Shepherds

                                                                                                                                            

Aloha Dearest Family,

                Today we will look at the role of shepherds in the Bible. In our modern society a shepherd seems like an antiquated profession and few today really understand the important role that shepherds played in the culture and times of the Bible. Great men in scripture such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and Amos were all shepherds. They were a very important part of society and, although not high in social status, were regarded as faithful and trustworthy. As sheep were a huge part of society and the life-blood of daily life in the East, the shepherd was vital in the care and protection of the sheep.

                Shepherds fed and watered the flock by finding good grazing pasture and clean water to drink. They needed to keep a close eye on the flock because sheep tended to wander if not watched. In addition, sheep are totally defenseless and cannot protect themselves so the shepherd needs to keep a diligent watch out for predators. At night the shepherd would herd the sheep into an enclosure and sleep at the entrance. The sheep’s total survival depended on the shepherd.

                Throughout scripture shepherds are also used as a metaphor of the diligent work it takes to care for God’s people. Psalm 23 written by David is a perfect example of how God is the good shepherd and how He tenderly looks after His people.

                “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:1-4) 

How beautifully God tells us how He as the good shepherd takes care of us. He certainly leads us in the paths of righteousness and keeps us from evil.

                The spiritual leaders of the time were also referred to as shepherds as they were supposed to care for God’s people. They were supposed to make sure that they didn’t stray from God’s Word and kept them from being deceived by predators that wanted to destroy them. These shepherds were also supposed to bind the wounds of the sheep (the people) by continuing to remind them of God’s love and keep them from drinking poisonous water (wrong doctrines). In Ezekiel God has some strong words for the religious leaders in Judah, the ones God had made shepherds over His people, who were not doing their job.

                “The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.” (Ezekiel 34:1-6) 

Then God says that from now on He will be their shepherd. A good shepherd – the best of all shepherds because He IS love. (Also see Jeremiah 4:1-4)

               In the Gospel of Matthew it says that Jesus had compassion on the people because “they were as sheep without a shepherd”. (Matthew 9:36) The religious leaders at that time, the Pharisees and Sadducees, were supposed to be shepherding God’s people but they were using the people, oppressing and robbing them spiritually and financially. In contrast, Jesus refers to himself as the “good shepherd” (and he sure is).

                “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is an hireling, and cares not for the sheep.“  (John 10:11-13) 

A hireling is someone who is hired to take care of the sheep. Most rich sheep owners did not watch over their own flocks but used hirelings. The trouble was, at the first sign of danger, they would flee. Why? They didn’t really care for the sheep. The religious leaders, like the hireling, did not really care anything about the sheep. And the sheep, God’s people, were scattered, hurting and prey for the enemy. But Jesus said that he would “lay down his life for the sheep”. 

“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knows me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14,15) 

Jesus surely is the good shepherd. He cares for us and he leads us to good pasture and feeds us with knowledge and understanding so we no longer have to be prey to every device of the devil (Ephesians 4:14). He heals us when we are wounded and protects us from the evil one. Our job is to trust the shepherd and listen to his voice. Our very survival depends on it. Today one can tell the difference between a good Church leader and a not so good one by how they care for the souls that God has entrusted to them.

                    Interesting to note and to remember is that the first people outside of Joseph and Mary to see the newborn Savior of the world were humble shepherds. It didn’t take much convincing to get them to hasten to the newborn king. Maybe they were some of the few just waiting to hear of the birth of the Messiah?

                                                                                                Love Always, Ray