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7. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass.
8. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." 9. You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be
afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!"
10. He, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.
11. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
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Isaiah 40:7-11 He carries them in his arms What a wonderful Fatherly expression! "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young." The 23rd Psalm carries such expressions of the Shepherd nature of our Heavenly Father. It is important to remember that I am not his cow, and he is not my cattle herder or rancher. He is my Shepherd. We are not a pastoral society anymore so it is difficult to comprehend the full measure of the title Shepherd. Our culture perhaps would relate better to the owner of a pet. You take care of your pet like you would your own child. In fact, we often treat our animals like part of the family. It might be shocking for most of us to hear that today the great lengths people go to with the care of their pets, including health insurance, MRIs, CAT scans, cancer treatment, etc. just like you would treat one of your own children. In pastoral Israel sheep were valuable possessions. Each one of them was known by a name (not by number). The shepherd accompanied them everyday. He knew them by sight, sound, and smell, and visa verse, the sheep knew his master by sight, sound, and smell. A shepherd loved to snuggle his little lambs. That is the way God would have us think of Him. He snuggles us. He carries us in His arms. He guides us, feeds us, comforts us, protects us, and even lays down his life for us.
God has a reputation to uphold. "He restoreth my soul." -
It is what he does and what he delights to do. Why does he do it? "For his name's sake."
He is the Good Shepherd and lays down his life for his sheep. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32)
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