Principle 4: The Good Shepherd brings security to the sheep (Jn. 10:28-29).
We have come to our final axiom for the shepherd: “…neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (Jn. 10:28). Out of all the intricate elements of human anatomy, there is no part better structured for security than the hand. Although it comprises merely two percent of the body’s surface area, each hand contains 16 bones and 23 muscles. It is the only anatomical area with this concentration of muscle for the sole purpose of holding. It is inborn to use our hands to grasp—we never see an infant use anything else! Nothing are as dependable as the hands for safekeeping. This is precisely what the Lord is saying: nobody is safer than the one whom He protects with His own hands. Furthermore, the Lord pointed out that this is the family practice: “My Father…is greater than all; and no one is able snatch them out of My Father’s hand” (Jn. 10:29). It is the Father’s intention to exercise His absolute control for our safety.
Notice the common thread with the Father and Son: each personally bears the responsibility for our security. This idea is cleverly illustrated in the carrying of the articles of God’s tabernacle. In Numbers, the tribal leaders of Israel offered the Lord carts and oxen (7:3-4). The Lord directly forwarded these items to the families responsible for carrying tabernacle hardware. Out of the four families, three were given these gifts to fulfill their duties (7:5-8). The sons of Kohath, however, were not allotted the aid of ox or cart (7:9). The Kohath family was responsible to carry God’s holiest items such as the ark of the testimony, the lampstand, and the table of showbread. These items were too precious to the heart of God to rest on the shoulders of mere animals. The Kohathites had to use their own shoulders (and obviously their hands) to carry these esteemed portraits of Christ. Here they were the most safe and secure from potentially rolling off the cart in the event of a stumbling ox (cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-7). Items of this significance are too valuable to delegate their care to something else. Likewise, we are so treasured by the Lord that only His personal touch and protection are adequate. The Lord Jesus and the Father are both committed to this principle, and John 10 reflects the priority of this commitment.
It is with matching intensity that His under-shepherds are asked to serve. “Eldering” requires a hands-on approach. While we are charged to oversee, sadly this term often gives the impression of shepherding from afar. But the sheep tend to find rest and peace when the gentle touch of their shepherd’s hands has recently been felt. The people of God need that type of nurturing, especially when they are struggling: when they become sullen, when they withdraw, or when they are hospitalized. The hand of the shepherd is required to reach out and grasp their hand in that hour of desperation. How many hands will we let slip through our fingers as we grasp at sport events, hobby events, or leisure events? We must stop the bleeding and that requires our hands tending to the wounds.
Might our prayer become: “O that we would treasure His sheep like the Good Shepherd cherishes them. O that we might know the sheep and be known by them. O that we might remain willingly sacrificial in the course of shepherding. O that we might bring security to the flock. O that we might shepherd like the Good, Great, and Chief Shepherd!”