The Abominable Shepherd

Gen 46:33-34
(33) And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
(34) that ye shall say, Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.


There is a call going forth to those in the church to lead in a way that has been lacking for years. The call is to be shepherds - spiritual fathers. One of the last things Jesus told His newly restored disciple, Peter, was 'feed my sheep'. This lit a fire in Peter that still can be felt - as we are a result of that fire. The world despises a shepherd - let there be no mistake. The worldly view states that the strong survive and the weak are eliminated. The shepherd's view is that not a single sheep is lost. The world has not made it profitable to be a shepherd. Being a shepherd is a call to sacrifice for the sheep.

For Christians, this means a sacrifice of time, energy, resources... our very lives. We pour this into others so that others will surpass us in our own walk. The shepherd's walk is the servant's walk. Jesus lived it. Jesus expects us to do the same.

In our Christian walk, despite the "level" of maturity, if we are not pouring into someone else we are wasting the breath God gave us. We are ignoring His commission. There is no reward for playing it safe. The one who dies with the most bible verses memorized does NOT win. But the one who impacts others for the Kingdom of Heaven will revel in victory for all of eternity.

Egyptians despised shepherds. Yet Egyptians had cattle. Egyptians had a great need for that which they held in disdain. The world is no different. If we live our lives as we are called, the world will not likely sing us any praises, but at the same time, our mark will be indelibly felt.

Gen 47:5-6
(5) And Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, saying, Your father and your brothers have come in to you.
(6) The land of Egypt is before you; cause your father and your brothers to live in the best of the land; let them live in the land of Goshen. And if you know men of ability among them, make them chiefs of livestock over what is mine.

Floods in the Desert - pt1

In the Middle East, especially in the area around Israel, one of the greatest dangers in the desert is flooding. That sounds strange, doesn't it? But the hills and mountains around the Negev and Judean Wilderness receive quite a lot of rain on a yearly basis, while the desert itself receives almost none. To further complicate things, the soil on the mountains cannot absorb the rain it gets. The result is flash flooding - not unlike what we get in the American west.

Wadis are formed. These are dry riverbeds in the wilderness. Sometimes they are just small canyons carved out by torrents of water. These often offer shade and pools of water in the brutal 120+ degree desert. The problem comes when the rains fall - miles away. On a cloudless day the floods come without warning, washing everything away that isn't firmly rooted.

It's ironic that the wadi offers refuge from the harsh reality of life. Shade. The sun is relentless in the desert. Without shade, death is quite a possibility.

Water. Pools have formed and they do look inviting! The sheep can drink and canteens can be refilled. But this isn't the still water of Psalm 23. This is flood water.

Who knows the difference? Certainly not the sheep. The sheep are content to drink. What they don't know is the flood is coming.

As Christians, do we dabble in sin? Do we attempt 'sin management'? I have been guilty of this. I already know it doesn't work. I know that if I walk in this way... it's only a matter of time before the flood hits. It will be a cloudless day. It will be the VERY SAME as yesterday - when I got by with it. But today... my thirst for immediate gratification might just cost me everything.