In the Old Testament, in addition to the ministries of the priests, kings, and prophets, there was another ministry related to God’s people, the ministry of the shepherds (Jer. 23:3-4; Ezek. 34:11-31).
In the Bible God likens His people to a flock, and those who pasture God’s people are called shepherds. Shepherds are commissioned by God to feed God’s flock so that they may receive the supply of life with full enjoyment and satisfaction.
Besides feeding God’s people, shepherds take care of God’s people so that they may lie down and have rest. Sometimes shepherds seek out, heal, and rescue.
As a shepherd, one also should teach God’s people and open their understanding with the holy Word of God so that they may know God and obey God.
The most crucial responsibility of a shepherd is to lead God’s people so that they are not scattered and led astray but obey and keep God’s word and are one flock under God’s name.
Christ is our Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), and He is the Head of all the shepherds. He leads us to feed, look after, teach, and guide the flock of God according to God’s intention and to become patterns of the flock (vv. 2-3).
Psalm 23 reveals how Christ as the Shepherd in resurrection feeds, looks after, and leads the believers in five stages: (1) in the enjoyment in green pastures and beside waters of rest (vv. 1-2); (2) in revival and transformation on the paths of righteousness (v. 3); (3) in the presence of the resurrected, pneumatic Christ in the valley of the shadow of death (v. 4); (4) in the deeper and higher enjoyment of the resurrected Christ (v. 5); (5) and in the lifelong enjoyment of the divine goodness and lovingkindness in the house of God (v. 6).
As the good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), Christ laid down His human life to accomplish redemption for us (vv. 15, 17-18) that we may have His divine life (v. 10b) and be formed into one flock with Himself as the one Shepherd (v. 16). Now He is our soul’s Shepherd in the resurrection life within us (1 Pet. 2:25). As such, He guides us within and supplies us with life that we may follow in His steps.
Christ is the Chief Shepherd, and the believers are shepherds. Peter entreated the elders to “shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing...according to God” (5:2). The flock of God, which is the church of God (Acts 20:28), is God’s possession, allotted to the believers who have a greater measure of growth in life as their allotment, their portion, and entrusted to them by God for their shepherding (1 Pet. 5:3).
The believers are not only shepherded corporately in the church; they also need to be looked after individually. In John 21 the Lord appeared to Peter in His resurrection. He came to restore Peter’s love toward Him, charging him to feed His lambs (v. 15), that is, to nourish the believers with the riches of the inner life, looking after their needs. Likewise, if we love the Lord, we need to enjoy the riches of the Lord’s divine life that we may feed and look after others for the fulfillment of the shepherds’ responsibility.
Those who are shepherds also need to lead the flock of God to walk in the way ordained by God, according to God’s nature, desire, way, and glory, not according to man’s preference, interest, and purpose. They should watch diligently to be aware of the flock’s situation (1 Pet. 5:2-3) and lead them to walk in the will of God. Thus, they will be approved by God to receive the unfading crown of glory at the manifestation of the Chief Shepherd (v. 4).
Priests, Nazarites, kings, prophets, and shepherds are five kinds of people with special statuses in the Old Testament, typifying Christ and the New Testament believers in these five aspects of their status.
The ministry of the priests is engaged especially in the service of God; their responsibility is to serve God. Their main function is to draw near to God and to wait and remain in His presence. They also present offerings to God, spread the bread of the Presence, tend the lampstand, burn incense before God, teach God’s people the law, and bring people to God. This typifies Christ as our High Priest who brings us to God and prays for us so that we may be saved and brought fully into God’s eternal purpose. This also typifies that the believers are engaged especially in serving God to bring men to God and that they, as New Testament priests of the gospel, offer spiritual sacrifices to God.
Nazarites are those who have voluntarily consecrated themselves, who are separated from worldliness, and who have submitted themselves to God. This typifies Christ as One who voluntarily consecrated Himself to God, who sanctified Himself to God, and who submitted Himself to God for the accomplishment of the eternal purpose of God to whom He is in subordination. This also typifies the believers who consecrate themselves to God, are separated from the world, and submit themselves to God to fulfill His purpose.
The kingship is mainly to reign for God, to represent God, and to bring God to man. It is equal in importance to the priesthood and is brought in by God’s anointing. This typifies that Christ was anointed by God to be the Ruler among God’s people and to be the King ruling over the nations. Today He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth, ruling sovereignly over all men, all affairs, and all things for the execution of God’s authority to bring God to man for the establishing of the kingdom of God. This also typifies that the believers have been anointed with Christ by God and that the overcoming believers will reign with Christ. Today the proper believers also minister with Christ to bring God to men that they may have enjoyment and satisfaction.
Prophets are those who speak for God by God’s revelation. Their ministry is to speak for God, to speak forth God, to prophesy (predict) for God, and to assist the kings in establishing God’s kingdom. This typifies Christ speaking for God, ministering God to people in God’s word, and prophesying for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ. This also typifies the believers who prophesy for God, minister God and Christ to people, and sometimes prophesy by predicting. To prophesy by speaking forth the Lord is to minister God and Christ to build up the Body of Christ.
Shepherds are those who pasture the people of God. The shepherding ministry is to feed, take care of, teach, and lead the people of God. This typifies Christ as our Chief Shepherd, feeding, looking after, and leading the believers and, as our soul’s Shepherd in the resurrection life, guiding us within and supplying us with life that we may follow in His steps. This also typifies the believers as the shepherds who pasture the church, nourishing and looking after one another with the riches of the inner life, leading the flock to walk in the way ordained by God and in the will of God.