‘Keeping the Sheep’

‘Keeping the Sheep’

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down b till he comes here.” So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” …

I Samuel 16:11&12

David stands as one of the most excellent examples of Christlike leadership. For us to appreciate how God brought him to be such a leader, we must examine his origins. He came from the tribe of Judah, and was the Son of Jesse. He was the youngest of his household. As such, his work assignment was the most menial. It was here, that he began  to learn the Christlike behavior, which would later mark him as the ‘man after God’s Own Heart.’ One of the characteristics of the Servant Leader, who is Christlike, is his care and defense of the sheep. In his account of his work as a shepherd, David recounts his experiences. ‘But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.'”‘  A characteristic of the Christlike Servant Leader, is that he places the needs of his flock above his own. It is in this spirit, that upper ranking members of the United States Marine Corps eat after their subordinates. It was for the purpose that His sheep might have forgiveness of sins, redemption, and eternal life, that Christ, The Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd, became incarnate, lived perfectly, died sacrificially, arose victoriously, intercedes perpetually, and is returning gloriously. God was grooming David, from early days, to become the Christlike King of Israel. Christ, Who in human history, would appear after David, would be, ‘the Root and Offspring of David….’ As God made David Christlike, so may He conform us to His Image.

Oh, Great Shepherd of the Sheep,
we rejoice that You, by the power of Your Holy Spirit,
work in us all that pleases You,
to conform us into Your Image, for Your Glory.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning