Long before he became a mighty warrior or the honored king of Israel, David was a shepherd.  And, Psalm 23 was written from the heart of that shepherd.  He used what he knew about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep to reveal to us that:

The Lord is our Shepherd and we are His sheep. 

Each verse of this psalm is written with powerful imagery, but for me the most striking verse is:

 “Yea 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.”           (Ps. 23:4 NKJ)

Whenever I face adversity, I find myself reciting this verse.  Yet one day, I was compelled to look at this verse more closely, questioning how the Shepherd’s rod and staff can comfort us.

The Staff

When David was a shepherd, his staff was used to lead and guide the sheep.  The crook  of his staff was even used to rescue lost or ensnared sheep. 

What comfort we draw from knowing that even in the “valley of the shadow of death”, our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, will lead and guide us.  In the midst of adversity, He will direct our steps.  Even when we are ensnared in trouble, he will make a way of escape. 

The Rod

David’s rod was used as a club to protect the sheep from the attack of predators. And, certainly we are comforted by the truth that the Lord is our Protector.  We can call on His name and He will be our present help in time of trouble. 

Yet there is another reason why the shepherd’s rod should comfort us – a reason that goes back to the time when the Israelites first met God at Mt. Sinai. He gave them the Ten Commandments to govern their lives and Levitical Laws to govern them as a nation.  And, one of those Levitical laws involved the shepherd’s rod.

Each Israelite household was to give a tithe of their flock to the Lord. 

“. . . every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the LORD.”  (Lev. 27:32 NIV)

Every tenth sheep belonged to the Lord for it had passed under the “rod of inheritance.”

The Lord, who is our Shepherd, has caused each one of us to “pass under His rod of inheritance.”  His rod comforts us because it is a reminder that we belong to the Lord.  So when we are in a valley of adversity or sorrow, we are not consumed with fear, instead we are comforted by the truth that we are His sheep and He is our Shepherd.  He watches over us and will never forsake.  His goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, because we are His!  

So David’s words, inspired thousands of years ago, still prove true today.  

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4  NIV)