Many experts in organizational management believe that the imagery of shepherd and flock is outdated and even condescending in contemporary organizational settings. But it is key leadership imagery in the Church. 

Dr. Richard Benton looks to Ezekiel 34 to understand 

• Our place and duty as sheep within the flock.
• The responsibility of the 'ebed (Hebrew equivalent to the Greek word doulos, meaning servant or slave) who the Lord places as shepherd over the flock.
• The Lord Himself who serves as the true shepherd, protecting his flock and judging those who would devour it.

Richard Benton holds a PhD in Hebrew and Old Testament from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is co-host of The Bible as Literature Podcast and serves as an IT scrum master for a global company based in St. Paul, MN.