Shepherdship of God

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Shepherdship of God

Names of God

Provider
Healer
Peace
Shepherd
I Am the Good Shepherd
The Eternal is the true Shepherd
Shepherd - Hebrew - ro’eh-tzon - ro’eh -herder - tzon - sheep
Rah - companionship and affection
Ro’eh tzon - love of the flock - caring father figure
Isaiah 40:11 “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart..” NLT
Ro’eh רֹאֶה - different spelling but same pronunciation - seer - watcher - watches the flock individually
Resh & Ayin
Head - watching
The Bible compares God to a shepherd watching faithfully over his beloved people
Genesis 49:24 NLT “...Mighty One of Jacob, by the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel”
Psalm 80:1 NKJV
1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
John 10:11 NKJV
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
1 Peter 2:25 NKJV
25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Revelation 7:17 NKJV
17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
1 Peter 5:4 NKJV
4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Hebrews 13:20 TPT
20 Now may the God who brought us peace by raising from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ so that he would be the Great Shepherd of his flock; and by the power of the blood of the eternal covenant
King - Govern - Governor
2 Samuel 5:2 NKJV
2 Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’ ”
Isaiah 44:28 NKJV
28 Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’
Matthew 2:4–6 NKJV
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Psalm 23 David’s hymn of praise to Divine Diligence

Psalm 23:1 NKJV
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd

4 Hebrew words - Adonai Ro’eh Lo Eksar
Good Shepherd - Jesus Christ
Colossians 1:15–20 NKJV
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Shepherd —> sheep - conceived in the heart of the Father
Made possible through the work of Christ, Son of God
Made real in me through the Holy Spirit
Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Behavior of sheep and humans - Parallel and profound
Our mob instinct
Our fears and timidity
Our stubbornness and stupidity
Our perverse habits
The Lord is my Shepherd and I an thrilled to belong to Him, for it is thus that I shall flourish and thrive no matter what life may bring to me
One of my favorite subjects on the ancient culture Jesus lived in is the relationship between shepherds and their sheep. 
First of all, wipe away the picture of sheep grazing through lush green fields of grass
The sheep were always on the move, because their shepherds were always leading them through the desert hills looking for small green shrubs that had gotten enough dew to pierce the barren ground.  Sheep were given what they needed just for that day, and trusted their shepherd to take care of tomorrow.  We can learn a few things from sheep, huh?

I shall not want

The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not lack. AMPC
The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. CSB
The Lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. CEB -
You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. CEV -
The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. ERV
It is the personal intimate relationship - individual and direct
David was not referring to material or physical prosperity when he mad the statement, “I shall not want”
Revelation 3:17 NKJV
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
Mark 10:21 NKJV
21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
John 10:10 NKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Psalm 121:3–4 NKJV
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalm 23:1 TPT The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures

The Lord provides all the nourishment I need - clean, fresh
Free of all fear
Free from friction with others
Free from torment by flies, parasites
Fully fed
Christ our Good Shepherd presence is the answer
2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Jesus is the only solution for all our inner and external conflicts
John 10:10 NKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
This life of quiet, overcoming, of happy repose, of rest in His management is something few Christians ever fully enjoy

He leads me beside the still waters.

Only the shepherd knows where the water can be obtained
Human soul needs the water of the Spirit of the eternal God
Matthew 5:6 NKJV
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
John 7:37–38 NKJV
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
He alone knows where the still quiet, deep, clean, pure water is to be found that can satisfy His sheep and keep them fit
In Christian life, most serene, most confident, and able to cope with life’s complexities are those who rise early each day to feed on God’s Word
Jeremiah 2:13 NKJV
13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Only the Spirit and life of Christ Himself will satisfy the thirsting soul
The Holy Spirit would make us see that life in Christ was the only truly satisfying life
Psalm 23:3 TPT He offers a resting place for me in his luxurious love. His tracks take me to an oasis of peace near the quiet brook of bliss.

He restores my soul

Jesus puts back our soul to the right condition- fresh, confident and strong
Psalm 42:11 NKJV
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
cast or cast down sheep
Matthew 18:10–14 NKJV
10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. 12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd picking up “cast sheep”
Psalm 56:13 NKJV
13 For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living?
1 Corinthians 10:12 NKJV
12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Easy place, the cozy corner, the comfortable position
Matthew 7:14 ESV
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Too much wool - old self-life
Sheep being too fat - Men/women feel they are flourishing and have “arrived”
Revelation 3:17 NKJV
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
Luke 12:16–21 NKJV
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
Hebrews 12:5–6 NKJV
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
Psalm 23:3 NKJV
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake

Circular paths of righteousness - each step we take following our Shepherd will lead us higher, even though it may seem we are going in circles.
No other class of livestock requires more careful handling, more detailed direction, than do sheep. Left to go their own way, left to the whims of their own destructive habits.
The greatest single safeguard which shepherd has in handling his flock is to keep them on the move. A predetermined plan of action, a deliberate, planned rotation from one grazing ground to another in line with right and proper principles of sound management.
The owner’s entire name and reputation depends on how effectively and efficiently he keeps his charges moving onto wholesome, new, fresh forage.
The shepherd knows intimately all the pastures, he know where his flock will thrive.
Isaiah 53:6 NKJV
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Turning to “my own way” simply means doing what I want. And this I do in spite of every warning.
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 16:25 NKJV
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
The greed and selfishness of mankind leaves behind a legacy of ruin and remorse.
Mark 8:34 NKJV
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
But as far as actually being led in paths of righteousness is concerned, precious few of us follow that path. Actually this is the pivot on which a Christian either “goes on” with God or at which point he “goes bak” from following on.
For the one follow Him, will discover fresh pasturage; new, abundant life; and increased health, wholesomeness, and holiness in his walk with God.
Instead of living myself most, I am willing to love Christ best and others more than myself
Instead of being one of the crowd, I am willing to be singled out, set apart the gang
Instead of insisting on my rights, I am willing to forego them in favor of others
Instead of being “boss”, I am willing to be at the bottom of the heap
Instead of finding fault with life and always asking “Why?” I am willing to accept every circumstances of life in an attitude of gratitude
Instead of exercising asserting my will, I am willing to learn to cooperate with His wishes and comply with His will
Instead of choosing my own way, I am willing to choose to follow in Christ’s way: simply to do what He asks me to do
God wants us all to move on with Him. He wants it only but the benefit of others as well as His own dear reputation
Acts 5:32 NKJV
32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Philippians 2:13 NKJV
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
The Good Shepherd makes sure that I will take the right paths- doesn’t depend on me, Hallelujah!
Psalm 23:3 TPT “That’s where he restores and revives my life. He opens before me pathways to God’s pleasure and leads me along in his footsteps of righteousness so that I can bring honor to His Name.”
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