TEXT:
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Your might and come to save us!
Psalm 80:1, 2 (ESV)
More than once I have mentioned in conversation and in sermons that it’s a lot more difficult to be Christian in America today than it has been during most of the lifetime of the majority of us. I wouldn’t be surprised if before our time on earth is ended, we will see a return to real persecution in terms of threats of bodily harm to those who remain faithful to Christ in the midst of a culture that is diametrically opposed to Christian doctrine and values. But it’s not the threats to property or freedom or even to life that should concern Christians us the most; it’s the threats to our faith itself. God’s presence among us was apparent everywhere in times past but now He seems to be somewhat distant. The power that God has always held over His creation seems to have waned a bit, causing many believers who are facing persecution to wonder whether it’s all worth it. If we are to risk everything for the sake of Christ, it would sure be nice to see some evidence that He is with us to guide and sustain us.
These are the precise thoughts and feelings that the ancient Israelites of the Northern Kingdom were expressing in Psalm 80, from which today’s sermon text comes. They had apparently suffered a humiliating defeat (possibly at the hands of the Assyrians, as is reported in the Second book of Kings) and longed for their God to once again show His glory and His might, as He had done when He aided His people in their conquest of Canaan, the land of promise. More than that, they longed to see evidence of the Lord’s presence with them, as their ancestors had seen when He led them through the wilderness, as Moses reports in the book of Exodus where we read: “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people” (Exodus 13:21, 22). Like God’s Old Testament people, we, His New Testament people, find comfort and strength in the midst of these troubling times by remembering that the One in whom we trust is our Shepherd and is all-powerful.
The “Shepherd” is a very powerful image in the Scriptures. It is found not only here in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. This image speaks not only of the compassion and devotion that the Shepherd has for His flock but also of His flock’s vulnerability and dependence upon Him. “Sheep” is a very appropriate image to use in describing the people of God, not because they are innocent or cuddly, but because they are easily led and are therefore at the mercy of those who wish them harm. We cannot fend for ourselves, especially in this world where Satan is active in trying to destroy our faith through the people and situations that surround us, tempt us, attack us, and lull us into spiritual sleep. And the most vulnerable of all are those who think that they are so strong as to be self-reliant. Because of all this, we are in need of a Shepherd to guide us and to guard us.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is that Shepherd. He has told us so Himself. He says in the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel: “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15). So committed is our Shepherd to us and to our well-being that He protects us at all costs, even to the point of sacrificing Himself for the sake of those who belong to Him. This is the comfort that we have as we live in this hostile world. We know that the One who has sacrificed Himself for us and rose again from the dead will lead us where He has gone: through trial and suffering and death and finally on to glory.
The One in whom we trust--our Shepherd--is also all-powerful. He is described in the passage before us as being “enthroned upon the cherubim.” This had particular significance to the ancient Israelites. When God gave instructions for the building of His temple, He told His people to place the ark of the covenant in a very special place called the Holy of Holies. So special was this place that only the high priest could enter it, and then only once a year--on the Day of Atonement. The ark’s cover, overlaid with gold, had a cherub on each side with wings outstretched so that they met at the center. It was right over this point--the meeting of the wings of the cherubim--that God promised to be present among and with His people. As the ancient people of God knew that the One who they counted on to deliver them was God Himself, so we know that our “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11)--Jesus--is God in the flesh. In Christ God is not only present among us and with us; He has actually become One of us. So no matter how dreary things may look for us at any given time, God in Christ is with us and will bring us through it all.
Because of His omnipotent power, our almighty Shepherd can save. More than that, He does save. The prayer of God’s people in the text is clear: “Stir up Your might and come to save us!” They are not being entirely selfish in this request. To be sure, they want to be saved from their oppressors, but they are praying for more than that. They want the power and glory of the Lord to be manifested in the presence of all people--especially their enemies. They want their God, who has been mocked, to reveal Himself for who He is in order to vindicate not only His people but also Himself. They want everyone to know the Lord as they know Him--as their Shepherd and as the Almighty One. We have a lot to learn from God’s Old Testament people. Our prayer for salvation is not just about us; it is also about the glory of God because His glory is manifested in the vindication and salvation of sinners like us. His almighty power and redeeming love are seen not in the weapons of war but in the suffering and death of His incarnate Son--and that almighty power and redeeming love can overcome anything and everything.
The life of faith and discipleship to which the Spirit of God has called us is not an easy one. “If anyone would come after Me,” says Jesus, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24, 25). In these uncertain times we cannot be sure what the future may hold for any of us but we can and do know who it is that holds our future. It is our Shepherd--the Almighty--the One who has redeemed us and sustained us and who will continue to guide and strengthen us until He brings us at last into the glory and joy of His everlasting presence.
Amen.
May the God who caused light to shine out of darkness cause you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all people, as His love abounds for us; and may the glory of His Son be manifested to you and in you, that you may be witnesses to all nations now and until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. Amen.