The other day, I was reading in the book of Psalms when this verse stood out to me:

“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.”(80:1)

The context for this verse is a plea for God to turn His people’s hearts back to Him, that their (justly deserved) judgment come to an end. But what strikes me about this specific verse is the juxtaposition of these two very different aspects of who God is, Shepherd of Israel, yet d...