The Warrior Shepherd

“David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it’” (1 Samuel 17:34-35).

When we close our eyes and imagine a shepherd living during biblical times, the traditional image that may come to our minds would be of a young man, with shepherd’s crook in hand, gently and tenderly leading his beloved flock towards beautiful green pastures. We imagine him looking after his flock in a caring, loving way. We imagine him hoisting a little lost lamb on his shoulders, just as our Lord Yeshua expressed in parable, saying, “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:5-6).

Such a beautiful image is obviously not wrong, as these are some of the primary duties of a shepherd. A shepherd’s first and most important duty is to genuinely love his flock, and because he loves them he watches over them with compassion, he leads them tenderly, and he makes certain they are being properly fed on the best the land has to offer.

Such an image is of course very familiar to all Christians, as this is the very image frequently used to illustrate our Lord Yeshua. He used this symbolic imagery to depict himself and his duties to the believers, saying, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

It’s both wonderful and beautiful to focus on our Master’s sacrificial love, his selfless service, his compassionate and healing touch, his kind and truthful words, and his humble spirit.

But we must always remember that our Lord Yeshua also didn’t shy away from conflict. He spoke the truth at all times and in all circumstances, even when it would have been extremely difficult and uncomfortable to do so.

When his Father’s house was being disrespected, he made a whip and forcibly drove out the animals and the merchants (see John 2:13-17). He rebuked the hypocritical religious leaders, even doing it directly to their faces and in their own homes (see Luke 11:37-54). He openly exposed the wicked deeds of Israel’s most powerful leaders; he publicly shamed the most respected men of the land (see Matthew 23:13-38).

All for the sake of his beloved flock, our “good shepherd” was never afraid to fight off the wolves of the world.

And that, too, is one of the primary duties of a shepherd: to protect his flock by fighting off the lions, the bears, and the wolves of the world. Because he genuinely loves his flock, a true shepherd will face any threat and fight off every dangerous animal, even to the death if necessary, in order to protect and save his sheep.

A hired hand does not do this — someone who does not love the flock — but a true shepherd does.

Yeshua said: “All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. … The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:8, 10-16).

We must recognize that we live in a world absolutely teeming with spiritual lions, bears, and wolves. Evil is everywhere! The danger is very real.

God and Christ are openly blasphemed. Abominations and unspeakable sexual perversions are celebrated and praised. Government and corporate corruption is rampant. The ideologies of marxism and communism are glorified. Politicians, celebrities, and media talking heads lie continuously. False prophets are multiplying, and “evildoers and impostors [are going] from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

We live in a world where Satan, the most dangerous lion of all, seeks to devour the righteous, as Peter illustrated: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Much like literal lions prowling on the plains of the African Serengeti — ferocious and merciless animals that target the weakest and youngest among the herds — Satan and those who serve him are constantly prowling around looking for the weak and the young among God’s flock to take down and devour.

But a true shepherd of YeHoVaH God is there to defend every sheep of his flock. A true shepherd will leave the 99 strongest in order to go after the one weakest, the one who has fallen prey to the attacks of the enemy.

David, the ancestor of our Lord Yeshua, lived as a shepherd before he was crowned as the king of Israel. For the sake of his flock, he fought off every threat, even those threats as terrifying as literal lions and bears.

David said to King Saul: “When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth” (1 Samuel 17:34-35).

Following the example of David, a true shepherd will pursue the lions and bears of this world and will snatch the weakest sheep directly out of their mouths in order to save them. Trusting wholeheartedly in YeHoVaH his God, a true shepherd will then strike down the lion or bear, thus bringing an end to its terror.

“When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine [Goliath] will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. YeHoVaH who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:35-37).

Like David, a true shepherd will march boldly and fearlessly out on the battlefield, confident that by being armed with the Name of YeHoVaH and the truth of God’s Word he’ll successfully bring down any giant.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the Name of YeHoVaH Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day YeHoVaH will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that YeHoVaH saves; for the battle is YeHoVaH’s, and He will give all of you into our hands’” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

A true shepherd courageously faces down and defeats the spiritual lions, bears, and giants of this world because he is filled with God’s WARRIOR SPIRIT — for YeHoVaH is the greatest warrior of all.

Immediately after Pharaoh and his entire Egyptian army had drowned in the depths of the Red Sea, Moses gave glory to YeHoVaH by singing this song:

“I will sing to YeHoVaH, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. YeHoVaH is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. YEHOVAH IS A WARRIOR; YEHOVAH IS HIS NAME! Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, YeHoVaH, was majestic in power. Your right hand, YeHoVaH, shattered the enemy” (Exodus 15:1-6).

When we think of the duties of a shepherd, we have a tendency to only focus on those beautiful images of kindness, compassion, and love. We tend to think of a young man safely guiding his flock to green pastures and feeding them with the best of the land. And we find great peace in David’s poetic words: “YeHoVaH is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His Name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3).

But we must remember that a biblical shepherd is also a warrior — a man filled with great courage and a heart that’s willing to face any threat in order to save his sheep.

David was a warrior shepherd. When literal lions and bears threatened his flock, he didn’t hesitate to fight and slay them.

Our Lord Yeshua is likewise a warrior shepherd. When spiritual lions and bears and wolves threatened his flock, he didn’t hesitate to fight and slay them with the sword of his mouth — with the words of truth. And he didn’t hesitate to lay down his own life to save his flock out of the mouth of Satan and hell.

Because we live in the most dangerous of times, now more than ever God’s shepherds need to arise and fight.

Now is the time for the biblical shepherds to defend and save their flocks from the mouths of the enemy.

Now is the time for the true shepherds to strike down the lions, the bears, and the wolves.

Now is the time for the warrior shepherds to face the giants — and by the Name of YeHoVaH bring them crashing down!

May YeHoVaH God empower His people to conquer every lie with the truth, defeat every evil with the good, and shine the light of God into this desperate, ever-darkening world.

Shalom to you, my brothers and sisters. Amen.

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The Warrior Shepherd

“David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it’” (1 Samuel 17:34-35).

When we close our eyes and imagine a shepherd living during biblical times, the traditional image that may come to our minds would be of a young man, with shepherd’s crook in hand, gently and tenderly leading his beloved flock towards beautiful green pastures. We imagine him looking after his flock in a caring, loving way. We imagine him hoisting a little lost lamb on his shoulders, just as our Lord Yeshua expressed in parable, saying, “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep’” (Luke 15:5-6).

Such a beautiful image is obviously not wrong, as these are some of the primary duties of a shepherd. A shepherd’s first and most important duty is to genuinely love his flock, and because he loves them he watches over them with compassion, he leads them tenderly, and he makes certain they are being properly fed on the best the land has to offer.

Such an image is of course very familiar to all Christians, as this is the very image frequently used to illustrate our Lord Yeshua. He used this symbolic imagery to depict himself and his duties to the believers, saying, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

It’s both wonderful and beautiful to focus on our Master’s sacrificial love, his selfless service, his compassionate and healing touch, his kind and truthful words, and his humble spirit.

But we must always remember that our Lord Yeshua also didn’t shy away from conflict. He spoke the truth at all times and in all circumstances, even when it would have been extremely difficult and uncomfortable to do so.

When his Father’s house was being disrespected, he made a whip and forcibly drove out the animals and the merchants (see John 2:13-17). He rebuked the hypocritical religious leaders, even doing it directly to their faces and in their own homes (see Luke 11:37-54). He openly exposed the wicked deeds of Israel’s most powerful leaders; he publicly shamed the most respected men of the land (see Matthew 23:13-38).

All for the sake of his beloved flock, our “good shepherd” was never afraid to fight off the wolves of the world.

And that, too, is one of the primary duties of a shepherd: to protect his flock by fighting off the lions, the bears, and the wolves of the world. Because he genuinely loves his flock, a true shepherd will face any threat and fight off every dangerous animal, even to the death if necessary, in order to protect and save his sheep.

A hired hand does not do this — someone who does not love the flock — but a true shepherd does.

Yeshua said: “All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. … The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:8, 10-16).

We must recognize that we live in a world absolutely teeming with spiritual lions, bears, and wolves. Evil is everywhere! The danger is very real.

God and Christ are openly blasphemed. Abominations and unspeakable sexual perversions are celebrated and praised. Government and corporate corruption is rampant. The ideologies of marxism and communism are glorified. Politicians, celebrities, and media talking heads lie continuously. False prophets are multiplying, and “evildoers and impostors [are going] from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

We live in a world where Satan, the most dangerous lion of all, seeks to devour the righteous, as Peter illustrated: “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Much like literal lions prowling on the plains of the African Serengeti — ferocious and merciless animals that target the weakest and youngest among the herds — Satan and those who serve him are constantly prowling around looking for the weak and the young among God’s flock to take down and devour.

But a true shepherd of YeHoVaH God is there to defend every sheep of his flock. A true shepherd will leave the 99 strongest in order to go after the one weakest, the one who has fallen prey to the attacks of the enemy.

David, the ancestor of our Lord Yeshua, lived as a shepherd before he was crowned as the king of Israel. For the sake of his flock, he fought off every threat, even those threats as terrifying as literal lions and bears.

David said to King Saul: “When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth” (1 Samuel 17:34-35).

Following the example of David, a true shepherd will pursue the lions and bears of this world and will snatch the weakest sheep directly out of their mouths in order to save them. Trusting wholeheartedly in YeHoVaH his God, a true shepherd will then strike down the lion or bear, thus bringing an end to its terror.

“When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine [Goliath] will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. YeHoVaH who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:35-37).

Like David, a true shepherd will march boldly and fearlessly out on the battlefield, confident that by being armed with the Name of YeHoVaH and the truth of God’s Word he’ll successfully bring down any giant.

“David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the Name of YeHoVaH Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day YeHoVaH will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that YeHoVaH saves; for the battle is YeHoVaH’s, and He will give all of you into our hands’” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).

A true shepherd courageously faces down and defeats the spiritual lions, bears, and giants of this world because he is filled with God’s WARRIOR SPIRIT — for YeHoVaH is the greatest warrior of all.

Immediately after Pharaoh and his entire Egyptian army had drowned in the depths of the Red Sea, Moses gave glory to YeHoVaH by singing this song:

“I will sing to YeHoVaH, for He is highly exalted. Both horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. YeHoVaH is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. YEHOVAH IS A WARRIOR; YEHOVAH IS HIS NAME! Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers drowned in the Red Sea. The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. Your right hand, YeHoVaH, was majestic in power. Your right hand, YeHoVaH, shattered the enemy” (Exodus 15:1-6).

When we think of the duties of a shepherd, we have a tendency to only focus on those beautiful images of kindness, compassion, and love. We tend to think of a young man safely guiding his flock to green pastures and feeding them with the best of the land. And we find great peace in David’s poetic words: “YeHoVaH is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His Name’s sake” (Psalm 23:1-3).

But we must remember that a biblical shepherd is also a warrior — a man filled with great courage and a heart that’s willing to face any threat in order to save his sheep.

David was a warrior shepherd. When literal lions and bears threatened his flock, he didn’t hesitate to fight and slay them.

Our Lord Yeshua is likewise a warrior shepherd. When spiritual lions and bears and wolves threatened his flock, he didn’t hesitate to fight and slay them with the sword of his mouth — with the words of truth. And he didn’t hesitate to lay down his own life to save his flock out of the mouth of Satan and hell.

Because we live in the most dangerous of times, now more than ever God’s shepherds need to arise and fight.

Now is the time for the biblical shepherds to defend and save their flocks from the mouths of the enemy.

Now is the time for the true shepherds to strike down the lions, the bears, and the wolves.

Now is the time for the warrior shepherds to face the giants — and by the Name of YeHoVaH bring them crashing down!

May YeHoVaH God empower His people to conquer every lie with the truth, defeat every evil with the good, and shine the light of God into this desperate, ever-darkening world.

Shalom to you, my brothers and sisters. Amen.

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