Episode Eight

The Leader is a Shepherd of God’s Flock

In Episode Seven of this series on leadership entitled LEAD the WAY, I talked about the Essential Qualities for a Servant-Leader, his tasks, and some examples of servant-leadership. In this Episode Eight, I will talk about the second of three metaphor of a leader as a shepherd, the essential Qualities for a Shepherd-Leader, his tasks, and some examples of shepherd-leadership. Let us begin.

The Leader is a Shepherd of God’s Flock

A biblical leader is a shepherd-leader of God’s flock. God as Divine Shepherd owns the flock and deals with the flock with tenderness, care, and concern. God sees his people as sheep and has the same expectation for biblical leaders. Timothy Z. Witmer, in his book titled The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church, wrote that the concept of the leader as a shepherd is a theme deeply rooted in Scriptures, with the Old Testament providing the foundations which finds its fulfillment in the New Testament. The shepherding metaphor is not only comprehensive with respect to the nature of care received but also with respect to the extent. Witmer asserts that the imagery of shepherd-sheep captures the comprehensive sovereignty of the shepherd over the sheep and the need of the sheep to yield completely to his care.

Word Study for “Shepherd”

Shepherding is an image that pertains to ruling and to a leader (or shepherd) exercising authority over a group of people (his flock). Biblical shepherds may be literal or metaphorical: those in charge of sheep and those in charge of men (divine or mortal). The Hebrew term for shepherd is the participial roeh, and the Greek is poimen. The Old Testament frequently delineates God as the Shepherd of Israel (Gen. 49:24; Pss. 23:1; 80:1), tender in his solicitude (Isa. 40:11), yet able to scatter the flock in wrath or gather it again in forgiveness (Jer. 31:10). Sometimes, the note is predominantly one of judgment, when human shepherd and sheep alike stand condemned and punished (Jer. 50:6; 51:23; Zech. 13:7). 

In the Old Testament, the shepherd is the dominant leadership metaphor. God chose a nation of people, the Israelites, to follow and obey him. The picture used is of God being their shepherd: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock” (Ps. 80:1). He would lead them and care for them and they were to follow where he led. As the nation grew, God appointed leaders to stand in his place and act on his behalf. Moses was called “the shepherd of his flock” (Isa. 63:11) and led the Israelites out of Egypt across the desert to Canaan. God was always near, represented by the pillar of smoke during the day and the pillar of fire at night. When Joshua was chosen to succeed him, Moses said, “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd” (Num. 27:16–17). We see the continuation of this concept of shepherding in God’s command to David: “You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler” (2 Sam. 5:2). God chose David his servant to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel His inheritance (Ps. 78:70–71).

Thus, we see that in the Old Testament God assigned leaders the responsibility to shepherd his people: “Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” (2 Sam. 7:7). The imagery of God as the shepherd of his people runs through the Scriptures. God shepherds his people in a personal relationship. Jacob declared that God is his shepherd all his life, as he blessed Joseph and his two sons (Gen. 48:15). The Scriptures often juxtaposes man, who is rebellious and contentious, with God, who cares and watches over his people with the tenderness and patience of a shepherd. Another example of God as a personal shepherd is found in the life of David. In one of the most personal and intimate writings in the book of Psalms, David cried out to God as his Shepherd, who is portrayed as the ultimate provider, protector, and master of the house (Ps. 23:1). God also shepherds his people in a corporate relationship. God’s covenant people are described in terms of his sheep and flock: “O Shepherd of Israel” (Ps. 80:1) and “He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hand” (Ps. 95:6–7).

In the New Testament, the shepherding imagery is used by Jesus to describe his relationship with his people. In the Gospel of John, Jesus declared that he is the Good Shepherd who knows his own and his own know him (John 10:14). He provided for the deeper needs of his people and declared that he is the bread of life and whoever comes to him shall not hunger or thirst (John 6:35). Jesus emphasized the unique element of his care for the sheep by describing himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). Ordinarily, the shepherd’s calling is not to die for his sheep but to live for the sheep. A shepherd’s giving up of his life is a fairly rare occurrence among the Palestinian shepherds. 

Thus, Jesus’ imagery of himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life as the substitutionary atonement for the transgression of his sheep assures absolute security for their salvation. Jesus displayed a shepherd’s love for his sheep as recorded in Scripture when he went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus pointed to the crowd as harassed and helpless sheep in need of shepherds and he commanded his disciples to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Matt. 9:35–38). Jesus expanded the responsibility of shepherding as he authorized his disciples and sent them to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10:6). Jesus’ plan was to continue to provide care for his people through his disciples. Witmer suggested that the apostles were to be the foundation of the perpetual ministry Jesus intended for his flock. 

Shepherding is seen as a responsibility for the apostles and elders in the church (John 21:15–17; Acts 20:17–35). Jesus commanded Apostle Peter to shepherd. Shepherding must flow out from a love for Jesus: “Peter, do you love me? Feed my sheep” (John 21:15–17). If the driving force of shepherding people is accomplishing specific objectives, principles or methods, it will lose its vitality and die. The goal of shepherding God’s flock is to bring care and comfort to the harassed and helpless flock (John 9:35). The driving force should be the outworking of our love for Jesus. Shepherd leadership is relational, encouraging, comforting, and nurturing (Eph. 6:4).

Paul wrote to the believers in Ephesus and exhorted them to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for (poimainein) the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Similarly, Peter wrote, “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd (poimanate) the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:1–3).

Essential Qualities for a Shepherd of God

In following the pattern of Jesus, Engstrom suggested that Christian leaders must not use the group of people he leads to achieve his own ends. A true understanding of biblical leadership compels a leader to have high regard for his constituents, allowing them to be themselves and thus be liberated people. To do this requires the establishing and strengthening of connectivity among the flock.

Shepherd-leadership is people-oriented. The environment in which this is done is one of personal relations—of love, unity, and truth in Jesus. The dynamics of leading those who minister directly with people is different from that of managing others to perform tasks which relate indirectly to people. The former functions like an organism while the latter functions like an organization. One is highly personal, while the other tends to become impersonal as it focuses more on doing the task than on the people themselves.

A shepherd-sheep relationship is not based on coercion but connection. A shepherd influences the flock that God has given. Nonverbal communication is the most powerful form of influencing people’s lives. What leaders are and what they do has a much more powerful impact on a person than what leaders say. Paul lived out an exemplary model: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you” (Acts 20:18). This was consistent with Paul’s leadership as seen in his letter to Timothy: “You know all about my teaching, my way of life” (2 Tim. 3:10). To the church at Philippi, Paul exhorted them to put in practice what they had heard and seen (Phil. 4:9). He modeled servanthood, commitment, and a simple but generous lifestyle.

A biblical understanding of leadership requires that a leader does not seek slavish conformity. Instead, he should help his people serve Christ in the cause of advancing the Gospel with joy, commitment, and motivation.

The inadequacy and failure of human shepherds is revealed in Moses’ act of insubordination and disrespect that led to his disqualification from entering the Promised Land (Num. 20:12). David sinned against God when he abused his role as shepherd-king of Israel, committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11).

The fallibility of human shepherds serves as a sober reminder to people who are called to positions of leadership. This inadequacy will be met with Jesus’ empowerment and the subsequent arrival of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It is in a restored, loving, and growing relationship in Christ that enables a shepherd-leader to develop strong relationships with the flock.

In this Episode Eight, I talked about the second metaphor of a leader as a shepherd, the essential Essential Qualities for a Shepherd-Leader, his tasks, and some examples of shepherd-leadership. To help us review what we have heard from this podcast, I invite you to reflect on the following questions. Please join me for Episode Nine, which I will talk about a Shepherd-Leader’s tasks, and followed by the third metaphor of leadership as a steward. Good-bye, and have a great day!

Discussion Questions

1. What comes to your mind when you think of the word shepherd?

2. What is your takeaway lesson from study of the word ‘shepherd”?

3. Why do you think it is important for a leader to have a shepherd’s heart?