NOTE: For this Advent season, my blog posts have taken a different turn. For the five weeks beginning December 4, i am posting five short stories surrounding the incarnational birth of Jesus. These stories are a gift to you — as faithful readers of this blog. If you are new to my blog and missed the first two posts, i invite you to go back and read them. Though i will endeavor to keep each story factual as to the details conveyed through the Gospels – by their nature these stories will be fictional first person accounts involving both historical and fictional characters, as well as fictional details that have been incorporated into each narrative. My prayer is that, through the telling, we witness anew the glory of our Heavenly Father expressed through the incarnational birth of His One and Only Son. To that end, let’s look at the account through the eyes of these five very different individuals:
Joseph – A humble carpenter (December 4)
Achim – Joseph’s cousin (December 11)
Moshe – A Bethlehem shepherd (This week - December 18)
Simeon – An expectant prophet (December 25)
Balthazar – A Babylonian scholar (January 1)
My name is Moshe. I am a shepherd. I have watched over sheep in these Bethlehem hills since I was a young boy. My father and grandfather were both shepherds as were their fathers and grandfathers – all the way back to the shepherd king himself – David. He knew these hills like the back of his hand – just like each one of us has ever since. There was a time during the captivity of our people in Babylon that my ancestors were not shepherding in these hills. But by the grace of Jehovah, He made the way for us to return many years ago.
There is nothing else I would rather be doing, and there is nowhere else I would rather be. Jehovah God has blessed me greatly. He is the greatest Shepherd of all! He has chosen us to be His people – His flock, if you will. He watches over us and cares for us. He provides for us and leads us where He would have us be. He teaches us to know His voice. And He has given us His commands to protect us….