You would be surprised at how much the ancients believed that would become a very real part of the new covenant. There is another reason for God flocking His people. The young lambs need a place of security so they can grow properly, and be taught the ways of the Lord, and not have to worry about harassment by wolves. Oh, them wolves can be such a problem. Paul warned us about them.
Wolves are sly.
They often try to enter the flocks disguised as sheep. But you can recognize them after a bit. They emit an order that is unpleasant to the sheep. Besides that, wolves are really stuck on themselves. They can't hide it.