Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

As I look into this gentile king, I am surprised in the elevated position God placed this man, that God anointed him, chose him and now is described as a shepherd.

Obviously, God meant this term in a governmental context, but as I look into other passages that refer to one being a shepherd, it primarily describes one who cares for sheep, one who is pastoral.

Yes kings were called out, or as taking on the responsibility as shepherds in various places in the Old Testament, such as  2 Samuel 24:17; 1 Kings 22:17; Jeremiah 2:8.

But the intent of these messages was to remind those in power of the importance of giving up something for their people.

Consider David, willing to take accept the anger of the Lord upon his own house for the sake of others in this passage.

2 Samuel 24:17 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

Or of the prophet Micaiah, as he saw the effect of no shepherd on the nation of Israel. The nation was suffering, and it was due to the lack of a shepherd!

1 Kings 22:17 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’”

Or, what may be worse is that those called to be a shepherd may be acting more as overlords, taking from the flock and not caring for the flock.

Jeremiah 2:8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

Each of these three passages speak of a king’s place to be connected with the characteristic of a shepherd. A shepherd that cares for and leads his people.

But in this verse, God is calling a gentile king to care for and protect the nation of Israel. Their own kings brought them to ruin, and now a king that was not of the blood of Abraham is called to care for them, to protect them and to lead them back home.

Although Jesus was physically a Jew, He too was a foreigner in a sense, having come down from above, and was called to lead, protect and care for a people who were in trouble.

Not only did Jesus shepherd the people of Israel, a people who were in a captivity far greater than the captivity Cyrus released them from, Jesus went farther still, and sought those beyond the bloodline of Abraham, determined to shepherd those even outside of the covenant of Sinai.

Cyrus was called to be a shepherd of strangers.

Jesus is the Shepherd of all.

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