and often had a crook on the end, like a question mark. A sheep that had fallen into a crevasse or a pit could be lifted out gently and rescued. It was the shepherd’s walking stick, helping him keep his balance. The rod was usually smaller and heavier, probably secured in a sash at his waist. It was the weapon to fight off wolves, bears, or lions in order to protect the flock. David also had his sling for throwing stones at high speeds and with great accuracy.

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:5,6). David had faith that at his death he would enter eternity with God.

Heaven is not certain for some, but it is a certainty for the parents of Colton Burpo. Max Lucado is the minister of Oak Hills Church in Texas and a Christian author. He wrote about Colton, who when he was four years old apparently died, but was revived during an emergency appendectomy. Over the next few months, he told his parents about his trip to heaven, mentioning the names of people he had never met on earth. Then he told his mother, “You had a baby die in your tummy, didn’t you?” They had never told Colton about the miscarriage. He was too young. The mother asked, “Who told you I had a baby die in my tummy?” Colton said, “She did. It’s okay, Mommy. She’s okay. God adopted her.”

David Carlson Pastor (yes, that is his last name, not his profession) lives in Oregon and is a graduate of Bethel Theological Seminary in Minnesota (M.Div., M.Th.).