(Ed. note:This is the first in a series of articles submitted by one of the readers of Words of
Truth.)

Many outstanding persons of the Bible spent part or all of their lives as shepherds. Abel was the
first shepherd. Abraham and Isaac had large flocks of sheep but evidently servants actually did
the shepherding. Jacob kept Laban’s cattle and sheep and in the process built up large flocks and
herds for himself. Moses, David, and the prophet Amos kept sheep before the Lord called them
to other work. Women were also engaged in keeping sheep (Gen. 29:9; Exod. 2:16).

Keeping sheep in Bible times was often a lonely job. The sheep were the shepherd’s constant
companions and he developed affection for them. He took good care of them, not only because
it was economically wise to do so, but because he loved them. This gives meaning to Psalm 23
where Jehovah is described as a Shepherd, and also to the Lord’s description of Himself as the
Good Shepherd in John 10.

In the Old Testament those responsible for the spiritual welfare of God’s people were termed
shepherds (Jeremiah 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34; and Zechariah 11). The word pastor means shepherd; a
pastor is one of Christ’s gifts to the Church (Eph. 4:11, 12). What should characterize these
pastors or shepherds of God’s people? Feeding the sheep or leading them to good pastures was
one of the main duties of the shepherd (Psa. 23:2; Isa. 40:11; John 10:9). Peter was told to feed
his Lord’s sheep and lambs (John 21:15-17) and he passes this exhortation on to other pastors (1
Peter 5:2). Conversely, the wicked shepherds were judged because they had not fed the flock
(Ezekiel 34:2). The feeding of God’s people is of course feeding them the Word of God. This
means that the spiritual shepherd must be a student of God’s Word.

There are two aspects to this feeding. The making them lie down in green pastures and leading
them beside still waters might imply pointing them to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus
Christ in all of their varied aspects. This would be ministry suitable to the flock as a whole. But
the individual sheep have individual needs and problems. Some wander and sustain injuries of
various sorts. Others remain with the flock but still have needs. The wicked shepherds had not
cared for the needs of the sheep:"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" (Ezekiel 34:4). The Good Shepherd, in contrast, is concerned
about the needs of even the lowliest members of the flock (Isa. 40:11).

Feeding the sheep does not require the ability to expound the doctrines of the Word so much as
the ability to apply them to the needs of the individual sheep. The parable of the lost sheep (Luke
15:3-7), which is evidently based on observations of real-life shepherds, shows the care and
concern a shepherd had for each individual sheep. In order to know how to apply the Word to the
problems and needs of his sheep, the shepherd must get to know the sheep as individuals with
individual problems and needs.

The sheep trust the shepherd and will follow him (John 10:4). A spiritual shepherd must be
trustworthy. His advice and counsel must be true and he must be able to hold in trust those things
which are told him in confidence.

Another duty of the shepherd was to protect the sheep from wild animals (John 10:11, 12; 1 Sam.
17:34, 35; Ezek. 34:5, 8). Both the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul warned the disciples that
wolves would come among the flock of God’s people (Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:29). These wolves are
false prophets or false teachers. Some would proclaim sensuality as an acceptable part of the
Christian life (2 Peter 2), some would introduce false doctrines as to the person of Christ (1 John
4), and others would preach some form of law (Galatians; 1 Tim. 4:1-6). What role does the
spiritual shepherd have in protecting the flock from these wolves? If he has been faithful in
ministering the Word, the truth should be so much a part of each member of the flock that error
will be recognized immediately for what it is; and the wolf will find no hearers, but will be
rejected by the sheep themselves. If this first line of defense fails, the pastor must warn the flock
of and denounce the specific evil which any given wolf brings into the flock. If the wolf succeeds
in convincing some or all of the flock that his doctrine is true, the shepherd must use the rod of
Scriptural discipline. (A discussion of discipline in the assembly is beyond the scope of this article,
but a spiritual shepherd should understand the Scriptural principles of such discipline.)

Now, some Christians definitely have the gift of a pastor, but do the thoughts above apply only
to them? Should not each of us have a care for God’s people and be ready to give them a Scripture
which may suit their specific need? Should we not be able to pray for many of God’s people by
name and concerning specific needs? Women are not left out of this ministry. Just as there were
shepherdesses in Scripture, so there can be women today who act as spiritual shepherds _not in
the public office of pastor as usually thought of in Christendom or in public ministry of the
Word_but in loving care and concern for the spiritual needs of children and other women (Titus
2:4, 5; 1 Tim. 5:10) and even of men in the privacy of the home and in conjunction with their
own husbands (Acts 18:26). Let us ask God for a shepherd’s heart and the shepherd’s work will
follow.