Intro: For our Advent season this year, I have chosen to enjoy the Jesse Tree by sharing a 24-day practice to prepare us for the celebration of Christ’s birth; the event we celebrate and honor at Christmas. From the root of Jesse’s stump, we will discover or rediscover the people in the family Tree of Jesus Messiah who were instrumental in bringing the presence of God near to us in order to revive the Spirit-led family of faith. With each day’s reading, we will add a new symbol—an ornament—to our family tree.
Today, is day fifteen of our journey and our symbol is the Staff.
We don’t hear much about a shepherd’s Staff or rod being used in our present culture, but the word is used frequently in Scripture. A staff is a long, slender stick with a hook at one end. A shepherd typically used a staff in one of three obvious ways: 1) to gather sheep together, 2) to grab or guard a lamb for protection, closer inspection, or needed care, and 3) to guide the sheep safely forward to the next destination or to stop them from wandering.
In the Old Testament, the term ‘shepherd’ refers to not only a person who uses a Staff to tend sheep, but also refers to national leaders holding the Staff or rod of power. These leaders were appointed to gather the people of their nation in worship of the Lord, to guard the people from danger, care for their needs and comfort them, as well as guide the people into secure places by modeling obedience to the commands of God. According to the prophet Samuel, the nation of Israel was in need of a new king, because God had rejected king Saul for failing to be an obedient shepherd. So, Samuel was sent by God to find and anoint the next king for Israel; a leader who would allow God to shepherd him.
In our passage from 1 Samuel, after meeting seven likely leadership candidates for Israel, we are introduced to Jesse’s youngest son, David—a shepherd boy who faithfully tends his father’s flock of sheep and goats. David is the youngest and most unexpected candidate. In fact, we know he is not even considered a possible candidate, because Jesse leaves him out in the field caring for the flocks of animals when Samuel arrives. Yet, God knows the heart of every person and David is a man after God’s heart, so David is anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit and will one day be made king; he will use a Staff of power to love and shepherd God’s people.
Even though king David struggled with sin, he loved and served God and His people well. However, the kings in David’s lineage who followed him, were rarely loving shepherds of God’s people who gathered them in worship, guarded them from evil, or guided them according to God’s commands. Again, in God’s appointed time, He sent the only Holy One filled with the Spirit to hold the Staff and be the forever Shepherd. The Staff reminds us of our Shepherd, Jesus.
As we celebrate this advent season, let’s remember the shepherds—in the field guarding their flocks—were the first to receive the announcement of the Good News and the arrival of King Jesus. He was born to hold the Staff of power and to perfectly shepherd God’s people—to gather, guard, and guide believers by faith toward Kingdom Living in the grace of God. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd, because He sacrificially loves the people who put their faith in Him. May we let the joy of having King Jesus as our eternal Shepherd rise up in us, today, and may we not be afraid of the Staff He uses to keep us from wandering!
1 Samuel 16:1, 10-13 Samuel Anoints David as King
1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”
10 In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”
“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.
And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”
13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Isaiah 40:11 NLT He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.
Ezekiel 37:24 NLT “My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees.”
John 10:11-16 11 NLT “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
1 Peter 2:25 NLT 25 Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.
Revelation 7:17 NLT For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our Good Shepherd; for using your Staff in gathering your children out of the world, guarding us from being destroyed by evil, and for guiding and keeping us true to your commands of love. Eternity awaits us, so continue to lead us by your power into the joy of our salvation found only under your rule. In Jesus’ name. Amen.