Luke 15:3-7
Then Jesus told them this parable:
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home.
Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says,
'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be
more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner
who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Suppose, we want to know more about the Shepherds
- all we have to do is look to the facts.
1. Today in Bethlehem, Israel we know the grazing was 30,000 Hectare Acres.
2. 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.
3. 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 donkeys.
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.
4. 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.
Jacob was described as an exceedingly rich man because he:
Genesis 30:43
Jacob possessed large flocks, maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses”
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 skins 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).
5. 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?
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Labor force would be about 500. Sufficient small farming. And Household chores for gathering, cooking and cleaning.
1400 people. Aged people. Children. Farmers. An easy terrain.
About 4 to 9 human births a month. Herod would find 40 innocents.
8. 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.
9. So suppose... 250 shepherd. Then you'd have day Shepherds and more Night Time Safety from Predators Shepherds.
10. Further, supposing would be 150 nighttime Shepherds looking over a large, easy field. Spread out in military precision with some usual campfires. A field is easy to view.
Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
6 and goes home.
Trust. Love one another. Pray together. Fellowship to find one lost sheep.
To leave 99 sheep, is to trust and love one another. Prayers to find the sheep. And the full understanding
God will make this turn out just fine. We have seen what Jesus has written.
And when we don't have a great number of Shepherds to agree in prayer, we have Jesus Promising
He will never leave or forsake us. We are yesterday, today and tomorrow God's Lamb.
And He is going to find us.
What we find out about God giving us His Faith in us, we operate Life itself from a basis of Trust. The Universe is upheld by God's Word. Not having fear, is Faith. Believing things will work out for us, is Faith. None of us keeps it all together. This is Abundant Life.
God offers up to us, "God is Love." And we do the work of putting up with James and John and their pushy mother. We live with Faith, the Brothers of Jesus are going to turn out well and not just goad Jesus, Himself. We believe God our Father is in Charge the day Mother Mary lets the Brothers go to town in loudest and most embarrassing way.
Because God is Love, we will share the Road to Emmaus. Enduring the Road to Damascus.
Lord Jesus,Abba, gives us,
Our Father, Abba, Who Art in Heaven,
Holy is the Name Jesus,
Thy Kingdom Come!
Thy Will be Done!
On earth as it is done in Heaven.
Give us this Day.
Our Daily, Living Bread Jesus.
Forgive me my trespasses
as I forgive those who trespass against me.
Lead us not into temptation
Deliver us from evil.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power in the Glory,
Amen.
Dwell in us, Lord Jesus!
We will seek You first and Have Heaven.
You know everyone's story, their very heart and soul.
We ask in this time with so many prayer requests and prayer opportunities,
that when we say, "Please Jesus" Your Mercy and Grace and Love Prevail.
Father, You are God of All.
And we ask You for all these opportunities to be Covered by the Love Jesus Christ
to Live to see Your Glory.
We Simply and effectively say Jesus Christ with our hearts of Love for Your Love.
And believe Jesus Christ will cover All.
Remembering the Love God brings us Home yesterday, today and tomorrow.
His Steadfast Love we bring in our lives.
Drawing His Love forth to enrich our lives.
May Father God bless us all in Jesus.
Jesus help us in this Nation to be in Your Word and see more Joy.
Covered in God's Love,
President Donald Trump, the First Lady and Their Family
Vice President Mike Pence, the Second Lady and Their Family.
The Presidential Team.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Deborah Birx
Governor Abbott and all 50 Governors and Legislatures.
Senator Tim Scott,
The end of trouble surrounding this Virus.
For Elliott and Harby.
We believe Elliott is healed.
Father, the Truth, the Way and the Life for our Nation we pray.
We continue to pray for the Safety of All the Nations.
Thank You all the Willing Help You'd Give us with the end of Hurricanes, Wildfires, Riots,
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.
Divisions, Harm to Police, Peace and Joy on November 3rd,
Continued Employment and for the world depending upon us.
We feed the world.
And the world is helping us with the vaccine as well.
Please continue to bless us.
Amen in Jesus
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