02 August 2023
Hopefully you are familiar with the image of King David as the quintessential shepherd. This is also the biblical image of manhood in general, and of leadership in particular. It exemplifies nobility in the eyes of God, and is fundamental to His expectations for anyone selected to wield power throughout Creation.
Thus, the very definition of authority itself stands on the image of a shepherd. This is the guy who must sacrifice quite a lot in order to carry out the divine mission and calling. Anyone who has dealt with sheep knows they tend to be stupid. They are appointed to a rather narrow task of eating, growing wool and making more sheep. They aren't supposed to worry about security matters; the shepherd does that. It's not a put-down. God wants us as the sheep of His pasture to stay focused on what He has put in our hands, not the stuff that He takes care of. To wield authority is the mission of standing with Him.
But He grants certain measures of free will. His selection of leaders is based on His agenda. It's not for us to know why some fool becomes President of the United States; Romans 13 reminds us that God knows all about it because He made it happen. The Pharaoh of the Exodus was chosen to take a fall. People He puts in positions of power are free to defy His will in certain ways. Your best hope in this human existence is to discover and embrace what God has chosen for you, and what He chooses to do with those around you.
And this attitude most certainly extends to the divine council. They are accountable to God, not to us. But whenever you find yourself saddled with the care of His sheep in any way, know that He has certain expectations. His Word says that a critical part of our training in this life is to endure and persevere in His calling regardless of what others do. He will eventually judge everyone for everything, and you will get to see it, even if there appears to be no justice in this life.
What are His expectations? In His eyes, the shepherd's single greatest duty is caring for the sheep. More to the point, it is sacrificial caring. Sacrifice is the coin of His Realm; it is what you store up in your eternal treasury. The western approach to business, with accounting and profitability, etc., is not God's outlook on things. That stuff is the religion of those who worship Mammon. A part of Radix Fidem teaching is that the sole purpose for any commercial endeavor is to fatten the sheep. You would try to keep the company alive, but not for your own profit. Rather, you run things with an eye for the long term welfare of the sheep.
Thus, you would pay the sheep in your flock as much as you possibly can and still keep the business going. You seek their best advantage, and take an active interest in their welfare, whatever it is you can do for them. They are the sole purpose in God's eyes. The profit margin is your last consideration.
Now, consider how that kind of agenda works in other activities that people engage in this life. Obviously, it's true of any form of government, as well. Genesis 9 indicates that government has a clear duty before God to bear the sword, and that humanity must have government. Humans are obliged to form a government at whatever level is necessary for the context. It must be feudal and tribal; to some degree, that's how you would run a commercial operation, as well.
Your duty is to get as close as you possibly can to His law code for living on this earth. You will never control all the factors, so there is a basic assumption that things will never be perfect. Your mission is to embrace His agenda for human existence and trust Him to provide opportunities to make Him look glorious.
And on the human level, the whole point is the welfare of the sheep He puts in your care.
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