The Red Thread: Part 11
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
The Lord is My Shepherd
Jesus Christ is the shepherd also.
In the last session we discussed some of the Old Testament names for God. Do you know what’s different between other names for God, such as Elohim and Jehovah (Yahweh)?
Elohim has to do with creation, with God as Creator. Jehovah is more closely involved with God’s relationship to people.
When you see “Lord” (small caps) in the King James Version (and many other Bibles), that’s how they traditionally translate Jehovah or Yahweh (יהוה).
Psalm 23:1 KJV:
The LORD[יהוה, Yahweh or Jehovah] is my shepherd; I shall not want.
John 10:11, 14:
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
The word “pastor” comes from a word that means “shepherd.” So God is a shepherd, Jesus Christ is a shepherd, and people within the body of Christ are shepherds. We can relate to verses about shepherds on a number of levels.
A shepherd is to take care of the sheep. The shepherd is to tend or love the sheep, carrying the idea of feeding. David grew up as a shepherd boy, then God called him to be a shepherd king.
Let’s look at what a shepherd is not.
Ezekiel 34:1–6:
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
In verse 4 you see the reverse of what the shepherds should be doing. The true shepherd should be strengthening what was diseased, healing the sick, binding up the broken hearted, gathering up what was driven away. Does this sound familiar?
Ezekiel 34:11–14:
11 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.
This is a prophecy about what’s going to happen in the future when God gathers Israel right before the millennial kingdom.
Ezekiel 34:15–16:
15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.
God will do the opposite of what the bad shepherds were doing.
The shepherds should take care of the sheep, including feeding them. In the usage of Hebrew verbs we see nourishment, healing, protecting, and gathering.
Let’s look at another bad shepherd.
Zechariah 11:16–17:
16 For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. 17 Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
Jeremiah 23:1–2:
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. 2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
God is very protective of His people.
Jeremiah 23:3–6:
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD. 5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS [Jehovah-tsidkenu].
The Messiah is prophesied here as being the shepherd.
John 10:1–6 KJV:
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
This is a comparison between a real shepherd and a thief or robber. A thief deceives and a robber uses violence to get what he wants. A real shepherd leads the sheep and they hear his voice; they follow him. The shepherd can’t just tell them what to do; they won’t get it. He must lead them by going before or ahead of them.
John 10:7–10 APNT (Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation):
7 Now again Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the gate of the flock.
8 And all those who come are thieves and robbers, unless the flock hears them.
9 I am the gate and if anyone should enter by me, he will live. And he will enter and he will go out and find pasture.
10 A thief does not come, except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and [that] they may have that which is abundant.
This is quite a contrast with the false shepherds (Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees) around him at the time.
John 10:11–13 KJV:
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
A shepherd at that time carried a rod and a staff (David also had a sling). The rod was like a club carried in the belt that could be used as an effective weapon against an attacker such as a wolf. The staff was for tapping the sheep to guide them to go where they should, avoiding dangers. The shepherd also had a mantle or wrapping that could be used to carry a lamb.
Isaiah 40:11:
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
The lamb didn’t have to jump up into the pocket of the mantle, the shepherd would pick it up and place it there.
Remember when a staff was used for healing when the Shunamite woman’s child died?
2 Kings 4:29:
Then he [Elisha] said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
John 10:14–19:
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings [they didn’t get it].
Jesus knew that the giving of His life would result in gathering more people into God’s presence.
Through the valley of the shadow of death.
Psalm 23:1–6:
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want [lack]. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 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. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Bookstore Suggestions:
