God as Shepherd
Pastoral references to God abound in Hebrew Scripture, and Psalm 23 provides one of the most loved. To the Israelites, the metaphor of God as Shepherd was natural and familiar. Because sheep were central to ancient economies, a shepherd’s oversight was vital. In this psalm, rod and staff—used to prod, lead, guard, and rescue flocks—symbolize God’s protection and care. And just as sheep recognize their leader’s voice, God’s children naturally respond to His guidance.
Hebrew prophecy repeatedly celebrates this image. Isaiah 40:11 says of God, “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.” Jeremiah wrote that God would keep Israel “as a shepherd doth his flock” (Jeremiah 31:10), and Ezekiel details God’s pastoral activity (see Ezekiel 34:11–16).
Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, embraced the shepherd metaphor in governing her newly founded church. Determined to preserve the purity of her discovery—and recognizing the need for pastoral guidance—she ordained the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures as the “dual and impersonal pastor” of the church. She explains, “. . . the Life these give, the Truth they illustrate, the Love they demonstrate, is the great Shepherd that feedeth my flock, and leadeth them ‘beside the still waters’ ” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 322).
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