What Is A Shepherd? / Part Two

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” —Luke 2:8 KJV

Other Shepherds In The Bible
Although the Lord Jesus is our perfect example and model, we can find many valuable lessons and warnings by considering other shepherds in the Bible.

Jacob
When we consider Jacob’s example as a shepherd we see that the work of a pastor is not for the coward or weak. It is not easy and does not consist of a life of comfort. Sacrificing, serving and giving are in place of receiving. Shepherds must even be ready to risk their lives. The position is one of total surrender for the sake of the sheep. Jacob said to his father-in-law Laban, “Twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes” (Gen. 31:38-40).

We understand the suffering that he experienced in the wilderness, consumed by the extreme heat of daytime or the unpleasant cold of night. Despite the conditions, he did not leave the sheep alone; he suffered with them. He was constantly watching over them, not allowing sleep to overpower him because he knew that the sheep were his responsibility. He had to watch, he had to provide, he had to protect because he was responsible for their well-being. What a lesson for those who are shepherds of God’s flock today!

Rightly so, we read this verse thinking of the subjection of the sheep to the shepherd and those who rule over them: “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). But let’s focus on the responsibility of the shepherd.

The one who is a pastor called of God must look after the souls of the sheep that have been given into his care. Every sheep is to be considered a treasure. What does one do with a treasure? He looks after it and guards it with all his heart! While looking after Laban’s flock, Jacob was personally responsible for the life and condition of each individual sheep. He had to give an account to the owner for every precious one. Similarly, one day the shepherds of the Lord’s flock will give an account to God for how they cared for the sheep. Then they will be rewarded for their work.

From Jacob’s example we see the importance of knowing and dealing with each sheep in relation to its individual condition and limitations. Speaking one day to his brother Esau, Jacob said, “My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure” (Gen. 33:13-14). Jacob knew that he could not push his sheep excessively as this would be harmful to them. The mature ones could withstand more than the younger ones, but to push the young ones too much would be unhealthy. We see this same principle in 1 John 2 where the apostle addressed three distinct groups of people: children, fathers and young men; speaking to each according to their maturity. All believers are not equal – some need milk while others need meat. The pastor should know what each one needs and is capable to bear.

From these points we understand that it is not the sheep of the flock that serve the pastor; it is the other way around. The pastor suffers, sacrifices, protects, provides and invests his all, even his life, for the sheep. He does not concern himself with his own pleasures or desires nor seek his own importance. Rather, he wants the sheep to prosper since they are not his but they belong to the Good Shepherd who gave His life for us all.

Moses
About Moses, Isaiah wrote: “Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put His Holy Spirit within him? That led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make Himself an everlasting name?” (Isa. 63:11-12). We remember that Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s palace in Egypt receiving what was probably the best education available. But God had a special purpose for Moses and in His counsels He brought him to the desert where he spent 40 years looking after his father-in-law’s herds. During those years Moses was in the school of God. When his preparation was finished God called Moses to shepherd His people.

Moses was a very special example of what a pastor should be! He is known to be the meekest man of all (Num. 12:3) – even though the people of Israel were rebellious and tried his patience many times. Because of their disobedience God said more than once that He should totally destroy the people of Israel. But Moses intervened on their behalf and petitioned God that He not do so, asking that he, Moses, be destroyed rather than the people (Ex. 32:32).

Although Moses was such an important and esteemed man, who alone had the privilege of coming into the very presence of God, he did not seek his own glory or interests. Rather, he sought blessing for the people, the flock of God.

David
Before David became the king of Israel he looked after his father’s herds; he was a shepherd. Although well qualified to write from the perspective of a shepherd, he wrote Psalm 23 as being one of the sheep who experienced the joy of the Good Shepherd – Jehovah.

When David told Saul that he was ready to fight Goliath, he convinced the king with the following words: “Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear” (1 Sam. 17:34-36). How courageous it was for a young man of 15-20 years of age to put his life at risk for the sake of the sheep. This demonstrates the character of a true shepherd – an example or figure of our Lord Jesus who gave His life in order to free us from the power of Satan, our enemy. David did not do this in his own strength but in the power of God. So for pastors today, as with all of us – without the Lord we can do nothing.

Later in life King David ordered a census to see the greatness of his army. God was angry at David for doing this and chastened him for it. He sent an angel through the nation killing many people. When David saw what was happening he cried out to God, “Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, be against me, and against my father’s house” (2 Sam. 24:17). Knowing he was the guilty one, David hurt to see the people suffer. Acknowledging his own guilt and responsibility, he put himself between God and the people to protect them.

This is just what the Lord Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane. He put Himself between His disciples and the enemies who came against Him. Jesus told His enemies to let the others go free. We can apply this to ourselves. The Lord Jesus, who never sinned and was not guilty, took our guilt and punishment – dying for us. We read in Isaiah: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (53:5-7).

Paul
The apostle Paul had the privilege of revealing the great truths about the Church after it began on the day of Pentecost. Prior to that, God had Israel as His own chosen people. His relationship with them was based on laws, sacrifices and temple worship. But when they rejected their Messiah by crucifying Him, God set them aside temporarily and started a special relationship with a new group of people consisting of all believers, the Church. God revealed through Paul how the Church was to function, its membership, the gifts and many other things.

Besides being a teacher and evangelist, Paul was a pastor. We see this in a number of things that he said in his letters. To the Corinthians he wrote: “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?” (2 Cor. 11:28-29). Paul was saying that if anyone had a problem, difficulty or weakness, he felt it as if it were his own.

He wrote as a mother to the Thessalonians: “We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable [a burden] unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God” (1 Th. 2:7-9).

On another occasion he wrote to the Corinthians as a father: “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore, I beseech you, be ye followers of me” (1 Cor. 4:14-16), and “Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you; for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Cor. 12:14-15).

To Timothy, his son in the faith, Paul wrote: “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy” (2 Tim. 1:3-4). We feel the concern that Paul as a shepherd had for one of the sheep, Timothy.

To those of Philippi he wrote: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith” (Phil. 1:23-25). He continued, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all” (Phil. 2:17). It is obvious from these verses that he was happy and ready to give his life, his all, for the sheep.

Without a doubt, we see that Paul was a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ and that he cared for the flock with the same attitude as the Good Shepherd.

Conclusion
Reflecting on these beautiful examples we soon understand that to be a pastor is a service of great self-sacrifice, a giving of oneself for the sheep. It is not for personal prominence, but for the purpose of having a people that are very pleasing to God!

By Albert Blok