Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd — Part V
”Water is life!” This simple and obvious phrase was probably the line our Middle Eastern guide and teacher repeated more than any other on my tour of Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Today we all know, or at least we think we know the value of water. Obviously, what makes our little blue planet different from all other planets is the existence of water — No Water, No Life!
Last week I addressed the scarcity of “green pastures” in the Middle East, however, if we thought grass and shrubs were rare, a more obvious mystery is, “Where is the water?” Moving from our blessedly blue Canada, the country with the world’s largest supply of fresh water, back to the Middle East, and specifically to Israel, to a time long before indoor plumbing, one can not underestimate the importance of water. Apart from the Sea of Galilee to the north, the Jordan River, some small tributaries, mountain runoffs, and a handful of hidden springs, this is the extend to Israel’s visible water sources. So where did tens of thousands of Israelites, in hundreds of villages and towns, spread across thousands of square kilometres get their water from? And for the sake of the 23rd psalm, where did a shepherd find water for his sheep in the vast wilderness?
The tour I was on was specifically designed to take us off the beaten track. The intent was not to get us familiar with the sights of Israel, but with the land itself. Several times our guide would take us into what we believed was the middle of nowhere, only then to be lead through a small opening in the ground, where we would descend into an ancient water reservoir. Even when visiting village sites dating back to Bible times, we were often led beyond the ruins, walking a fair distance, to either discover the village well, or to have us climb down another cavern into another 2000+ year old cistern. Every time we took one of these little excursions our guide would remind us again, “Water is Life!”
Not only does water equal life for people, shockingly it is also important for sheep. For the nomadic shepherd, arguably their most import task was to both find and make water accessible to their sheep. Here are two common ways shepherds helped lead their flocks to “still waters”:
Drawn Water — The most common way a shepherd provided water was to lead their flock to a well, or to another, often hidden, dug out water supply. Here the shepherd draws out the water himself, then brings it to each sheep to drink (*Consider the story of where Jacob meets Rachel at a well and brings water to her sheep — Genesis 29:1–12). The Hebrew word (nahal), often translated as, “leads” can also be translated as, “supplies,” or “provides.” The shepherd does not just lead the sheep to the quiet waters, but in this case, serves the water as well.
Dammed & Dug Water — It should be noted, the text specifically refers to “still waters,” or a more preferable translation, “quiet waters.” I am no shepherd, but do know sheep get quite skittish around water, especially moving water. I also know, “still water “ does not always make for a healthy water source. Because of these two challenges, a common task of a shepherd, when lucky enough to find a freshly flowing water source, was to help still the waters for their sheep. To accomplish this task, shepherds would either dam up a small portion of a stream, or dig out a small culvert for the water to flow into, which then provides the sheep a fearless place to drink from.
“Water is life!” Water is life for sheep, and water still gives life to us today. The 23rd psalm reminds us, our shepherd does not just lead us to quiet waters, but to the source of life itself. My prayer for this devotional is that every time you read the word “water” in Scripture you will not just think of the liquid that comes out of your tap, but as the source of life. And even more importantly you will be reminded of the “living water” promised by Jesus, our good shepherd!
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water…. Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:10–14
