This required many flocks around
Because the people were familiar with the occupation of shepherding sheep, Jesus often used shepherds and sheep to explain spiritual truths.
Jesus once described how a worker hired to tend the flock will abandon the flock when the wolf comes because the flock is not his, and he cares little for them.
But God does not abandon His people when Satan’s wolves come hunting. God owns these sheep. They are His and He cares for them like a Master Shepherd diligently keeping watch over His flocks by night, or day.
The theme of our meditation today is, “The Master Shepherd Tends His Flock”.
The portion of God’s Word which our meditation springs from is found in the closing words of the book of Micah. May the Holy Spirit who authored these words open our hearts and minds to their message.
Micah 7:14-20 (NIV)
14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
which lives by itself in a forest,
in fertile pasturelands.
Let them feed in
as in days long ago.
15 “As in the days when you came out of
I will show them my wonders.”
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will lay their hands on their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God
and will be afraid of you.
18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
20 You will be true to Jacob,
and show mercy to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our fathers
in days long ago.
Grace and Peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Risen and Living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
One of the tools that shepherds used when caring for their sheep was the sheep pen. Sometimes this pen was called the “Sheepfold”. It might be made of wood, or more likely in
After herding his sheep in for the night, a shepherd could sit himself down in the doorway, making sure that any wild animals hunting his sheep could only reach them over his dead body.
With His opening words, Micah asks Jehovah God to be a Shepherd to His people. Micah calls God’s flock, God’s “inheritance” because they are the portion of the world’s people whose hearts belong to Him through faith.
With his words Micah describes how God has already herded His flock into a place separated from the dangers of the world. Micah says God’s flock lives by itself, in a forest, in fertile pasturelands.
God has separated His people from the world, but not by taking them out of the world. Nor has He closed us up in monasteries and convents to keep us away from spiritual danger.
God needs His people to be in the world so that they can reach out and bring other sinners to Christ. So, instead of physically taking us out of the world, God separates us from the evil world around us by His Word.
Jesus once prayed,
“15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:15-17 NIV).
As the Spirit teaches us to live life according to God’s commands, our lifestyle also shows that we are separate from the world around us. We are only passing through this spiritually dark and barren world on the way to wide open and lush valleys.
Micah asks God to let His flock feed in
The pasture lands that God has provided for us to feed in, are the books of the Bible. Through God’s Holy Word we feed our souls and become healthier. Through the message of Jesus’ cross we know our sins are forgiven and our peace increases. Through the wise words of the Proverbs we grow in wisdom, and the right decisions in life become more clear. Through the guiding words of the New Testament letters we learn how to function among our brothers and sisters in Christ. How to encourage. How to forgive. How to know true joy in this life through fellowship with God and fellowship with God’s flock.
Through the green grass of God’s Word, we sheep are being built stronger for the journey through this life. God does this because the grass really is greener on the other side of the fence. In heaven, we will find pastures that need no hedge. Green valleys that have no sheep pens. God wants us to reach that land of safety, so He draws His protective circle around us now by faith, and feeds us for life’s journey by His Word.
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Micah asked God to Shepherd His people. In verse fifteen God answered Micah’s request by saying,
““As in the days when you came out of
I will show them my wonders.” (Micah
God says, “I have been Shepherding my people, and I will continue to do so in wondrous ways that all will see and acknowledge in the end.”
With verses 16-17, God points Micah’s eyes forward to the Last Day, the Day of Judgment when all of God’s enemies will be drawn out to face Him.
16 Nations will see and be ashamed,
deprived of all their power.
They will lay their hands on their mouths
and their ears will become deaf.
17 They will lick dust like a snake,
like creatures that crawl on the ground.
They will come trembling out of their dens;
they will turn in fear to the LORD our God
and will be afraid of you (Micah
As it says in Romans 14:11
"'…As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God'" (Romans
“…a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29 NIV).
even those who pierced him;
and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.
So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelation 1:7 NIV).
From the shadows the Shepherd watches His flock graze, and the wolf sneak. The wolf thinks himself clever, but the Shepherd is in control at every moment. And when the wolf attacks, the Shepherd takes action – striking with strength just at the right time.
The Devil likes to darken our days with grim thoughts. He points us to our failings and our sins. He directs us to the failings and sins of our fellow Christians. He leads us to dwell on the evil that is in the world, instead of the good that comes from God. He attempts to make us a somber and hopeless people.
By pointing us to the final judgment of the wicked, God reminds us that the Devil is the one who should be somber and hopeless. His fate is dark and sealed.
Our fate is bright and sealed. Through Baptism we have been joined to Christ! Through faith we walk forgiven in His ways. God lightens our days and makes us into a laidback people, confident in our God. By His Spirit God makes us a joyful people, courageous in His service and patient with each other. Our bright Christian outlook springs from trusting that our Shepherd is wise in His tending, strong in His guarding and always alert.
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Earlier we talked about how a shepherd would put his sheep into a pen for the night. This was not only to protect them from predators, it was also to protect them from themselves. Sheep aren’t the brightest of animals. They wander. And when they wander, the shepherd goes to find them.
God’s people aren’t that bright either. We allow ourselves to start the worst of habits. We charge into places we shouldn’t go. We neglect God’s Word, or fail to consider it with our hearts. We don’t take our Savior’s Words seriously at times, explaining them in a way that is convenient for our agenda.
When we start to wander from God, then the Shepherd goes to find us.
Sometimes we feel the painful thump of the Shepherd’s staff on our side. Following our little hoof-prints God finds us in a tangle of problems, or on the edge of a cliff. Smack. He gets our attention. Prod, prod. He moves us away from the danger.
Preachers sometimes emphasize that the Good Shepherd leads the way, instead of smacking the sheep from behind. But there are also times when our Savior’s rebuke is painful.
Think about after Jesus’ resurrection when He spoke to Peter by the
Or think about the resurrected Jesus’ Word to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. When those two disciples expressed puzzlement over Jesus’ death, He said to them,
“…How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26 NIV).
Those are some tough words. But they were meant to help. Starting from Moses and the prophets, Jesus explained to them what the Scriptures said about Him.
In every rebuke, our Good Shepherd seeks to draw us away from foolishness and sin, back to His side.
While His rebuke may come accompanied with His anger, the Good Shepherd does not stay angry with His sheep forever. Anger is a strange thing for Him. He much prefers mercy, for mercy permeates His character. When He has delivered the necessary blows of correction, He turns to assure His sheep of His love.
Micah wrote,
“18 Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
19 You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea” (Micah
When we feel the painful thump of God’s correction in the words of our fellow Christians, we can know that correction is from God, for the LORD corrects those He loves. After His rebuke, God’s tender forgiveness follows. He binds up the wounds He has made. He wipes away the tears He has caused.
He does this because He is the Master Shepherd. The sheep are His, and He loves them. He purchased them with His own blood as the hymn says,
“What punishment so strange is suffered yonder!
The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander;
The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him,
Who would not know Him” (The Lutheran Hymnal, 143).
Jesus is our Master Shepherd. Live joyfully in His care, feeding on His Word. Fear not the enemies that slink along in the darkness, He sees them, and will protect. And be conscious of His rebuke and His tender forgiveness and guidance in your life.
Amen.
The peace which comes from God, which far exceeds all our understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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