Background information on Shepherds

Obviously I had little time to enter anything in my Journal on this day back then. However, I did use it as a time to fulfill a promise I made in an earlier journal entry, to say more on shepherds later. I chose two resources that I felt adequately described the function and lifestyle of a shepherd in "biblical" times. I know for some that is boring. Yet to get a better understanding of things, sometimes you have to do the background work necessary in order to attain the proper understanding of a thing. Journalists who fail to do this are  often  embarrassed by this and often have to issue retractions for what they have said (that is, if they have any journalistic integrity). So even if you don't like facts, please read the two articles. I promise that we will get in deeper to this Psalm. 

Journal Entry From :

September 4, 2015

Worship: Psalm 23  by Jeff Majors; Psalm 23- The Lord Is My Shepherd by Keith Green

The Lord is my Shepherd
I shall not want
He makes me to lie down
In green pastures
He restores my soul
He leads me beside still waters
And leads me in
The paths of righteousness
For His name sake,
For His name's sake, I shall not want

CHORUS:
Yea, though I walk through
The valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
For Thou art with me

The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
Thy rod and Thy staff,
They comfort me
Thou preparest a table
Before me in the presence
Of mine enemies
Thou anointest my head with oil
... with oil

[CHORUS]

My cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all the
Days of my life
And I'll dwell
In the house of the Lord
Forever and ever

Amen!
---
Read more at http://www.lyrics.com/psalms-23-lyrics-jeff-majors.html#y0zUEv6eSvRiqrsM.99

Lyrics:  https://youtu.be/d5ivRf_z0dE

The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside the still waters
He restoreth my soul
And guides my path in righteousness
For His name's sake

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

Though I walk through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will not fear, Thou art with me
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me
Thou preparest a table
Before me in the presence of my enemies

Thou anointest my head with oil
My cup's overflowing

Surely goodness and loving kindness
Shall follow me all the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever and ever and ever

Read more: Keith Green - The Lord Is My Shepherd (23rd Psalm) Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Video:  https://youtu.be/hg2kSbTKKdc

1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4Even though I walk through the darkest valley,a I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. A Psalm of David. KJV

WORD:

Time is up… off to work, but I thought I would include two articles on Shepherds to fill out the meaning of the word in our minds.

SHEPHERD

A person who takes care of sheep. Figuratively, the Old Testament pictures God as Israel's Shepherd-Leader (Ps 80:1; Ezek 34:14). The New Testament reveals Jesus as the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep. When He said, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11), Jesus linked His own divine nature with one of the most ordinary occupations in Israel.

Abel is the first shepherd mentioned in the Bible (Gen 4:2). Kings who led Israel (Jer 6:3; 49:19) and certain ministers (Jer 23:4) are also called shepherds. The sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob herded sheep (Gen 13:7; 26:20; 30:36). Rachel was a shepherdess (Gen 29:3). David (2 Sam 5:2; Ps 78:70-72), Moses (Ex 3:1), and Amos (Amos 1:1) found herding to be excellent preparation for future leadership roles.

Jesus' life exemplifies these leadership traits. Jesus knows each of His sheep intimately (John 10:3-5). Sometimes several shepherds will pen their sheep together in a cave or a sheepfold at night. The next morning each shepherd calls to his own sheep with his own unique guttural cry. Each sheep knows his shepherd's voice and responds immediately. Even in a large flock, one individual sheep will run to his shepherd when his own pet name is called (John 10:27).

Sheep are curious, but dumb animals, often unable to find their way home even if the sheepfold is within sight. Knowing this fault, the shepherd never takes his eyes off his wandering sheep (Ps 32:8). Often a sheep will wander into a briar patch or fall over a cliff in the rugged Palestinian hills. The shepherd tenderly searches for his sheep and carries it to safety on his shoulder, wrapped in his own long cloak (Luke 15:6).

In water-hungry Syria and Palestine, shepherds have always had to search diligently for water, sometimes for hours every day. Sheep must be watered daily. The shepherd might find a bubbling stream for the sheep that are always on the move and needing fresh pastures every day (Ps 23:2). An old well with a quiet pool or trough close by might provide the water (Gen 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16). Often the shepherd carries a small pail with him, patiently filling it many times for the thirsty sheep who cannot reach the available water.

A trusted shepherd also provides loving protection for his flock. Shepherds on the Bethlehem hillsides still use a sling, made of goat's hair or leather and immortalized by David against Goliath (1 Sam 17:49). At times the shepherd will throw his rod at a stubborn, straying sheep that refuses to hear his voice. At other times he gently nudges the stray with the end of his six-foot staff, crooked at one end to fit his strong hand. Both the rod and the staff work together to protect the sheep (Ps 23:4).

The presence of the shepherd also offers comfort to the flock. David recognized this in Ps 23. Sheep are content merely to be in the same field with their shepherd; Christians are comforted by the very presence of the Lord. This thought is especially comforting when darkness overshadows the believer. Jesus is our Door; nothing can touch our lives without touching Him first. This is a perfect picture of the shepherd. He literally becomes the living door of the sheepfold. He curls up in the door or in the entrance of a cave. He puts his body between the sleeping sheep and ravenous animals or thieves.

One day Jesus the Chief Shepherd will return, gather His whole flock into one fold, and divide the sheep from the goats (Matt 25:31-33). Until that time, Jesus continues His search for every lost sheep (Matt 18:12-14). His sheep are to yield themselves to Him for His useful service until, at last, they "will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Ps 23:6).

 (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

SHEPHERD (from Heb. ro`eh, "one who tends," to "tend"; Grk. poimen).

Duties. The routine of the shepherd's duties appears to have been as follows: In the morning he led forth his flock from the fold (John 10:4), which he did by going before them and calling them, as is still usual in the East. Arriving at the pasturage, he watched the flock with the assistance of dogs (Job 30:1), and, should any sheep stray, he had to search for it until he found it (Ezek 34:12; Luke 15:4). He supplied them with water, either at a running stream or at troughs attached to wells (Gen 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16; Ps 23:2). At evening he brought them back to the fold and checked to see that none was missing by passing them "under the rod" as they entered the door of the enclosure (Lev 27:32; Ezek 20:37), checking each sheep as it passed, by a motion of the hand (Jer 33:13). Finally, he watched the entrance of the fold throughout the night, acting as gatekeeper (John 10:3). The shepherd's office thus required great watchfulness, particularly by night (Luke 2:8; cf. Nah 3:18). It also required tenderness toward the young and feeble (Isa 40:11), particularly in driving them to and from the pasturage (Gen 33:13). In large establishments there were various grades of shepherds; the highest were those "put . . . in charge" (Gen 47:6), or "chief shepherds" (cf. 1 Peter 5:4). In a royal household the title 'abbir, "chief," was bestowed on the person who held the post (1 Sam 21:7). Shepherds in Bible lands were of two varieties-those who were nomadic, and migrated to new pastures and sources of water, and those who resided in towns and tended flocks in nearby meadows.

Figurative. The shepherd is used frequently in Scripture as illustrative:

1. Of God as the Leader of Israel (Ps 77:20; 80:1).

2. Of Christ as the Good Shepherd (Ezek 34:23; Zech 13:7; Isa 40:11; John 10:14; Heb 13:20).

3. Of kings as leaders of the people (Isa 44:28; Jer 6:3; 49:19).

4. Of ministers (Jer 23:4), foolish shepherds as bad ministers (Isa 56:11; Jer 50:6; Ezek 34:2,10; Zech 11:8,15-17).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: F. F. Bruce, New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes (1969), pp.

(From The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)