The Sheperds

I was just listening to a Christmas carol on You -Tube. It was about the Shepherds. You know if some angels came by me and my business associates and told us  to go and look for a brand new baby  we would not have been quite about it.

All the songs seem to paint this picture of a peaceful and serene night.

I doubt anyone would have been left to look after the sheep. I am sure they would have followed the shepherds too. So you would have had these unschooled campers looking for a baby. They were not given any directions. 

I am not sure if the star would have helped them as we have assumed. The star was for the star gazers who understood what mysteries stars presented.  Maybe it did help them. But the whole town would have woken up to the baaing of the sheep going down the streets, the loud and excited shepherds who could not be quiet after the angels had told them about a baby king.

It is sort of ironic that the angels came to the keepers of the passover lambs. I am sure they knew some of the Hebrew scriptures especially the  scriptures related to their trade.  They were keepers of the sacrifices. They made sure the lambs were well and "perfect". 
God was showing them the perfect Lamb of God who was to take away the sins of the world. He was showing them that they would not be needed any longer once His perfect Lamb was sacrificed and the all the prophecies had come true. 

They were following in the paths of many of Israel's heroes as well.  Joseph, Moses, and David were shepherds as well. All three were also last born of their families. Interesting.