Psalm 28:6-9 (ESV)
Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
Devotional Meditation
Psalm 28 concludes with this wonderful prayer of intercession that asks for God to "be their Shepherd and carry them forever."
But what shepherding image is in view here?
Recall that just before Moses’ death, God takes Moses up Mt. Nebo in order to look out at the land which he has promised to give his people. There, Moses (the former shepherd) intercedes for his flock and asks God to “appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of God may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” (Num. 27:16-17).
In a sense then, the psalmist’s prayer of intercession can be understood in this same spirit. Just as Moses—God's under-shepherd—intercedes for the people in asking God to appoint another shepherd, so the psalmist (if we put this psalm in the mouth of David) is God’s anointed under-shepherd —who “ups the ante” by asking this time that God himself to be his people’s shepherd. This is a prayer for God to "cut out the middle-man" between him and his people. It is a prayer that God himself would act as the shepherd who is not deaf and silent, but near enough to pick up his people and strong enough to carry them forever.
All of this points, of course, to Jesus. John’s gospel proclaims that Jesus Christ is the enfleshed Word. (Jn. 1) Throughout John’s gospel, Christ is presented as God's Definitive Word to his people. Christ, in his incarnation, breaks the silence and bridges the distance. In doing so, the true Temple of God (which the psalmist turns toward in his plea for an answer) comes near to dwell among the people. Furthermore, in John’s gospel, Christ is the light of the world that exposes those who love darkness. Christ’s judgment is a major theme of John (1:19; 5:22-30)—an answer the psalmist’s prayer that God would speak and make distinctions between the wicked and the righteous—exposing their hypocrisy and giving them recompense. But perhaps the most important Christological connection to note is that Christ is the direct answer to the psalmist’s prayer that God himself would “Be their shepherd and carry them forever.” (28:9) Christ the Incarnate Word proclaims that he is also the Good Shepherd who has come to lay down his life for his sheep (10:11). In Christ, who is one with the Father, God himself is fulfilling the promise that both Moses and David typified. God himself is shepherding his people into everlasting salvation.
Image Description (AI Prompt)
Create an image of Jesus as the good shepherd in the style of medieval art. Jesus is in traditional biblical attire, depicted with a white robe and a red sash, in a serene, pastoral landscape. He gently smiles, holding a white sheep in his arms, embodying the role of the protector and caregiver. The background features a stylized medieval landscape with rolling hills, more sheep grazing, and a clear, blue sky. The artistic elements should include medieval characteristics such as flat figures, vibrant colors, and gold leaf details for a sacred aura, reflecting the period's religious artistry.