Rod and Staff: Part One

“Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4b

I grew up with this psalm. This week’s verse was one of the first Bible passages I read in the tiny Precious Moments Bible book I brought to my kindergarten Sunday School class each week. I can still see the illustration on the facing page of this verse, a little boy dressed as a shepherd, holding a staff in his hand.

Over the years, I have heard countless explanations of this verse, but as I began writing this post, I wanted to know what the rod and staff actually are.

The two words seem synonymous in the English language, and they certainly are similar, but I think there are some exciting insights we can gain from looking at the Hebrew words used in this verse. So much so, that we will have to break our study of the rod and staff into two week’s posts!

The Rod

The word translated rod is a literal one, having to do with a branch or stick. Interestingly, this can be used figuratively for authority (as in a royal scepter) or a rod of correction or a weapon of judgment. It is also the word translated tribe throughout the Old Testament. As I scrolled through the many verses containing this Hebrew word, Psalm 45:6 stood out as a good starting place:

“Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of Thy kingdom is a right sceptre.”

Although it is more likely that David was referring to the idea of a shepherd’s rod, which we’ll get to soon, I think it is helpful for us to begin by considering that our Shepherd is also the King of Kings, that His shepherd’s staff is also a royal scepter. One of the comforting things about being in the flock of our Good Shepherd is the fact that He is sovereign. There is nothing above His authority or beyond His ability.

But what exactly is this shepherd’s rod? A quick look at the different uses of this word in the Old Testament gives us several facets of the idea being conveyed by the psalmist. One is the idea of a weapon used to defend.

In 2 Samuel 23:21 and its parallel account in 1 Chronicles 11:23, the description is given of a warrior who “slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slew him with his own spear.”

The word “staff” here is the same Hebrew word as “rod” in Psalm 23. In other words, our Shepherd wields His rod on our behalf, as a defensive weapon. This is a great source of peace and comfort when we are facing the onslaught of our enemies, the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Psalm 5:11 says it well:

“But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them:let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.”

As we choose to trust our Shepherd to take care of us, we can rejoice, knowing we have an undefeatable Protector! 

Another facet to this idea of the shepherd’s rod is that of chastisement. A wayward or stubborn sheep might need correction: so too, do we from time to time when we get stubborn about going our own way. But how can God’s rod of corrective judgment be a source of comfort?

Think about it. If God didn’t love us, He wouldn’t care whether we were on the right paths or not. John 10 gives us this illustration:

“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” (vv.11-13)

Because we are His sheep, He watches over us and protects us from the wolves. But sometimes, the “wolf” actually ends up being our own willful flesh, the sin nature that does its best to push us into disobedience.

In that case, we are the ones who need chastening. We wayward sheep need a gentle (or sometimes not so gentle) whack from the Shepherd’s stick, not for the purpose of causing pain, but to wake us up to our own sinfulness and the need to repent and return to the paths of righteousness with our Shepherd. Deuteronomy 8 puts it this way:

“Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him.” (vv.5-6)

And this passage from Psalm 94 illustrates it well:

“Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law; That Thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the Lord will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance. But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.” (vv.12-15)

Hebrews 12:7 points out,

“If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?”

The chastening of our Shepherd comforts our hearts, despite the pain or unpleasantness we feel, because it is a reminder that we are children of our Heavenly Father. –To put it in terms of our woolly analogy, it is a reminder that we are sheep of the Great Shepherd’s fold.

But as much comfort as you and I may derive from the certainty that we belong to God, and that He loves and cares for us, we don’t usually enjoy His chastening. Hebrews 12 addresses this as well, and gives us some ways to avoid chastening in the first place.

“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.” (vv.11-16)

Our hearts are prone to wander from the path of God’s righteousness. Isaiah 53:6 tells us,

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

If we want to avoid what seems to us the least pleasant use of the Shepherd’s rod, we must simply obey. As you follow the Shepherd, cultivate a heart of trusting obedience that measures each decision by God’s definition of what is right.

But when your Shepherd’s rod of chastisement feels heavy upon you, remember that it is for your good, and take comfort in His purpose. As the Hebrews passage above said, “afterward it yieldeth the peacable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Repent, return, and rest in the Shepherd’s forgiveness and love as His rod of chastisement returns to its purpose of protection and authority.

“But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them: Let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee. For Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt Thou compass him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:11-12