Learn From the Sheep*

We have the impression that sheep are dumb animals, but there is at least one area in which sheep show how smart they are. They can recognize their owner's voice, and answer his call. They cry out like babies when they get into trouble, trusting that their shepherd will come to their rescue. We see new end time signs every day that the media mis-labels as climate change, or happenstance. However, we need to ask ourselves as the sheep of the Lord, "What is my role, and what is my response to all of these things?" The Word of the LORD to the prophet Ezekiel makes our role clear, as those who can read the signs: "Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked of his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul." (Ezek. 3:17-19). The watchman is required to give a warning at the word of the LORD's mouth, or he will be held accountable for the death of the unwarned, whether he is wicked or a righteous man found in sin (see v. 20-21). The LORD also prophesied to Ezekiel regarding spiritual shepherds who do not properly care for the flock of God, which are His people: "...thus saith the LORD God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattereed, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered...my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them." (Ezek. 34:1-6). Churches aren't healing the sick, or looking for the lost sheep, but they are involved in activities and programs they were not called to do. There are sheep that need rescue. The LORD promised Ezekiel that He will search out the sheep Himself that had been scattered because of the negligent shepherds. "...so I will seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day...and will bring them to their own land, and feed them..." (Ezek. 34:11-13). The phrase used "in the cloudy and dark day" calls us to mind of the end time day of the LORD, which is described as being darkened, and cloudy. There are scattered sheep in these last days that need shepherds to bring them in. In the Psalms, God's people are described as "the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand". (Ps. 95:7). As God's sheep, we are to bow down and kneel before our Maker, who is God, in worship. We are warned not to harden our hearts against our Shepherd. "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Ps. 100:3). The prevailing lie of our age is that we were not made by God, but evolved by accident. His sheep must know that God made us, that we are dependent upon Him, and that He leads us as a Shepherd. His sheep must, as a result, acknowledge Him, bringing Him their worship and praise (Ps. 100). It is important to understand our relationship with Jesus as sheep to their Shepherd, especially in these end times when false shepherds and even false sheep are numerous. This relationship of sheep to Shepherd is the basis of our salvation. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep...I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." (Jn. 10:7-14). What makes our Good Shepherd different in every way from someone who is just hired to do the job? Jesus said that the hireling will flee before danger, such as the approach of a wolf, leaving the sheep unprotected and scattered before the predator (v. 12). The hireling will protect his own life first, because he doesn't care for the sheep as his own. This is proven not to be the case of our Good Shepherd, Jesus, who laid His life down for the sheep. The Good Shepherd not only guards the life of the sheep, but provides the sheep with abundant (perissos- meaning over and above, super-added, superior, extraordinary) life. Jesus goes on to tell His Jewish listeners what He, as Good Shepherd, will also accomplish: "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (v. 16). In our Good Shepherd, there only exists one flock, both Jew and Gentile, disregarding denominational divisions, united in their common Shepherd. What unites this flock is not found in religious practices and men's doctrines, or in the worship of the idols that man creates, which proliferate in our age (Amos 5:18-27), but the unity of the flock is found in the voice of the Good Shepherd, and the promise found in that voice of rejoicing in the abundance of life now, and in the new heavens and new earth to come: "For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain." (Isa. 66:22, see also 2 Peter 3:9-18, Isa. 65:17-19). The apostle Peter wrote that considering this prophetic promise, our manner of life should reflect the eternal purpose to which we have been called: the anticipation of the new creation. Our lives as the sheep of the Good Shepherd should be of holy conversation and godliness, looking for the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells, found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Peter concluded: "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." (2 Pet. 3:18-18). *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 7/18/21 message to the church. To contact: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and at endtimeschool.com. Also, contact us with your prayer requests, and to obtain Dr. Stevenson's newest book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling".

Other Sheep and A Forgotten Prophecy

 

Many churches are dealing with the challenges of bringing new sheep into the spiritual sheepfold of Christ. As we consider these sheep, we may find that there are many whom we have overlooked, or neglected. Jesus spoke about some of them as He taught of Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep:

"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd."   Jn. 10:14-16 (excerpt)
The "other sheep" about whom Jesus is speaking may include those whom we seldom consider.

When God made a covenant with Abram (The Exalted One is My Father), He described the great multitude that would be Abram's seed (Gen. 15:5). He also described the land that would be given to Abram's seed:

"In the same day, the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto they seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates."  Gen 15:18

This great territory extended from Egypt eastward and northward over the Arabian peninsula, to the easterly point of the Babylonian/Assyrian lands, which were bordered by the Euphrates River.



The first of Abram's seed would come from his wife's Egyptian maid, Hagar (Flight).

 

 

As Hagar was with child, she fled from Sarah's anger. She came to a place of a fountain ("ayin", eye). Here, an angel prophesied that she would have a son, Ishmael (God Will Hear), "because the LORD has heard thy affliction". The angel said Hagar's seed would be multiplied exceedingly, unable even to be numbered. He described Ishmael as being wild, and aggressive, with other men aggressive towards him also. The angel also said, "...and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."   Gen 16:10-12

At this fountain (eye) Hagar exclaims that the LORD has seen her: "Thou God seest me", and names the place of this water, Beer lehai roi, "Well of Life, the Living One".

Some years after Ishmael is born, God renames Abram, Abraham, meaning "Father of many nations, or a multitude". Ishmael is circumcised with the rest of Abraham's household.
Later, when Hagar and Ishmael were again cast out, and dying in the wilderness, Hagar placed her son under bushes (commune, speak, pray aloud, sing, meditate). The LORD told Hagar, "...fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is".   Gen 21:17

Even as God made the precious promise of Isaac to Abraham, He blessed Ishmael, saying twelve princes and a great nation, multitudes, would come from him (Gen 17:20). While Abraham left all he had to Isaac, he made gifts to his other descendants (Gen. 25:5-6).

After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah (incense, smoke from sacrifice), and produced more seed (Gen. 25:1-4).

 



 

Generations later, Moses was shown all of the land that the LORD ordained for Isaac's descendants (Deut. 34:1-4), which is also a description of the approximate territory of present day Israel. This land is just a portion of the land that was promised to all of Abram's seed in Gen. 15:18. 

Even more important than the covenant of land promised to all of Abraham's seed, is the spiritual covenant that God made concerning not just Isaac, but the others as well:

"The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah (children of Keturah); all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD. All the flocks of Kedar (son of Ishmael) shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebajoth (son of Ishmael) shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory."  

and

"In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt (Hagar's nation), and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD...And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it....He shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and He shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless saying, "Blessed be Egypt, My people, and Assyria, the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance."     Isa. 60:6-7, 19:19, 21-25

Surely the preaching of the Gospel is to all men, but especially to all of Abraham's seed. Particularly, it must be to all those to whom He has revealed Himself as "God sees me, God will hear me". Ishmael's place is to be "dwelling in the presence of all his brethren".

Israel has an everlasting covenant with God regarding land. So do all of Abraham's seed. Israel has a spiritual covenant with God that Messiah would come from the line of Isaac and Jacob. Salvation is of the Jews, and is to be to the Jew first (Jn. 4:22, Rom. 1:16). However, the rest of Abraham's seed also has a spiritual covenant with God according to the Word. It is a covenant of reconciliation with God, and with their brethren, Israel. Now is the time to consider the promises of God, particularly His promises to this         unreached multitude of Abraham's seed.

This month before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is called Elul. It is a time of reflection, and turning back to God. By tradition, it is considered a time of God's "chased" mercy and favor. The Hebrew letters that make up the word "Elul", aleph, lamed, vaw, lamed, have the meanings of The Head (Chief), The Shepherd's hook, The Nail or Tent Peg (a joining), and The Shepherd's Hook again. The Shepherd's hook is emphasized.

It is a special time to remember those words of our Good Shepherd concerning His other sheep, and to discern the Lord's body:

"...they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd."