Moses is a shepherd in Midian near Mount Sinai. Now he is called to become the shepherd, that is the leader, of Israel (Psalm 77:20). The shepherd’s staff in Moses’ hand becomes the staff of Israel’s leader (Exodus 4:2; Exodus 14:16). David was also called from the flock to be the shepherd, that is the king, of God’s people (2 Samuel 7:8, Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel
; see also 2 Samuel 7:8). Shepherd Amos was also called to prophet (Amos 7:15, But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel
). But above all, God is the good Shepherd (Psalm 23:1–6; Ezekiel 34:1–31). He leads Israel as his flock: You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron
(Psalm 77:20, see also Psalm 78:52).
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.