King David
The LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ 2 Samuel 5:2
The Bible is full of shepherds: Abel, Jacob, Moses, and Amos to name a few. Shepherding is dirty work. Shepherds worked among their sheep, walking with them, tending to them personally, and leading them by his voice. A good shepherd cares about his sheep.
In his youth, David cared for the sheep of his father Jesse. When a bear or a lion threatened those sheep, David fought them off. As king, David cared for his heavenly Father’s sheep – the people of Israel. He didn’t rule them with an iron fist, but with a shepherd’s heart.
When King David’s sinful choices brought a plague on Israel, David pleaded with the LORD, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.” (2 Samuel 24:17) David, showed his shepherd’s heart, that he would rather he be the one to suffer so that the flock, the people of Israel, would be spared.
Here we see another way in which David was a “man after God’s own heart.” God’s heart is revealed as He Himself became Man, born of the house and lineage of David, to be our Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd saw us being struck down by the plague of our own sin and Jesus said to His Father, “Let Your hand be against Me.” The Shepherd laid down His life on the cross to save you, His lambs and sheep. Rejoice that King Jesus loved you with a shepherd’s heart and rose from the dead to continue to shepherd you with His Word and in His love!
Dear Jesus, thank you for being my Good Shepherd. Continue to lead me by the voice of Your Word, that I may dwell in Your house forever. Amen.
For further devotional reading, read Psalm 23 and make the words of the Shepherd-King your own.