Look with me at Psalm 78 and verse 70. Psalm 78:70 “He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: (71) From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. (72) So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” While David developed his skills as a shepherd on the valleys and hillsides of Judea, God was developing his character so he could be a shepherd of His people.
Then Jeremiah reminds us of God’s plan for His people. Jeremiah 3:15 “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” The exact same word here is translated “pastors,” those given by the LORD, according to His heart who will feed His people with knowledge and understanding. It’s the same word used in the NT to describe those who lead God’s people today.
And God also makes this promise. Ezekiel 34:23 “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” The Shepherd’s job is to feed the flock. And that is exactly what Jesus, the One True Shepherd does.
Now I know you’re wondering why the promised one here is David. But, it’s really no surprise. Jesus, as the Son of David, takes on the name David as His own. By the way Jesus is called David in four other passages in the OT (cf. Jer. 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; and Hosea 3:5). So, here’s the point, folks. A king, a queen, a prime minister, a governor, a President, a teacher, a Pastor, a father and a mother; each of these leaders is called to the task of shepherding people. It’s the first responsibility of those who are in leadership. They are to care for those under that leadership and to feed them.
1. The Israelites declare their submission to their new king; the one they see as God-given to feed them.
2. The blessing of the covenant. David responds to this new group by making a covenant with them. Look again at II Samuel chapter five and verse three. (3) “So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league [covenant] with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.”
This was a mutual bond between the people and their new leader, King David. There are two types of covenants in the Bible. There’s the unilateral covenant. Unilateral means “one-sided.” Only one party is bound to the requirements of the covenant. Then there is the bi-lateral, the two-sided covenant, in which both parties are binding themselves to fulfill their side of the agreement. The covenant here in verse three is a bi-lateral covenant. Both David and the people made themselves accountable to each other; David to lead and feed them; they to live in obedience and respect. They had great respect for David and they were willing to make it official by establishing a covenant.
If you take the time to read through the life of David before he became king, you will find something quite interesting regarding this. You’ll find him making covenants on numerous occasions. Now why? Let me share with you this. It’s possible that the most critical element in your life is the relationships you establish with those God brings into your life. And, folks, solid relationships are really the foundation for trust. We’d all say that David was a trustworthy man. But how do we know that? One way. Take a close look at David’s relationships and you will he was a man who took these connections very seriously.
I call this the blessing of the covenant. Here’s why I refer to this matter of covenant-making as the blessing of the covenant. When you enter into a contract with someone, let’s say, for practical illustration, a business contract. The very reason for a contract is because of mutual distrust and mistrust or the possibility of it. God is the initiator of what He calls a covenant. Every covenant is an expression, not of mistrust, but of trust.
Then Jeremiah reminds us of God’s plan for His people. Jeremiah 3:15 “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” The exact same word here is translated “pastors,” those given by the LORD, according to His heart who will feed His people with knowledge and understanding. It’s the same word used in the NT to describe those who lead God’s people today.
And God also makes this promise. Ezekiel 34:23 “And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” The Shepherd’s job is to feed the flock. And that is exactly what Jesus, the One True Shepherd does.
Now I know you’re wondering why the promised one here is David. But, it’s really no surprise. Jesus, as the Son of David, takes on the name David as His own. By the way Jesus is called David in four other passages in the OT (cf. Jer. 23:5; 30:9; 33:15; and Hosea 3:5). So, here’s the point, folks. A king, a queen, a prime minister, a governor, a President, a teacher, a Pastor, a father and a mother; each of these leaders is called to the task of shepherding people. It’s the first responsibility of those who are in leadership. They are to care for those under that leadership and to feed them.
1. The Israelites declare their submission to their new king; the one they see as God-given to feed them.
2. The blessing of the covenant. David responds to this new group by making a covenant with them. Look again at II Samuel chapter five and verse three. (3) “So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league [covenant] with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.”
This was a mutual bond between the people and their new leader, King David. There are two types of covenants in the Bible. There’s the unilateral covenant. Unilateral means “one-sided.” Only one party is bound to the requirements of the covenant. Then there is the bi-lateral, the two-sided covenant, in which both parties are binding themselves to fulfill their side of the agreement. The covenant here in verse three is a bi-lateral covenant. Both David and the people made themselves accountable to each other; David to lead and feed them; they to live in obedience and respect. They had great respect for David and they were willing to make it official by establishing a covenant.
If you take the time to read through the life of David before he became king, you will find something quite interesting regarding this. You’ll find him making covenants on numerous occasions. Now why? Let me share with you this. It’s possible that the most critical element in your life is the relationships you establish with those God brings into your life. And, folks, solid relationships are really the foundation for trust. We’d all say that David was a trustworthy man. But how do we know that? One way. Take a close look at David’s relationships and you will he was a man who took these connections very seriously.
I call this the blessing of the covenant. Here’s why I refer to this matter of covenant-making as the blessing of the covenant. When you enter into a contract with someone, let’s say, for practical illustration, a business contract. The very reason for a contract is because of mutual distrust and mistrust or the possibility of it. God is the initiator of what He calls a covenant. Every covenant is an expression, not of mistrust, but of trust.
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