The Shepherd

When I was 13 years old, my family moved to the island of Guam.  We lived on the military base.  One day, I was in the backyard when the dog that lived next door came over.  I was going to pet him when I realized that he was not friendly.  I just stood there with this dog in front of me.  He began growling, with teeth bared, then charged at me at me.  I reacted by trying to kick him.  My kick glanced off, at best.  His teeth grazed my leg.  I guess neither of us had the aim to harm the other.  Suddenly, my dad was right there to chase the dog back to his yard.  When my dad turned around to come back, the dog charged at him.  He chased it back again.  This happened several times until the dog’s owner came out and intervened.

My dad’s actions are a modern example of what a biblical shepherd was supposed to be.

The Biblical shepherd was the one who was appointed to look after the sheep.  Often, this was the owner of the sheep.  Many times, he delegates that duty to his children.   The owner of the sheep, and his children, had a personal interest in the well-being of the sheep.  Jesus explains the difference when a hired hand is the shepherd:

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  (John 10:12-13 ESV)

David explained to Saul how being a shepherd equipped him to fight Goliath:

But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” (1 Sam. 17:34-36 ESV)

David said that his experience as a shepherd to the sheep equips him to shepherd the nation of Israel.

The role of the shepherd was to care for the sheep.  This included providing for their needs and protecting them.  David says that when a bear or a lion would attack and steal a sheep, he would step in to rescue the sheep.  This was putting his life in danger.  To willingly go toe-to-toe with a monstrous predator to save a sheep is pretty heroic.

David later goes on to write, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Ps. 23:1 ESV).  He fully understood what he was saying in calling the Lord his shepherd.  As I already said, the role of the shepherd is to provide for and protect the sheep.  The 23rd Psalm makes that clear.  In verse 2, the Lord provides for our basic needs.  Then comes verse 4:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
–     I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
–     your rod and your staff,
–     they comfort me.

Even when we go through the darkest moments of our lives, Christ is there, protecting us with his rod and staff.

The rod and staff were the shepherd’s tools.  How do you think David rescued a lamb from a lion?  I imagine he first hit the lion with his rod.

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11 ESV)

Whenever a lion would snatch a lamb, David went after it, risking his own life to save that lamb.

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  (1 Pet. 5:8)

Christ came to lay down His life for His sheep, which He did on the cross.  We have this assurance, that He fought for us to the point of death, and by that sacrifice, He still fights to save us, today.