Growing up, my dad was a good example, figuratively, of a shepherd. He was ready to do anything for his girls. In our African culture, when a man does not have a male child, he is considered useless. My dad had eight girls and no male child. He received pressure from his mom and family members to take a second wife who would give him male children, but my dad stood his ground. He did not give in to pressure and he did not believe the cultural implications about his worth. He knew the importance of his role as a father, and he was ready to do anything he could to take care of, protect, and provide for his girls. He was a wonderful example of how a shepherd protects, cares, and guides. If my earthly father, though limited, was so caring and protective of his girls, how much more will our heavenly Father, Who is all-knowing and all-powerful and has no limitations, care for us? In God’s Word, we see that one of the titles of God is the Lord our Shepherd. We are going to see what this title reveals about God’s characteristics and what Old Testament scriptures say about God as a shepherd. And we will see that God has not changed. He still exhibits characteristics of a shepherd to us as His children today.
The Lord our Shepherd in Hebrew is Jehovah-roi. Let us look at the title of God Jehovah-roi. Jehovah refers to the Lord in relationship to His creation. When Jehovah is used regarding God’s people, it shows the intimacy of His relationship with His people. Roi (my shepherd) is a form of the Hebrew verb raah, which means to tend, pasture, graze, or feed. When this verb raah is used as a participle, it often functions as a noun, and is usually translated “shepherd” in the King James Version of the Bible. This word raah is first used in Genesis, chapter 4.
Genesis 4:2:
And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper [raah] of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Abel was a keeper of sheep. His job was to provide a pasture for his sheep, where he could tend to them, where they could graze, and where he could watch over and protect them. When God is referred to as a shepherd, raah, it communicates His care for His people in a similar way.
We see God functioning as a shepherd, raah, throughout the Old Testament.
Isaiah 40:11:
He [God] shall feed his flock like a shepherd [raah]: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
In this verse, we see God’s protection, care, and guidance. God gathering His lambs with His arm exhibits His protection. Carrying the lambs shows His care. Gently leading those that are with young illustrates His guidance. We see more characteristics of God as a shepherd in Psalm 23.
Psalm 23:1-3:
The Lord is my shepherd [raah]; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
A good shepherd would seek to find the best pasture to feed his sheep and the best watering places for them to drink from. He would then lead them to these places to eat and drink in peace. He provided rest, nourishment, and refreshment. Likewise, Jehovah-roi provides the right path for His people to be restored and refreshed. Psalm 23 continues to describe characteristics of God as a shepherd. From verses like these, we can deeply impress upon our hearts how God functioned as a shepherd in the lives of His people and build understanding of how He will function in our lives today.
The children of Israel were referred to in the Old Testament as sheep. Today, when we believe Romans 10:9, we receive the new birth and become sons and daughters of God. In the seven Church Epistles addressed to us today, we are not referred to as sheep. Yet the qualities of a shepherd still apply to God as He guides us, protects us, and cares for us, His people.
Just as the shepherd makes sure his sheep have a green pasture to feed on and lack nothing, that is how our heavenly Father takes care of us, making sure we lack nothing and supplying all of our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19). God protects us with His strength and might and watches over our lives so that nothing can harm us. He cares for every aspect of our lives, and in every situation, He will be there to provide for us.
God cares for His people as a shepherd. He tended to His people in the Old Testament. He fed them, clothed them, gave them shelter, guided them, and protected them. God has not changed; He will do the same for us today as we rely on Him.