Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes. Write the name of each man on his staff. – Numbers 17:2

Today's Scripture Reading (December 11, 2021): Numbers 17

It might be one of the most familiar passages in the Bible, regardless of the translation you might be reading. They are the words of the Shepherd King.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
    he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me (Psalm 23:4).

We often read this passage from the point of view of the boy who wrote it and would one day become King of a United Israel. And David wrote from what he knew. Out in the pasture, the shepherd's rod and staff were important. They guided the sheep to where the shepherd knew it was safe. And in times of trouble, they were the weapons that the shepherd used against the enemy. No wonder David imagined these instruments in the hand of his God and saw comfort in God's use of the rod and staff.

But the image of the rod and staff as a symbol of leadership predates David. It wasn't just a child's dream using the things that a child shepherd understood; the rod had been a symbol of authority from the very beginning of the nation. David might have written the words "The Lord is my shepherd," but Israel had lived those words since the days of Moses.

God told Moses to gather a staff from each tribe and write the name of that tribe's leader name on the staff. These were the men leading their tribes, but God was about to anoint a leader of leaders. It was a way of dealing with the rebellions like the one led by Korah. The people were arguing over who the leader might be, but God would settle the question.

I have a Shepherd's rod in my office. To be precise, it is a little longer than an actual shepherd's rod might have been, but it lacks the hook or crook of a proper Shepherd's staff. On this rod are inscribed several passages from the Bible. And this rod is a constant reminder that while I might have been called to be the "leader" of my tribe, God is my leader. And that can never change. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Numbers 18