The Bible and Shepherding

 The Lord is a shepherd.  (Psalms 23)  Jesus Christ is the good shepherd.  There is a philosophy or theology about how shepherding works.  We will share it with you today.  This knowledge has been known.  Certain segments of mankind have been aware of it.  This isn't something that is new.  The odds are, that if someone learned it outside of God, they learned a corrupt form of shepherding.  

• Parents have children.  Parents may have used various psychological techniques to help their children behave, and make good decisions.  
• A teacher has a classroom.  A teacher may have used some psychological techniques to maintain order and discipline in the classroom, and to keep his students motivated to learn.  
• A manager has workers.  A manager may have used various psychological techniques to ensure his employees came to work on time, and were motivated to work hard.  
• A Priest has a flock.  Were you in the fold?  
  
• A Governor, a President, a King, they have subjects or constituents. They may have used various psychological techniques to ensure populations maintain the peace, and to shepherd populations of people to do what they would like people to do.  

 Shepherding is part of life.  Some people have used the term "Sheeple" derogatorily.  That is often not used well.  Christians are to be law abiding. (Romans 13) God is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  God puts certain authorities in place.  Being law abiding to one's parents, to teachers, to managers, to the governor, that may reflect a man being obedient to God.  God, as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, has long term plans, and has been shepherding all rulers.    

God has a Rod and a Staff.  He has a staff leading to good things, blessings, joy, and God's Kingdom.  God has a rod of misery.  God's form of discipline may be carrot and stick.  People who behave, and are seeking God, and love God's ways, they are rewarded.  The bad children are punished.  That is sort of like Saint Nicholas at Christmas time.

A lot of Christians, they have understood "God is love."  They tend to understand the good things and blessings.  Many didn't understand, or haven't understood, at this time, the bad.  

Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.  (Deuteronomy 8:5) 

 Were you spanked by your dad?  I was.  I have also been allegorically spanked by life.  My life hurt for awhile.  I hated my life.  Having a fear of my dad, that is, a fear of his displeasure, and being wrong by him, that relates to a Fear of God. 

I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.  (2 Samuel 7:12) 

David is "He whom I punish with the rods of men."  When David sinned, bad things happened.  David took Uriah the Hittites wife, and sent Uriah to die.  The result of this was chaos in David's household and civil war.  David was punished.  Punishment here is an act of love.  A dad may punish his son because he wanted good things for him.  A dad desired to keep his son on the righteous path.  

There is a deeper theology here. This is a good introduction for today.  Given someone understands what Faith is, and understands certain concepts from the Bible well, they may be able to see Satan.  They may be able to see things, bad ideas, bad theology or philosophy, that was working to keep men away from God.  Keep men away from growing in faith with God.  We may do a part two and covers that.  This is something to pray and reflect on for the moment.