The sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name

John 10:3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

There is a special relationship that a shepherd has with his sheep - they know the sound of the shepherd and will respond to him. The analogy of shepherd-sheep is very accurate in many aspects when it comes to describe the relationship between Yshua Lord and His children. It is not just about doctrinal knowledge or believing in the biography of Lord Yshua. It is the oneness with Yshua that we need to come to. There are a few examples of this that we can see from the Scriptures in the people who have developed this oneness with the Lord, such as Mary the sister of Martha, the twelve disciples, Paul the apostle and so on. We need to know the voice of our Lord when he calls.

Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world

Peter had a word of encouragement to the elders, identifying himself as an elder too, that they should be serve the flock, be as examples and keep the hope of receiving glory from Christ. To the young Christians, he encourages humility and submission to the elders, quoting that "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble".

There is a clear warning from Peter that the Enemy is roaming the earth like a lion, ready to pounce on any followers of Yshua. The advice is to stand fast in the faith and resist him. The suffering that the followers go through has already been experienced by others. Christ Himself will help us after the initial suffering by strengthening us and giving us peace.




1 Peter 5
Shepherd the Flock

1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly,[a] not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Submit to God, Resist the Devil

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”[b]
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because[c] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may[d] the God of all grace, who called us[e] to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Farewell and Peace

12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Speaking to believers, Peter urged us to lay aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, evil talk and instead to grow in maturity. This indicates that believers are still like non-believers in terms of having unholy thoughts and desires, in other words believers are not perfected just yet. However, like Jesus, although we are rejected by the world, we are precious to God like precious stones. In addition believers are considered as a royal priesthood.

Although faced with the same temptations and lusts as other people, believers are called to abstain from the unholy things. This is so that the accusers will be silenced by the conduct of the believers if they cannot find faults. This may even lead non-believers to recognize God and glorify Him.


God's people are called to submit to the civil authorities because that is the will of God. The authorities are put in place by God to punish evildoers. Believers are free but they are servants of God. The advice is the same for believers toward their masters. In fact, we are called to accept unjust suffering at the hands of our masters because this is commendable to God and is what Yshua had went through in order to redeem us.






1 Peter 2

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,[a] 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”[b]
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,[c]

“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”[d]
8 and

“A stone of stumbling
And a rock of offense.”[e]
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Living Before the World

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Submission to Government

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Submission to Masters

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,[f] leaving us[g] an example, that you should follow His steps:

22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; [h]
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer[i] of your souls.

"that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered"

The prophecy about the removal of idolatry and false prophets is given here. God will remove the idols to the extent that their names will be forgotten. The false prophets will be ashamed and go back to their old profession. Then the Shepherd will also cut-off about two-thirds of His people. The one-third remaining will be brought through many trials as if going silver going through a refining fire. At the end of it, these people will declare that The Lord is their God.



Zechariah 13
Idolatry Cut Off

1 “In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

2 “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. 3 It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies.

4 “And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. 5 But he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.’ 6 And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’[a] Then he will answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.’

The Shepherd Savior

7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd,
Against the Man who is My Companion,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep will be scattered;
Then I will turn My hand against the little ones.
8 And it shall come to pass in all the land,”
Says the Lord,
“That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die,
But one–third shall be left in it:
9 I will bring the one–third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

And will make them as His royal horse in the battle

This prophecy is about the time known as the latter rain. God will intervene in this time. The idol believers will be misled. God will judge the nations and Judah will be His instrument. The Lord will be on the side of Judah. God will bring back His people and His nation, and it will be as if they were not cast aside before.

God will redeem His people, and they will rejoice in Him. The second part is perhaps a prophecy that has been fulfilled and is the past to us. This is about God spreading and planting His people in various countries, perhaps to witness to others, as well as to build up His people. Then they will be returned to their Promised Land. They will also be brought back from the land of their captivity of Egypt and Assyria.



Zechariah 10
Restoration of Judah and Israel

1 Ask the Lord for rain
In the time of the latter rain.[a]
The Lord will make flashing clouds;
He will give them showers of rain,
Grass in the field for everyone.
2 For the idols[b] speak delusion;
The diviners envision lies,
And tell false dreams;
They comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wend their way like sheep;
They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.
3 “My anger is kindled against the shepherds,
And I will punish the goatherds.
For the Lord of hosts will visit His flock,
The house of Judah,
And will make them as His royal horse in the battle.
4 From him comes the cornerstone,
From him the tent peg,
From him the battle bow,
From him every ruler[c] together.
5 They shall be like mighty men,
Who tread down their enemies
In the mire of the streets in the battle.
They shall fight because the Lord is with them,
And the riders on horses shall be put to shame.
6 “I will strengthen the house of Judah,
And I will save the house of Joseph.
I will bring them back,
Because I have mercy on them.
They shall be as though I had not cast them aside;
For I am the Lord their God,
And I will hear them.
7 Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man,
And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine.
Yes, their children shall see it and be glad;
Their heart shall rejoice in the Lord.
8 I will whistle for them and gather them,
For I will redeem them;
And they shall increase as they once increased.
9 “I will sow them among the peoples,
And they shall remember Me in far countries;
They shall live, together with their children,
And they shall return.
10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt,
And gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
Until no more room is found for them.
11 He shall pass through the sea with affliction,
And strike the waves of the sea:
All the depths of the River[d] shall dry up.
Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down,
And the scepter of Egypt shall depart.
12 “So I will strengthen them in the Lord,
And they shall walk up and down in His name,”
Says the Lord.

For My House Shall be Called a House of Prayer for All Nations

God outlines His plan for salvation which extends towards the Gentiles. He calls on all to be ready through righteousness and justice, awaiting for His coming. A gentile who accepts the Lord, will have equal rights in the promises and inheritance of God's covenant. Our Lord Yeshua quoted this "For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” This anticipates the day when all people of the earth would come to worship God.

The second part of this is critical towards the watchmen, the shepherd - who are described as dumb dogs and ignorant. These are those who are entrusted the leadership for God's people but have become lazy, greedy and pleasure seeking for themselves.



Isaiah 56
Salvation for the Gentiles

1 Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.
2 Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

3 Do not let the son of the foreigner
Who has joined himself to the Lord
Speak, saying,
“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;
Nor let the eunuch say,
“Here I am, a dry tree.”
4 For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
5 Even to them I will give in My house
And within My walls a place and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them[a] an everlasting name
That shall not be cut off.

6 “Also the sons of the foreigner
Who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him,
And to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—
Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And holds fast My covenant—
7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain,
And make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
Will be accepted on My altar;
For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
8 The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says,
“Yet I will gather to him
Others besides those who are gathered to him.”


Israel’s Irresponsible Leaders

9 All you beasts of the field, come to devour,
All you beasts in the forest.
10 His watchmen are blind,
They are all ignorant;
They are all dumb dogs,
They cannot bark;
Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
11 Yes, they are greedy dogs
Which never have enough.
And they are shepherds
Who cannot understand;
They all look to their own way,
Every one for his own gain,
From his own territory.
12 “Come,” one says, “I will bring wine,
And we will fill ourselves with intoxicating drink;
Tomorrow will be as today,
And much more abundant.”

Restore us, O God

The content of this psalm is similar to the previous where it acknowledges who God is first, then it asks God how long will His anger be upon them. It seemed that the nation was then being oppressed or conquered by an enemy nation. The writer calls upon God to save and restore them.

The second part reminisces about how God had taken Israel out of Egypt. Israel is likened to a vine, uprooted by God from Egypt, and planted deeply in the land of Canaan. Since then, protection has been lifted from Israel and she became vulnerable to her neighbours. The psalm ends with a call again to God to restore and save them.



Psalm 80
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.”[a] A Testimony[b] of Asaph. A Psalm.

 1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
         You who lead Joseph like a flock;
         You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!
 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,
         Stir up Your strength,
         And come and save us!
       
 3 Restore us, O God;
         Cause Your face to shine,
         And we shall be saved!
       
 4 O LORD God of hosts,
         How long will You be angry
         Against the prayer of Your people?
 5 You have fed them with the bread of tears,
         And given them tears to drink in great measure.
 6 You have made us a strife to our neighbors,
         And our enemies laugh among themselves.
       
 7 Restore us, O God of hosts;
         Cause Your face to shine,
         And we shall be saved!
       
 8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
         You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
 9 You prepared room for it,
         And caused it to take deep root,
         And it filled the land.
 10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
         And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea,[c]
         And her branches to the River.[d]
       
 12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
         So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
         And the wild beast of the field devours it.
       
 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts;
         Look down from heaven and see,
         And visit this vine
 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted,
         And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.
 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down;
         They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand,
         Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself.
 18 Then we will not turn back from You;
         Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
       
 19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts;
         Cause Your face to shine,
         And we shall be saved!

Incline Your Ears to the Words of My Mouth

The first paragraph is as if God is speaking. Interesting to note that God says He will speak in parables to reveal wisdom to the people. This was exactly how Jesus preached to His people.

The second paragraph speaks of God in the third person, revealing His relationship to His people from the line of Jacob. God was made known to their children and they are regularly encouraged to keep the commandments and not be rebellious.

The psalm narrates the history of the Exodus, in particular the marvelous and wondrous provision of God as they ventured to the Promised Land. It details the miracles of the provision of food and water as well as God's presence as a cloud by day and fire by night to guide them. Yet they rebelled against God and were punished on several occasions.

In times of their punishment, they remembered God as their Rock and Redeemer. But they constantly turned again to provoke God and not remember the miracles in Egypt which forced Pharaoh to let them free. God also worked miracles in defeating all the armies of the Promised Land so the Israel can settle there. Yet they provoked God by worshipping idols and pagan gods.

Finally it describes God in His sovereign will chose from Judah, His servant David. David was taken from being a Shepperd of sheep to be the Shepperd of Israel, with integrity in his heart.


Psalm 78
A Contemplation[a] of Asaph.
 1 Give ear, O my people, to my law;
         Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
 2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
         I will utter dark sayings of old,
 3 Which we have heard and known,
         And our fathers have told us.
 4 We will not hide them from their children,
         Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
         And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
        
 5 For He established a testimony in Jacob,
         And appointed a law in Israel,
         Which He commanded our fathers,
         That they should make them known to their children;
 6 That the generation to come might know them,
         The children who would be born,
         That they may arise and declare them to their children,
 7 That they may set their hope in God,
         And not forget the works of God,
         But keep His commandments;
 8 And may not be like their fathers,
         A stubborn and rebellious generation,
         A generation that did not set its heart aright,
         And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
        
 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
         Turned back in the day of battle.
 10 They did not keep the covenant of God;
         They refused to walk in His law,
 11 And forgot His works
         And His wonders that He had shown them.
        
 12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
         In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
 13 He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
         And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
 14 In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
         And all the night with a light of fire.
 15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,
         And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
 16 He also brought streams out of the rock,
         And caused waters to run down like rivers.
        
 17 But they sinned even more against Him
         By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
 18 And they tested God in their heart
         By asking for the food of their fancy.
 19 Yes, they spoke against God:
         They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
 20 Behold, He struck the rock,
         So that the waters gushed out,
         And the streams overflowed.
         Can He give bread also?
         Can He provide meat for His people?”
        
 21 Therefore the LORD heard this and was furious;
         So a fire was kindled against Jacob,
         And anger also came up against Israel,
 22 Because they did not believe in God,
         And did not trust in His salvation.
 23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above,
         And opened the doors of heaven,
 24 Had rained down manna on them to eat,
         And given them of the bread of heaven.
 25 Men ate angels’ food;
         He sent them food to the full.
        
 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens;
         And by His power He brought in the south wind.
 27 He also rained meat on them like the dust,
         Feathered fowl like the sand of the seas;
 28 And He let them fall in the midst of their camp,
         All around their dwellings.
 29 So they ate and were well filled,
         For He gave them their own desire.
 30 They were not deprived of their craving;
         But while their food was still in their mouths,
 31 The wrath of God came against them,
         And slew the stoutest of them,
         And struck down the choice men of Israel.
        
 32 In spite of this they still sinned,
         And did not believe in His wondrous works.
 33 Therefore their days He consumed in futility,
         And their years in fear.
        
 34 When He slew them, then they sought Him;
         And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
 35 Then they remembered that God was their rock,
         And the Most High God their Redeemer.
 36 Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth,
         And they lied to Him with their tongue;
 37 For their heart was not steadfast with Him,
         Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
 38 But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity,
         And did not destroy them.
         Yes, many a time He turned His anger away,
         And did not stir up all His wrath;
 39 For He remembered that they were but flesh,
         A breath that passes away and does not come again.
        
 40 How often they provoked Him in the wilderness,
         And grieved Him in the desert!
 41 Yes, again and again they tempted God,
         And limited the Holy One of Israel.
 42 They did not remember His power:
         The day when He redeemed them from the enemy,
 43 When He worked His signs in Egypt,
         And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
 44 Turned their rivers into blood,
         And their streams, that they could not drink.
 45 He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them,
         And frogs, which destroyed them.
 46 He also gave their crops to the caterpillar,
         And their labor to the locust.
 47 He destroyed their vines with hail,
         And their sycamore trees with frost.
 48 He also gave up their cattle to the hail,
         And their flocks to fiery lightning.
 49 He cast on them the fierceness of His anger,
         Wrath, indignation, and trouble,
         By sending angels of destruction among them.
 50 He made a path for His anger;
         He did not spare their soul from death,
         But gave their life over to the plague,
 51 And destroyed all the firstborn in Egypt,
         The first of their strength in the tents of Ham.
 52 But He made His own people go forth like sheep,
         And guided them in the wilderness like a flock;
 53 And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear;
         But the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
 54 And He brought them to His holy border,
         This mountain which His right hand had acquired.
 55 He also drove out the nations before them,
         Allotted them an inheritance by survey,
         And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.
        
 56 Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God,
         And did not keep His testimonies,
 57 But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers;
         They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
 58 For they provoked Him to anger with their high places,
         And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
 59 When God heard this, He was furious,
         And greatly abhorred Israel,
 60 So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,
         The tent He had placed among men,
 61 And delivered His strength into captivity,
         And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
 62 He also gave His people over to the sword,
         And was furious with His inheritance.
 63 The fire consumed their young men,
         And their maidens were not given in marriage.
 64 Their priests fell by the sword,
         And their widows made no lamentation.
        
 65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
         Like a mighty man who shouts because of wine.
 66 And He beat back His enemies;
         He put them to a perpetual reproach.
        
 67 Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph,
         And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
 68 But chose the tribe of Judah,
         Mount Zion which He loved.
 69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights,
         Like the earth which He has established forever.
 70 He also chose David His servant,
         And took him from the sheepfolds;
 71 From following the ewes that had young He brought him,
         To shepherd Jacob His people,
         And Israel His inheritance.
 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart,
         And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.