![]() Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat to join him in battle against Syria. You will remember the story of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Ahab, king of Israel, and Micaiah the prophet of God in 1 Kings 22. ![]() This is clearly indicated in both the Old and the New Testaments. Shepherding is an image that pertains to ruling, to a leader (or shepherd) exercising authority over a group of people (his flock). The Shepherd and His Flock in the Bible: A Model for Leaders Potiphar – Genesis 39) have considered intermarrying with the Hebrews. Since the Egyptians loathed shepherds, they would not (with the possible exception of Mrs. If Judah married a Canaanite and allowed his sons to do likewise (Genesis 38), it would not have been long until the tribe of Judah (from which the Messiah would come – Genesis 49:8-10) would have ceased to exist as a distinct tribe, due to their intermarriage with the Canaanites. When Jacob and his family went to join Joseph in Egypt, they were shepherds, which is part of the reason why the Egyptians avoided intermarrying with the Hebrews (Genesis 46:33-34 43:32). Jacob, too, was a shepherd, and this is how he became wealthy while working for Laban, caring for his flocks (Genesis 30:43). As a matter of fact, Abraham was so successful that he and Lot had to split up, because they could not sustain both of their herds in the same grazing areas (Genesis 13:7). Abraham was a keeper of sheep (Genesis 13:3). We should remember that God’s chosen people were shepherds. Even if we have not grown up on a farm, we should have little trouble grasping this imagery, because it is so commonly spoken of in the Bible. One of the most common images in the Bible is that of the shepherd and his sheep. The Shepherd and His Flock: An Easy Image to Comprehend Let us listen well, then, to what the Bible teaches us about the Good Shepherd and His sheep. This lesson is important, not only because it helps us to understand how God leads us, but also because it instructs us how we should lead if we are to be like God. In this lesson, we are going to study the church by turning our attention to the biblical imagery of a shepherd and his flock, or more precisely the “ Good Shepherd” and His flock, the church. Sheep dogs are very effective, but in my limited experience, they are nothing like a shepherd. And if that isn’t sufficient, the dog is not above a little nip in the backside or on the hoof to make its point. If that isn’t intimidating enough, he will rush toward the animal. The sheep dog locks eyes with whatever creature he is seeking to control. It’s a contest between the dog’s will and the determination of the animal being herded. Sheep dogs like to “herd” (as in “boss around”) almost anything … children (if there are enough of them), ducks, cows, you name it. From my experience, it’s all about dominance. One thing I’ve noticed about sheep dogs is that they really don’t seem to care for sheep all that much. Sometimes in the night, I experienced all 70 pounds of the “Big Bopper” when he would leap unannounced onto the bed in one single bound.Įventually, “Billy Boy” and our niece moved to the Pacific Northwest, and he now lives on a small ranch, along with a small flock of sheep – a sheep dog’s version of heaven. She called him “Billy Boy,” or “Bill” for short I (at times) called him “Big Bopper.” And he certainly did fit the “big” part – he came to weigh 70 pounds. Without so much as a hint of dickering, I paid the man exactly what he was asking. ![]() “I’ll take him,” I said, grabbing for my wallet. My niece was sitting on the floor, and the pup immediately ran over to her and plopped in her lap. He went outside and brought the pup into the house. We learned that the man had just the one pup left. We made our way out into the country where the breeder lived, and he invited us into his home. From her limited observation, she was convinced that I could buy almost anything for half of what the owner was asking, and she was certain I could strike the same kind of bargain with the owner of this pup. “After we’ve had time to think about it, if we decide to buy it, then you can begin to bargain with the owner.” You see, my niece had been with us long enough to observe me in the process of buying a couple of cars. “Now, we’re only going to look, Uncle Bob,” she said. One day she saw an ad for a puppy that caught her attention, and we agreed to drive out to the country to look at it. As she began to watch for dogs in the paper, she became particularly interested in Australian Shepherds as a breed. When our niece came to live with us several years ago, she had never really had a dog of her own.
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