My Beloved has gone down to His garden, to the beds of balsam, to pasture His flocks in the gardens and gather lilies. I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.” Song of Solomon 6:2,3
There is no way to truly know God without following the Shepherd. What does this mean? There comes a day in a believer’s life that he discovers, as David did, that the Lord Jesus is his Shepherd. That sounds like a very simple statement, and it is. However, the repercussions of it, if one is to look closely at the truths in it, are profound and radically far-reaching.
The first thing that one notices, when David declares, “The Lord is my Shepherd,” is that one has, in a sense, ascended into heaven to behold Christ in His glory. This Shepherd is no ordinary man. He declares himself in the Gospels to be the “good” Shepherd. His nature is wholly good, and His goodness, is like a strong and beautiful spice which spreads fragrently through the air. Another description of this Shepherd, is that He is “altogether lovely.” There is no fault, flaw, error, or blemish in Him. Sin, with its awful and deadly effects, always leaves scars. Jesus does bear five scars, but those were imposed upon Him, not originating in Him. Through the ordeal of Calvary, He remained unblemished, perfect in love, purity, goodness, and graciousness.
The second thing to note is that this Shepherd is revealed to the sheep in order to BE something, really, everything to the sheep, his very life. He is eternally existent, unchanging, sovereign and almighty, and yet, He is the personable Shepherd who calls His sheep by name, who will go out into the wilderness in search of just one sheep, and will not relinquish the search until He find it. In other words, He is a Shepherd who is totally, and forever, committed to the life and well-being of His sheep.
And thirdly, David discovers that the basis of the relationship between this Perfect, Gracious, and Wise Shepherd and His sheep, is trust. Because of Who the Shepherd is, the sheep is called upon to trust Him absolutely, upon whom his life and existence depends. It is in following the Shepherd, having relinquished all personal “rights,” that the sheep begins to discover the wonder of the knowledge of Who this Great Shepherd truly is. The great blessing for the sheep is the personal knowledge of the Shepherd.
In the book of The Song Of Solomon, we find a person called, “The Beloved,” who is a shepherd. This Beloved has set His love upon His bride. However, though greatly loving her, He will never deny who He is, the Shepherd, who is out in the mountains, seeking the lost, and tending His sheep. His call to His beloved bride, is for her to arise and come away, to join Him, follow Him, being thus in that place where He can reveal Himself to her heart. At first, she has the concept that her Beloved exists for her, and in a very real sense, this is true, for she cannot exist without Him. But her love for Him is mingled with selfish motives, and a surrender that is not complete. So, she responds to His voice, but slowly, being entangled with the security of her belongings and blessings. However, there will come a day, when she can no longer hesitate to relinquish all, because the remembrance of her Beloved, has overwhelmingly stirred her to seek Him. She arises, and does come away. She begins to know the reality of a consistent experience of following her Beloved Shepherd, when she leaves all in her heart to pursue Him, to know Him. She comes to see clearly the true issue and basis of her communion with her Beloved, by declaring: “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine.” The bride is now free to bound upon the moutains with her Beloved, seek the lost with Him, even go to war with Him, overecoming all obstacles to faith and love.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to pursue Christ. In Jesus’ name, amen.