Unfaithful Shepherds

Shepherding is an important activity in the Kingdom of God.

1 Peter 5:1a, 2a, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you…shepherd the flock of God among you…”

Truly anyone who would call themselves an elder has been charged with the pastoral care of the body. Yet we must not think of “pastoral care” as the prerogative of the office of elder alone. The calling and responsibility goes way beyond the formal office. Though Moses was charged with leading God’s people to the Promised Land, nevertheless God called him a “shepherd” in Isaiah 63:11. Though David was installed as God’s choice for King, nevertheless his identity was that of a “shepherd,” amazingly his entire ministration as a king was summarized in these terms:

Psalm 78:72, “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.”

In fact, every leader in the Old Testament would be held to this standard such that if they failed, they were rebuked with these words:

Ezekiel 34:2b, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves!”