My Shepherd, My Everything

                                         

 

Jehovah- Rohi.  The Lord our Shepherd.  This is the last of the names of God we will be studying  and it may not seem quite as glamorous as some at first glance.  The fact is, however, that this name may be the most special of them all, at least to me.  We meet Jehovah- Rohi in the 23^rd Psalm.  A passage of scripture quoted by children and printed on coffee mugs.  But if we look closely at this psalm we will see a mighty and complete God worthy of much more than rote memorization – a God worthy of awe, adoration and our very lives.

 

This Psalm was written by David, who knew a little something about shepherding because it was his profession.   See, he knew that when the shepherd was caring for his flocks, he was completely responsible for them – in every way.  He was responsible for providing good pasture for food, still water for drinking, discipline and protection from wild animals and dangers along.  David calls the Lord his Shepherd and when doing so, he understands that this means that his Lord is his everything.

 

If the Shepherd is a good one, the sheep are totally safe and all of their needs are met, even if they have to travel through precarious terrain and face tough challenges.  The journey a shepherd leads his sheep on is not always an easy one, but the shepherd is always with them along the way.  In John 10:11, Jesus says “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  

 

If the Lord is truly our shepherd then he is our guide – He leads us, feeds us, comforts us, protects us, and lays down his life for us. 

 

If we look closely at the 23^rd Psalm we can see that in it, David depicts God, not only as our Shepherd, but as our everything.

 

1  The LORD is my shepherd (Jehovah-Rohi-our shepherd); I shall not want.

      (Jehovah-Jireh-our provider)

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside still waters (Jehovah-Shalom-our peace).

3  He restores my soul (Jehovah-Rophe-our Healer): he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Jehovah-Tsidkenu-our righteousness).

4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me (Jehovah-Shammah-He is There); your rod and your staff they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Jehovah-Nissi-our Standard of Victory): you anoint my head with oil (Jehovah-M’Kaddesh-our Holiness; our sanctification, we didn’t study this one but it’s worth taking a look at); my cup overflows.

6   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever (Yahweh-I Am).

 

What a wonderful, amazing God we serve! He has given us all these names and more, to remind us of His character-of who He is.  He deserves my praise, he deserves my all.

 

Jennifer Evangelista

 

Jehovah Shammah – “The Lord is There”

When Ezekial uttered this name of God, he was a Babylonian captive. Jerusalem had fallen, the temple was destroyed and God’s people, the Jews, were in exile. From all outward appearances it seemed as though God were a million miles away. But even in a foreign land God’s presence was still pursuing His people, speaking words of prophecy through his servant Ezekial.

 

The final chapters of Ezekial speak prophetically of a “New Jerusalem,” a city rebuilt with a glorious temple in which God’s presence resides. And emblazoned upon the gates of the city is the name, Jehovah Shammah, “The Lord is There” (Ezekial 48:35)

 

Since the exact dimensions of Ezekial’s New Jerusalem have not yet come to pass, most scholars believe Ezekial’s prophecy has both a spiritual and physical fulfillment. The physical fulfillment will likely occur during the Millennium, when Christ comes to reign on earth, as prophesied in Revelation 20. But the spiritual fulfillment of Ezekial’s prophecy began in the New Testament when God sent His Holy Spirit to indwell believers. The spiritual fulfillment of this prophecy continues even to today as the Lord unites believers, joining them together to become a holy temple in the Lord; a temple in which God lives by His Spirit. (Eph. 2:21-22)

 

In the life of a believer, the Holy Spirit is evidence that “The Lord is There.” I love all three members of the God-head. But God has used the often mysterious 3rd member of the Trinity to move me closer to Him, to empower me with boldness, and to guide me into truth. The Holy Spirit is there, residing in me, and the gifts of the Spirit flow out of me as a result of His presence. Because of God’s grace, He has used the Holy Spirit in my life to benefit other members of the body of Christ, exercising through me the spiritual gifts of prophecy, wisdom, discerning of spirits, and intercession in an unknown tongue.

 

I cherish the Holy Spirit’s presence in my life. He has taken me to greater depths in God, revealed spiritual truths, disciplined me, convicted me, and instructed me. And I am the richer for it. For His presence in my life is a constant reminder that God truly is Jehovah Shammah.

Sarah Howell