Your Rod and Your Staff

 

In Psalm 23, David paints a beautiful picture of the relationship between he and the LORD.  It is the most well-known and well-loved chapter in the Bible.  Many times, you can find this specific chapter written on the hand-outs you get at someone's funeral as a means to bring comfort to the family of the deceased.

Ever thought about the line "your rod and your staff, they comfort me"?  Honestly, when I would read the word "rod", I think of the verse dealing with discipline, "spare the rod and spoil the child", and I would think "how is that a comfort?".  So, what exactly are the rod and the staff and why should they bring us comfort?

Turns out, the shepherd's rod isn't used for discipline, but rather, it's used for protection.  You see the image above; the shepherd is carrying his staff in his right hand and the rod in his left hand.  Shepherds carry the rod to fight off the predators (bears, mountain lions, wolves, etc.) who would come and try to take away the sheep.  Unfortunately, it's usually the wayward sheep that becomes the prey of the predator.  It'll wander away from the flock, and when it gets a good amount of separation between itself and the shepherd, that's when danger strikes.  The further away the sheep gets from the protection of the shepherd, the easier it is for the predator to strike.

David relayed to King Saul in 1 Samuel 17:34-35 how he had been able to fight off bears and lions that tried to kill his sheep and was able to rescue the sheep from the mouths of the lions and bears and kill them.

The staff used by the shepherd is for rescuing the sheep when they get in precarious situations, like getting tangled in a thicket, or maybe getting stuck in between large boulders.  He takes the crook of his staff, puts it around the neck of the sheep, and pulls them out of their self-made predicament.  Apparently, sheep love to wander away, and if he catches them in time, he can put the crook around their neck and pull them back in the direction they need to go.  Is it any coincidence that we are referred to as sheep because we so easily wander away from our Shepherd?  The things of this world entice us to take our focus off of Him and we need Him to guide us back to Himself.

When we understand what these tools are used for, it's no wonder why they should be a comfort to us.  The rod is symbolic of God's strength and protection of His flock.  The staff is symbolic of His guidance, love, and care of His sheep.  So, yes, we find comfort that as His sheep, with His rod He will protect us from whatever schemes the devil will use to destroy us, and when we stray, with His staff He will gently guide us back to the fold under His protection.