The Bible gives some rich images of God to help our understanding of His nature. Several figures of speech are given in the Scriptures as “lenses” through which we are better able to see God, who is an invisible spirit (Luke 24:39; John 4:24; Heb. 11:27). God is described as a king, a warrior, a rock, a father, a shield, a bird, a farmer, a vinedresser, etc.; however, one persistent figure of God in the Bible is that of a shepherd.
Unfortunately, this is a retired figure in contemporary times since so few in the world practice shepherding the way it was conducted in the Ancient Near East. Some explanation of what a shepherd does is needed today. We must go back and consider this figure and revive it in our day to those who are unfamiliar with shepherding.
Herding sheep was a chief industry of the Hebrew people in ancient times. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds. When Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for Isaac, the servant mentioned the fact that the Lord had given Abraham’s family flocks and herds as evidence of his honored status (Gen. 24:35). Isaac’s possession of many flocks and herds caused the Philistines to envy him (Gen. 26:14). Later, Jacob would manage Laban’s flocks (Gen. 30).
The primary roles of a shepherd were providing food and water for the sheep, delivering them from dangerous predators, and gathering those who were lost. Sheep are not highly intelligent animals, lacking the capacity to find food and water for themselves in many environments; thus, they need an intelligent and caring leader who will guide them to places where the essentials of life can be found. Sheep also tend to wander and are susceptible to predators because they lack natural defenses that would enable them to escape from their attackers or at least ward them off.
God’s people are sheep. We might not like to think of people as sheep, but the figure is fitting. God’s children cannot be appropriately represented by the metaphor of dogs, lions, or tigers. Predators, who are dangerous to all other living things, are not characteristic of God’s people. The helplessness of the sheep is the chief characteristic that causes them to represent God’s people so well. A deer’s quickness allows him to escape danger. An animal with fangs and powerful claws, like a lion, allows him to stand up against any beast of the jungle. However, a flock of sheep run together until they are killed. Such a defenseless type of animal is used to describe us. We are defenseless on our own and need the Lord to protect us. The shepherd stayed by the sheep day and night to protect them from predators or robbers. We need God to stay by our side, to guide us, protect us, and provide for us.
In the Ancient Near East, kings and other leaders were styled as shepherds of their people. When God sent Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel after Saul, he went to Jesse’s house, but the youngest son was not present. David was out keeping the sheep (1 Sam. 16:11). He knew that God would be with him in a battle against Goliath for the Lord had already delivered him from bears and lions in his defense of the flock (1 Sam. 17:34-36). Later, when the tribes of Israel gathered at Hebron to make David king, they said, “Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the LORD said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel’ ” (2 Sam. 5:2 NKJV). It is no surprise that God as the great king and leader of His people is often referred to as a shepherd (Psa. 23:1; 28:9; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:15).
To have an inept shepherd would be a terrifying condition, but to have a good shepherd would bring a sense of peace. When the nation of Judah had poor shepherds (leaders) that led them into danger, God promised that He would raise up good shepherds so that they would no longer be terrified or go missing (Jer. 23:4). Indeed, when Christ the good shepherd (John 10:11, 14), the branch of David would come, “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely” (Jer. 23:6). As a shepherd and a king Jesus would bring peace (Isa. 9:6, 7; 11:1-5).
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11). Jesus shepherds our souls (1 Pet. 2:25). Elders in the church watch out for our souls (1 Pet. 5:1-3). They operate under Jesus, the chief shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4). The Lord wants His flock fed and protected from spiritual harm (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28, 29). If a shepherd finds one sheep is missing, he leaves the ninety-nine to go looking for the missing one (Matt. 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7). Stay close to the Lord our Shepherd and His flock. Spiritual dangers and death lurk if you should wander off alone.
David famously wrote, “The LORD is my shepherd” (Psa. 23:1). No other passage in the Bible portrays this figure more tenderly than Psalm 23. David, who was a shepherd, wrote of how God is a competent shepherd who can meet all our needs. Because the Lord God was his shepherd, he would not lack (v. 1). Even when he found himself in the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no harm (v. 4a). The Lord’s rod and staff (with which he implements protection and discipline) brought him comfort (v. 4b).
Let us make sure the figure of a shepherd, with his tender relationship and emotional involvement with the sheep, is not lost on us today. God is the great shepherd. To God we owe our very existence. Every breath we breathe is a gift from Him (Acts 17:25). The food we eat comes from His hand (Acts 14:17). Even pompous rulers, who often deny Him, are fed by the crops that grow in the fields sustained with the nutrients, sunshine, and water God supplies (Ecc. 5:9). More importantly, the Lord gives us spiritual protection and rest from our adversary the devil, who, as a roaring lion, preys on us (Matt. 11:28; 1 Pet. 5:8).
If we follow the Lord, He will lead us, His sheep, into the green pastures of eternal life. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27, 28). In the great judgment scene of Matthew 25, Jesus separates the sheep from the goats, and gives His sheep eternal life (Matt. 25:32, 33, 46). What a joy it will be for us to see the Chief Shepherd appear to lead us home (1 Pet. 5:4).
–Mark Day