Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! (Psalm 70:1)
In recent devotions, I have mentioned that rabbinical commentators consider the previous psalm to be prophetic in nature. Specifically, David’s prayer is interpreted as being both a petition for and an acknowledgement of the day when God would restore all of His people to the land of their forefathers. Keep in mind, David would have written these words long before the people were actually exiled from the land. Yet like Moses, David saw the future and understood that, in time, the flock he had been charged to watch over would be scattered. No doubt, this pending situation stirred his heart and provoked him to appeal to Heaven for the sake of his descendants and their countrymen.
I feel it’s important to point out that God has commonly chosen men who had the heart of a shepherd. Righteous Abel was a shepherd; Jacob was a shepherd. Moses was watching over this father-in-law’s flocks when he encountered God. Of course, David was watching over his father’s flock when Samuel came looking to anoint Israel’s next king. And so, we shouldn’t be surprised to find that, even though the exile didn’t occur in his lifetime, David was concerned enough for his flock that he composed a prayer for the sake of the entire nation. But what does that have to do with this psalm?
If in the future the “sheep” were going to be delivered and restored, would God also restore the shepherds? In other words, David wanted to be remembered. He seems to say, “When the final redemption comes, will You deliver me as well?” Why would he pray such a thing? If the sheep were to be scattered, the argument could be made that it was due to a lack of proper care on account of the shepherds. It is written, “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” (Ezekiel 34:2). Even Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the land because he did not hallow the Lord in the eyes of the people when he struck the rock at Kadesh (Numbers 20). David recognized the great responsibility given to those charged with leading God’s people, and consequently, did not want to found derelict in his duties.
Put simply, all of us have been given great responsibility as it pertains to the Kingdom. Whether a pastor or a parent, there are those under our instruction who need us to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives — for our sake and for theirs. Following the example of our Great Shepherd, we must be willing to lay aside selfish interests for the sake of those we are responsible to care for and, as Messiah said to Peter, “Feed my sheep.”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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