Shepherds: September 2023
Table of Contents
Shepherds
A shepherd must be both brave and kind. He must fear no foe, and he must ever heed the needs of his flock. And in this double character we feel sure the Lord Jesus in heaven, the chief Shepherd of the sheep, expects the under shepherds to behave themselves on behalf of the flock of God: on the one hand, to go before them ― for the devil, as a roaring lion, is not afar off, and perverse men also are about for no good ends—and, on the other hand, to be of a ready mind, full of love, and in gentleness and patience to care for the weak and the timid among God’s dear people.
At night the sheep lie down and sleep within the protective walls of the sheepfold. What about the shepherd? In the days of David and our Lord, the shepherd put the sheep down for the night, and then he would position himself at the entrance, the doorway, and spend the night there, being sure none entered to harm the sheep and no sheep went out into danger. Our Shepherd never slumbers or sleeps; He watches over us night and day.
Faithful Words for Young and Old, Vol. 13 (adapted)
The Lord Our Shepherd
Psalm 23; John 10:14
The Lord has made and does make Himself known to us in many ways, all precious to our souls, supplying our temporal and spiritual needs. He has made Himself known to us first of all as our Savior. The knowledge of His love to us, in that He died for our sins upon the cross, gave us much joy and caused us to love Him. Those who believe in Him should be certain of having eternal life, of having the forgiveness of sins, of being complete and accepted in Him, and they may be sure of being with Christ forever in glory (John 10:27-29; Eph. 1:6-7).
This is a settled matter and is now, and ever will be, our theme of praise. Besides this, it is blessed to know and enjoy Him as our Shepherd, supplying from His fullness all our needs and meeting us in all our varied states of soul. There are at least two things noticeable about the Lord as our Shepherd and His ways with us, “the sheep of His hand”: first, the Shepherd’s loving care for His sheep; second, the Shepherd’s presence is with His sheep in all the circumstances of their whole journey through this world to their home with Him.
The Shepherd’s Loving Care
Perfect, gracious and complete is the Shepherd’s care. We are all loved by Him with an eternal love, and He calls us, “My sheep”; none but Himself can call us that, and He forgets not the least nor the feeblest. In fact, the weakest are the special objects of His care, for He gathers them with His arm, carries them in His bosom, and gently leads them (Isa. 40:11; John 10:27 John 4:10; Rom. 8:28-30). What confidence in Him it gives us to be assured from His own lips that He knows our names and goes ahead of us, meeting every danger and every trial along the way before we come to it.
“He calleth His own sheep by name ... He goeth before them” (John 10:3-4). Many snares that are laid by the enemy of our souls to entrap us, He has seen and thrust aside. Many pitfalls His watchful eye detects, and carefully He leads us safely over them. Many a bypath, which would have taken us out of the way, He has conducted us past, and led us safely along the straight and narrow way. Such is our Shepherd’s loving and faithful care of us.
With such a Shepherd we shall not want. He tends His sheep; He does not leave them to a hireling. We are His flock, and not the flock of any man. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” These pastures are not an enclosure built on man’s opinions and doctrines, for neither the intellect and natural mind, nor the pursuit of worldly pleasures and pastimes are green pastures.
The Lord our Shepherd makes us to lie down where we can feed upon His love, His grace, His goodness and His glory, yea, upon “the things concerning Himself” from the Word of God, which the Holy Spirit delights to show to us, because we are beloved of Him. It is important to heed the exhortations, inspired by the Holy Spirit, of the apostles Peter and Paul: “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:15-16).
Beside Still Waters
The place where the Shepherd guides His flock is “beside the still waters.” The Lord would not have us to be unhappy and restless; He would have us enjoy His peace under all circumstances. “My peace I give unto you. ... Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid,” He has said (John 14:27). In these perilous times, how much we need that word. What restfulness of spirit and what contentedness of mind it gives us to lean confidingly upon His love and care! Nothing can separate us from His love. And if, because of sorrows and roughness of the wilderness journey or by reason of the rapid progress of infidelity and worldliness, our spirits have drooped in sadness and we have become discouraged, let us cheer up; He is enough to make the heart rejoice. He is the all-powerful, loving, gracious and tender Shepherd. His glory has not been tarnished a bit. He is the Brightness of Eternal Glory.
“He restoreth my soul,” or rather the meaning is, “He invigorates” or revives “my soul”; it is like a good tonic to a person whose health is run down; it invigorates. The Lord can do this when we get discouraged, as He revived the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and restored their souls. First, He did this by drawing out all that was on their heart, and then, in His love, removing their mistrust and banishing their discouragements by ministering the Word and comforting them, causing their hearts to burn within them, as He spoke to them by the way (Luke 24).
We have another instance of this when Paul was imprisoned in the castle, and in the stillness of night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11).
Occupation with our circumstances will not invigorate us, because they are variable; nor can we turn to ourselves, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing”; and the heart, the Lord has told us, is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). Although all things, even the foundation of the earth and “the heavens... shall perish” and “wax old like a garment,” the Lord our Shepherd is the eternal and unchangeable God.
The second thing we notice is:
The Shepherd’s Presence
“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” (Psa. 23:4). Many believers, it is feared, do not come to that valley, in which the conscious presence of the Lord is realized and enjoyed, until death, but we should, and if we go on in daily communion with Him, we will find this world to be the valley of the shadow of death. Nothing can affect our standing in Christ; even our state of soul can never affect our standing. But we ought to live according to our standing. May we be more like Christ and less earthly-minded! It is often only when a saint has to depart from earth that the world is given up. It is a glorious privilege, as well as a blessed responsibility, as saints of God, to be counting ourselves, as we are in God’s sight, dead with Christ; this would separate us from the world altogether, just as though we were dead to it. Then it would be to us the valley of the shadow of death. But we shall have His presence with us in it and be able to say, “I will fear no evil.” This is the confident expression of one who realizes the Shepherd’s sustaining presence.
We are in God’s sight dead and risen with Christ, just as though we had passed out of this world altogether, and are left to live here on earth as a heavenly people waiting to be taken up to heaven where Christ is. This world is like an inn to the believer, to stay in as a pilgrim and a stranger for a little while, at the expiration of which the Shepherd will take him to His home, which is our eternal dwelling place. In the meantime, we have His presence with us, for He will never leave nor forsake us. We need not fear, for “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
W. E. Sibthorpe
The Good, Great and Chief Shepherd
“Shepherd My sheep” (John 21:16 JND). The Lord Jesus had risen from the dead, and now He is instructing Peter. These words came from the One who is our supreme example and were said to one who had just failed signally in not following his Lord. But the Lord could use Peter, and in various scriptures we find guidance for the role of shepherd, as we too are encouraged to care for His sheep.
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is mentioned as the Shepherd in three different ways — as the good Shepherd, the great Shepherd and the chief Shepherd. Each of these brings a distinct thought before us, while each also sets an example for us in a different way. I would like to look at these three characters of the Lord Jesus as Shepherd, so that we may see His perfection in each role, but then also see how each is an example for us in seeking to care for others.
The Good Shepherd
In John 10:11, the Lord Jesus says, “I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.” At the point when He says this, the Lord Jesus has been rejected. We might say that in John 7 His words have been rejected, in John 8 His Person has been rejected, while in John 9 His works have been rejected. But then we see that God is going to have His sheep in spite of everything. This can happen only if the good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep, in order that they might be His. There was no other way. David had risked his life in saving his sheep from the lion and the bear, but the Lord Jesus must give up His life if His sheep were to be saved. What a price He has paid for them!
In the Old Testament, we see this character of the Lord Jesus in Psalm 22. There His sufferings are depicted more from the hand of God, for it is those sufferings that put away our sins. His cry in verse 1 went unanswered, for sin was in question, and God could not look upon sin. But what is the result? Nothing but blessing, carrying right through the entire latter part of the psalm, from verse 22 to the end. So it is with the good Shepherd. If He gives His life for the sheep, there is nothing but blessing for them.
It is evident that we, as created beings, can never take up suffering for another with the thought of atoning for sin. No, our Lord Jesus was alone in that. However, we read that “hereby we have known love, because He has laid down His life for us; and we ought for the brethren to lay down our lives” (1 John 3:16 JND). If we follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior, we will respond to His supreme sacrifice by being willing to lay down our lives for those who are so precious to Him — His sheep. It may not mean actually going into death, but in giving up our own ambitions and wishes in order to be a help to God’s people, we can, in that sense, lay down our lives. “He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:25). To gain a reward for eternity, God calls us to give up our lives down here, in order to live for Him.
The Great Shepherd
Then, in Hebrews 13:20-21, we read, “The God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus is the great Shepherd in resurrection, for He has triumphed over death, Satan and sin. As such, He has brought in the “everlasting covenant” by which God can bless man in grace, as opposed to the old covenant, which was based on what man should have done. Now God can come out in grace, on a totally new basis, for Christ has died and risen again.
This character of the Lord Jesus brings in our walk, for God can now work in our hearts to “do His will” and to work that “which is well-pleasing in His sight.” There was no power for man to do God’s will under the old covenant, but now God has given him new life in Christ. Now the believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and has, as his object, a risen Christ in glory. With an object in glory and the Spirit down here, the believer has power to walk to please the Lord. All the power that raised Christ from the dead is ours, to enable us to walk before the Lord in this world.
We see this character of the Lord Jesus illustrated in Psalm 23 — probably the best-known of all the psalms. His care of us takes us all the way through this world, providing for our needs, feeding us, restoring us, keeping us in the valley of the shadow of death, and ending in glory. It is as the great Shepherd that He might be spoken of as “the all-the-way-home Shepherd,” for He will never rest until we are safely there with Him in glory. He does not simply save us and then leave us to find our own way in this world. Rather, He looks after us in every way, enabling us to walk a pathway that is well-pleasing in His sight.
What an example for us as shepherds! There can be only one “great Shepherd,” but all of us can be involved in feeding the sheep, leading them by still waters, seeking to restore them if necessary, and comforting them in difficult circumstances; all of these things we also can do, in the spirit of the great Shepherd.
The Chief Shepherd
Finally, in 1 Peter 5:4 we read, “When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” If the Lord Jesus is the chief Shepherd, then it follows that there are “under-shepherds.” This chapter in 1 Peter shows us the character the Lord looks for in those under-shepherds. They are to serve the flock of God willingly, not for money or as overlords, but rather leading by example. Overseers and elders are needed for God’s flock, but there is a right way for them to carry out their service. Peter gives us this and also tells us that a reward will be offered “when the chief Shepherd shall appear.”
Shepherding is often thankless work in this world, done for the most part behind the scenes, and in many cases not appreciated even by the sheep. Evangelizing and teaching both involve work too, but such gifts are much more in the public eye. For this reason, I believe, a special reward is spoken of to encourage the shepherd. The crown of glory will more than make up for all the effort spent on behalf of God’s sheep. We get the same spirit in the good Samaritan, who said to the host of the inn, “Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee” (Luke 10:35). What a wonderful repayment it will be, to receive that crown of glory!
The chief Shepherd is pictured for us in Psalm 24. There we see the Lord Jesus prophetically portrayed in glory. No longer despised and rejected, He is acclaimed as the owner of “the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psa. 24:1). In that day none will be able to approach Him without “clean hands, and a pure heart” (vs. 4). The Lord will be “strong and mighty ... mighty in battle” (vs. 8), and all the world will see His glory. Those who have been faithful as under-shepherds in the day of His rejection will see that glory and share it with Him.
Shepherding is a much needed but multifaceted service. We must be willing to put aside our own wills and look to our perfect example in these three characters as Shepherd. Then He can use us to care for the sheep for which He died.
W. J. Prost
The Shepherd Enters by the Door
In John 10 we have marvelous ministry concerning shepherding that is taught and demonstrated by the Shepherd of all shepherds. The first thing we are told is that the one who enters in by “the door” is “the shepherd of the sheep.” That is the appropriate way to approach sheep. Those who do not come through the door are “thieves and robbers.” Climbing over the wall is the indication that such an one is not the shepherd. In order to be a shepherd, the first thing necessary is to get to know the sheep, and for the sheep to get to know the shepherd. Only after getting to know the shepherd will the sheep follow, and after the shepherd comes to know the sheep will he be able to lead them. The Lord Jesus came to where the sheep were: “He came to His own” (John 1:11); He came to know the sheep, as He says, “I know those that are Mine,” and the sheep came to know Him, as He says, “and am known of those that are Mine” (John 10:14 JND). What an experience He passed through as He lived on earth doing this! He, being ever holy and sinless, came to learn “obedience from the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8). He learned by experience what it was to be man, and to know the needs and feelings felt by all those around Him. There is great significance to the one who enters by the door of the sheepfold (corral); this is the starting point of how to be a good shepherd.
Moses learned this lesson while caring for sheep. It was for 40 years he learned the lesson after realizing his own failure to care for his brethren in Egypt. His first effort to help his brethren ended in disaster. But that first failure did not disqualify him forever. The Lord turned the resulting circumstances into a means of teaching him to become acquainted with sheep, to learn to know them, and teach him how to care for them. Then afterward Moses was enabled to do the same with his brethren — the sheep of Israel. He did it for 40 years with only one principal failure. Let us not give up caring for one another because of failures, but rather learn to know one another better through these experiences and thus do it better afterward.
The Porter
Next in John 10 we have the role of the porter. He guards the sheep while they are in the sheepfold. It is to protect them during the night by closed walls. Sheep need protection from adversaries; they are not capable of defending themselves. The porter serves while the sheep are in the corral. Then in the day when the shepherd comes, the sheep are taken by the shepherd into the open pasture. A porter only allows the designated shepherd (one qualified to care well for sheep) to take them out into the open field. The Lord Jesus from the very beginning of His ministry in Israel proved this shepherding care for those around Him, even in His last act when He turned over the care of His mother to John (John 19:27). He only was the faithful One as a Shepherd, and now as the Chief Shepherd, He, through the commission to Peter, says to all of us, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3).
The Cause
Much can be learned about shepherding as presented to us in the life of David. He had to pass through several years of waiting before he was allowed to serve as king of Israel. When he eventually became king, he had already learned to be a shepherd. May we not say, it is evident in the story of his life that the porter did not allow him to take over the sheep immediately. He had to learn how to care for the sheep of Israel first. We see this process of learning shepherding advance from caring for sheep to caring for people when he was sent by his father to take supplies and seek his brethren. He dutifully obeyed his father, as it says he “left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded.” Moreover, when he arrived at the place, the test was more difficult as he was dealing with misunderstanding and false accusations. His oldest brother said, “Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle” (1 Sam. 17:28). David’s response was not in defense of himself, but he only referred to the “cause” for which he came. There was a cause. And we sometimes sing:
“What wondrous cause could move Thy heart
To take on Thee our curse and smart,
Well knowing we should ever be
So cold, so negligent of Thee?
The cause was love — we sink with shame
Before our blessed Jesus’ name,
That He should bleed and suffer thus,
Because He loved and pitied us. (L.F. 85 App.)
Change of Heart
The learning time was to be prolonged and the persecution against David intensified. King Saul sought to kill him and he was forced to flee. He became a hungry and weary fugitive. At that time Nabal out of his abundance refused to give David’s men food. It provoked David to rise up in vengeance against the injustice of Nabal. However, this was not the time for David to be setting right injustice; he had not yet been given that role. The lesson to be learned at this time was about how to shepherd the sheep of Israel. The Lord used Abigail, a prudent woman, to teach David this beautiful lesson. She sent food to the hungry, deprived men and entreated David. “I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days” (1 Sam. 25:28). The heart of David was changed. He took it from the Lord and responded, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand” (vss. 32-33). David would be a better king now that he had learned from the experience. The following chapter teaches us other lessons that David learned, but we pass on to a remarkable story near the end of the life of David that showed what a good shepherd is like.
Intercession
When Israel sinned to the point that the Lord allowed David to number the people without paying the redemption money, the angel of the Lord began a plague of destruction. At that time the true shepherd’s heart of David manifested itself. He interceded with God saying, “Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let Thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued” (1 Chron. 21:17). What a great demonstration of love and care! This is what our Lord has done for us as the good Shepherd, laying down His life for us. What an example for us to do for each other! “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).
In Ezekiel 34 we have much moral teaching about shepherding as a prophecy of a future day. The example of David is mentioned. “Therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it” (Ezek. 34:22-24). We see in these verses that David is first spoken of as being a shepherd over them, and then a prince. This is the order, which was perfectly followed by our Lord who came first as a Shepherd, even going so far as to give His life for us. Only then does He take up the role as King. May the Lord teach us how to become better shepherds as we wait in service until His soon coming.
D. C. Buchanan
The Three Doors
In order to understand our Lord’s discourse in John 10, we must consider the circumstances under which it was delivered, and also distinguish between the three doors spoken of.
In the previous chapter, the Lord had given sight to a man who had been born blind. When the Lord heard that the man had been cast out of the synagogue, He found him and revealed Himself to him as the Son of God. He was evidently one of Christ’s sheep and heard His voice. It was under these circumstances that our Lord delivered this searching discourse of the Shepherd and the sheep.
The Door Into the Sheepfold
The first door, then, to which our Lord calls attention is The Door Into the Sheepfold. The Pharisaic rulers and teachers were in the sheepfold — the Jewish nation — but had not entered it by the divinely-appointed way. Instead of entering by the door, they had climbed up some other way. They were not accredited of God.
Into this door our Lord entered, and the porter opened to Him, because He brought all the credentials belonging to the Shepherd of Israel, the true Shepherd of the sheep. Prophets had long ago marked out His characteristics. Moses wrote of Him as “The Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,” and said unto the people, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto Me; Him shall ye hear” (Gen. 49:24; Acts 7:37). We are further told that His “goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2). Wise men announced His coming into the world, as His star in the heavens had guided them. The angel of the Lord visited the shepherds and announced the glad tidings, saying, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). But it was for John publicly to announce Him as the Son of God and the Lamb of God. Thus the man Christ Jesus brought every proof with Him that He was Jehovah’s Shepherd, and to Him the porter opened. Besides, He called His own sheep by name; whether it was Matthew, Mary of Magdala, a Samaritan adulteress, or industrious fishermen, those whom He called heard His voice and followed Him. He loved His sheep, and in purest love He freely laid down His life for them, for His purpose was to gather them together into one flock (John 10:16). Thus we see clearly that He entered into the sheepfold by the door and that He manifested in every way that He was “the Shepherd of the sheep.”
The Door of the Sheep
The second door mentioned in this beautiful discourse is The Door of the Sheep — Christ Himself, the door by which the sheep would be led out of Judaism, for the Shepherd of the sheep not only “calleth His own sheep by name,” but “leadeth them out” (vs. 3).
It is very important to see this clearly. We are told that Jesus came to His own (His loved nation), and His own received Him not, for they had terribly departed from God. Though they contended for the outward observance of the law, yet they had so far forgotten God that it became a mere formality. The nation had been given up to the Gentiles, in God’s governmental displeasure, because of their sins. Therefore we do not find our Lord reestablishing Judaism; rather, He led them individually outside corrupt things with Himself. When they knew Christ and became associated with Him, and knowing that “He putteth forth His own sheep” and “goeth before them,” they were constrained to follow Him. Christ is not only the Good Shepherd, but “the door of the sheep” — the door whereby the sheep were led out of a corrupted Judaism, through His calling them to Himself.
Early in Israel’s history, when Jehovah’s name had been dishonored by the sin of the golden calf, we find that “Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp. ... And it came to pass, that every one that sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp” (Ex. 33:7). Thus we see that Moses led the faithful OUT.
Again we see in the epistles that in the last days, when the profession of Christianity would be associated with all kinds of evil and “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof,” the path of the faithful is clearly marked out: “From such turn away” (2 Tim. 3:1-5). Elsewhere the faithful are enjoined to “go forth therefore unto Him [Christ] without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13). In the very last epistle Paul wrote, he contemplates terrible corruption and departure from the truth, and he appeals to saints for individual faithfulness to the Lord. He urges them to separate themselves from evil. “If a man therefore purge himself from these [vessels to dishonor], he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). These and other Scriptures show that when evil and corruption have come in, the faithful are to purge themselves from it. In this the Lord is “the door of the sheep,” as well as their Leader. Therefore no one can possibly be in a right position here without having personal communion with the Lord — the door of the sheep — and being subject to the guidance of His Word and Spirit. Difficulties and uncertainty soon become removed when souls really get before the Lord and are willing to be led by Him. The Lord is the Leader, the Door, and the Object for those who go forth unto Him, and we may be assured that His special presence and blessing will be outside of that which men try to accredit with the name of Christ, but which is corrupt and evil. Thus we see that Christ being the door of the sheep for leading His own out of corrupted Judaism is in accordance with a divine principle of action, which is equally incumbent in these days of corrupted Christianity. The path of the faithful now is surely to go outside of that which dishonors His name, and there to find His presence and His blessing. Happy indeed are they who know what it is to be before the Lord, what it is to be led by Him, and to be outside with Him, in separation from everything which dishonors His name.
The Door of Salvation
The third door mentioned by our Lord in this discourse is The Door of Salvation. He said, “I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). This door is Christ. Thus the Lord presented Himself as the only way of salvation, and the door stands wide open now, not to Jews only, but also to Gentiles. Observe, He is “the door”; there is no other. It is not a long, dreary, circuitous passage, but a door, and we know that to enter a door, one step only is needed. A person who is outside the door takes one step, and he is inside; he has entered in. And so the soul that now believes God’s testimony to the truth of salvation by Christ alone at once enters into God’s presence by faith, through Jesus the Savior. Salvation then is only by Christ. No one who desires it is debarred from this wondrous blessing, for it is open to “any man.” “If any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Having received Jesus as the door and having entered in by faith, he is entitled to salvation — salvation from sins, from condemnation, from wrath, from hell; he is saved with an everlasting salvation. When the soul thus knows the blessedness of having entered in by “the door,” taking the Lord at His Word, he is a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus. He knows the Good Shepherd, having heard His voice, and being willing to be led by Him, he is blessed indeed.
Lastly, observe that such “shall go in and out, and find pasture.” He can go into the presence of God inside the veil, and find strength and comfort there, where the good, great and chief Shepherd is. He can also go out in the Lord’s service, and find His presence and blessing in seeking to feed and refresh His sheep and lambs, according to that word, “He that watereth shall be watered also himself” (Prov. 11:25).
H. H. Snell (adapted)
Exhortations on Shepherding
“The weak have ye not strengthened, nor have ye healed the sick, and ye have not bound up what was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought for that which was lost; but with harshness and with rigor have ye ruled over them. And they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, and My sheep have been scattered upon all the face of the earth, and there was none that searched, or that sought for them” (Ezek. 34:4-6 JND).
This passage is very searching. Where, beloved fellow-servants of Christ, are the shepherds today? How have the sheep of Christ been handled?
Our passage presents a case where we learn from negatives. May we allow its exhortation to stir our hearts! It is obvious that Israel’s shepherds did not do what should have been done. Let us briefly consider each of the Holy Spirit’s indictments.
“The weak have ye not strengthened.”
It is interesting that this is the first need considered. The weak among us need attention, brethren. They need to be strengthened, supported and sustained (Acts 20:28; 1 Thess. 5:14). Is there not instead the unhappy tendency to despise and neglect the weak?
“Nor have ye healed the sick.”
Are we alert to signs of spiritual sickness in the Lord’s sheep? How important is the healing ministry that administers the right remedy in such cases! Spiritual sickness has signs just as does physical sickness. Listlessness, fever, and an impaired walk are all warnings of sickness. How blessed is a healing ministry in such cases! In some circles, there is much emphasis today on physical healing but little care about spiritual sickness, which is far more serious.
“Ye have not bound up what was broken.”
Oh, the precious sheep that have been broken! Health, family problems, assembly problems: Do we recognize the wounded and seek to bind up such?
“Neither have ye brought again that which was driven away.”
It is a solemn fact, beloved, that we have driven some of the Lord’s sheep away. Oh, they should not have gone away, but do we understand and feel for those who were driven away? How blessed it is to seek and bring back such! I am afraid our tendency is to write them off and quote in our defense scriptures such as, “Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them,” or, “They went out from among us, but they were not of us.” In both cases, the scripture is grossly misinterpreted.
“Neither have ye sought for that which was lost.”
How many of God’s sheep have gotten lost in the confusion characterizing Christendom today! It is clear from this scripture that these dear sheep should be sought, not shunned. I do not, of course, speak of those who lead in departure, but rather those sheep who were led away. A shepherd with the love and heart of Christ will be given divine discernment to differentiate.
“With harshness and with rigor have ye ruled over them.”
I feel the shame of that statement. They are His precious ones and should be treated with that very tenderness He ever shows His own. There is no place for harshness or rigor in the handling of His sheep.
Many years ago, my father-in-law accompanied me on a business trip from Geneva to Zurich, Switzerland. We looked up a brother there whom I had known from my youth; he was a real pastor of the Lord’s sheep. As we visited, I saw hung over his desk a painting of sheep with a shepherd. He told me it was to remind him of how very precious the sheep are to Christ.
One other passage comes to mind, again teaching from the negative. Zechariah 11:16 gives an additional consideration: “Nor feed that that standeth still [that which is sound; JND].”
It is touching to note that, with all the problems of the weak, sick, broken, straying and driven away sheep, God reminds us of the vital need of feeding and caring for the healthy sheep — those which stand still (are sound).
May God help those who are under-shepherds, to whom the care of His sheep has been entrusted, to discharge that responsibility faithfully and with genuine love for Christ and His dear sheep.
“When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:4).
“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you” (1 Peter 5:2 JnD).
R. K. Gorgas
Let Us Go Again
And observe the force of the words “go again.” It does not matter how often you have been there before. It may be once, or twice, or thrice. This is not the question. “Let us go again,” is the motto for the pastoral heart, for there is always a demand for the pastoral work. Matters are always springing up in the various places in which “the Word of the Lord” has been preached and received, demanding the labors of the divinely-qualified pastor.
No human language could adequately set forth the value and importance of real pastoral work. Would there were more of it among us! It often nips in the bud evils which might grow to terrible proportions. This is true in a special manner in this day of spiritual poverty. There is immense need — a demand on the evangelist, to think of “the regions beyond” — a demand on the pastor to “go again and visit his brethren, in every city” where “the Word of the Lord” has been preached, “and see how they do.”
Do you possess anything of a pastoral heart? If so, may you think of those comprehensive words, “Let me go again.” Have you been acting on them? Have you been thinking of your brethren — of those “who have obtained like precious faith” — those who, by receiving “the Word of the Lord,” have become spiritual brethren? Are your interests and sympathies engaged on behalf of “every city” in which a spiritual link has been formed with the Head above?
Feed my Sheep
O, how the heart longs for a greater exhibition of holy zeal and energy, of individual and independent devotedness — independent, I mean, not of the fellowship of the truly spiritual, but of every influence which would tend to clog and hinder that elevated service to which each one is distinctly called, in responsibility to the Master alone.
Let us beware of the cumbrous machinery of religious routine and of false order. Let us beware, too, of indolence, of love of personal ease, of a false economy, which would lead us to attach an undue importance to the matter of expense. The silver and the gold are the Lord’s, and His sheep are far more precious to Him than silver and gold. His words are,
“Lovest thou Me? feed My sheep.”
If only there is the heart to do this, the means will never be wanting. How often may we detect ourselves spending money, unnecessarily, on the table, the wardrobe, and the library, which would be amply sufficient to carry us to “the regions beyond,” to preach the gospel, or to “every city,” in order to “visit our brethren”!
May the Lord grant unto us an earnest self-denying spirit, a devoted heart to Him and to His most holy service, a true desire for the spread of His gospel, and the spiritual prosperity of His people.
The Interests of Christ
May the time past of our lives suffice us to have lived and labored for self and its interests, and may the time to come be given to Christ and His interests. Let us not allow our treacherous hearts to deceive us by plausible reasonings about domestic, commercial or other claims. All such should be strictly attended to, no doubt. A well-regulated mind will never offer to God a sacrifice arising out of the neglect of any just claim. If I am at the head of a family, the claims of that family must be duly responded to. If I am at the head of a business, the claims of that business must be duly met. If I am a hired servant, I must attend to my work. To fail in any of these would be to dishonor the Lord, instead of serving Him.
The Regions Beyond
But, allowing the widest possible margin for all righteous claims, let us ask, are we doing all we can for “the regions beyond,” and for “our brethren, in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord”? Has there not been a culpable abandonment both of evangelistic and pastoral work? Have we not allowed domestic and commercial ties to act unduly upon us? And what has been the result? What have we gained? Have our children turned out well, and our commercial interests prospered? Has it not often happened that, where the Lord’s work has been neglected, the children have grown up in carelessness and worldliness? And as to business, have we not often toiled all the night, and gazed on an empty net in the morning?
On the other hand, where the family and the circumstances have been left, with artless confidence, in the hand of the Lord, have they not been far better cared for? Let these things be deeply pondered, with an honest heart and a single eye, and we shall be sure to arrive at just conclusions.
See How They Do
Notice the fullness of the expression, “see how they do.” How very much is involved in these words! “How they do,” publicly, socially, privately. “How they do,” in doctrine, in association, in walk. “How they do,” spiritually, morally, relatively. In a word, “how they do,” in every way.
Let us always remember that this seeing how our brethren do must never resolve itself into a curious, prying, gossiping, busybody spirit — a spirit that wounds and heals not, that meddles and mends not. To all who would visit us in such a spirit as this, we should, assuredly, say, “Be far from hence.”
But, to all who would carry out Acts 15:36, we desire to say, “Our hands, our hearts, our houses, are wide open; come in, ye blessed of the Lord. ‘If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide.’” O Lord, be pleased to raise up evangelists to visit “the regions beyond;” and pastors to visit, again and again, “the brethren in every city.”
“Lovest thou Me?.... Feed My lambs.”
“Lovest thou Me?.... Shepherd My sheep.”
John 21:15-16.
“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”
1 Peter 5:4.
Young Christian, Vol. 19
A Rod of Iron
The expression “a rod of iron” occurs four times in the Word of God, and in all four cases, it is connected with the coming judgment and subsequent reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that the hope of every true believer today is for the Lord Jesus to come and take us home to be with Himself, as He has promised. It is true that He has waited a long time for that day, and His bride has waited a long time too. But “yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry” (Heb. 10:37).
Then after we are called home, there will be a period of at least seven years, often termed the “tribulation week,” and at the end of that week, the Lord Jesus will come back to this world in judgment. It is only by judgment that peace and blessing will come to this world, for real peace cannot be established until our blessed Savior has taken His rightful place. Scripture calls His coming in judgment “the appearing,” for at that time He will be seen by all in this world. He will not be seen by the unbelieving world when He comes to call His bride home.
A Strong Hand
The expression “a rod of iron” is somewhat frightening at first glance, for it presents to our minds a rod of strong metal, evidently to be used by One who takes control of this world and rules with power. We have the expression in the English language, “He rules with an iron hand,” suggesting to our minds someone who will not allow any challenge to his authority.
The first use of this expression in Scripture does indeed convey this very thought, for in Psalm 2:9 we read, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This psalm prophesies the rejection of the Lord Jesus and the desire of man to take over this world for himself. Man’s thoughts are to cast off all restraint and to refuse to own that the Lord Jesus is the rightful King. But God has His purposes too, and His purposes are to exalt His beloved Son as Head over all things. When the Lord Jesus comes back to take His place as King, He will overthrow with a strong hand — a rod of iron — all who oppose Him. A rod of iron is a very appropriate picture of how the Lord Jesus will carry out judgment.
To the Overcomer
The other three references to our Lord’s use of a rod of iron are all found in the book of Revelation, and we will present them as they appear in the J. N. Darby translation:
“He that overcomes, and he that keeps unto the end My works, to him will I give authority over the nations, and he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; as vessels of pottery are they broken in pieces, as I also have received of My Father” (Rev. 2:27 JND).
“She brought forth a male son, who shall shepherd all the nations with an iron rod” (Rev. 12:5 JND).
“Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword, that with it He might smite the nations; and He shall shepherd them with an iron rod” (Rev. 19:15 JND).
What is noteworthy in all three verses is that the word “shepherd” is used instead of the word “break” or “rule,” as it is translated in the KJV. Why is a gentler word used here, instead of a stronger word?
The Rod and the Staff
I would suggest that there are two thoughts brought together in the use of the word “shepherd.” In Psalm 23:4, we read, “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” Here the word “rod” has a similar meaning to the word “rod” in the expression “rod of iron,” but the rod of Psalm 23 was never used on the sheep. Rather, it was a defensive weapon, to be used against predators and others who might come to harm the sheep. The staff of Psalm 23 was used to rescue the sheep, and it is sometimes called a “crook,” for it was used to pull the sheep out of a difficult place or to guide them in the right path.
I would suggest that the use of the word “rod” in Psalm 23 gives us the key to the understanding of the word “shepherd” in the verses in Revelation referring to a rod of iron. First of all, the Lord Jesus will indeed rule with an iron rod during the entire day of the Lord. The day of the Lord commences with the judgments at the end of the tribulation period and continues right through the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ, including the judgments at the end of the millennium. A rod of iron will be needed, for even in the rich blessing of that 1000 years, sin will occasionally rear its head. We know too that when Satan is loosed “for a little season” at the end of that time, a rebellion of vast proportions will take place against Christ and His faithful ones. The Lord Jesus will deal with all this with a strong hand. His people will also represent His power in putting down evil, for we are told that all who have part in the first resurrection “shall reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6). According to Revelation 2:27, those who are overcomers in the day of His rejection will also exercise power over those who oppose Him.
Protection
However, the word “shepherd” also conveys the thought that there is protection for those who belong to the Lord. When the Lord brings His people into earthly blessing in the millennium, whether the nation of Israel or the “great multitude” that will be saved by the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom during the tribulation week, they will be shepherded by the Lord. All through the wonderful millennial day, the Lord will act as a Shepherd to them — providing for their every need and protecting them with His iron rod. We read in 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.” Likewise we read, “I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them” (Ezek. 34:23). These scriptures point to that day when the Lord will be a Shepherd to His people on earth, caring for them in every way and using the iron rod for their protection.
Surely the Lord is our Shepherd now, and He looks after us in every way. However, He does not openly intervene with His iron rod, for today is the time of His rejection. His shepherding care is manifested in other ways, and His protection takes place providentially, often by angels who are, for the most part, unseen. But in a coming day the iron rod will be evident, for “every eye shall see Him,” and all will be compelled to own His authority and power as the rightful King.
W. J. Prost
The Good Shepherd
The Spirit of God keeps the door of the sheep. Christ, as serving the Father, enters the door. From now on Christ Himself is seen as the door of the new fold. He gives the authority to leave the old Jewish economy and enter into the new order of salvation — believing on and following the Shepherd, who is Christ. The sheep are familiar with the voice of the Shepherd, and He calls each by name.
Christ enters by the door. He is the door; He is the Shepherd. He is seen in contrast to all previous shepherds. The sheep, confined to the Old Testament order of the law and the traditions of men, are ready to accept an entirely new order of things — an order which brings, rather than requires (like the law) something of man. Christ, being the door, is the only way of entrance into the new fold. When He presented Himself as the door, the Jews whom the Lord was addressing did not understand His words. The elect of Israel readily accepted salvation full and free. Those who entered in by the door were saved, enjoyed liberty, and fed in good pasture.
C. E. Lunden
The Shepherd Smitten
The Messiah then, as the Shepherd of Israel, and as the One who is described as the fellow of Jehovah, is seen in Zechariah 13:7 as smitten — smitten by the sword of judgment because, as the Good Shepherd, He laid down His life for the sheep, thus intercepting the stroke that was their due, that He might, on their behalf, meet all God ‘s holy claims, and glorify Him concerning their sins.
A twofold immediate effect here follows. First, the sheep are scattered. This was fulfilled literally on the night of His arrest, when all His disciples — those who had acknowledged Him as the Shepherd of Israel, forsook Him and fled. In another way it has been accomplished in the scattering of the Jews over the face of the whole earth, for it is written, “He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock” (Jer. 31:10). He came to gather His sheep, but when they as a people refused to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and He was smitten, God in His government, and judicially, “scattered” the flock. It is also added, “And I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.” Thus while judgment should descend upon the sheep who did not know the voice of their Shepherd, and who, instead of following Him, demanded His crucifixion, God would cover with His hand the “little ones” who had recognized their Messiah. These are the remnant who had attached themselves to Him during His earthly ministry, in that day of evil and trouble.
Edward Dennett
Jesus the Shepherd
O Shepherd of the flock of God,
Thy voice we love to hear;
Its tones divine, so strong and true,
Still every anxious fear;
Oh call Thy sheep together, Lord,
As one to follow Thee!
Yea, loudly call, and by Thy Word
Set all Thy loved ones free!
O Shepherd of the flock of God,
Thy watching eye does see
The dangerous track, the scattering wolf,
The thief and those who flee;
In Thy true wisdom we’d confide,
Trusting in Thee alone,
Happy to shelter by Thy side,
All drawn to Thee as one.
Almighty Shepherd of the flock,
Thy powerful hand does hold
Each timid sheep, each tender lamb
Without a narrow fold;
One Shepherd o’er one flock enough
To keep us all, and guide
To fountains pure, to fields of truth,
By bounteous love supplied.
O glorious Shepherd of the flock,
The assembly bought by blood,
The priceless pearl, the heavenly bride
Is Thine, O Christ of God:
We would then, Lord, for Thy name’s sake
To Thee e’en now be true,
And God the Father’s glory seek;
His will with gladness do.
H. J. Vine