Larry Dubin

The Apostle Paul described the qualifications for an overseer (pastor) in 1 Tim 3:1-7. Yet have you searched the scriptures to understand the role of a pastor? The purpose of this document is to identify and explore some of the roles of a pastor.

During the period of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19 to Acts 1), the bible identifies three essential leadership positions. The ordained positions are as follows: king, priest, and prophet. The king was responsible for the government. The priest was responsible for representing the people before the LORD God; the priests were in-charge of every aspect of the Tabernacle and Temple service. The prophets received messages from the LORD God and they transmitted those words to the people via a scroll or a verbally.

During the period of the New Covenant (Acts 2 to Revelation 3), the bible identifies five essential leadership positions. The Apostle Paul identified the positions as follows:  apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. (Eph 4:11) 

Insight into the role of the pastor may be gleaned from multiple passages of scripture. Yet, Ezekiel 34:11-31 and the Gospel of John 10:1-18. The word, pastor, is not part of the Ezekiel passage or the Gospel of John passage. The word that is used to describe the person who is responsible for leading the flock was called a “shepherd”. 

What does the word “shepherd” mean in the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament? The Hebrew word for shepherd in Ezekiel 34 is raah. This verb means “to pasture or tend or graze”. Generally, this word means to care for, to protect and to graze, to feed flocks and herds.  (Strong’s number 7462a)  The Greek word for shepherd in John 10 is poimen. Poimen means a person who cares for flocks.  (Strong’s number 4166)

As the shepherd of the flock cares for his animals, the shepherd of the people cares for the people. This point is clearly observed in Eze 34 and John 10.

The Apostle Paul instructed his disciple, Timothy, and others in the responsibilities of a shepherd-pastor in his letters.

The pastor was to be a mature follower of Jesus. He was to be a teacher of the biblical narrative and demonstrate his faith by words, deeds and thoughts. 

The called one practiced his faith in the following ways:

-Allow the grace of the Lord Jesus to be his source of strength….

-Teach the Word of God to other people, who will teach the Word of God to other people….

-Preach the Word of God and be willing to suffer for taking a stand for holiness, righteousness…

-Stay focused on Jesus’ instructions to make disciples from every nation from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth….

-Display the “Fruit of the Spirit” in relationship to other people….

-Concentrate on the biblical mission alone….

Therefore, the role of a pastor i.e. shepherd is to be concerned with all-things pertaining to the Word of God and the congregation. The shepherd’s role is to guide the sheep in all aspects of life and faith. This means that the shepherd of the sheep will lead the animals to food, water, shelter, protection from wild beasts etc. The biblical shepherd, who serves in the role of a pastor, will teach the people the way of the LORD. The primary mission field for the pastor is the congregation/church.

Will you take a few minutes and watch the following video bellow: This video is about a flock of sheep and their shepherd. Did you observe the biblical reality of Eze 34:11-31 and John 10:1-21. The sheep responded to the voice of the shepherd and followed him alone.

How does the shepherd-pastor fulfill his role?

 “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isa 40:11

King David’s Psalm 23 describes the ultimate Shepherd. Will you take a few minutes and observe the strategy of the LORD? What did you observe? What does it mean? How do you apply it to your life today? Is this your experience with the pastor-shepherd?

Therefore, the role of the pastor-shepherd is to help create mature followers of Messiah Jesus from the cradle to the grave, (Matt 28:18-20), so that the people can share the gospel story to unbelievers, be “lights” (Phil 2:15) and make unbelievers thirsty (Rom 11:11) for the God of Israel, Jesus.

What is the relationship between King Solomon’s Temple Dedication Prayer and Yeshua’s (Jesus) World-Wide Evangelism and Discipleship imperatives? The answer is extremely simple and extremely complex at the same time. What commenced in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 3:15, continued to be revealed in 1 Kings 8:41-43, Acts 1:8 and Matt 28:16-20.

Let’s be like the Bereans of Acts 17:10-12 and search the scriptures for insight into the LORD’s plan and our response. Will you meditate upon Amos 3:7 and Jer 29:1-14 as well?

At the appropriate time, as the Nation of Israel was living under the Mosaic Covenant (Ex 19:4-8), King Solomon built the first Temple in Jerusalem upon the mount of Moriah. King Solomon’s prayer is recorded in 1 Kings 8:22-61; yet the question that needs to be explored comes from 1 Kings 8:41-43.

Jerusalem is the center of the world. (Eze 5:5, 38:12) The people of Israel were instructed to occupy the land promised to Abram, realized under Joshua, and remain separated from the nations that surrounded them. As the gentiles, the people, who were not of the blood line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, traveled from the north to south i.e. Mesopotamia to Egypt or from the south to the north ie Egypt to Mesopotamia, they trekked on the King’s Highway and passed thru the City of Peace, Jerusalem, the location of the Temple.

Will you review 1 Kings 8:41-43 again? Did you notice that this portion of the prayer focuses on the gentiles, who are in Jerusalem (traveling through or joining a pilgrimage feast), who have an opportunity to see the Temple that King Solomon built, and the place that the  glory of God resided. The God of Israel may have been visible via some combination of  clouds and light (Eze 10:4). 

Did you observe King Solomon’s request? He requested that the Lord hear the prayer of the gentiles and He would answer their prayer requests, so that they would come to know the LORD of Israel. It was the LORD’s desire for all human beings to follow HIM. Under the Mosaic Covenant, this was the LORD’s strategy for world-wide evangelism and discipleship.    

At the appropriate time, as predicted, the Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) entered this world and fulfilled the sacrificial requirements of the Mosaic Covenant. (Matt 5:17) Biblical Revelation is progressive. The responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to the nations of the earth, became the mandate of the CHURCH. The CHURCH started at Pentecost (Acts 2, Jer 31:31-34, Lev 23:15-22) and concludes at the Rapture (1 Thes 4:13-18). 

Therefore, today, during the CHURCH age, it is the Body of Messiah’s mission to share His story and to build the Kingdom of God. 

Will you review Acts 1:8 and Matt 28:16-20 again?  Did you notice the imperatives from those passages? The writer of Acts teaches us that we, followers of the Jesus the Messiah, will receive power to be His witnesses from Jerusalem to the End of the Earth. We have been tasked with sharing the gospel story with every human being (Rom 1:16). Not only are we required to proclaim the gospel witnesses to unbelievers, but we are also required to make immature followers of Jesus into mature followers of Jesus, according to the instruction known as the Great Commission.

Finally, scripture records two methods of evangelism. The first model lives at Isa 40:1-9 and the second model lives at Rom 11:11. Both models require believers in Jesus to be bold and to make the unbelieving Jewish people and the unbelieving gentile people jealous. Once a person becomes a follower of Jesus, then that new believer starts the maturation process.

Therefore,  the answer to the question “What is the relationship between King Solomon’s Temple Dedication Prayer and Yeshua’s (Jesus) World-Wide Evangelism and Discipleship imperatives?” is as follows. From the Garden of Eden to Eternity, the LORD God desired that all human beings would be redeemed and to live with HIM forever. Under the Mosaic Covenant, the Nation of Israel was tasked with proclaiming the LORD’s message. Under the New Covenant, the CHURCH is tasked with proclaiming the LORD’s message today.