Shepherds and Sheepdogs

 

I have been so incredibly blessed by spiritually-empowered men and women such as these that I am puzzled why other pastors do not recognize their Calebs and encourage them. Every shepherd needs a sheepdog. A shepherd without a Caleb is spiritually crippled. Any flock of sheep, large or small, healthy or infirm, will attract a wolf. If the shepherd has chased off his sheepdogs he will be no match for the attack. The wolf comes to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10). The sheepdog comes to help protect the flock from that terrible invader. Believe me, in my decades of preaching I have encountered both. In 1993 God specifically told Karen McMichael to assist my ministry, she became secretary and has remained at her Caleb-post ever since. Her husband, Craig (a giant among Caleb-sheepdogs) is the one who brought Larry Castelli to my meeting. Sheepdogs such as Craig search for wandering sheep and bring them back to the fold.

This may surprise you but one of the greatest prophecies of Christ in the Old Testament identifies Him with the role of the sheepdog. He is the ultimate protector from the wolf. To illustrate this from Scripture, I need to compare quotations of Isaiah 11:1-3, from both the King James and New King James Bibles. You will observe that these two versions use very different language in translating the same word. Here is a partial quote from the original King James:

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him … and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord, And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears (Isaiah 11:1-3).

Where the old King James says, “Shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord,” the New King James says, “His delight is in the fear of the Lord.” “Quick understanding” and “delight” seem contradictory translations. Which version is correct? The answer: Both are correct. The same Hebrew word, ruach, is the source for each, and both are valid renderings. Not only so, but their combined messages bring a valuable revelation about Jesus’ identity as a sheepdog.

What I say may seem technical but it is vital. Please stay with me. First of all, if you acquainted with the Hebrew language, you recognized that ruach is the same word translated as “spirit”, “wind”, or “breath” in Genesis 1:1. In the New King James, ruach refers to the inhaled breath; specifically, as “the delight of breathing the fragrance of roses”. The original King James, instead of referring to the delight of breathing refers to the result. This is significant and provides a profound revelation about the sheepdog’s discerning the presence of a wolf. The New Testament calls this “discerning of spirits”.

Tags: featured, sheepdogs, shepherds

Category: Ministry, Spring 2010