Our Divine Shepherd
To fully trust someone to lead and guide you—to be your shepherd—it’s essential to know their identity. Who are they? And what makes them trustworthy? That is how David begins Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want (Psalm 23:1).
David’s testimony in verse one is constructed from only four Hebrew words, the first of which—without question—is the most important: Lord. In our English Bibles, this word appears in all capital letters. This signals David’s use of Yahweh, God’s covenant name. David is saying, “The identity of my shepherd is Yahweh.”
When copying Old Testament manuscripts, Jewish scribes wrote only the four consonants of this name: YHWH. They omitted the vowels because they believed God’s name was too holy to be spoken and feared it might be mispronounced. These four letters are closely connected to the Hebrew verb meaning “to be” or “to exist.” This will mean more to you in a minute.
The first time God revealed this name was when he spoke to Moses from the burning bush. When God called Moses to confront Pharaoh, Moses asked,
“If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “I am who I am”… (Exodus 3:13–15)
Yahweh—“I am who I am”—has always been and will always be. From the beginning, God has been totally independent, completely set apart, and fully complete without us. Long before we were born, he was. Long after we die, he will be. We need him. He does not need us. He is the great I Am.
Three chapters later, God revealed his name again, this time in connection with his promise to redeem his people: “I am the Lord… I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God…” (Exodus 6:2–7)
Before this moment, Scripture most often referred to God as Elohim (God) or El Shaddai (God Almighty). Here, God reveals his personal, covenant name—the name of the One who would faithfully carry his plan of redemption forward to completion. This is significant.
God does not remain distant from his people. He draws near in a covenant relationship. His name speaks of his commitment to redeem, protect, and remain with them. Yahweh is not only powerful; he is faithful. He is not only sovereign; he is personal.
And as marvelous as this was for Israel and her earthly king, it becomes even more glorious when we turn to the New Testament and hear Jesus identify himself with Yahweh. This is where the beauty of the gospel shines most clearly. During a heated conversation with Jewish leaders, Jesus claimed to have existed before Abraham. When questioned, he replied, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58) With these words, Jesus was not simply talking about how long he had lived. He was claiming divine identity. He was saying, “I am the I Am.”
His listeners understood exactly what he meant. Jesus identified himself with the God of Exodus 3, and the people were outraged. This was inconceivable! So, they immediately tried to stone him for blasphemy (John 8:59). But what Jesus said was true. By calling himself “I Am,” Jesus declared that he is the God who spoke from the burning bush, redeemed Israel from slavery, and made covenant promises to his people. The name Yahweh finds its fullest revelation in Jesus Christ.
This means that the Shepherd of Psalm 23 is not merely a poetic image. The Son of God is eternal. He is the covenant-keeping Redeemer. He is the one who is the great I Am and has come near to save his people. When David says, “The Lord is my shepherd,” he is confessing his confidence in the eternal, faithful, self-existent God. He is placing his life in the hands of the One who never changes, never fails, and never abandons his own.
Jesus is our divine Shepherd.
He does not need us; we need him.
And because our Shepherd is Yahweh revealed in Jesus Christ, we can say with confidence, “I have all that I truly need.”
Reflect: Yahweh, the Lord, is fully complete without us. He does not need us. How is this good news?
Reflect: By identifying himself with Yahweh of the Old Testament, Jesus declared himself to be fully God. Is this aspect of Jesus’s identity new to you? If so, how should it change how you think of him and his shepherding of your heart and life?
Act: This week, how can you intentionally cultivate remembrance (prayer, Scripture, journaling) of the Shepherd’s presence and care that leads to trusting him to guide and provide? List two practices to implement today.
