In the Jewish culture, one who was a shepherd by profession was looked down upon. Shepherds spent their days around animals, spent their nights outdoors guarding the same animals, and were found only in the company of fellow shepherds. There was nothing special about one who tended and kept sheep.
But God saw something special in these lowly men. Looking into the lives of many great men and women in the Bible used significantly by God, you shall find that at least at one time they were shepherds—Rachel, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and David. The first man whose sacrifice is recorded to have pleased God was a shepherd: Abel. Unlike Cain, Abel gave God a sacrifice of his first.
As we have already seen, the sacrifice of the first of one’s fruits signified total dedication of all the fruits to God, from whom all good things come. Abel honored God. In response to God’s question after he had killed his brother, “Where is your brother
Abel?” Cain mocked his brother’s profession by answering, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, as if to say, “Am I my brother’s shepherd?”
Shepherds were looked down upon. This could also have been another reason Cain’s jealousy burned against his brother. A mere herdsman, a shepherd, was looked on with favor by God, instead of him.
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Jesse, David’s father, when asked by Samuel the prophet to present to him the sons in his household, brought all except for
David. When Samuel found not, amongst those presented, the king whom God had chosen, he asked Jesse if he had presented all his sons. Jesse then spoke of David, who was out tending the sheep. If Samuel had just come abruptly to Jesse’s house and asked them to follow him immediately, then we may argue that
David was out in the fields and coincidentally unavailable at that moment. However, Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and asked them to join him for a sacrifice, which they did a little later.
For such events as sacrificing to the Lord, it was only fitting for one to have his entire household consecrated. If one was to be left behind, then the most likely reason would be that they were considered unclean or unworthy of such an invitation. Jesse could have thought of David and asked Samuel to wait, but instead, he let Samuel anoint and invite the rest without David. It is therefore possible that Jesse thought his son, David, unworthy of such an invitation as was offered by Samuel because he was just a shepherd boy. Note that the entire time, Samuel the prophet had kept it to himself, why God had sent him to Jesse’s house. But
God had a special place in His heart for shepherds. Shepherds in the New Testament were the first to receive the good news of the newborn King, the Messiah in Bethlehem (see Luke 2:8–20).
This could also be why it was hard, and still is, for Jews to accept
Jesus as the Messiah for according to them, the King of heaven could not have been born in a manger, the good news spread by a bunch of shepherds, be a carpenter’s son, and really, just be an ordinary man. Why did God choose shepherds? What was special about them in His eyes?
Shepherds spent their days away from society, out in the fields.
This gave them a lot of time for self reflection. Quiet time and solitude enabled shepherds to soul-search, so to speak. In such an atmosphere, separated from the rest of the world and its worries, they were able to hear better from God and know Him more.
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David grew in his trust of God out in the fields. He knew God was able to deliver him from Goliath for he had seen the same
God deliver him from the lion and the bear.
Looked down upon by society, tending sheep was also a humbling profession. As we have already seen, God loves to use the humble, for their submission allows them to learn from Him, obey Him, and let His glory shine through their lives.
To be able to understand the rest of the attributes of a shepherd, we must learn a little about the personality of sheep.
• Sheep are timid animals. They are very meek in nature.
• Sheep are also followers. They are not driven, as one would goats or cattle, rather, the shepherd goes before the sheep, and they follow him wherever he leads, without struggle.
• Sheep have this special ability to discern the voice of their shepherd. Even without seeing him, they move in the direction from which the sound of his voice is coming.
• Sheep like to stay in groups. Bigger flocks tend to attract more than smaller numbers.
• Sheep like calm and tranquility and prefer routine to change. Any situation that disrupts normal activities or poses a threat to their peace, for example, sudden loud noises or if their pen is disturbed, the voice of a different shepherd, or a change in the tone of voice of the usual shepherd, can cause them to scatter in fear. The shepherd should not enter the pen through a different entrance apart from the gate. This creates unrest and fear.
• Sheep like well-lit places. In shadows and darkness, they become fearful.
• Sheep love eating! These creatures can nibble their way off a cliff!
In this world, all people are like sheep, following after whoever takes the lead and we move toward the masses. Where the flock is largest, there, more will gather: “Everybody’s doing it!”; “The
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“Don’t be left out!” People listen to the voice that speaks what seems good to their ears and to a voice that speaks with authority.
World peace! That’s what every key political figure in any government all over the world is working towards, and that’s what every sincerely hurting soul in a country torn by war is crying for. Any unexpected occurrences easily create mass panic.
We have seen the result of recent epidemics such as the bird and the swine flu. We have seen the effect terrorist attacks have had on the people’s confidence in their government’s ability to ensure national security. Mass paranoia has become a more common phenomenon to reckon with. Sheep fear instability and unrest.
“My rights! My freedom!” More and more groups of people are rising up to fight for what they believe are their rights.
Many who have lived under different forms of oppression and discrimination are crying out for justice. The fight for freedom is not just a fight for the crowd, but freedom is an individual need.
Just as sheep prefer to follow rather than be driven, people like to have the freedom to choose whom to follow rather than to be forced into making a less preferable choice.
“What’s going to happen to me and my family, in this current recession?” People lose jobs all the time, people get broke at one time and rich another, but the current recession is the worst crisis yet, since the 1930’s Great Depression. World oil and food prices are constantly going up. Inflation in many developing countries is rising too quickly. Sheep love to eat! People, likewise, love comfort and to have material needs. These needs have to be met. Threats to the supply of any of these needs, whether essential or luxury, are met with fear and great worry. There is need for a shepherd.
Who, therefore, is God looking for to take care of His flock?
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.
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But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth