Thanksgiving for Deliverance from Death

“I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my supplications: Because He has inclined His ear to me; Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live…For you have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord In the land of the living…Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints…I will offer unto you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.” (Psalm 116:1-2,8-9, 15. NKJV). [Read Psalm 116] <>In the progression through the thanksgiving psalms, we come this day before Thanksgiving to Psalm 116, the theme of which is thanksgiving for deliverance from death. The psalmist was well acquainted with death. He wrote: “The pains of death encompassed me, And the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then I called upon the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!’ (Psalm 116:3-4, NKJV). A beloved gospel song implores: “Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there.” And this means any burden, even the burden of impending death. The psalmist took his fear and dread of death to the Lord in prayer. And he exclaims: “You have delivered my soul from death!” (v. 8) He gained the right perspective on death: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (v. 15).

Death comes to all of us. But there is a way to be victorious, even in death. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4. KJV). For the Christian, who trusts the Lord with both life and death, he has a companion through the passageway from finite life to everlasting life. We may suffer before death. We may keep long and painful vigil at the bedside of loved ones as they face death. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:55, 57. KJV). Because God made a way, even through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear death’s pain. We know sorrow from it, because of temporary separation.

I live close to death and dying. Thoughts of death bring pain and sorrow. But just as birth is the passage into finite life, so death is the passage into eternal life. And there is victory, even in death. We must hold onto that glorious truth and deepen our faith. Let us thank God for deliverance through dying, through death and through transition to life everlasting! Yes! “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Even death is cause for thanksgiving when viewed in the perspective of God’s encompassing love.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Ezekiel’s Good Shepherd Prophecy

"For thus says the Lord God: 'Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when some of his sheep have been scattered abroad, so will I seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. And I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the fountains, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them with good pasture, and upon the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on fat pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down,' says the Lord God. 'I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over; I will feed them in justice.'" (Ezekiel 34:11-16, RSV) [Read Ezekiel 34]

Ezekiel 34 is another Messianic prophecy in which the prophet foresees the day when the Lord Himself will be the Good Shepherd, restoring with compassion and every provision necessary His scattered sheep. His people who have been exiled to other lands will be returned to the green pastures of Israel and their good shepherd will be one who guides with mercy and tenderness. The prophet encourages a scattered people with his hope of restoration. God Himself will intervene, end strife and division, and bring the people back to their beloved land, even as a Good Shepherd cares for His sheep. We are reminded when reading this prophecy in Ezekiel 34 of Psalm 23, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want." We remember the words of the Lord: "I am the good Shepherd" (John 10:14)

Israel (and Judah, considering both kingdoms in the divided period) had endured some poor shepherds, those who had exploited teh people for their own good. Taht was one reason the whole nation was punished and scattered abroad. They had not taken warning of the prophets to repent and change their ways. Like sheep that wander from the fold and become lost, so they had to be punished. The Good Shepherd is not intrested in reestablishing the grandeur of David's and Solomon's powerful kingdoms. Rather, He will come to heal the sick, bind up the broken-hearted, take home those who are lost and wandering, and they will no longer be prey to devouring beasts (or false doctrines). And in that day, when restoration occurs, the Good Shepherd Himself will watch over them, and be their God. This prophecy of Ezekiel was given about 585 B.C., many years before Jesus came. We who are on this side of Jesus' life, ministry, death and resurrection and his declaration as the Good Shepherd have not seen a physically restored kingdom. But we know a spiritual kingdom of belivered, and we look forward to the Second Coming when all will be made right and glorious, as Ezekiel saw it and as our Lord Promised. "Even so come, Lord Jesus" (Revelations 22:20). Amen!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones;

Blessed—Happy—Are Mourners

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, NKJV)

Mourning for the dead was, as we might say, a “big” business for some in the time period when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. It was a common custom when death visited a household for the family to actually hire professional mourners who came to cry, mourn, sob, wail and make great lamentation at the wake and burial of the one who had died. We see mourning practices later in the gospel account of Lazarus’ death (see John 11). When Jesus arrived late, even after Lazarus had been buried four days, there were still mourners in the home of Mary and Martha. Funeral processions in the streets of Jewish towns often had a crowd following, mourning and lamenting. The Pharisees believed in life after death, but the Sadducees believed that death was the end and there was no resurrection.

For Jesus to say “Blessed (happy) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” was a paradox, indeed. But for the Christian, sorrowing for a Christian family member or fried who has died can truly be happy. Death sometimes is a release from this life of suffering or grave illness. Death can therefore bring a sense of relief. The thought of reunion and resurrection brings happiness. Who would wish the beloved departed to return to a life of suffering? Therefore, “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Jesus’ disciples would have been familiar with the Shepherd Psalm (23) with its words of comfort: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Ps. 23:4). And think of the values to the Christian of having a burden-bearer, the Lord, during the time of separation and mourning: the one who bears sorrow graciously grows in patience; to help bear the sorrows of family and friends one grows in sympathy and the ability to feel for others; and in this process of mourning, one also grows more Christ-like. “Happy are those who mourn.” Think again of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus before He called his friend forth from the dead: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). A great promise for Christians is found in Revelation 7:17: “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” In each of the Beatitudes, Jesus was describing God’s kingdom citizen. And even mourning (for death, for the sinner, whatever the cause of mourning), happy is the person who mourns, for God comforts him! Eugene Peterson in The Message Bible states Matthew 5:4: “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” Praise be to God for His comfort in our periods of mourning!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, September 13, 2010

Parable of the Good Shepherd

“Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice…I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:1-4; 9, NKJV) [Read John 10: 1-30]

Jesus Himself is the main character in this parable. He is basing this story about himself on familiar Old Testament teachings. What is numbered for us as Psalm 23 would have been very familiar to His hearers: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” The Lord as Shepherd of the sheep (his followers) was also given in Ezekiel 34 and 37, in Jeremiah 23:1-4, and Zechariah 11:4-17. He tells his disciples as well as the Jewish leaders whose animosity toward Jesus was growing daily, that he is the Good Shepherd, the Door of the Sheepfold. In this beloved parable, Jesus pictures a common practice in Palestine of that time (and even today), that of the shepherd leading his sheep, the sheep knowing the shepherd and his voice, the shepherd knowing the best grazing lands and the proper entranceway to the sheepfold. Complete trust existed between shepherd and sheep.

It was time for Jesus to declare that He is the Good Shepherd as predicted in Psalm 23 and in Ezekiel 34:23 and 37:24. “I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd” (Eze 34:23). “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes and do them” (Eze. 37:24). The perfect shepherd, in the line of shepherd David who became King of Israel, was now among them, ready to establish His kingdom, unlike that kingdom of David which was imperfect, the new Shepherd was ready to establish the Kingdom of God, and to be the Door of the Sheepfold, knowing every sheep by name and every sheep knowing the Shepherd. What a beautiful story of what happens to the believer! Jesus is the Shepherd of His sheep—all those who call on His name. He knows His sheep by name. Remember the gospel song we often sang: “There’s a new name written down in glory—and it’s mine, I know it’s mine!” That song comes to my mind as I think of my own conversion experience, the day I decided to hear my Shepherd’s voice and follow Him! There is no other entrance to the fold except through Jesus Christ. He is the Door. We can go in and out and be satisfied. He shepherds us daily and holds us securely within His care. Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, September 10, 2010

Mercy, Goodness and Home in Eternity

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” –Psalm 23:6.

I hope you have enjoyed this seven-day journey with me through the Shepherd Psalm. These comments have barely touched the surface of the depth of meaning in the Psalm. I hope you will continue to study it and especially use it as one of your “life passages” to bring encouragement and hope to your life. As sheep securely in the Good Shepherd’s fold, we will focus today’s thoughts on His goodness, His mercy, and His provision for this life and eternity.

The sheep under the management of a good shepherd were fortunate, indeed. The shepherd diligently saw to their care, their health, their feeding, every aspect of their welfare. In turn, they gave back to him: wool from their fleece, meat for his table, money from the sale of some of the flock. There was mutual benefit: as the shepherd cared well for his own, so the sheep reciprocated with good yield for the shepherd. The goodness of the Good Shepherd was reflected in His well-cared for flock. The Shepherd’s mercy—unmerited favor—was always extended to the sheep, without fail. Even if they went temporarily astray, He took his rod and staff and rescued them, even as God does for us. And the sheep would stay with the Good Shepherd in this life and forever—even in eternity, especially in eternity.

I want to close out this series on the 23rd psalm by giving a very personal testimony about how the psalm has encouraged me. I memorized it as a very young child, soon after I became a Christian at age nine. I would often go to sleep quoting the Psalm. I did not always understand it (nor have I plumbed its depths, even now!), but it gave me a sense of belonging to God and of His care for me. When I was fourteen, my mother died. It was a traumatic time for me. But with God’s help, I did not become bitter but relied more and more on His guidance. The Good Shepherd was walking through that valley with me. In my college life, it was often a struggle to have the money to pay tuition and board, but always my needs were provided. I was able to realize a career and calling in the paths of righteousness. God sent me a wonderful companion, and I loved being a minister’s wife and teacher. Once at a conference a wise leader told us to “rewrite” Psalm 23 according to our occupation. I wrote my version: “The Lord is my Teacher; I shall not want for knowledge.” In my adult life, I have faced illnesses of a life-threatening nature. In particular, as the gurney wheeled me to the operating room for aneurysm surgery in January 2000 and for five bypasses heart surgery in August, 2007, I was quoting Psalm 23 as I went to surgery. I felt the presence of Christ the Good Shepherd as he walked alongside me, holding my hand. I knew I was a winner either way: If I survived traumatic surgery, lived, God had not finished with me yet. He would still show His goodness and mercy to me and allow me to be productive in some area of His work. If I died, I would be swept from this finite realm to be instantaneously with Him “in the house of the Lord forever.” How can I not love Psalm 23? It has been and is my life passage. Glory to God for giving this Psalm and its promises to us!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Feasting and Anointing

“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” –Psalm 23:5.

Keller explains that when the sheep are safely on the upland grazing lands, called a tableland, they have the sweetest, most tender grasses upon which to feast. But enemies are all around in the form of wild animals like coyotes, wolves, cougars and bears. Even poisonous plants can be enemies, threats in the tableland bounty. There robbers might try to steal the best of the flock. The shepherd protects the sheep diligently from all of these enemies. But summertime is the time, also, for flying insects that can wreak havoc on the flock. Even on the mesas, the flock must have heads anointed with oil so that the damaging insects will not attack them. “Head flies” were terrible pests. The oil deterred their attacks on the sheep.

Relating this verse of the Shepherd Psalm to the Christian, we are amidst the enemy as long as we live on earth. Even though the Lord prepares a bountiful table of blessings for us, we are still dwelling in enemy territory and Satan besets and tempts on every hand. It is necessary, even as we enjoy the fullness of the Lord’s table, to be on guard against besetting sins from darts of the enemy. Likewise, predators attack. False doctrine is rampant, especially in this “New Age” era. There are those who propound that Jesus is not the only way, that there are other ways to God. Within this volatile and vituperative environment, we must keep our constant and faithful vigilance. Within this enemy territory, the Good Shepherd “anoints my head with oil.” Just as the sheep must have daily anointings of oil to ward off the pests that attack them, so we as Christians need daily anointings of the Holy Spirit. His job is very important at the present. He teaches, He comforts, He conforms us to the Spirit of Christ. He helps us have discernment, to make right choices. Keller says of this daily anointing: “He (the Holy Spirit) alone makes it possible for us to react to aggravations and annoyances with quietness and calmness” (p. 117, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23). Just as initially the Holy Spirit prompted us to accept Christ as Lord and Savior, so with the anointings by the Spirit we make daily decisions to have Him guide our choices, and we live and act and think as He directs us.

Because of the feasting at the Lord’s table and His anointing, “my cup runneth over.” My life overflows with His benefits. I have weathered the seasons and am now “at home” in the winter fold, as sheep safely on the ranch again from the summer and autumn tablelands. Christ pours His peace into my own cup and it overflows! Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, June 7, 2010

Taking the Sting Out of the Valley of Death

“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” -Psalm 23:4.

Phillip Keller in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, gives wonderful insight into the meaning of verse 4 of the Shepherd Psalm. In most sheep-herding areas, the shepherd must find summer grazing lands on higher slopes and different planes than for the rest of the year. The shepherd goes to scout out the area, Keller states, “He knew from firsthand experience about all the difficulties and dangers, as well as the delights, of treks into the high country…Never did he take his flock where he had not already been before.” He scouted out the paths, knew the best routes, knew where the best grazing lands lay. But he was also well aware of dangers along the way and guided his sheep safely through them as they journeyed to the high tablelands. The shepherd’s two trusted instruments, his rod and his staff, were used to rescue, protect and guard his flock.

When Jesus came to earth, He had a mission. That mission was to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the people and to provide a way for them to be restored unto fellowship with Almighty God. The Good Shepherd tasted death, he knew its sting, its finality. But because he went safely through and came out resurrected and victorious, death no longer held the sting and finality it once wielded. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:55-57).

Life is full of valleys and “shadows of death”—even death at the end of life. Just now, I am facing the reality of my beloved companion’s death. He has been sick for a long time—hovering, as it were, in “the shadow of death.” I may go before him, because I don’t know what the future holds. Or, considering his long-time illness, he now seems very near to death within the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. Because I have not walked this way before with him, there is a great sense of sadness at potential loss and physical absence. But the Lord is with us both, and He is walking with us through this valley. His rod and staff comfort me daily (rod—weapon of power, the Word of God, that brings protection as well as healing; staff—the shepherd’s symbol of authority, concern and compassion, the implement of rescue, His ever-present Holy Spirit). In the words of the old gospel song, “Lonesome Valley,” we know that each of us must make the journey through that vale. But we are not alone! The Shepherd is with the sheep. He walks there to carry me through! Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Restored Soul on a Righteous Path

“He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” -Psalm 23:3.

When I read shepherd Phillip Keller’s explanation of what it means for a shepherd to bring a fallen sheep that is “cast” back into mobility again, I had a new perception of what it means to have the Lord restore my soul. It does not mean that I have lost my salvation, but rather that I am “cast down.” We read in Psalm 42:11 words that help us know how a believer is in this sad state of spiritual decline: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” Sheep like to find inclines in the earth, little hollow places, to lie down and rest. But because they are not sure-footed, it is often hard for them to get up from these hollowed-out places. A shepherd is always on the lookout for any sheep, especially his pregnant ewes, who get in this position and cannot help themselves up. The sheep will perish if the shepherd does not assist, and that right quickly after a sheep is “cast down”. After the sheep is restored, gets its bearings, he is again led to the green grass for feeding and the refreshing water to assuage thirst.

What a beautiful picture of the Lord restoring the “cast down” Christian! Although we would like to remain on the mountaintop (as Peter, James and John wished to do when they saw Jesus Christ transfigured before their eyes [Matthew 17:1-8]), we must face our valleys, too. There the going can sometimes be rough-shod and laden with pitfalls. We can, like the sheep, be cast down and discouraged. Our answer to these times in our lives is tied up in four powerful words: “Hope thou in God.” One scripture adds to another in helping us to live on paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Consider: “Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me; for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5). And yet another assurance: “All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10). We need to bear in mind the main reason for the Good Shepherd breaking the bonds of heaven and coming to earth. It was because we, His sheep, had gone astray into paths of iniquity. He came so that He could purchase us back and restore our fellowship with God. He alone can restore the “cast down” soul and He alone can lead us in paths of righteousness. Like a shepherd brands his sheep, so God has his ownership mark on us. Our calling is to vigilantly follow the Good Shepherd who will provide all our wants, lead us to green pastures, take us to refreshing streams, and continually, day by day, restore our cast-down souls. By restoration, we bring glory to the Good Shepherd. Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Saturday, June 5, 2010

In Green Pastures, Beside Still Waters

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.” –Psalm 23:2.

So much truth is compounded in the lines of the 23rd Psalm that volumes cannot contain all that could be written or said about it. Today we want to emphasize the meaning of green pastures and still waters as they relate to Shepherd and sheep, and, of course, to Jesus and us. One translation from the Hebrew language of “green pastures” is “pastures of tender grass.”

That would be edible, digestible, succulent, desirable grass for the sheep’s food, as opposed to wilted, tough or sun-dried fare parched by the desert sun. Green pastures were not easy to find in the arid land of Palestine. But a good shepherd on his nomadic travels to provide food for his flock would find and captivate on such oases of provision. Moreover, the sheep can lie down in these green pastures. After having hunger satiated they can peacefully rest. Four conditions must be met before sheep can rest. They must be free from fear, from friction with others of their kind, from pests that torment their flesh and peace of mind, and satisfaction from hunger. It is only the shepherd himself who can assure that these criteria are met for his flock. Applied to the human condition, these peace-inducing standards must also be met. How can this happen? Through the Christian’s complete trust and dependence on the Good Shepherd. He makes the way plain. Christ’s presence dispels fear, friction, foreboding and frailty. In Him is my strength and rest. Phillip Keller describes this assurance with these words: “The gracious Holy Spirit makes real in me the very presence of Christ. He brings quietness, serenity, strength, and calmness in the face of frustration and futility.” (p. 44 in A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23).

Likewise, in arid Palestine, still waters at which his sheep could drink were hard for a shepherd to find. Water for the flock came from three sources: early-morning dew on the grass; deep wells; or springs and streams. In each case, it was the shepherd who led sheep to these watering sources. Jesus told the woman at the well in Samaria that He could provide a source of water, which, when taken, she would never thirst again. He is the Water of Life and He provides the Water of Life. Jeremiah the prophet warned: “My people…have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). At which do I drink?

Multiple implications come from “green pastures” and “still waters” but paramount in these promises from the Good Shepherd is that He makes provision. We can rest in Him. That is why, when I am afraid or alone or near despair, I quote Psalm 23. Its words reassure me that my Shepherd cares for this sheep. Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Friday, June 4, 2010

I Shall Not Want

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” –Psalm 23:1 (Read Psalm 23).

We could aptly read Psalm 23:1 as “Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall want for nothing!” Considering the psalm in the light of shepherd and sheep, as Phillip Keller so aptly presents it in his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (1970), he states: “No doubt the main concept is that of not lacking—not deficient—in proper care, management or husbandry. But a second emphasis is the idea of being utterly contented in the Good Shepherd’s care and consequently not craving or desiring anything more” (p. 26). This bold statement on David’s part, “I shall not want,” does not refer to material wealth and plenty. Rather, it shows total dependence on the Master and His ability to provide in every circumstance. It is about total reliance on the Shepherd who is able to “give life and give it more abundantly.”

Have you known Christians who by their lives and manner of living radiate serene confidence and quiet joy? As Paul the Apostle wrote, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11). Paul wrote these words from prison. Yet he was making the best of his situation, and finding Christ all-sufficient. King David had enemies on every hand, yet he could say with all confidence, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” To be under God’s care and to know it, assuredly, is to be completely satisfied with the Shepherd’s management of one’s life. Like the sheep under the care of a good and caring shepherd, we “go in an out and find pasture.” We rest in the provision God makes in every condition of life.

Is this to say we have no voice in what happens to us, no option but to blindly follow? Remember that God grants choice to each of us. We choose the high road or the low, the good pastures or the less verdant, to liken life to the places a shepherd leads his sheep. Our confidence is that the places the Good Shepherd leads are best for us. And because I accept and follow, I want nothing. Day and night, through joy and through sorrow, the eyes and the ears of the Good Shepherd are attentive to me, His sheep. “He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forever more” –Psalm 121:3, 8. Therefore, because the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall want nothing. I rest in Him.

He keeps me safe and provides my needs. I am content with the Shepherd-sheep relationship. Praise be to God!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Lord Is My Shepherd

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” -Psalm 23:1 (KJV. Read Psalm 23).

The 23rd psalm, one classified as a “Confidence Psalm,” is the most-memorized of all the psalms. Children learn it in Sunday School. Ministers read it at funerals of Christians. People quote it in the night to bring comfort and at trying times to bring strength. Its beauty is unparalleled, its truths deep and meaningful, its poetic expression balanced and flowing. King David, known as Israel’s “Shepherd King,” himself a shepherd, wrote it. The psalm’s familiarity to us may cause us to overlook the extent of its meaning and its application to our Christian life. I will spend several days exploring this magnificent psalm. My thoughts will be guided by what I know about the psalm and what it means to me but also by what W. Phillip Keller, himself a shepherd, wrote about the Psalm in his wonderful book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (c1970).

“The Lord is my shepherd.” Who is the Lord whom David calls Shepherd? To David, he was Jehovah God, the Lord God of Israel, the one true God. Centuries after David’s time when God became flesh and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ, Savior, said of himself, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep” (John 10:14-15). Furthermore, the Good Shepherd promised, and it came to pass: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17a). This Lord, the Shepherd is “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father—the author, the originator of all that exists. It was in His mind, first, that all took shape. God the Son, our Saviour, is God the artisan—the artist, the Creator of all that exists. He brought into being all that had been originally formulated in the Father’s mind. God the Holy Spirit is God the agent who presents these facts to both my mind and my spiritual understanding so that they become both real and relative to me as an individual.” (-Keller, p. 16).

This Holy Trinity, the Three-in-One, Originator, Saviour, Teacher is my Good Shepherd, my manager, my owner. And I have the distinct privilege and relationship of being His sheep! He bought me with His very life blood. I can trust Him with His ownership of my life, my soul, my very being. I can follow Him as a sheep follows and depends upon the shepherd, for the best interest of the sheep is paramount. I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction. “The Lord is my Shepherd!” How utterly awesome and thrilling! Selah!

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, June 2, 2010

The Clothing of Jesus

“Then the soldiers when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. They said therefore among themselves, ‘Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,’ that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: ‘They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.’ Therefore, the soldiers did these things.” –John 19:23-24 (NKJV)

Imagine the scene. The crowd is milling about, for, as gruesome as it seems, a crucifixion drew a crowd of curious people. Near the cross was Jesus’ own mother, suffering untold agony to see her Son crucified. The other women were a sister of Mary, and Mary, the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. And John, the beloved disciple, who had heard Jesus assign the care of His mother to him with these words from the cross: “Woman, behold your son!” and “Behold your mother!”

And there, doing the duty assigned to them by the Roman government, were the soldiers, attending to the crucifixion of one Jesus of Nazareth and two common thieves. And there, while the act of redemption was taking place, they divided the clothing of Jesus into four portions, one for each. But they gambled for the tunic Jesus wore, for it was in one piece, woven from the top to the bottom, seamless.

We learn that in the dress of that day, a tunic was a garment worn next to the skin, loose-fitting and about knee length. Outer garments were worn over the tunic. The tunic belonging to Jesus was special. It was seamless. Such a garment was given to a Jewish young lad before he left his parents’ home to go out into the world. Some have suggested that Mary, Jesus’ mother, may have woven this seamless garment, but we don’t know that fact for sure.

The casting of lots for Jesus’ clothing was predicted in Psalm 23:18: “They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.” Max Lucado in his book, He Chose the Nails (Nashville: Word, 2000, p. 73) suggests that the seamlessness of the robe suggests the seamless, unblemished, whole character of Jesus Christ. Instead of the seamless robe, Jesus was crucified in shame and nakedness.

Rev. Lucado also likens the nakedness of Jesus as the indignities he suffered as He bore our sins. He was viewed by the crowd as a failure, else He would not have been on the cross. He wore the shame of sin: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (I Peter 2:24, NIV). Paul wrote in Galatians 3:13 that Jesus “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’) “

The Roman soldiers could not have known that long-ago day how valuable, indeed, were the garments Jesus wore which they divided among themselves. Nor could they have known the deeper symbolism of Jesus’ nakedness and indignity. Much has been written about these garments. The novel, The Robe (c1942), by Lloyd C. Douglas was the best-selling novel of the 1940’s. A movie was based upon the novel and widely viewed following its production and even now.

But far more valuable than the seamless tunic for which they gambled are his garments which we are invited to wear in our own person: “For you are all Sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many as you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). From the scarlet of sin to the white of purity is the transformation we receive when we “take on” Christ, wear His garments of righteousness. In wearing His garments, we come before the Father forgiven, and our fellowship with Him is restored. For this purpose Jesus wore the garments of sin and indignity on the cross.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, March 31, 2010