The “elect exiles” (1 Peter 1:1) Peter addressed (whom he further described with the glowing terms of 1 Peter 2:9) he now characterizes as a “flock,” which is to imply that the individual members of this flock are sheep. The question arises why Peter would characterize them as sheep and not as cows or some other (domestic) animal. One could answer that question by referencing Jesus’ use of the analogy of sheep and flock in passages as Matthew 9:36 or John 10:1–18, or by referencing Old Testament antecedents as Psalm 23:1–6 and Ezekiel 34:1–31. But that is to kick the ball further down the road, for the question still arises why earlier Scripture characterizes God’s people as sheep and hence flock. The reason is that sheep are very vulnerable creatures, possessing very few gifts of self-defence or even intuition concerning the presence of danger. Though renewed by the Spirit, God’s people remain people, vulnerable to Satan’s attacks (1 Peter 5:8), the temptations of the world, and the passions of the flesh (1 Peter 2:11). Especially in the context of suffering, the analogy is humbling.
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;