“The Lord is my Shepherd,” what beautiful words!
And Psalm 77 closes with a restating of this dynamic fact. Speaking directly to that Shepherd as well! “Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Psalm 77:20
No doubt the Exodus, Israel’s miraculous deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, is primarily in Asaph’s (the writer of Psalm 77) mind.
This particular “word picture” is prominent in the Old Testament.
Psalm 78:52, for example. “But (the Lord) made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.”
Then Psalm 80, its opening verse. “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.”
Isaiah 63:11-12 is classic too. “Then he (still, the Lord) remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him? That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?” Shepherd like!
Here are three short verses from the actual Exodus account, God leading His people the Israelites. “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night.” Exodus 13:21
Also Exodus 14:19-20. “And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: and it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.”
Wow!
The New Testament as well, Jesus Himself being the Fulfillment (the True Shepherd), accents this gracious Ministry of God. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” John 10:11, followed just three verses later by: “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.”
This Truth continues, this time from the Book of Hebrews: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” The start of a prayer, Hebrews 13:21.
And now Peter, about our Lord. “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” 1st Peter 5:4
The Good Shepherd, dying for us.
The Great Shepherd, raised from the grave for us.
And the Chief Shepherd, coming again for us!
What a way to end a Psalm!
“Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
And what a Saviour to enjoy the rest of our lives!
In fact, for all eternity!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
Are you counted as a member of his flock?