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). The Apostle Paul tells Timothy in 1 Tim. 4:11-12, “Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” The job of the elder, young, or old, is to be an example of what it means to follow our Shepherd King in the paths of righteousness. We model righteousness and godliness, but we also model constant repentance by being tethered to the gospel of Jesus where our righteousness is found.
3. Elders Lead for the Glory of Christ’s Name
Psalm 23 continues to say that He leads us in the paths of righteousness, “…for His name’s sake.”
As our Shepherd King leads us, His glory is seen and proclaimed for all to see. Some will reject Him, and others will be drawn to Him. In either outcome, His excellencies are proclaimed throughout the ages and spiritual realms. The goal of the Christian life is the glory of Jesus Christ. We glorify Christ as we follow Him, even in our imperfection. We glorify Christ as we call others to follow the only way of salvation. We glorify Christ as we are rejected by man and scorned by the evil one. The goal is His glory.
There is a way that pastors and elders can turn the paths of righteousness into opportunities for our OWN glory. It generally starts off with a good thing – we desire to obey the commands of Christ – but unchecked sin begins to pervert our motives. Before long, we obey Christ because we want our reputations to be glorified, our fame to spread, and not necessarily Christ’s. It is because of these sneaky sinful motivations that Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:1, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven!” It is only when we serve with the pure motive of glorifying Jesus that we can, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven,” (Matt. 5:16).
Note that Jesus says that the end goal of our good works is not for people to see them, but rather the goal is that the Father would receive glory! There is a big difference between doing good works to be known as people who do good works, and doing good works so that the Father receives all the glory! We aren’t motivated by a desire for people to give credit to us, or a desire to develop a reputation for godliness, or a desire to be known in our neighborhoods as good people, but rather we are motivated by drawing honor and glory to the name of Jesus Christ. Elders get this, model this humility, equip and invite the sheep into this God-glorifying, self-humbling, others-serving good goal.
4. Elders Lead Intimately Through All of Life’s Trials
The Psalm continues, “Even though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.”
The Shepherd walks with us not only through green pastures of rest, or by calm waters, but also into valleys where evil lurks – dark valleys where wolves and enemies linger nearby. When we find ourselves walking in the long-cast shadow of death, our Shepherd is still with us. He has not sent us ahead into the valley with a promise that He will meet us on the other side. No, He accompanies us to the point that our worries, anxieties, and fears can be laid aside. This is by no means an exclusively a safe journey – our Shepherd does not guarantee ease and a danger free life – but He calls us to follow Him and trust Him through the dangers.
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.
But a shepherd always leads and accompanies the sheep through these dark valleys. He is with them, and even in the valley, even in the dark seasons, and even in the trials, there is intimacy. Note how the Psalmist, who has been speaking of the Shepherd in third person, now switches the intimate second person pronouns. He is no longer of speaking of the Shepherd, he is speaking to the Shepherd. There is personal, first-hand experience being articulated now. The Shepherd is tenderly comforting him IN the danger. The Shepherd is near, with his rod for protection, with His staff to guide. He can protect as He guides because He is with the sheep.
We must profoundly understand this if we want to be faithful elders and pastors! There is no place for dispassionate, disconnected, and distant leadership in the church. It must be relational, intimate, present, gentle, patient, and compassionate. The modern management and leadership styles that have infected the church have turned shepherds into executives and sheep into employees. But elders and pastors are not to be removed in our offices or in our boardrooms. We aren’t CEO’s running an NGO, we aren’t scholars in our ivory towers, and we aren’t theologians pontificating in journals. We are dirty, grimy, grizzled, and lowly shepherds in the fields. We are WITH the sheep, loving the flock, guiding, and leading through all of life’s challenges.
In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul likes pastoral ministry to a father who exhorts his children, but he also says, “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.” The Apostle Peter tells the Elders in the churches of Asia to shepherd the flock by, “not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3). An elder and pastor leads by example, and is tenderly near to the flock in green pastures, by flowing waters, and through the darkest valleys.
5. Elders Lead Generously and Hospitably
As the Psalm nears its end, a lavish banquet unfolds before us. The Psalmist says, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Whether a picnic set by the Shepherd in the wilderness, or a table in the Divine Host’s own home, the sentiment is clear – the Shepherd hosts His sheep with lavish generosity. With enemies looking on, Christ welcomes us with the finest oils to refresh us, with a bountiful meal to satisfy us, and with overflowing wine to rejuvenate our weary hearts. Opulence, abundance, and generosity characterize the care of our Host. He is quick to pour out every goodness, every kindness, and he spares no expense to welcome us. After all, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”[3]
It is interesting, and important to note, that in the qualifications for eldership – in both 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:8 – ‘hospitality’ is listed as one. What ought to identify an elder is his hospitality and generosity! What a shame when elders are known for being stingy and tight-fisted. What a shame to the name of Jesus when elders hoard their wealth and stockpile their resources, while shaming the sheep for not being generous. What a shame when elders are not hospitable, regularly opening their homes, and modeling the same radical welcome to their sheep that they received from Christ!
This was true of Charles H. Spurgeon, who was known for his hospitality. The Spurgeon’s home was, “a warm and comfortable refuge,”[4] and Spurgeon himself was known as, “a great host, with dignity and courtesy and abounding generosity. He delighted to entertain his visitors.”[5] Fellow elders and pastors, would this be said of you? Psalm 23 would suggest that no shepherd models the Good Shepherd if he is not a hospitable and welcoming host to his sheep. Therefore, fellow elders, the Apostles teach us to, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality,” (Rom. 12:13), and “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling,” (1 Pet. 4:9). Let us be generous and hospitable to the flock, “for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (Heb. 13:16).
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There is much that this Psalm has to offer elders and pastors in terms of what shepherding the flock ought to look like. Elders lead the flock to contentment, in paths that lead to Christlikeness, for His glory alone, intimately through all of life’s seasons, and with generous hospitality and charity.
The Psalm ends with this wonderful line, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Goodness and mercy, the Psalmist says, are close on our heels for our entire lives. Commentators have made the point to suggest that the word ‘follow’ does not quite capture the sense that is being communicated. Richard S. Briggs says, “At the heart of it is the verb rādap, which typically means ‘to pursue’…Goodness and mercy (tōb and hesed) will not just ‘follow’ me, but they will ‘pursue’ me.”[6]
This is what motivates the pastor and elder to shepherd as the Good Shepherd – the overwhelming, constantly-chasing and never-ending goodness and mercy of the Father. If He has shepherded us in this way, why would we pursue another model? Why would we settle for lesser leadership principles?
O brothers, look to the Good Shepherd! Humble yourselves, and pastor like He has pastored you! Don’t domineer those under you, don’t boss, don’t lead for your own glory or shameful gain, but rather do it willingly, eagerly, tenderly, generously and patiently. For if you do, “when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”[7]
[1] Timothy S. Laniak, Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), pg. 58.
[2] See Richard S. Briggs, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church ( ), pg. 72-73.
[3] Romans 8:32
[4] Ray Rhodes Jr., Yours, till Heaven: The Untold Love Story of Charles and Susie Spurgeon (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2021), pg. 156.
[5] J.C. Carlile, C. H. Spurgeon: An Interpretive Biography (London: Religious Tract Society/Kingsgate, 1934), pg. 8.
[6] Richard S. Briggs, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Psalm 23 for the Life of the Church ( ), pg. 115.
[7] 1 Pet. 5:1-5
