Section I Scripture and Theology
Session 2: The Elder as Shepherd
2. Undershepherds in the Old Testament
v What are the various offices by which God cared for and led his people in the Old Testament?
God has worked through history to redeem for himself a people in covenant relationship with himself. As such, God has always provided human
undershepherds to lead and spiritually oversee his people. When observing God’s leadership of his covenant people through the Old Testament, God raised up men in several offices, including prophets (navi, Deut 18:18), priests (kohen, Mal 2:7), kings (melek, 2 Sam 24:21), and elders (zaqan, 2 Kgs 12:6–8). While each of these offices had distinct responsibilities and differing levels of authority, each was fundamentally a means the Lord provided to give leadership and spiritual oversight to his covenant people.
2Thabiti Anyabwile, Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons (Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Books, 2012), 49.
3Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 242.
Whereas Jesus distinctly fulfilled the offices of prophet and priest and king,4 the New Testament writers chose to continue using the term “elder” in the office of oversight and spiritual leadership of local churches (Acts 11:30; 15:4; 20:17, 28; 1 Tim 5:17;
James 5:14; 1 Pet 5:1–4). Even in Revelation, the term “elder” continues to describe men who represent leadership and spiritual oversight of God’s covenant people (Rev.
4:4; 11:16). With this continuous use of the term “elder” throughout the canon of Scripture, it can be demonstrated that the Old Testament institution of elder serves as a forerunner of the new covenant office of elder.
v Read Psalm 77:20, 78:70, 72; 2 Sam 5:2. What do these verses teach us about the nature of God’s leadership of his people in the Old Testament?
Moses is the first explicit example of a shepherd–leader. Moses was a shepherd of sheep before becoming leader of the Israelites (Exod 2:15–3:1). One of the
psalmists ascribed God’s leading of his people precisely in the same way: “You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Ps 77:20).”
The most prominent shepherd–leader in the writings is King David. David is the one whom God “chose… and took … from the sheepfolds … to shepherd Jacob his people” and who tended the Israelites “with upright heart … and guided them with his skillful hand” (Ps 78:70, 72). David’s very leadership is described as shepherding. This is evidenced as the people of Israel remind David, “And the LORD said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel’” (2 Sam 5:2). Though God promised to always have a
descendent of David on the throne shepherding his people (2 Sam 7:12, 13; Isa 55:3), David likewise proved unable to shepherd God’s people completely in uprightness and honor to the Lord (2 Sam 12:13; 24:10). A future Davidic king was promised to come and shepherd by “bringing the divine instruction or Torah (Deut 17) to Israel and, indeed, to all the nations (2 Sam 7:19).”5
v Another office of leadership in the Old Testament is called elder. Think about what you know of the elders of the Old Testament and New Testament Judaism.
Are these elders related to the elders of the church?
4Jesus fulfills the office of prophet as he speaks the very words of God (Matt 7:24–29); the office of priest because he offered a perfect sacrifice for our sins bringing us to God (Heb 6:19–20; 9:24; 10:4); and the office of king as he will rule over God’s redeemed people for all eternity (Matt 26:64; Rev 19:16, 22:3–5).
5 Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical–Theological Understanding of the Covenants (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 421.
It must readily be acknowledged that, as history unfolded, these elders of Israel, much like the nation itself, did not remain to have their hearts set on the glory of the Lord. Indeed, this instance of the Spirit’s indwelling was temporary and was not passed on through subsequent generations of elders. Apart from the permanent regeneration of the Spirit, these men could not set their hearts to obey the Lord. In fact, in the Gospels, the Jewish elders are the very ones who opposed Christ (Matt 16:21, 27:1). Further, in Acts, the first four and last four occurrences of “elders”
(presbuteros) refer to Jewish elders opposing the church,6 while the middle ten occurrences refer to the elders of the Christian church.7 Indeed, the Christian elder is a distinct office compared to the Old Testament and first–century Jewish
practice. However, the greatest difference between the offices of the Christian and Jewish elders seems to be their response to Jesus. Only those who are regenerated by the gospel, qualified by the Spirit, and called out by the church may serve as elders in the church. Manfred Brauch helpfully observes, “since the primitive church eventually regarded itself as the new Israel (Mt 21:43; Gal 6:16) it is easy to see why it should gradually adopt the institution of elders.”8 Alexander Strauch agrees, explaining that, “For Israel, a tribal, patriarchal society, the eldership was as basic as the family. So when the New Testament records that Paul, a Jew who was thoroughly immersed in the Old Testament and Jewish culture, appointed elders for his newly founded churches (Acts 14:23), it means that he established a council of elders in each local church.”9 As has been observed from the
appointing of the seventy elders in Numbers 11:16–30, God’s gives to his
covenant people a plurality of men to share the burden of leadership and spiritual oversight. The Old Testament institution of elder is indeed a forerunner to the Christian office of elder.
Summary of the duties Old Testament elders
In the face of the shepherd–leaders’ unfaithfulness, the prophets look forward to a time when the scattered remnant of Israel will be gathered again as a flock into a place where there is ample provision (Mic 2:12–13).10 Among the divinely appointed authorities of
6Benjamin Merkle, 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons (Grand Rapids:
Kregel Publications, 2008), 63. See Acts 4:5, 8, 23; 6:12; 22:5; 23:14; 24:1; 25:15.
7Ibid., Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2, 4, 6, 22, 23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18.
8Manfred Brauch, “Elders,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. Walter A.
Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), 680.
9Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership (Littleton, CO: Lewis and Roth Publishers, 1995), 39.
10As in Ezek 34, Jer 23:1–8 vividly describes the failure of Israel’s shepherds who scattered God’s people. God will repay their deeds and bring back the remnant of his fold and set shepherds over them who will care for them, ultimate under the righteous Davidic ruler.
the people of Israel (prophets, priests, kings, and elders), the only one to maintain a presence among all the people across the towns and villages of the nation throughout the history of the nation was the institution of elders. The elders were identified from each clan and community. Their responsibilities were to provide local leadership of judicial matters, give spiritual oversight of the people through preserving and applying Torah, and give account for the people to God (Exod 19:7–8; 1 Ki 8:1). As Old Testament elders maintained a judicial role, modern readers must be careful to not apply the contemporary judicial system onto their reading of the work of elders in the Old Testament. For the theocratic nation of Israel, the preservation and application of the law correlated directly to the spiritual well being of the people.
Under the old covenant, keeping God’s law ensured the covenant blessings of God (Deut 6:42–25) and breaking God’s law forfeited God’s covenant blessings (Jer 11:9–11). Elders were accessible and involved with all the people of Israel, being
described as overseers “in the gate” (Deut 21:19). It is noteworthy that the Old Testament institution of elders existed after the collapse of Israel’s political monarchy and in times void of prophets. Elders had an active presence during the exile (Ezra 8:1; 14:1; 20:1–3) and following the return to the land of Israel (Ezra 10:16). Even into the New Testament period, the Jewish office of elder continued, remaining closely tied to each community with judicial responsibilities under Roman authorities.
v Amidst the failure of God’s appointed undershepherds to faithfully tend to his sheep in the Old Testament, how do the following passages anticipate the future hope of Israel?
o Ezekiel 34:23, 24 o Jeremiah 3:15 o Micah 5:2–4.
Out of this situation comes the promise of a shepherd from the line of David who will genuinely care for the people. After disciplining Israel’s bad shepherds, Ezekiel points forward to the true shepherd to come: “And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd” (Ezek 34:23). Thus, God promises he will be their God and
“shepherd” begins to be used as a title for the coming Messiah, the Son of David who will be shepherd over his people (Ezek 34:23, 24). God promises to provide faithful shepherds “after [his] own heart” (Jer 3:15; 23:4) who are concerned for his people. He explicitly promises that he will be their God and will set the Messianic Son of David as shepherd over them (Ezek 34:23, 24).
Thus, after centuries of God’s appointed shepherds failing, God gloriously points forward to His Divine shepherd who will be a shepherd for all the nations! “From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is
from of old, from ancient days. . . And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth” (Mic 5:2, 4).
In this way, the prophets end with a tenor of anticipation for the coming shepherd.
(20 minutes)
3. Human Undershepherds in the New Testament