Article of Faith: The good shepherd, By Femi Aribisala

In the Old Testament, when God speaks of the shepherds of Israel, it is in condemnation. God says in Jeremiah:

“My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray.

He repeats this in Ezekiel:

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.”

God’s remedy for this situation is to shepherd Israel by Himself.

Thus says the Lord God: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.

I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them — My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God.

That one true Shepherd is none other than Jesus Christ, who was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh. (Romans 1:3)..

In the Psalms, David himself acknowledges that God must be the Shepherd of His people:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (I have everything I need). He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Much later, Matthew then confirms that the promised shepherd is Jesus; the root and the offspring of David. (Revelation 22:16).

He says:

Thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.'”

Jesus Himself affirms that He is the Shepherd of whom the prophets spoke.

He says:

“I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one Shepherd.

God had promised Israel through the prophets that:

I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord God.

When Herod beheaded John the Baptist, Jesus went by Himself to a deserted place. But the multitude followed Him there.

When He came out, He saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd.

So, He decided to demonstrate to them that He was their Good Shepherd. After teaching them extensively, He decided to feed them. One distinction of the Good Shepherd, relative to other shepherds, is that the Good Shepherd is the Bread of Life. To demonstrate this, Jesus decided to feed the more than 5,000 people present, not counting women and children.

So, He asked Philip:

“Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

When the Lord asks you this kind of question, don’t be quick to answer. Throw the question back to Him. Look at the example of Ezekiel at the valley of the dry bones:

(The Lord) said to (Ezekiel), “Son of man, can these bones live?” So (Ezekiel) answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Ezekiel was saying, in effect, “The bones can live if You want them to live. But if You don’t want them to live, they will not live.”

Ezekiel, of course, was a mature prophet. The disciples of Jesus, on the other hand, were still immature at this point. So, when asked how to provide bread for over 5,000 people, Philip brought out his calculator and tried to determine the pros and cons.

Philip answered Him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

In short, it is impossible.

But that is precisely Jesus’ point. It is impossible to feed 5,000 people in the middle of nowhere. But what is impossible to man is possible for God.

It is ridiculous to take all the members of Healing Wings Church, including women and children, for lunch at the Continental Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Lagos. But the Lord has done this twice. I want to thank God for the counsel of Jide Akintunde the first time Jesus, our Good Shepherd, asked us to do this.

God knows that the challenge you are facing is beyond you. He knows because He is the author of it. He is the one who posed the challenge. He wants to know what you will do. Will you keep racking your brain? Will you start running from pillar to post? Or will you ask God for help?

I went to Alausa with a pastor to register a fellowship. We went from office to office. When it was time to leave, I could not find the key of the bus. We searched everywhere. We went back to every office we had been to, to no avail.

I stood outside the main building, not knowing what to do. How are we going to get back?

Then I heard the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit: “Femi, why don’t you ask Me?” He said. “Lord, I am sorry, I am sorry,” I blurted out.

Suddenly, a man shouted to us from inside one of the parked Molue. “Is this what you people are looking for? He was holding up my key. Problem solved. The Holy Spirit is our Helper. Don’t forget to ask Him for help.

Jesus says:

Without Me you can do nothing.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Never forget that what is impossible with man is possible with God. Indeed, what is impossible for man is a no-brainer for God.

(God) is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.

The disciples had no solution for feeding over 5,000 people in the middle of nowhere. But:

Have you never read, “’Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants (God has) perfected praise’?”

Suddenly, a strange offer is made by a little boy:

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?

Inadequate is adequate

How far will they go?

Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armour, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.”

Gideon defeated the Midianite army with just 300 men. (Judges 7).

For who has despised the day of small things?

The little boy’s offer of just five loaves is significant. Why did Jesus need any loaves at all? Why not just call for bread to start falling from heaven?

Take note: although God can do without man, glory be to God, He will always involve man.

We are God’s fellow workers.

We are labourers together with God.

Accordingly, Elisha asked the indebted widow:

What do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.”

That was it. A jar of oil is not “nothing.” The jar of oil was enough. That oil did not finish until she ran out of empty vessels to pour oil into. Bring whatever you have to Jesus with thanksgiving. It is more than enough.

Similarly, the small boy had something insignificant. He had five barley loaves. Barley loaves are the cheapest kind of bread. They are those eaten by the poor who cannot afford wheat bread.

He also had two little fishes. But the inadequate is always more than sufficient with God. With God, the weak become strong.

Let the weak say, ‘I am strong.’