Bethlehem we can find some appropriate numbers on Shepherds...
When we look at vintage photos of Israel, the population change was not that great over the millenniums. So we are seeing "Bethlehem."
Luke 2:7-20
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them,
“Fear not, for behold,
I bring you.
good news
of great joy
that will be for all the people."
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
If we want to know more about the Shepherds - all we have to do is look to the facts. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres. And some of this land is available and set aside today as the Shepherd's Field.
Then we find the number of sheep is going to be entirely up to the amount of rainfall. Isaiah 7 tells us times are good for crops. So in a normal year the number of sheep per acre is 1.5 sheep. So 20,000 sheep.
Do we know in the Bible this is an acceptable,relevant number of sheep?
Job 42:12
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
1 Kings 8:63
63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.
The 1596 A.D. Ottoman Tax Record and Census indicates Bethlehem's population of 1,435 - the 13th largest village. Populations didn't change much until this last century in most of Israel. Vintage Photography of Israel is very interesting.
So all we need now is to figure out how many shepherds there were.
And as an aside, we will wonder why Joseph fell out with his brothers, the Sons of Jacob/Israel, over a multi-colored coat? Another aspect of the problems between the 12 sons of Israel is found in the typical John Wayne Western. Ranchers and farmers have to co-exist in harmony. Joseph was interested in farming in a family of shepherds.
Jacob was described as an exceedingly rich man because he:
Genesis 30:43
Jacob possessed large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses” Genesis 30:43.
In the case of the rich man Nabal we find statistics:
1 Samuel 25:2
He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats
Animals were cared for and were: milk, meat, and fabrics (Isaiah 7:21-22; Proverbs 27:27; Deuteronomy 14:4; Leviticus 13:47; Exodus 25:4). The sheep provided wool for garments to keep out chilly nights and windy days. The goat provided bottles in which to store liquids. The uncut hide of either animal might have been the wineskin of Jesus’ parable (Mark 2:22 = Matthew 9:17 = Luke 5:37-38).
So how many shepherds were there for 20,000 Sheep? We know how many acres there are and how many sheep based on rainfall... what about Shepherds?
Now, we find out about the Shepherds. We don't know the number of the Shepherds. This explains the social status of the Shepherds.
Shepherding - It depends on this: how profitable has ranching been? Rain again. The New Testament records about 100 to 1. But we can see Bethlehem might fall in the category of 1 to 1000 sheep because Bethlehem doesn't have many sheep hiding places. Both David and Samson provide lonely, animal wildlife threatens lone shepherds in the day. Lions.
We know some families have small flocks and the children shepherd. While other Biblical families only Shepherd.
1400 people. Women do Shepherd like Rachael and Leah. Moses's Wife.
1400 people. Aged people. Children. Farmers. An easy terrain.
About 4 to 9 human births a month. Herod would find 40 innocents.
Labor force would be about 500. Sufficient small farming. And Household chores for gathering, cooking and cleaning.
And then you'd have farmers, lots of Farming in Israel on the terraces of hills.
So guessing... 250 shepherd. Then you'd have day Shepherds and more Night Time Safety from Predators Shepherds. The guess would be 150 night time Shepherds looking over a large, easy field. Spread out in military precision with some usual campfires.
Suddenly...
Keeping watch over the field. This doesn't say ravines and crevices. A field is easy to view.
The Shepherds are Biding in the field. Thinking of home, of family, of shelter, of a warm place to sleep.
The Birth of Jesus is recorded to be at Night. Jesus the Light of the world arrives. Dark is not dark to the Lord, but Light arrives to remove the darkness. Light has overcome darkness.
The Glory of God shone around them.
The valley 30,000 acres
The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear
And the angel said to them,
“Fear not, for behold,
I bring you.
good news
of great joy
that will be for all the people."
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
among those with whom he is pleased!”
The entire field could hear. This does not say:
The Shepherds of Jesse, of the western fork
the Shepherds of Obed, the Shepherds of Boaz, the southeastern stream
the Shepherds of Salmon, the Shepherds of Nahshon, the rocky northern branch
the Shepherds of Amminadab, the Shepherds of Ram, the lower portion near the fork in the stream
the Shepherds of Hezron, the Shepherds of Perez, the upper field
the Shepherds of Judah, 34 the Shepherds of Jacob!
Hear O Israel, The Lord Thy God is ONE!
The Shepherds Heard. The One Voice and the Multitude of Heaven.
Ask yourself an Important Question:
How are the multitude of the Heavenly Host not going to fill 30,000 Hectare acres????????
And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
among those with whom he is pleased!”
The Shepherds of 30,000 Acres Heard.
The Children of Israel in the Exodus were echoes by Paul to the Hebrews.
Hebrews 12
18 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg -
The Voice of the New Covenant.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
The Messiah of God Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 31:33; Jeremiah 32:39–40; Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 36:26–27; Deuteronomy 10:16
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
declares the LORD:
I will put my law within them, and I will write it ton their hearts.
And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
I will give them one heart and one way, that they may reverence me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.
I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that
I will not turn away from doing good to them.
Who are the Shepherds headed to find Jesus?
Matthew 4:16
The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
The first day of Jesus' ministry:
Mark 1
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33
The whole town gathered at the door,
The Population for Capernaum was 1,500 people. Gathered at the door of Jesus. All of them. The first day of Jesus' ministry.
We don't know the Shepherds. The sheep maintained per acre were more important studies. Explaining the Shepherds to the eyes of the world. We just know instead what the care givers were to Father God. And based upon the attendance of the First Day of the Ministry of Jesus - they probably heard from the Words of the Shepherds. No one forgets a Multitude of Heavenly Host.
Abba,
We ask in the Name of Jesus to go forth in the Love, Mercy, Peace and Joy
of Your Plan, Hope and Future.
Caring and Covering those we Love in Jesus Christ. Amen.
♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †
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