Thoughts on Discipleship by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

JEHOVAH IS MY PASTOR

Some years ago, I accompanied a small group of pastor friends to the city of Saltillo, Mexico. The purpose of the trip was to encourage a mission church and gather the necessary information with a view toward extending building funds. While there, some hours of each day was spent in the home of the native missionary who together with his devoted wife were delightful hosts.

Conspicuous on a living room wall hung a poster that caught my attention. It read, “Jehovah is my Pastor!” This was taken from Psalm 23:1, and is a common translation of the Hebrew into Spanish. Of course, in English it is customarily written, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

The Hebrew word translated Shepherd is “Ro-i” from the root word “Ra-ah.” The placement of “Jehovah” with this word makes one of the most beloved names of God known among Bible students: “Jehovah-roi.” “The Lord is my Shepherd.”

But the Spanish translation prefers the term “Pastor” to “Shepherd” in this case, and that is what arrested attention and precipitated considerable thought.

“Pastor” and “Shepherd” really are synonyms. The value of this fact often appears to be lost in modern church life, but should be re-discovered.

Pastors/shepherds are not new to the New Testament since God raised up men in Old Testament times who were so known. Their flock consisted of the covenant people of God in certain locales. Pastor/shepherds have weighty responsibility for spiritual oversight of their flocks.

Today, the covenant people of God are known as New Testament churches over whom God has raised up under-shepherds to feed the sheep with spiritual food, and to watch for their spiritual safety and well being. Pastors are not the prime directors of churches, but churches themselves stand as the covenant people of God. Pastors are not the shepherds, but are sheep who are under-shepherds; who are to follow, and who will answer to, THE SHEPHERD of the sheep, John 10. In this relationship there is comfort and joy. Seen any other way produces misery and failure. The Spanish translation remains my favorite: “Jehovah is my Pastor!”

FOR THOUGHT: List some of the ways that a shepherd of literal sheep, and a pastor of a church are similar. List some of the ways they are not similar. How do you think spiritual shepherds (pastors) are to conduct themselves as “Shepherds of the sheep?”