September 25 – A Shepherd Sent (Psalm 78:65-72)

“David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”(Psalm 78:72)

IN WORD:
David is an Old Testament picture of the Savior. Messianic prophesies say the Son of David will establish the kingdom of David — an everlasting kingdom. Psalms about David are often quoted in the New Testament and applied to Jesus. There’s a correlation between the human image and the divine fulfillment that we can scarcely grasp.
Even so, though we understand it dimly, we get the clear impression that the psalmist Asaph is not speaking only of David the king, but also of the Davidic King. Just as God’s own hand provided a unilateral salvation after centuries of treasonous Israelite history, God’s own hand has provided a unilateral salvation after millennia of treasonous world history. The God who stepped into Israel’s affairs, despite its well-attested rebellion, is the same God who steps into our affairs, despite our own rebellion. Paul said it very succinctly: “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We have a Shepherd who will take our confused, distorted lives and lead us with integrity of heart and skillful hands.

IN DEED:
David is an apt image for the good Shepherd. The shepherd of Israel wrote the most familiar psalm about the shepherding nature of God, and it parallels the history of His people. Because the Lord was his Shepherd — and ours — both he and we shall not want. Despite our whining in the desert, we will be led to pleasant waters and green pastures. Despite our wilderness wanderings, He will lead us in paths of righteousness — for the sake of His name. Despite the fact that the wages of our sin is death, He will walk with us through death’s valley. Despite God’s rod of judgement, His staff will comfort us. Despite the vicious enemies in both the wilderness and the Promised Land, He will prepare our table in their presence — just to prove a point. What’s the point? His goodness and mercy last a whole lot longer than our centuries — and years — of sin. Even after all that has happened, we will dwell in His house forever.

“I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.” -John Newton-