Parts of the Bible are relatively famous even among people who have never read it or gone to church. The beginning of Psalm 23 is one of those parts: “The Lord is my Shepherd…” (Psalm 23:1). But how many people have actually thought about what that means? Let’s take some time to do that right now.
Jehovah Raah means the Lord My Shepherd, not the Lord Our Shepherd, or the Lord Their Shepherd.
Jehovah Raah, or the Lord My Shepherd, obviously appears at the beginning of Psalm 23. But long before that Psalm was written, Jacob acknowledged the Lord as “my shepherd” toward the end of his life, while blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh. He said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may he bless these boys” (Genesis 15b–16a). How was the Lord Jacob’s shepherd? Jacob was a bit of a prankster. Or, let’s be honest, he was a major prankster. He hoodwinked his family on more than one occasion to weasel something important away from his brother (Genesis 25:27–34; 27:6–40). As a result, he became favored and quite prosperous (Genesis 30:43). His material wealth grew to a great degree, and he had 12 famous sons (Genesis 35:22b–26). You have heard of the children of Israel, right? God changed Jacob’s name to Israel after Jacob decided to wrestle with God (Genesis 32:24–32), and his sons were the forefathers of the 12 tribes. And at the time of his blessing of his grandsons, Israel had recently walked through great uncertainty. The land had experienced a famine, and Israel and his family were only saved because his son Joseph had become the second-in-command of Egypt (Genesis 45). Jacob did not know how his life would turn out, and he knew he did not deserve all he had been given. But at every turn, he could see how God led him, just like a shepherd leads his sheep who have no idea where they are going and could not make it on their own.
If you have not been in a relationship with God very long, you may not yet be able to recite a list of ways he has led you like a shepherd to the places you need to go. But talk to other Believers who have known God longer, and they are guaranteed to be full of examples. As you hear their stories, know that it will not take long for your list to grow as well. Jehovah Raah means the Lord My Shepherd, not the Lord Our Shepherd, or the Lord Their Shepherd. Even though He has many sheep, He will always give you full attention. You can trust that the way he is leading you is exactly what He means for you, not for someone else.
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