The LORD is my.... Shepherd?

One of the most enduring metaphors used in the bible to describe God is that of the shepherd. Today, comparing God to a shepherd is familiar and comforting. But in bible times, it may have raised some eyebrows. Back then, shepherds were very low on the social ladder. They made very little money, and they spent months out in the hilly wilderness, alone with stupid, stubborn, smelly animals. They were seen as odd and were often the butt of crude jokes. Therefore, calling God a shepherd was a bit jarring back then, just like calling God a janitor would be today (…the Lord is my janitor – he removes the trash of sin from the rooms of my soul, and I am left clean...?) Nevertheless, it was a fitting and illuminating comparison. And in fact, biblical writers found quite a lot of truth and meaning in the comparison of God to a shepherd.

The shepherd metaphor is at the heart of Psalm 23, and Jesus himself uses it in such famous passages as John 10 (the Good Shepherd), and Luke 15 (parable of the lost sheep.) Those parts of the bible use the idea of God as a shepherd to reveal the true nature of God’s relationship to us. We know and love those passages, but we may not fully understand them. They are full of detailed references to the work and lifestyle of shepherds which might escape us today. We are not necessarily familiar with an ancient shepherd’s job or his environment. But a little background information about those things can give us a much better understanding of some of the best-loved passages of the bible.

For example, take these words of Jesus: “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. (John 10:1-6)

Did you understand it? Perhaps more information would help. In ancient Israel, a shepherd called his sheep with a unique set of sounds – his sheep knew his call, and would follow his sounds and no others. No one else could lead his sheep. A sheepfold is a safe area surrounded by a stone wall. The only way in is a gap in one wall, just wide enough for a sheep to pass through. At night the shepherd would put all the sheep inside the fold, then lie down in front of the gap. He literally was the gate. Wolves or thieves could only get at the sheep over the shepherd’s body. In the morning, the shepherd would stand in front of the fold and call his sheep with his special “language” of sounds. Even if his sheep were mixed with another flock, they would separate themselves out, follow his voice, and go only to him.

The gospel continues: “So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. […] For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.” (John 10:7-18) A shepherd was indeed prepared to lay down his life for his flock. His sheep were prey to lions, wolves, bears, and human thieves. They depended on their shepherd for their very survival. It was a vivid and fitting comparison for Jesus to say he was a shepherd to his followers. He offered them life, through himself, saving his people like a shepherd at the door of the fold.

Now examine Psalm 23: “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.”

We can understand this Psalm better with more background as well. A shepherd provided for all of his flock’s needs. For a sheep to be willing to lie down at all, it cannot be afraid, irritated, or hungry. It will be too restless. Just as a hungry sheep may refuse to lie down, a thirsty sheep may refuse to drink from swiftly running water. They fear drowning and water can go up their noses. The shepherd provides for them by finding the still waters they require. A shepherd also had to find right paths for his sheep. In the hill country, a path could narrow or vanish, and animals could be lost. Lonely ravines like a dark valley were navigated with the sheep close by the shepherd’s side, listening to his continual calling. A rod and a staff were part of a shepherd’s equipment. A staff was a short wooden club studded with nails, used for close range fighting. (A sling was used to fight from a distance.) A rod or crook was a long pole with a curled end, used to hook a stray sheep before it strayed or fell from a cliff. A shepherd prepared a table, a flat area for grazing, free of poisonous plants, snakes, and other dangers, and stood watch against surrounding predators. A shepherd carried a horn full of oil, used for healing the sheep’s wounds and for keeping the animal free from pests.

The Psalmist David, who was a shepherd as a youth, used shepherd imagery to great effect. Thanks to writings like this, we can see God the Father or Jesus compared to a shepherd and not think the comparison is demeaning. Instead the shepherd becomes the perfect illustration of what God does for us, his sheep. He watches over us day and night, seeing to our needs and leading us to our sustenance. He values us individually, and if one of us goes astray, he wants to bring us back to the fold. (Luke 15:3-7) For our part we must trust our shepherd and follow him, listening only for his voice. And when we do, as one people, the words of Jesus will be fulfilled: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16)