Shepherds in Israel are quite young. Boys and girls as young as twelve can have charge of an entire flock. Grown men rarely travel with the flocks. Instead the men watch their undershepherds from a distance while they care for matters in the camp.
Over time, the shepherd?s voice becomes familiar to her sheep. When several flocks stay together for a night, the sheep always recognize their shepherd?s voice in the morning. They will not follow any other voice.
Describing God as a shepherd in Psalm 23, David created a beautiful picture for the Israelites, and for us. As we undershepherd the ?flocks? God has put in our care—whether they be friends, children, students, or coworkers—God is watching over us.
But the comparison also brings a challenge. As God?s sheep, have we spent enough time with him to recognize his voice? If we are truly his sheep, then we will follow him alone, ignoring other voices that may tempt us.
