Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up Your strength, and come and save us! (Psalm 80:1-2)
When Jacob blessed Joseph from his deathbed, he referred to God as “The Shepherd, the Rock of Israel” (Genesis 49:24). As we know, it was through Joseph that the Almighty preserved Jacob and his family in the years of famine. and saved the entire nation of Israel. Accordingly, the psalmist refers to the nation, at large, as Joseph. As Joseph guided his people through difficulty, feeding them in time of lack, so does God leads His people as a shepherd leads a flock.
On the other hand it was Joseph’s descendants, led by the tribe of Ephraim, who guided the people in the wrong direction causing them to become as scattered sheep. Under Ephraim’s leadership, the ten northern tribes seceded from Judah and Benjamin and, by the sin of idolatry, into exile. Referring to this the prophet Hosea said, “The Lord will let them forage like a lamb in open country. Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone” (Hosea 4:16-17). In spite of this declaration, the psalmist appeals to the Most High to “shine forth and come save” those who have been scattered and disconnected from the flock.
The Lord says that, in the last days, “I will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered” (Ezekiel 34:11-12). In other words, even though their disobedience and rebellion is what caused their exile, the goodness of the Lord will shine forth and He will gather His lost sheep. Might I suggest He does this, at least in part, out of consideration for the faithfulness of their ancestors — i.e. men like Joseph, Jacob and Abraham?
Many have been preserved and saved by God, not by merit of their own faithfulness, but because those who came before them were faithful. Noah’s entire family was saved because he was just and walked with God (Genesis 6:9). Lot and his daughters were saved because “God remembered Abraham” and sent them out of Sodom (Genesis 19:29). The firstborn of Israel were saved because their fathers placed the blood upon the door of their homes. I could go on and on but the point is, we have sufficient reason to believe that God will have mercy upon our families if we are faithful to serve Him. Presently, they may be lost and scattered lambs, but the Shepherd of Israel knows just where they are and how to reach them. So don’t give up — believe for their deliverance!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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