Topical Bible: Sheep: Also: Jacob's Management of

◄ Sheep: Also: Jacob's Management of ►

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Sheep hold significant importance throughout the Bible, both as literal animals and as powerful symbols. They are frequently mentioned in the context of pastoral life, sacrificial offerings, and as metaphors for God's people.

Biblical Significance

1. Pastoral Life: Sheep were central to the agrarian lifestyle of the ancient Near East. They provided wool, meat, and milk, and were a measure of wealth and prosperity. The patriarchs, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were shepherds, and their flocks were a sign of God's blessing. Genesis 13:2 describes Abram as "very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold."

2. Sacrificial System: Sheep, particularly lambs, were integral to the sacrificial system established by God. The Passover lamb, as described in Exodus 12, is a prime example, symbolizing deliverance and foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the "Lamb of God" (John 1:29).

3. Symbolism: Sheep often symbolize God's people, who require guidance and protection. Psalm 23 famously begins, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want," illustrating the relationship between God and His followers. Jesus further develops this imagery in John 10:11, declaring, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

Jacob's Management of Sheep

Jacob's management of sheep is a notable example of divine providence and human ingenuity. In Genesis 30:25-43, Jacob negotiates with his father-in-law Laban to take the speckled and spotted sheep as his wages. Through a combination of selective breeding and God's blessing, Jacob's flocks increase significantly.

1. Divine Guidance: Jacob's success is attributed to God's intervention. In a dream, God reveals to Jacob the method by which he will prosper (Genesis 31:10-12). This divine guidance underscores the belief that God is actively involved in the lives of His people, blessing them according to His purposes.

2. Human Ingenuity: Jacob employs a strategy involving peeled branches placed in the watering troughs, which results in the birth of speckled and spotted sheep. While the exact mechanism is not scientifically explained, the narrative highlights Jacob's resourcefulness and determination.

3. Moral and Ethical Lessons: Jacob's dealings with Laban reflect themes of justice and retribution. Laban's repeated attempts to cheat Jacob are countered by God's favor towards Jacob, illustrating the principle that God upholds the righteous and frustrates the plans of the deceitful.

In summary, sheep in the Bible are emblematic of wealth, sacrifice, and the relationship between God and His people. Jacob's management of sheep serves as a testament to God's providence and the importance of faithfulness and integrity in one's dealings.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 30:32-40
I will pass through all your flock to day, removing from there all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Chapter xxxi
... who by his assiduous and skilful management increased his ... Laban had gone to shear
his sheep; and Rachel ... So for special emphasis Jacob also designates Him as ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxxi.htm

Letter cviii. To Eustochium.
... 2809] While they were keeping their sheep they found ... upon the side of Mount Gerizim
around Jacob's well; that ... for their want, that their abundance also may be ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter cviii to eustochium.htm

The Perpetual virginity of Blessed Mary.
... shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray ... wives because Abraham had,
and so had Jacob, and that ... And there is a difference also between the wife and ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/the perpetual virginity of blessed.htm

Reprobation Asserted: Or, the Doctrine of Eternal Election and ...
... for distinguishing love appeareth in separating between Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob
and Esau ... and the inhabitants of the earth; wherefore the decree also that doth ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/reprobation asserted or the doctrine.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... lest, as the serpent had deceived Eve by his subtlety, so he should also corrupt
their ... It is not true that one of the handmaids carried off Jacob from the other ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

The Strait Gate;
... whom the Lord knows to be his"the sheep of his ... when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, and all ... ended in words; both they and we have also added our ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the strait gate.htm

Doctrinal and Moral Treatises. Index of Subjects.
... 315]492; no lie if the thing figured is true, [316]460; Jacob's deceit was ... Beginning,
The Father is, of Christ: The Son also the, [506]328; Godhead has none ...
/.../on care to be had for the dead /doctrinal and moral treatises index.htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1824 to the ...
... did this great change take place in Jacob's heart than he ... He also infused into the
minds of the youth ... Fisk, by whose pious and judicious management it greatly ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm

Israel's Hope Encouraged;
... The persons who are concerned in the management of this ... name shall be called Israel';
and should also debate upon ... 1. When Jacob received the name of Israel, he ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/israels hope encouraged.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... Hence he saith that Jacob's face shall not wax pale ... This teaches us also that we
are to enter into that ... offered thousands, both of oxen and of sheep, to signify ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm