Shepherds

Don't Carry Swords

II Samuel 22:29-31, the theme verse of the National Day of Prayer 2024, doesn’t mention a sword.

Shepherds don’t carry swords.

The organizers of the National Day of Prayer on May 2, 2024 don’t get the message. I am hoping that this year, on May 7th, they do (get the message that is).

Reading through the Bible…I Samuel 17-18/Luke 11:1-28

Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.” And he took it all off. (I Samuel 17:38-39)

NDOP doesn’t get the message about shepherds and swords. Saul doesn’t either.

The job of a shepherd is to care for the sheep, They travel light, so that they can traverse hills and valleys in search of sheep and pastures for those sheep. Can you imagine David trying to lead lambs while “backpacking” Goliath’s 126 pounds of armor.

Saul assumes that David will want to protect himself with armor. David, instead, seeks to protect his sheep/people and the name of his Lord is my Shepherd God. David wants…the whole earth (to) know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel.

After David explains why he can’t wear Saul’s armor, Saul relents. Instead of insisting with his armor, you do me. He takes back his sword and in effect says to David, you do you.

David does.

David takes it all off. Saul’s armor. Saul’s sword. Still, he does “make use” of Goliath’s sword to cut off Goliath’s head. David graphically illustrates with Goliath Jesus’ words to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemene.

Those who live by the sword, as Goliath does, will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:52)

David defeats the giant Goliath, so that the whole earth will know that there’s an extraordinary God in Israel. Furthermore, everyone gathered there and now reading here, learns that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear.

Writing…

I don’t know who holds the sword in the NDOP logo for 2024. I do suspect that it is not a shepherd. I am even more convinced, it is not the Good Shepherd Jesus. Jesus never calls himself a good soldier. He does, however, claim the name of Good Shepherd (John 10:11).

Why? Because Jesus is the One who saves. And because Jesus knows that God doesn’t save by means of sword or spear.

If God doesn’t save that way, then how does God?

Christians believe God saves through the sacrifice of our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ on the cross. People of the Book, however can also see that God uses other Shepherds like David to save.

God Shepherd saves when we, like David, take it all off. God Shepherd saves when we take off the armor designed to protect ourselves. God Shepherd saves when we lay down the weapons designed to destroy others and lay down our lives, instead. God saves when you do you and I do me.

Building…

So, let’s set aside the armor. Let’s put down our swords. Let’s do what we have uniquely been called to do.

Don’t get me wrong. We will have a Goliath’s worth of evil in our world to battle.

Still, I do believe that there is a God in Israel (and in Gaza). I do believe that the power to save is greater than the power of the social media sword. I do believe that the love that can lift us to the moon and back is greater than the hate that can shout us down to H*ll.

Shepherds don’t carry swords. Good Shepherds, however, do carry sheep.

I hope that the organizers of this year’s National Day of Prayer get the message. I hope you do too.