The Shepherd's Staff
Every shepherd has at least two tools—a rod and a staff—that help him skillfully lead and care for his sheep (Psalm 23:4). The symbol that identifies the shepherd as a shepherd more than anything else is the shepherd’s staff, which is a long, wooden, and slender tool with a hook or crook at one end.
The shepherd uses his staff to guide his sheep, gently nudging them with the pointed end, even pressing the stick against their body to move them in a certain direction. Because sheep get themselves into all kinds of trouble, the shepherd also uses his staff to lift them out of precarious positions.
If the shepherd’s rod portrays divine power, authority, and defense, the shepherd’s staff envisions God’s goodness, grace, and lovingkindness.
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