One Flock and One Shepherd

In the Torah portion this week we read of Jacob's meeting with Rachel at the well. Genesis 29:10 says, "When Jacob saw Rachel, daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep."

He rolled a stone away. Does that sound familiar? Is this not a vitally important prophetic picture? As I dug deeper into the meaning of this action that Jacob takes at the well, I found that it corresponds closely with the rolling away of stones in Yeshua's time. When he was summoned to the tomb of his good friend Lazarus, a great stone was rolled away - and as we know, that brought forth life from the dead! Yeshua said, "Father I thank You that You have heard me. I know that You always hear me but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me" (John 11:42). The rolling away of this great stone was to cause the people who were there to see that Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised Messiah, and all who believe in Him will receive eternal life. In John 11:25 Yeshua tells Martha, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live even though he dies."

We know that another great stone is rolled away after Yeshua Himself rises from the dead. "Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance" (John 20:1).

Back in Genesis 29, Jacob rolled the large stone away from the mouth of the well in order to water Rachel's sheep. So, what are we to see from that ancient picture? The Scripture tells us of Jacob, "There he saw a well in the field with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep (Genesis 29:2-3). Then along comes Rachel with her father's sheep at the high noon of the day. In Genesis 29:6 other shepherds at the well say to Jacob "Look, here comes Laban's daughter Rachel with the sheep."

What I hope you can begin to see here is the parallel of Rachel's flocks and Yeshua's sheep. Remember, we were told there were three distinct flocks of sheep. No matter who these sheep represent throughout the course of history, I believe one thing is certain: the flock who was with Rachel that day symbolize those of the House of Israel who received the Gospel as soon as they saw and heard Messiah Yeshua. For example, when Yeshua encounters the Samaritan woman at the well that day He tells her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman runs into her Samaritan town to tell all the people about the Messiah, and many believe in Him. They are Rachel's flock! The stone is rolled away, they receive the Living Water, and are born again into eternal life in Yeshua.

So, who are the other two flocks? I believe the second group of sheep represent the House of Judah (the Jewish people) who have always been believing in and waiting on a Messiah to come. And the third group represent people who do not yet know Him, but will come to believe yet in the future. As Yeshua says in John 10:14-15, "I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

This explains why, back in Genesis 29, the shepherds have to explain to Jacob "We can't water all the sheep yet until all the flocks are gathered and the stone rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will gather the sheep." Is this not thrilling? I believe we are living in the last days, when that last group of sheep is going to come, thirsty not for water and hungry not for food, but for the Living Water and the Word of God! The "stone" will finally be rolled away from their blinded eyes and they will "see" and know the power of the Resurrection of the Son of God.

All Rachel's flocks will be restored at last, and gathered at the well: one flock and one Shepherd!