His Rod and Staff Are So Comforting

Sometimes memorizing Scripture is hard. You work and work, and for some reason, the verse just doesn’t stick in your brain. Other times, though, if you spend enough time in church circles, you memorize passages without even trying. Some verses seem to float in the air, working their way into our minds with very little effort. Verses like John 3:16, Genesis 1:1, or passages such as the Lord’s Prayer might fit this category. 

And then there’s Psalm 23. I don’t remember ever setting out to memorize this beloved psalm, yet somehow it’s lodged in my mind anyway—and I’m grateful. It was the first passage I helped my kids memorize, and I pray that it settles deep into their souls so that they will always remember the comforting words about our Shepherd. 

Sometimes, however, familiarity can dull a passage’s power. We’re so accustomed to the language of Psalm 23 that we stop considering the significance behind its images. Perhaps one such image is the comforting rod and staff in verse 4. 

Have you ever stopped to wonder why the Shepherd has two tools in His hands? Or why their presence would be so comforting to the psalmist? 

Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger, 
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

His Rod of Protection

Do a Google image search of Psalm 23, and you’ll find the expected pictures of lambs lying in green grass and gentle shepherds carrying wayward sheep. Search specifically for verse 4, and you’ll likely find craggy mountain peaks or perhaps an ominous-looking valley. 

Of course, these pictures make lovely desktop or lock-screen backgrounds. What you probably won’t find is a rugged shepherd beating back a lion or a bear with the club in his hand, defending his beloved sheep from certain death. Though that image might not earn many hearts on Instagram, it paints a more accurate picture of the shepherd’s rod. Far from a glorified walking stick, the rod was a weapon. And the shepherd knew how to use it. 

David likely used it in his fight against a lion. He briefly recounted the incident to King Saul:

David answered Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, I went after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.” (1 Samuel 17:34–35, emphasis added)

David “struck down” the lions and bears, likely with this rod. No wonder he wasn’t intimidated by Goliath. 

We can take great comfort knowing that our Good Shepherd carries a rod as well. In fact, He’s already used it to defeat our most deadly enemies. 

By rising from the grave, Christ defeated death itself. No longer does death have any “sting” or claim any victory (1 Cor. 15:54–57). For the believer, death has been transformed into a gateway from the curse-riddled earth into the presence of Christ. 

Not only has our Shepherd defeated death itself, but He has also defeated our great adversary—the lion that prowls around seeking someone to devour. 

Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil. (Hebrew 2:14)

And because Satan has suffered ultimate defeat, his forces have as well: 

He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him. (Colossians 2:14–15)

Our Shepherd has already protected us from the greatest evils the cosmos has to offer. So when we walk through dark valleys, we can rest in His victorious presence. He will protect His sheep. Nothing can separate us from His love or condemn us. The darkness cannot defeat us, because He is the light and the darkness cannot overcome Him (John 1:5). 

His Staff of Direction

Darkness not only conceals predators; it also makes it easy to lose our way—especially for the directionally challenged among us (like me). Thankfully, the Shepherd carries another implement as well: His staff. 

Unlike the rod, the staff is not a weapon. It is a tool He uses to direct His sheep, keep them on the right path, and gently prod them when they mindlessly wander. 

Sometimes the staff smarts a bit as the Shepherd corrects and redirects us wandering sheep. Most often He uses His Spirit within us to convict and nudge us toward repentance. At other times, He may use a warning from an undershepherd through the preaching of His Word. He may use difficult circumstances or the exhortation of a friend. All these are expressions of the Shepherd’s loving guidance as He leads His wayward sheep back to the “paths of righteousness.” 

Why This Is So Comforting

Here are two brief reasons these two tools of the Shepherd bring such comfort. First, He never confuses them. Unlike us, the Shepherd never uses His rod of protection against His own sheep. As parents, we know the temptation to discipline our children from a heart of anger rather than a heart of training. Sometimes we lash out at our kids because what they did genuinely was infuriating. (Or maybe that’s just me.) But our perfect Shepherd never does that. 

His training—what Scripture calls discipline—is always administered with His staff and always flows from a heart that is for His sheep. He corrects you willingly, never with a sigh of displeasure or exasperation. Instead, He stretches out the staff to nudge you back onto the path. Or in moments of great concern, He may even use the crook to rescue you from imminent danger. Though this may smart for the moment, you can take comfort in knowing it is always carried out in both wisdom and love. 

Second, the Shepherd never loses either of His tools. By this I mean, we can always rely on both His protection and His direction. He will never allow any enemy to abduct His sheep. He gives us this very assurance in John 10: 

“My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (vv. 27–29)

Finally, He never sets down His staff. He will continue to direct you in both the valley and in the light. He will never grow frustrated and decide to give up on you. He is fully committed to your sanctification from the moment of salvation until He welcomes you into His physical presence. You can count on His staff to lead you safely home. 

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me,
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing, brought me.
In death’s dark vale I fear no ill,
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy Cross before to guide me.¹

¹ H. W. Baker, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is,” 1868.