Psalm 23:4 - Thy Rod And Thy Staff They Comfort Me.
Psalm 23:4 (KJV) 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.
INTRODUCTION
For You Comfort Me: The very center of
this psalm; [NIV SB]. Note this Psalm mentions
three ways God comforts us; 1) with His presence,
2) with His rod [His word], and 3) with His
staff [His Spirit].
WORD STUDY
The "rod" (a short club used to fight off
wild animals) represents protection; the "staff"
(a long shepherd's stick with a crook) depicts
guidance. [Believers SB]
The shepherd's rod was a short club used to
fend off wild animals while the staff with its
crook was used to direct the sheep. One represents
protection, the other guidance. Just like the shepherd,
the Lord protects and guides us, His sheep.
[Passages Of Life SB]
Protects his sheep with his rod or club, and
guides straying sheep with his staff or crook.
[Ryrie SB]
Rod, Staff: guards and guides his sheep.
[Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
His Word And Spirit Shall Comfort Them - His
Rod And Staff he will guide them with his rod
and sustain them with his staff. The gospel is
called the rod of Christ's strength
(Matthew Henry's Commentary)
The Word of God is at once a prop to support
the child of God, and a defense against Satan
and the powers of darkness. (Jamieson, Fausset,
and Brown Commentary)
COMMENTARY
Have you ever wondered what the phrase
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me
means? Lets remember what David said a few
verses earlier: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall
not want (Psalm 23:1 NKJV).
David, a shepherd himself, would have
carried two very critical tools: A rod and a staff.
A staff was basically a long instrument with a
crook on the end to pull a wayward sheep back into
line. But then there was the rod, which is
self-explanatory.
The shepherd would use the rod to defend
his sheep against predators. But he might also
have to use it to get a wayward sheeps
attention. One quick whack, and the sheep paid
attention.
Were just like those sheep. The Lord
is our Shepherd, and sometimes He tells us not
to do something. But we do it anyway. So He
says, Dont do that. And we keep doing it.
Then God essentially says, Dont make me use
this. Yet we continue to disobey.
Whack! Now the Lord has our attention.
Its hard for us to believe that God would allow
a hardship in our lives because He loves us.
It seems that He would want to protect His
children from all difficulties.
But remember, the Lord wants us to mature
in our faith. And one of the marks of Gods
love for us is discipline, because the Bible says
that God disciplines the one that He loves (see
Hebrews 12:6).
Just as a shepherd takes care of his
sheep, the Lord takes care of us. And when God
disciplines us, its an indication that we are His
children.
That discipline might be something that
seems like the worst-case scenario at the time.
But ultimately, it can be the very thing that
actually brings us to our senses. [Greg Laurie from
Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com re
Hebrews 12:6]
At my father's house in the country,
there is a little closet near the chimney, where
we keep the canes, or walking sticks, of
several generations of our family. During my visits
to the old house, as my father and I are going
out for a walk, we often go to the cane closet
and pick out our sticks to suit the occasion. As
we have done this, I have frequently been
reminded that the Word of God is a staff.
During the war, when we were experiencing
a time of discouragement and impending danger,
the verse "He will have no fear of bad news; his
heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD" (Ps.
112:7) was a staff to walk with on many dark days.
When our child died and we were left
nearly brokenhearted, I found another staff in the
promise "Weeping may remain for a night, but
rejoicing comes in the morning" (Ps. 30:5).
When I was forced to be away from home
for a year due to poor health, not knowing if
God would ever allow me to return to my home and
work again, I chose this staff, which has never
failed: "For I know the plans I have for you, . . .
plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11).
In times of impending danger or doubt,
when human judgment seems to be of no value, I
have found it easy to go forward with this staff:
"In quietness and trust is your strength" (Isa.
30:15).And in emergencies, when there has been no time
for deliberation or for action, this staff has
never failed me: "He that believeth shall not make
haste" (Isa. 28:16 KJV). Abbott Benjamin Vaughan,
in The Outlook
Martin Luther's wife said, "I would never
have known the meaning of various psalms, come to
appreciate certain difficulties, or known the inner
workings of the soul; I would never have understood
the practice of the Christian life and work, if
God had never brought afflictions to my life."
It is quite true that God's rod is like a
schoolteacher's pointer to a child, pointing out a letter so
the child will notice it. In this same way, God
points out many valuable lessons to us that we
otherwise would never have learned. selected [Streams
In The Desert By Cowman] (Some find it better
to use rod where she uses staff.)
CLOSING THOUGHT
If we watch the sheep in a pasture, we
will see them do an interesting thing. Sometime
during the day, each sheep, entirely on its own,
leaves the flock and trots over to the shepherd,
one at a time. The shepherd tenderly caresses
the nose and ears, rubs the neck and head, and
whispers in its ear. Calmed, encouraged and
reassured, the sheep goes back to graze with the rest.
We also need such daily affirmation and
reassurance from God. When our souls are restored, they
are revived and stimulated. We need the caress,
the rub, the "pep talk" from our shepherd.
Unless we hear an "encouraging word," we become
fearful and frantic. by A. Philip Parham
Good Shepherd, thank you for your loving
words of reassurance and restoration. [Life
Recovery Devotional SB]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Psalm 23: One Of The Crown Jewels Of
Scripture; v. 4:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2003/20030212-0713.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David
DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug
Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW (Live
Series):
https://www.discoverhopeawakens.com/webinar-registration-21585698406854
