One of the elders answered, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from? (7:13) They answered, ‘These are the ones, who come out of the great tribulation and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ They are seated around the throne, ‘They are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. Then this amazing Fact, ‘And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. ‘Every provision was made for them, ‘They shall neither hunger any more , nor thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them , nor any heat.’
The source of all these blessings was, ‘The LAMB who, in the midst of the throne, shall shepherd them, and lead them to living fountains of waters. And GOD shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.’ (v17) God’s Lamb has a three-fold ministry, to lead or shepherd, to feed and to console, or dry the tears of the weeping. He has enriched our lives in this remarkable pastoral care. The Lamb is our Pastor!
All this flowed from the Lamb ( the little One ) and His suffering. We can never fully estimate what the Son of God achieved for us as our Substitute on the cross. The lamb is shown to be little; that is, not of stature, but humble, lowly, led as a Lamb to the slaughter, as Isaiah 53 showed, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth, He therefore attracts the down-trodden, despised and meek.
The Lamb feeds us as a Shepherd. Psalm 23 tells of the ’The Lord., who is My shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters.’ The pattern of the leading, feeding and consoling is prophesied in this beautiful song. The shepherd psalm followed Psalm 22, which told of the calvary sufferings of the Son of God. His passion was the foundation for all the blessings that flowed, as the 23rd psalm clearly showed.
Psalm 28 tells us ‘The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. He continues ‘Save your people, and bless your inheritance, Shepherd them also and bear them up for ever.’ (v9) Out of His saving refuge, shepherding and sustaining forever flow.
Isaiah followed the theme, ‘He will swallow up death for ever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from, all faces. The rebuke of his people He will take away from all the earth: for the Lord has spoken.’ ( 25:8) Our Lord Jesus tasted death for every man’, that He might swallow up death for ever. Now death has lost its sting. None other than the Lord God will bend over us and gently wipe away tears from all faces. Further, He comfort us in that He has taken away Satan’s disapproval.
Isaiah continued to amplify the work of the Lamb, ‘He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arms; And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. (40:11). This precious scripture comforted my dear wife Gwenda and me as our infant son, Philip, battled with a failing heart. This was before open-heart surgery. When Philip was called to his heavenly Father’s side, we understood that ‘He will gather the lambs in His arms’. And He did! He comforted our two- year-old Priscilla, our four year-old Elisabeth, our nine- year-old Miriam and the three older children. Each dropped tr sleep with teary eyes, dried by the lamb Himself. He gently led them with young. My bible was marked at this verse. 40 years have not obscured the heavenly calm and healing balm of the Lamb.
Isaiah is the gospel of the Old Testament, ‘They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them, For he that has mercy on them will lead them. Even by the springs of water He will guide them.’ (49:10) The Lord supplies our food and drink; and will much more meet our deepest spiritual need. He will guard us from sun-stroke, and will show mercy to us. He directs us to the waters springing from the hidden streams. Even in the desert.
Ezekiel supported the writer of the revelation, when he wrote, ‘ I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them – my servant David. He shall feed them, and be their Shepherd.’ (34:23). God appointed the shepherd for one purpose- to shepherd, feed, guide or protect them. Twice he writes’ He shall feed them,’ for the child of God receives nourishment for growth, development and health from the living shepherd.
Micah in that marvellous fifth chapter told of ‘Bethlehem, for out of you shall come forth to Me, the One to be ruler in Israel. It clearly pointed to the virgin birth of God’s Son. (v2). It continued ‘He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord. In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God And they shall abide. For now He shall be great.’ (v4) The cross sufferings of the Lamb are seen in the strength and majesty of the Lord. WE must lead the seeker to the place called calvary, where the Lamb of God bore the sins of the whole world.
In John chapter 10, the Lord said, ‘I have come that they might have life. I AM the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep. (v11) Jesus Christ purposed that we should have life. Such legacy Came only because the Lord sacrificed His life. As a ‘Lamb before his shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.’ The truth of the Good shepherd and the dying Lamb is linked. They are inseparable.
John continued, ‘As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. Within the closest intimacy of Father and Son was His willingness to lay down His perfect sinless life for the sheep. The shepherd’s heart of our Lord Jesus Christ made it essential for Him to become God’s sacrificial Lamb. Our Lord said, ‘therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again.’ (v17) The Father could not withhold His love as He saw His SON lay down His life on the cross; bestowing upon Him resurrection life, which He exercised. Life flowed from the cross. The old writers wisely said, ‘He reigned from the tree.’
The once-crucified Saviour, now risen Lord showed His passion to care for His sheep, as in John 21. ‘Feed My lambs, (v15), Tend My sheep (v16) and Feed My sheep (v17). While Peter three times denied his Lord, now is commanded three times to care for the lambs and the sheep. This life flowed from His sufferings.
‘Paul had not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God,’ when he said, ‘ Therefore take heed to yourselves and all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.’
(Acts 20;28) Paul stated that this was the whole counsel or pure wisdom of God. The elders must shepherd, guard, tend, and nurture the entire flock of the church of the living God. The Lamb with His holy blood, for it was the blood of GOD, purchased this rare jewel, the church of the saved. Of which you are part.
The Lamb feeds, leads and consoles the people of God. This must become your personal Pastoral care, whether father or mother in the family, the leader of the bible class, the elder or pastor of the local church, the missionary and wife in hostile environment.
Let the calvary stream of blessing flow into Your life and many others.