It’s 5 A.M. on the Irish West Coast. A local farmer pulls on his wool sweater, cap, and boots. He’ll need them to stay warm against the rain and chill. He whistles to his border collie, who’s already waiting by the door.

Across the globe, a Mongolian shepherd is heating fermented milk. When the milk curdles, she will strain the curds through a cloth. Then she will press them with a heavy rock to squeeze out the extra milky liquid, leaving behind a delicious, tangy cheese.

Down south, an Australian shepherd just penned her Merino sheep after a long day of shearing wool. Their baa’s still ring in her ears as she treks back home, legs aching from standing nearly 12 hours that day. Her kids are home from school, and it’s time to put dinner on the table.

It will be at least another five hours before sheep farmers in California wake and drive their herds to new grounds for breakfast. There’s overgrowth to be cleared out. Who better to chomp it away than their hungry ewes?

Today, shepherds around the world lead and care for flocks and herds. Shepherding is a special job that started in Genesis and has existed through earth’s entire history. This wild and woolly work teaches us about God’s love for his people and his plan for humans to have dominion over creation.

Green Pastures, Still Waters

When God created Adam and Eve in Genesis 1, he gave them dominion (the authority to lead and care for) over the earth and all the animals in it. Shepherding is a form of dominion. A shepherd is a guardian and caregiver of sheep, goats, cattle, and other herding animals.

After Adam sinned, the earth became cursed. Now, shepherding is difficult. Good shepherds must be unselfish as they lead and care for their herds.

In rainy cold or scorching heat, shepherds protect their herds from predators and lead them to good food. To protect themselves from the freezing weather, some shepherds set up yurts (circular tents covered in felt or furs) to live in as they lead their sheep to different places to graze.

Australian shepherds plan routes with shady trees and fresh water to keep their sheep—and themselves—cool from the blistering sun.

Shepherds also know how to take care of the health of their sheep. They vaccinate their herds against dangerous diseases, treat wounds, assist ewes (female sheep) birthing lambs, and bottlefeed struggling lambs.

The Rod and Staff

As herding animals, sheep are inclined to follow each other rather than their shepherd. They’ll even follow each other off a cliff to their deaths.

Many shepherds through history have carried a long staff with a large round hook at the top. The staff supports the shepherds as they walk rugged terrain and even fend off predators. The hook helps them grab a sheep’s neck and pull it away from harm. They also use rods to prod sheep away from danger.

Many shepherds have faithful herding and guardian dogs to keep the herd in line and fight predators. Herding dogs like border collies can guide sheep by simply circling or walking toward wayward sheep.

Livestock guardian dogs like Great Pyrenees protect their herds from predators. These dogs tend to bond strongly with their herds and spend all their time with them. Some sheep will even snuggle up with their canine guardians!

Man’s Best Friend

Australian shepherds, border collies, and Pembroke Welsh corgis are popular breeds used for herding sheep. These dogs are fiercely loyal to their shepherds and spend many hours working with them each day.

In the Presence of Enemies

In Genesis 1, God created all animals to eat plants, so they had no predators. After Adam sinned, animals began to hunt each other for food—making a shepherd’s job sometimes dangerous.

Sheep have many predators. In North America and Europe, animals like coyotes, mountain lions, and bears prey on (hunt) them.

In Australia, shepherds guard their flocks from different predators than a shepherd in America or Ireland would. In the land Down Under, dingoes (a feral dog subspecies) thrive in the harsh Australian landscape by eating a variety of animals—including sheep.

The Bible tells an account of a shepherd named David, who fought off a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. David used a sling, but today, shepherds might keep a rifle close by.

Goodness and Mercy

Shepherding has long been a way to provide food for families and communities. While Americans prefer beef (cattle meat), lamb and goat meats are still on the menu in places like Australia, Mongolia, Turkey, and Greece.

The hides (skins) of herding animals can be turned into leather, and sheep’s wool can be spun into yarn and then woven into fabric. Wool clothing and blankets keep people very warm. Wool is also water repellent and flame resistant!

Shepherds in California are using their flocks’ appetites to protect people’s homes and businesses from wildfires.

These shepherds work with the fire department to find locations with overgrown, dry grass.

A flock of fleecy firefighters can eat away strips of grass in strategic locations to create an empty space called a “burn break.” This space stops fire before it reaches areas where lots of people live.

A Farewell to Wool?

Today, the demand for wool is dwindling as synthetic (artificial, manmade) materials become more popular. Sadly, synthetic materials usually don’t last as long or keep people as warm and protected. You can often still find wool yarns and other products at local farmers markets.

Not Baaaad Company

Now that the world is full of so many busy cities, some people become shepherds just so they can spend more time in nature and live at a slower pace. And some people just raise sheep as pets because they like their company.

The Good Shepherd

A good human shepherd reminds us how good God is to his followers. In Bible times, the shepherd David wrote, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Like a good shepherd who leads his flocks to good food and calm places to rest, God protects and provides for the needs of his followers and gives them peace.

When God is your shepherd, goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life (Psalm 23:6).