Two of Israel’s great leaders—perhaps the greatest leaders—were the prophet Moses and the king, David. Moses famously led the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, through a forty year desert trek, to the shores of the Promised Land. David with equal fame united the unsettled twelve tribes of Israel around the capital city Jerusalem—a feat unrivaled in the Jewish history. Yet both Moses and David started their early lives as shepherds; Moses tending sheep in exile and David minding his father’s flocks.
Perhaps it was with these two great histories in mind that the psalmist composed the most celebrated of Jewish canticles, the Twenty-third Psalm, which, in its fullness, is the response to the first reading in this coming Sunday’s Lenten Mass. The opening verses truly celebrate the wise and tender care that an earnest shepherd offers to his flock. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side with your rod and your staff that give me courage.”
Unlike cows and wolves and dogs, sheep have no herding instinct. They do not naturally cluster together. They simply follow their noses munching the grass and the blossoms before them. In no time, a meadow would be filled, hither and yon, with scattered sheep, oblivious to any dangers that might surround them. The wolf might approach; the cliff might be near; the brambles might snare them. It is the task of the shepherd to know the green pastures and restful waters, dutifully guiding the flock away from every danger. Even dark valleys are no threat to this flock who count on the shepherd’s rod and staff for guidance and on the invaluable help of a sheep dog too! No, these sheep “shall not want” as the psalmist affirms.
In his joy, the psalmist shifts metaphors. “You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” He places the faithful believer at a generously spread banquet table which is readily visible to any foe but which provokes no fear! The believer is made comfortable with a soothing balm which eases the day’s heat. His thirst is more than quenched. He feels fulfilled and protected! His God is so generous!
The guidance of a good shepherd and the generosity of a good host are both themes drawn from the Exodus event—the Jewish journey to the Promised Land. Through Moses, God, the good shepherd guided his flock forcefully yet fatherly for 40 years. And God the good host fed his flock with water from the rock and manna from the heavens. Now in the Promised Land, God, like David, would continue his shepherding and supporting ministry for them.
But the psalmist has made his best thoughts his final ones: “Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for years to come.” Goodness and kindness (or mercy) are God’s greatest gifts to the Jews and to mankind. In the Bible, God’s covenant with Israel is summarized in these two words. Goodness (“hesed” in Hebrew) means unmerited love and endless favor.
Like a good shepherd and generous host, God is always going to promote the welfare of his people. Mercy (“emet” in Hebrew) means faithfulness and fidelity. God is always going to guide and support his people come what may. He will always be the good shepherd and the generous host.
Psalm 117, the shortest of the 150 psalms, neatly celebrates these two Biblical notions of favor and fidelity (hesed and emet) in its brief song of praise: “Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love [hesed] toward us, and the faithfulness [emet] of the Lord endures forever.”
The love and faithfulness that the Jews enjoyed during the Exodus with Moses and during the kingship of David, the ideal shepherds, continue today through the believing Church. Rest assured that God is still loving and still faithful.
