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Before Moses appointed Joshua as his successor, he prayed to God to “appoint someone over the congregation who [would] go out before them and come in before them, who [would] lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd.” (Numbers 27)
A couple centuries later, when David was king on the throne in Jerusalem, he had many wives, but he wanted Bathsheba, the wife of his neighbor. David arranged for her husband’s death; after that he took her into his residence. In response to this crime, the prophet Nathan challenged David by telling him a parable. Here we are interested only in the part of the parable where Nathan portrays the great affection that a man could have for a sheep. “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. . . .” (Second Samuel 2)
Did David write Psalm 23? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
A few centuries later, the prophet Isaiah comforted the Israelites in exile in Babylon with this promise among others. The Lord God “will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.” (Isaiah 40)
A few decades later, the prophet Ezekiel proclaimed: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them. . . . 23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. (excerpts from Ezekiel 34, which is praised for accurate detail by Phillip Keller)
Before Jesus fed the 5000, “he had compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6). What characteristics, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual may be associated with this observation?
The parable of the lost sheep must be borne in mind when we interpret Jesus as the good shepherd.
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15)
Here is an excerpt from John 10 on the good shepherd. This is of tremendous importance because it reveals the answer to a neglected and most significant question: How did Jesus interpret the meaning of his death on the cross? This teaching is the searchlight that we can use as we look for truth in other interpretations.
“Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Phillip Keller (born probably in the early twentieth century) was a Christian who spent eight years as a shepherd; in addition, he was experienced in agricultural research, land management, and ranch development. One book includes three of his books. Phillip Keller, The Shepherd Trilogy: A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm, A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd, A Shepherd Looks at the Lamb of God (London: Marshall Pickering [an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), 1970, 1978, 1982, 1996) [2nd and 3rd books begin pp. 133 and 303.]
Biographical. “My own father, an American-Swiss layman, . . . God called as a missionary to East Africa . . . .” (326) It was essentially a Swiss family on a large country estate (321) “I grew up and lived in East Africa, surrounded by simple native herders whose customs closely resembled those of their counterparts in the Middle East. So I am intimately acquainted with the romance, the pathos, the picturesque life of an Eastern shepherd. (6) At age 18 I left home to study at the University of Toronto in Canada for training as an agrologist. My keen interest in all growing things was there nurtured and developed in preparation for the many years I later spent in agricultural research, land management, and ranch development. (321)
As a young man, I actually made my own livelihood for about eight years as a sheep owner and sheep rancher. Consequently, I write as one who has had firsthand experience with every phase of sheep management. Later, as the lay pastor of a community church, I shared the truths of the 23rd Psalm, as a shepherd, with my ‘flock,’, every Sunday for several months.” (6)
A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm (chapter summaries with selected quotes)
Ch. 1. The Lord is my shepherd
God the Father is God the author—the originator of all that exists. It was in His mind, first, that all took shape.
God the Son, our Saviour, is God the artisan—the artist, the Creator of all that exists. He brought into being all that had been originally formulated in His Father’s mind.
God the Holy Spirit is God the agent who presents these facts to both my mind and my spiritual understanding so that they become both real and relative to me as an individual. (10)
Sheep are like humans, with “our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits” (14). Several times he refers to human pride and self-assertion, wanting to go our own way in defiance of divine wisdom and guidance.
Sheep are notorious creatures of habit. If left to themselves, they will follow the same trails until they become ruts; graze the same hills until they turn to desert wastes; pollute their own ground until it is corrupted with disease and parasites. Many of the world’s finest sheep ranges have been ruined beyond repair by over-grazing, poor management and indifferent or ignorant sheep owners. (61)
It is a tragic truth that many people who really have never come under His direction or management claim that “The Lord is my Shepherd’. They seem to hope that be merely admitting that He is their Shepherd somehow they will enjoy the benefits of His care and management without paying the price of forfeiting their own fickle and foolish way of life.
One cannot have it both ways. Either we belong or we don’t. Jesus Himself warned us that there would come a day when many would say, ‘Lord, in Your name we did many wonderful things’, but He will retort that He never knew us as His own.
It is a most serious and sobering thought which should make us search our own hearts and motives and personal relationship to Himself.
Do I really belong to Him?
Do I really recognize His right to me?
Do I respond to His authority and acknowledge His ownership?
Do I find freedom and complete fulfillment in this arrangement?
Do I sense a purpose and deep contentment because I am under His direction?
Do I know rest and repose, besides a definite sense of exciting adventure, in belonging to Him? (18)
Ch.2. I shall not want. [This not wanting has a spiritual, not a material meaning.
Amid hardship, “I shall not lack the expert care and management of my Master.” 22 The constant watchcare and guidance.
Had to kill a sheep that was always trying and often succeeding to get out of the fenced-in area, training her lambs, and followed by other sheep in doing so.
Ch. 3. He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures
The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.
“Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear. [Predators and signs thereof: wolves, coyotes cougars bears 96; dogs, rustlers 198
Jesus’ replaces fear with security (32).
“Because of their social behaviour within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.
“If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax. [103: many kinds of flies, (esp nose flies; anointing helps! 104f) + mosquitos, gnats, et al]
“Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.” (29) “A flock that is restless and discontented, always agitated and disturbed, never does well (30).” Examples. “In the course of time I came to realize that nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector put them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applied day and night.” (31)
It take a lot of work to cultivate and preserve luxuriant pastures. Sheep will not lie down if agitated by fear, friction with other sheep, bothered by pests, or hungry. “Nothing so quieted and reassured the sheep as to see me in the field.” Troubles with arrogant, cunning, domineering old ewe threatening or butting others (33)—very well described in Ezekiel 34:15-16 and 20-22. Necessary discipline.
Green pastures did not just happen by chance. Green pastures were the product of tremendous labour, time, and skill in land use. Green pastures were the result of clearing rough, rocky land; of tearing out brush and roots and stumps; of deep ploughing and careful soil preparation; of seeding and planting special grains and legumes; of irrigating with water and husbanding with care the crops of forage that would feed the flocks. (38-39)
A land flowing with milk and honey . . . . Not only is this figurative language but also essentially scientific language. In agricultural terms we speak of a ‘milk flow’ and ‘honey flow’. By this we mean the peak season of spring and summer when pastures are at their most productive stages. The livestock that feed on the forage and the bees that visit the blossoms are said to be producing a corresponding ‘flow’ of milk or honey. So a land flowing with milk and honey is a land of rich, green, luxuriant pastures. (40)
The unrelenting energy and industry of an owner who wishes to see his sheep satisfied and well-fed. . . . This life of quiet overcoming; of happy repose; of rest in his presence; of confidence in his management is something few Christians ever fully enjoy. (41)
Chapter 4. He Leadeth Me Beside the Still Waters
The importance of water to animals . . . sheep; found in flowing streams, deep wells, and the moisture of dew on the wet grass for a time before dawn and after dawn (can go for months on no other water source). Spiritually, to drink=”a person takes in and assimilates the very life of God in Christ to the point where it becomes a part of him. (43)
Can take great effort to lead sheep into deep dark places where they can get the water they need . . . as we always can find it in deep dark places (48).
Chapter 5. He Restoreth My Soul
This affirmation is “essentially a Christian’s claim of belonging in the family of God.” (51)
A sheep can lie down, roll over too far, and be unable to get back up. A “cast” sheep panics and is helpless; and must be promptly found by the owner and, often, gradually enabled to stand up and walk again (51ff).
We experience that Jesus is ever ready to come to help if we stumble or fall.
Many people have the idea that when a child of God falls, when he is frustrated and helpless in a spiritual dilemma, God becomes disgusted, fed-up and even furious with him.
This simply is not so. (55)
[But not all the work of restoring our soul is pleasant.]
A sheep that has too long and heavy a fleece needs to be sheared. The sheep do not enjoy it, and it is hard work, but the fleece can be “clogged with filthy manure, mud, burrs, sticks, and ticks” (58; see more detail: 366f).
God may well impose on us some sort of ‘diet’ or ‘discipline’ which we may find a bit rough and unpalatable at first. But again we need to reassure ourselves that it is for our own good, because He is fond of us . . . .
In Hebrews 12 we read how God chooses to discipline those He loves. At the time it may prove a tough routing. But the deeper truth is that afterwards it produces a life of repose and tranquility free from the fret and frustration of being cast down like a helpless sheep.
The toughness it takes to face life and the formidable reverses which it brings to us can come only through the discipline of endurance and hardship. In His mercy and love our Master makes this a part of our programme. It is part of the price of belonging to him.
We may rest assured that He wil never expect us or ask us to face more than we can stand (1 Corinthians 10:13). But what He does expose us to will strengthen and fortify our faith and confidence in His control. If He is the Good Shepherd we can rest assured that He knows what He is doing. This in and of itself should be sufficient to contunally refresh and restore my soul. I know of nothing which so quiets and enlivens my own spiritual life as the knowledge that –‘God knows what He is doing with me!’ (60)
Chapter 6. He Leadeth Me in the Paths of Righteousness for His Name’s Sake
[Left to their own, sheep, are creatures of habit, and following their natural inclinations leads them to destroy the land on which they depend. The single most important thing that Phillip Keller found he needed to do to protect his sheep was to keep them moving, usually every week.] “They must be shifted from pasture to pasture periodically. This prevents over-grazing of the forage. It also avoids the rutting of trails and erosion of land from over-use. It forestalls the reinfestation of the sheep with internal parasites or disease, since the sheep move off the infested ground before these organisms complete their life cycles.” (63)
[In order for us to claim that our good shepherd leads us in the paths of righteousness, we need to follow, and that means overcoming our various inclinations to do otherwise.]
If one really believes his affairs are in God’s hands, every event, no matter whether joyous or tragic, will be taken as part of God’s plan. To know beyond doubt that He does all for our welfare is to be led into a wide area of peace and quietness and strength for every situation. (69)
Chapter 7. Yea, though I walk through the valley . . . The valleys are the best route to the high country, with the best access to water and good pastures. The good shepherd is experienced in all the dangers and difficulties of the climb, and the sheep can trust him. By going through rough, even horrible times, we acquire the experience and that enables us to minister to others who are going through similar things. “The basic question is not whether we have many or few valleys. It is not whether those valleys are dark or dim with shadows. The question is, how do I react to them? How do I go through them? How do I cope with the calamities that come my way?” (81)
Chapter 8. Thy Rod and Thy Staff, They Comfort Me [A shepherd carries with him only a minimum of gear, at the very least, a rod and a staff. A rod (which may be a rifle) is classically a stick which can be used for a variety of purposes.]
In the Middle East the shepherd carries only a rod and staff. Some of my most vivid boyhood recollections are those of watching the African herdsmen shepherding their stock with only a long slender stick and a rough knob-kerrie in their hands. . . .
Each shepherd boy, from the time he first starts to tend his father’s flock, takes special pride in the selection of a rod and staff exactly suited to his own size and strength. He goes into the bush and selects a young sapling which is dug from the ground. This is carved and whittled down with great care and patience. The enlarged base of the sapling, where its trunk joins the roots, is shaped into a smooth, rounded head of hard wood. The sapling itself is shaped to exactly fit the owner’s hand. After he completes it, the shepherd boy spends hours practicing with this club, learning how to throw it with amazing speed and accuracy. It becomes his main weapon of defense for both himself and his sheep. . . . And it was, furthermore, the instrument he used to discipline and correct any wayward sheep that insisted on wandering away.
The sheep [finds that] the owner’s rod, his weapon of power, authority and defense, is a continuous comfort to him. (82-83)
[Keller compares the rod to the Word of God.]
There is a second dimension in which the rod is used by the shepherd for the welfare of his sheep—namely that of discipline. If anything, the club is used for this purpose perhaps more than any other.
I could never get over how often, and with what accuracy, the African herders would hurl their knob-kerries at some recalcitrant beast that misbehaved. If the shepherd saw a sheep wandering away on its own, or approaching poisonous weeds, or getting too close to danger of one sort or another, the club would go whistling through the air to send the wayward animal scurrying back to the bunch. (85)
[The rod is also used in counting sheep, and in separating thick wool to permit the periodic thorough and intimate examination that was necessary to discover and correct hidden problems.]
The shepherd’s staff is normally a long, slender stick, often with a crook or hook on one end. It is selected with care by the owner; it is shaped, smoothed and cut to best suit his own personal use.
Some of the most moving memories I carry with me from Africa and the Middle East are of seeing elderly shepherds in the twilight of life, standing silently at sunset, learning on their staves, watching their flocks with contended spirits. Somehow the staff of special comfort to the shepherd himself. In the tough tramps and during the long weary watches with his sheep he leans on it for support and strength. It becomes to him a most precious comfort and help in his duties. . . .
There are three areas of sheep management in which the staff plays a most significant role. The first of these lies in drawing sheep together into an intimate relationship. The shepherd will use his staff to gently lift a newborn lamb and bring it to its mother if they become separated. He does this because he does not wish to have the ewe reject her offspring if it bears the odour of his hands upon it. I have watched skilled shepherds moving swiftly with their staffs amongst thousands of ewes that were lambing simultaneously. With deft but gentle strokes the newborn lambs are lifted with the staff and placed side by side with their dams. It is a touching sight that can hold one spellbound for hours.
But in precisely the same way the staff is used by the shepherd to reach out and catch individual sheep, young or old, and draw them close to himself for intimate examination. The staff is very useful this way for the shy and timid sheep that normally tend to keep at a distance from the shepherd. . . .
The staff is also used for guiding sheep. Again and again I have seen a shepherd use his staff to guide his sheep gently into a new path or though some date or along dangerous, difficult routes. He does not use it actually to beat the beast. Rather, the tip of the long slender stick is laid gently against the animal’s side and the pressure ap plied guides the sheep in the way the owner wants it to go. Thus the sheep is reassured of its proper path.
Sometimes I have been fascinated to see how a shepherd will actually hold his staff against the side of some sheep that is a special pet or favourite, simply so that they ‘are in touch’. They will walk along this way almost as though it were ‘hand-in-hand’. The sheep obviously enjoys this special attention from the shepherd and revels in the close, personal, intimate contact between them. To be treated in this special way by the shepherd is to know comfort in a deep dimension. It is a delightful and moving picture. . . . (90)
The gracious Spirit continually brings home to me the acute consciousness that I am God’s child and He is my Father. In all of this there is enormous comfort and a sublime sense of ‘oneness’, of ‘belonging’, of ‘being in His care’, and hence the object of His special affection.
The Christian life is not just one of subscribing to certain doctrines or believing certain facts. Essential as all of this confidence in the Scriptures may be, there is, as well, the actual reality of experiencing and knowing first-hand the feel of His touch—the sense of His Spirit upon my spirit. There is for the true child of God that intimate, subtle, yet magnificent experience of sensing the Comforter at his side. (91)
And the staff is helpful in retrieving foolish or stubborn sheep, who, “greedy for one more mouthful of green grass, climb down steep cliffs where they slipped and fell into the sea” or got stuck in thorns. (92)
Chapter 9. Thou Preparest a Table Before Me . . .
Keller interprets the table as a geological-geographic formation, a mesa (literally table).
The shepherd clears out the water holes, spring and drinking places for his stock. He has to clean out the accumulated debris of leaves, twigs, stones, and soil which may have fallen into the water source during the autumn and winter. He may need to repair small earth dams he has made to hold water. And he will open the springs that may have become overgrown with grass and brush and weeds. It is all his work, his preparation of the table for his own sheep in summer. (98)
Chapter 10. Thou Anointest My Head With Oil . . . [Keller recounts the particular irritations the sheep experience in the summer (for example, with nose-flies) and the anointings that relieve them from these irritations.]
Only the strictest attention to the behaviour of the sheep by the shepherd can forestall the difficulties of ‘fly time’. At the very first sign of flies among the flock, he will apply an antidote to their heads. I always preferred to use a homemade remedy composed of linseed oil, Sulphur and tar which was smeared over the sheep’s nose and head as a protection against nose flied.
What an incredible transformation this would make among the sheep! Once the oil had been applied to the sheep’s head there was an immediate chance in behaviour. Gone was the aggravation; gone the frenzy; gone the irritability and the restlessness. Instead, the sheep would start to feed quietly again, then soon lie down in peaceful contentment. (105)
In the high country in autumn, various changes would go along with the weather.
In the flock there are also subtle changes. This is the season of the rut, of mating, of great battles between the rams for possession of the ewes. The necks of the monarchs swell and grow strong. They strut proudly across the pastures and fight furiously for the favours of the ewes. The crash of heads and thud of colliding bodies can be heard throughout the hours of day and night.
The shepherd knows all about this. He knows that some of the sheep will and can actually kill, injure and main each other in these deadly combats. So he decides on a very simple remedy. At this season of the year, he will catch his rams and smear their heads with grease. I used to apply generous quantities of axle grease to the head and nose of each ram. Then when they collided in their great crashing battles the lubricant would make them glance off each other in such a ludicrous way they stood therre feeling rather stupid and frustrated. In this way much of the heat and tension was dissipated and little damage done. (110-111)
Chapter 11. Surely Goodness and Mercy Shall Follow Me . . . Regarding this phrase of Psalm 23, Keller reflects mainly on the experience of trusting fully in the divine watchcare and guidance. As regards sheep, he makes one observation.
Sheep can, under mismanagement, be the most destructive livestock. In short order, they can ruin and ravage land almost beyond remedy. But in bold contrast they can, on the other hand, be the most beneficial of all livestock if properly managed.
Their manure is the best balanced of any produced by domestic stock. When scattered efficiently over the pastures it proves of enormous benefit to the soil. The sheep’s habit of seeking the highest rise of ground on which to rest ensures that the fertility from the rich low land is redeposited on the less productive higher ground. No other livestock will consume as wide a variety of herbage. Sheep eat all sorts of weeds and other undesirable plants which might otherwise invade a field. For example, they love the buds and tender tips of Canada thistle which, if not controlled, can quickly become a most noxious weed. In a few years a flock of well-managed sheep will clean up and restore a piece of ravaged land as no other creature can do. (119-120)
Chapter 12. I Will Dwell in the House of the Lord Forever. Here we have a quick review, emphasizing the spiritual importance of abiding in the presence of God, following Jesus closely, and fully enjoying our life together.
Not wishing to spend more time copying quotes or burdening readers, I content myself with the remaining selections.
“After long and intimate association, sheep become beautifully adjusted to their owner. They develop a touching and implicit trust in him. Wherever he takes them, they simply ‘tag along’ without hesitation. In quiet and uncomplaining reliance upon him, they accompany him anywhere he goes. In his company they are contented and at rest.” (194)
“It is the alertness, the awareness, the diligence of a never-tiring master which alone assures the sheep of excellent care. And from the sheep’s standpoint, it is knowing that the shepherd is there; it is the constant awareness of his presence nearby that automatically eliminates most of the difficulties and dangers while at the same time providing a sense of security and serenity.
“It is the sheep owner’s presence that guarantees that there will be no lack of any sort; that there will be abundant green pastures; that there will be still, clean waters; that there will be new paths into fresh fields; that there will be safe summers on the high tablelands; that there will be freedom from fear; that there will be antidotes for flies and disease and parasites; that there will be quietness and contentment.” (130)
The shepherd is up early, opening the door of the sheepfold, and getting the sheep out (so they don’t stay in what is a filthy place). “Gently the shepherd stands at the gate and calls to his own to come outside. As each animal passes him, he calls it by name, examines it with his knowing eye, and, if necessary, searches it with knowing hands beneath its coat, to see if all is well. It is a moving interlude at the dawn of each new day: a time of close and intimate contact of the owner and his flock.” 174
In arid semi-desert, often no clear-running streams or placid pools of water. The sheep need to get moisture early in the morning from dew-drenched vegetation. 177.
“It is often frustrating to a shepherd when he calls his sheep to discover that even though his sheep may have recognized his voice and responded to it, they refuse to move. They simply will not come running when called.
“Again and again I have watched a flock of sheep in which there were a few recalcitrant ones. Standing there stupidly and stubbornly, they simply shake their heads, waggle their ears, and bleat out a pathetic “blah”! For the shepherd calling them, this is frustrating.” (169)
“Certain sheep were never really satisfied to stay in my care. They were always looking for a chance to slip out through a hole in the fence. Or they would creep around the end of the enclosure that ran down to the seashore at extreme low tide. Once they had gotten out, they were exposed to enormous perils. Some roamed far off to become lost up the road or through the woods. And there they fell prey to all sorts of disasters.” 288
“Looking back in gentle reminiscence across the distant years of my own life as a sheepman this remains its most memorable aspect. There was a profound and deeply moving sense in which all my life, all my strength, all my energy, all my vitality, was poured into my flock. It simply had to be so if they were to enjoy an optimum life under my management.
“The ‘life’ which they had in such rich measure and overflowing abundance was but an expression of my own life given to them day after day.” (287 nice context)
In hail, sleet, snow, and chilling rain; storms and blizzards, Keller was out to bring in two or three lambs back inside my jacket, next to my chest.
“The ultimate measure of a good shepherd is how well he knows his sheep. Just as we might say that the measure of a good artist or a good gardener or a good mechanic is the extent to which he ‘knows’ the materials with which he works.
“This ‘knowing’ implies much more than mere acquaintance or contact with the sheep. It means the shepherd is so familiar with his sheep, has handled them so much, that he knows their every trait, habit, and characteristic. He can predict their behavior under any set of circumstances. He understands all their peculiarities. He is never surprised or taken aback by their unusual idiosyncracies. He is at ease with them, comfortable in their company, delighting in their management.” (246-47, with an outstanding narrative of Masai shepherd boys to follow; see also 171)
The hirelings are those who are in the sheep business only for personal gain, and they produce bad results. (236-45)
Any sheep, if treated with kindness and affection, soon attaches itself to its new owner. Sheep are remarkably responsive, for the most part, to the attention and care give to them by a good shepherd. This is especially true in small flocks where the owner has opportunity to bestow his personal affection on individual animals. They quickly become his friends. A select few are actually pets. They follow him as faithfully as his own shadow. Wherever he goes they are there. It is in his company, and because of his presence, that they are ever secure and at rest. (219-20)
[A good shepherd wants abundant life for his sheep.] “When the sheep are flourishing most of his time can be devoted to the development and care of the entire ranch. This will assure his stock of an ideal environment in which they can prosper. He can supply abundant pasturage, clean water supplies, proper shelter, protection from predators, ample range, and ideal management in every area of the ranch operation.” 228-29
Image credit: Palestine with rod and staff Palestine, 1919. By American Colony Photo Department – Shepherd type. (With “rod and staff”). LC-DIG-ppmsca-18417-00024 (digital file from original on page 47, no. 24), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79580502
In my search, I also enjoyed this: https://modernfarmer.com/2013/12/10-things-learned-lambs/
