Employee Handbook for Sheepherders

 

                

Glossary of Terms

Chief/Good Shepherd – YHWH the Creator who loves His sheep and only wants good things for them.

Shepherd – One who helps tend or keep YHWH’s sheep.  Every man is the shepherd of his home.

Hireling – Not a shepherd in heart, but a hired worker who watches the sheep for a payment exchange.

Sheep – Those who follow the Shepherd put over them as their Shepherd follows the Chief/Good Shepherd.  Every sheep has a shepherd.

Path – The trail worn by those sheep, who have went before us, that lead the sheep in the right direction.  There for the sheep’s sake as well as the Shepherd’s.

Fence – The barrier placed in love by the Good Shepherd.  The fence serves a two fold purpose and must be maintained.

Goats – Those who stay close to the sheep, but are not sheep. 

Wolves – Those who prey upon the sheep to devour and destroy the weak and young.

Food – The Words of the Good Shepherd are food to the sheep.  The sheep must be led to these Words.

Water – The second most essential ingredient for the sheep.  Without shelter and Water the sheep quickly perish.  Water is the Truth of the Good Shepherd. 

 

Rules and Guidelines.

1. The Chief / Good Shepherd watches and cares for His Sheep and only wants tov (good) things for His Sheep.

(YHWH) who satisfies your desire with good things,so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(Psalms 103:5  NHEBME )

“If you then, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father (YHWH) who is in the heavens give what is good to those who ask Him!
(Matthew 7:11 The Scriptures 1998+)

And we know that all matters work together for good to those who love Elohim, to those who are called according to His purpose.
(Romans 8:28 The Scriptures 1998+)

 

2. The Good Shepherd has a Path / Way that He leads His Sheep on.

 

Thou (YHWH) wilt show me the Orach Chayyim (the path of life); in Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right hand there are pleasures netzach (for evermore).
(Psalms 16:11 OJB)

Teach me Thy Derech (Path), YHWH, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
(Psalms 27:11 OJB)

Teach me, YHWH, the derech (Path) of Thy chukkot; and I shall keep it unto the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy torah; yes, I shall be shomer (guard) over it with my kol lev (whole heart). Make me to go in the path of Thy mitzvot; for therein do I delight.
(Psalms 119:33-35 OJB)

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
(Psalms 119:105 The Scriptures 1998+)

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
(Proverbs 4:18 The Scriptures 1998+)

He (YHWH) restores my soul.He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
(Psalms 23:3  NHEBME )

The Path speaks of a cyclical route that the Sheep follow on a regular basis.  This repetitious route creates memory check points that assures the Sheep that they have not strayed from the Path.

 

Uphold my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps stumble not.
(Psalms 17:5 OJB)

Show me Your ways, O YHWH Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the Elohim of my deliverance; On You I wait all the day.
(Psalms 25:4-5 The Scriptures 1998+)

Trust in YHWH with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
(Proverbs 3:5-6 IAV)

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the Elohim of Yaakov; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Tziyon shall go forth the Torah, and the word of YHWH from Yerushalayim.
(Isaiah 2:3 IAV)

3.  The Sheep know the Voice of their Shepherd and listen when He calls.

 

"I (Yahshua)am the good shepherd; and 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. "And I have other sheep, which are not out of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.
(John 10:14-16 MRC)

(Yahshua speaking) "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
(John 10:27 MRC)

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that YHWH he is Elohim; there is none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
(Deuteronomy 4:35-36 IAV)

For He is our Elohim, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice:
(Psalms 95:7 The Scriptures 1998+)

4. The Torah, YHWH’s Commandments, is the fence.  The fence does two (2) things:  Keeps the bad out and protects the good inside.

And He said, “If you diligently obey the voice of YHWH your Elohim and do what is right in His eyes, and shall listen to His commands and shall guard all His laws, I shall bring on you none of the diseases I brought on the Mitsrites, for I am YHWH who heals you.”
(Exodus 15:26 The Scriptures 1998+)

The Commandments are a line of distinction between the disease and the healed.  By shomer (hear and do) we are protected from the outside diseases.

 

(YHWH speaking) but showing kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and guard My commands.
(Exodus 20:6 The Scriptures 1998+)

 

But the kindness of YHWH Is from everlasting to everlasting Upon those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To those who guard His covenant, And to those who remember His orders to do them.
(Psalms 103:17-18 The Scriptures 1998+)

The kindness (chesed – beauty or favor) of YHWH is inside the fence.

 

‘If you walk in My laws and guard My commands, and shall do them, then I shall give you rain in its season, and the land shall yield its crops, and the trees of the field yield their fruit. ‘And your threshing shall last till the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last till the time of sowing. And you shall eat your bread until you have enough, and shall dwell in your land safely. ‘And I shall give peace in the land, and you shall lie down and no one make you afraid. And I shall clear the land of evil beasts, and not let the sword go through your land. ‘And you shall pursue your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you.
(Leviticus 26:3-7 The Scriptures 1998+)

Inside the fence there is rain, plenty of crops, bountiful harvest, bread (food), safety, shalom, no evil beasts and no enemies.

 

“And you shall guard His laws and His commands which I command you today, so that it is well with you and with your children after you, and so that you prolong your days on the soil which YHWH your Elohim is giving you for all time.”
(Deuteronomy 4:40 The Scriptures 1998+)

 

My son, do not forget my Torah, And let your heart watch over my commands; For length of days and long life And peace they add to you.
(Proverbs 3:1-2 The Scriptures 1998+)

Length of life and completeness (shalom) is inside the fence.

 

(Yahshua speaking) If ye love me, keep my commandments.
(John 14:15 IAV)

(Yahshua speaking) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
(John 15:10 IAV)

Love for the Shepherd is inside the fence.

 

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
(1 John 2:3-4 IAV)

Intimate knowledge of the Shepherd is inside the fence.

 

and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
(1 John 3:22 HNV)

Unlimited provision is inside the fence.

 

5. The Sheep need a Shepherd.

 

“Let YHWH the Elohim of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation, who goes out before them and comes in before them, who leads them out and brings them in, so that the congregation of YHWH be not like sheep without a shepherd.”
(Numbers 27:16-17 The Scriptures 1998+)

 

So he said, “I saw all Yisra’el scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And YHWH said, ‘These have no master. Let everyone return to his house in peace.’ ”
(1 Kings 22:17 The Scriptures 1998+)

He (YHWH) feeds His flock like a shepherd, He gathers the lambs with His arm, and carries them in His bosom, gently leading those who are with young.
(Isaiah 40:11 The Scriptures 1998+)

“Hear the word of YHWH, O gentiles, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Yisra’el gathers him, and shall guard him as a shepherd his flock.’
(Jeremiah 31:10 The Scriptures 1998+)

“And they were scattered because there was no shepherd. And they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. “My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill. And My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”
(Ezekiel 34:5-6 The Scriptures 1998+)

And having seen the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, as sheep having no shepherd.
(Matthew 9:36 The Scriptures 1998+)

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
(John 10:11 The Scriptures 1998+)

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your lives.
(1 Peter 2:25 The Scriptures 1998+)

We all, like sheep, went astray, each one of us has turned to his own way. And YHWH has laid on Him the crookedness of us all.
(Isaiah 53:6 The Scriptures 1998+)

6.  The goats live among the sheep.  They are not sheep but blend in and cannot be told apart from a distance.  The goats (also known as tares) will be separated from the sheep (also known as wheat).

“And all the nations shall be gathered before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. “And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.
(Matthew 25:32-33 The Scriptures 1998+)

‘Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I shall say to the reapers, “First gather the darnel and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary.” ’ ”
(Matthew 13:30 The Scriptures 1998+)

The goats live among the sheep, but do not like the fence.  Goats typically spend a lot of time gazing at the other side of the fence.  They often attempt to escape the confines of the pasture and many times get hung up in the fence.

6.  The shepherd loves the sheep and will die for the life of the sheep.

 

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
(John 10:11 The Scriptures 1998+)

The hireling works for money and doesn’t have the sheep’s life as his main concern.

“But the hireling, and not being a shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. “Now the hireling flees because he is a hireling and is not concerned about the sheep.
(John 10:12-13 The Scriptures 1998+)

The hireling doesn’t really care about the sheep, the fence or the shepherd.  What matters most is the paycheck.  If trouble comes, the hireling turns and runs. 

How does the hireling end up in charge of the sheep?  Who hires the hireling?  The shepherds have handed the sheep over to hirelings.  This is NOT the will of the Good Shepherd.

 

For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of YHWH: therefore they have not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.
(Jeremiah 10:21  NHEBME )

 

Woe be unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith YHWH. Therefore thus saith YHWH Elohim of Yisrael against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith YHWH. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith YHWH.
(Jeremiah 23:1-4 IAV)

As the shepherds of our homes, we as men have turned our families (sheep) over to the hirelings.  The hirelings (who sometimes do a good job, without the threat of adversity and pay in hand) should not leading our homes!  It’s time we rise up and become the shepherds of our homes, following the Good Shepherd and loving the sheep.

 You should sit down with the defined terms in mind and re-read Psalms 23.