There will be times where we must lead our flocks through dark valleys and dangers. Perhaps that danger comes in the form of a cancer diagnosis. Maybe the dark, shadowed valley is the loss of a child – I have been through that valley. Perhaps leading the flock in dark valleys looks like (instead of placating the sheep) calling the comfortable, fat, and lazy sheep to greater investment, obedience, and engagement in Kingdom ministry. Leading in the valley might mean making decisions as leaders that might be hard or challenging for the flock to follow – decisions that might risk offending or upsetting the flock because it calls out their intolerance, arrogance, or disobedience.

The imagery of God as our heavenly Shepherd, contained in Psalm 23, has captivated, and comforted us for thousands of years. It has aided to comfort us through times of loss and has well-reminded us of God’s intimate presence with us in all seasons of life. For many of us, we can join with Jacob and confidently state that God, “has been my shepherd all my life long to this day” (Gen. 48:15).

However, as we consider the shepherding imagery of God’s care in Psalm 23, we often have missed the leadership imagery that is latent in the concept of shepherding. In Ancient Near Eastern cultures, shepherding was often associated with kingly responsibilities and duties. As Timothy S. Laniak explains, “Pastoral images conveyed notions of rulership – both divine and human – in a wide variety of historical periods, geographical regions, and literary contexts in the Ancient Near East. Shepherd language was used in stock titles and epithets to define a king’s role as just ruler, benevolent provider and/or powerful defender. Ancient sources describe a country’s citizenry (or army) as a flock and their experience of plenty as green pastures.”[1]

This shepherd/leadership imagery is found littered throughout the Scriptures. Often, in the OT, to shepherd is also to rule. When David was anointed as King, the tribes of Israel came to him at Hebron and said, “^’In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” As well, Psalm 77:20 describes God’s leadership with shepherding language, “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” In Isaiah 40:11, the prophet foretells of the perfect Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and describes Him in shepherding language, “He will tend His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

The Perfect Shepherd is also a Perfect King, and the Shepherd King leads His flock.

This means that biblical leadership shares similar principles with shepherding. It is no surprise, then, that the tasks of shepherding and leading are tied to the role of Pastor and Elder in the New Testament. Listen to what the Apostle Peter says to the elders in the churches of Asia, “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 the flock of God that is among you…” (1 Pet. 5:1-2). To be an elder of a church is to also be a shepherd!

As elders, then, we ought to look at how the scriptures describe our Shepherd King for guidance on how we ought to be shepherd leaders. As Psalm 23 describes (in vivid detail) how the Good Shepherd leads us, we, as elders and shepherds, therefore ought to emulate His leadership.

If Psalm 23 presents a picture of how God shepherds His people, what might Psalm 23 teach elders how to shepherd the flock of Christ? I want to suggest a few key pastoral lessons that we might take away from this famous Psalm.

1. Elders Lead the Flock to Contentment in Christ

The Psalm begins by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by still waters. He restores my soul.”

Many commentators of this Psalm have suggested “I shall not want” might be also translated, “I lack nothing” or “I do not lack”.[2] The idea here is simple yet profound – if the Lord is my shepherd, all my needs are met. True contentment is found alone in the Shepherd King. This lack of wanting is not found simply in participating in the practices of Christianity – in bible reading, church attendance, prayer, family devotions or good deeds – but rather is found in and from the person, work, will, and fellowship of Christ. The Shepherd is the source of our satisfaction.

Our desires vanish in the face of the provision that being in Christ offer us. It leads the porn-addict to see how their deepest desires are met in the grace, forgiveness, Holy-Spirit-empowered-resistance, and affections-resetting power of the presence of Jesus. It leads the social-media scouring teenage girl – who looks for affirmation from peers, boys, and strangers – to understand that the world’s shallow definition of value only leaves her empty and hungry in comparison to the dignity and worth she has in Christ.

Elders and pastors lead in this way. They enjoy Christ in such as a way that there is powerful authority when they point to Jesus and say, “THERE is life! THERE is peace! THERE is contentment! Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Turn away from your sins and come find rest in Jesus!” Elders know this lack of want, and they call others to be satisfied and restored in Christ alone.

2. Elders Lead the Flock in Christ’s Paths

The Psalm continues, “He leads me in the paths of righteousness….”

As God leads us as our Shepherd, He directs us in good ways. The paths He leads us on lead to fruitfulness, to godliness, and shape us into the image of Christ along the ways. The paths of righteousness are not filled with jealousy, anger, lust, selfish ambition, greed but rather are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. The paths lead us to the cross of Jesus Christ, where our sins were atoned for, and to the tomb of Jesus, where we died in His death and rose in His resurrection. The paths lead us to love God and love our neighbors. God leads us to Himself, on paths that conform us into His image.

There are other paths that we could go down, paths we think can lead to satisfaction or contentment. We could chase after satisfaction through individualism, indulgence, innovation, and immorality. There are some who claim to follow the Shepherd who seek the path of self-righteousness and think their own good deeds justify them. But our Shepherd says, and His under-shepherds both model and say, “Don’t forge new paths in the wilderness. Seek first the Kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”

As elders and pastors, we lead our people in these paths as those who have traversed them first, and the paths lead them to look more like Jesus (Eph. 4:11-13).

Read More