SHEPHERD
TO SHEEP
RACHEL, SHEPHERDESS AND MOTHER
(Gen 29:9) Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came
with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
When Jacob fled from the wrath of his brother Esau, he came to
Syria and the land of his mother’s ancestors.
There a beautiful shepherdess came to the well to water her sheep. Jacob instantly fell in love. Jacob served seven years for Rachel and then
at his wedding time Rachel’s father Laban slipped Rachel’s sister Leah into the
tent! Jacob then served another seven
years for Rachel. During this time many
sons were born to Jacob through the two sisters and their handmaids. Ruth 4:11 says they built up the house (or
nation) of Israel!
Rachel’s name means “ewe”.
That’s interesting because she was also a shepherdess! The Bible says we are God’s sheep and the
Lord is our Shepherd (Psa 23). Rachel
knew what it was to be God’s ewe lamb and this prepared her to be a shepherdess
over sheep and later over two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. She wanted more children but she struggled
with infertility which brought out the worst in her as she competed with her
sister in having children.
Let’s identify some insights in Rachel’s life that relate to
motherhood:
- RACHEL WAS A SHEPHERDESS:
We see her leading her sheep to water.
That’s a beautiful picture of a mom leading her children to the living
water Jesus Christ! (John 4:13-14)
- RACHEL LOST HER LIFE: She
passed away giving birth to Benjamin. As
she was dying she named him Ben-Oni which means “son of my sorrow” but Jacob
renamed him Benjamin which means “son of my right hand”. There are many joys in being a mother but
there are many sorrows as well because mothers love so deeply! Mothers lose their lives for their children
giving up their personal ambitions, their time, and in many cases their figure
because who has time to exercise! But
mother’s gain so much by losing so much.
It’s the sacrifices of mothers that thrust their children ahead in life
to success. (Mat 16:25) For whoever desires to save his
life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it.
- RACHEL NEVER SAW HER CHILD’S SUCCESS: Because Rachel died in
childbirth she never saw the greatness of her son Joseph in Egypt and how he
saved Israel from the famine. In raising
kids, mothers need to have faith that what they put into their children will one
day bear fruit. It is best to see your
kids in two ways…as they are and as they will be by God’s grace and your love,
devotion and prayers. (Hab 3:17-19) Though… the fig tree may not
blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines…18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord…19 The Lord
God is my strength…
Rachel, shepherdess and mother and ewe. You too?
Louie
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