Genesis 46:29-34 KJV
29 And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.
30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.
31 And Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house, I will go up, and shew Pharaoh, and say unto him, My brethren, and my father's house, which were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me;
32 And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have.
33 And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation?
34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Genesis 49:22-26 KJV
22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:
23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him:
24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)
25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb:
26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

The good shepherd is often a reference to God and Jesus, but it is also a reference to the children of Israel. This reference maybe more note in the life of Joseph for his father blessed him calling him the shepherd and the stone of Israel. Two reference of also God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Why is Joseph called a stone. Despite his abuse from his brothers who sold him to Ishmaelite caravan that went to Egypt, he was then sold into slavery, later imprisoned, then he set free by Pharaoh and placed on a petal stool/throne to take care of the food provisions of the land of Egypt, he continued to trust in God. It was that food provision even Israel sought in the days of famine. Our own nation is like Egypt in regards to provision of food and liquid to drink. It been that way for centuries even to other lands. It like a great shepherd of peace but not peaceful. Egypt would not remain peaceful in time to come they would reenslave the children of Israel for four hundred and some years and then Moses would be born, protected and raised up to be a leader to Israel by God in the middle of the enemy's palace.

Shepherds of Israel were men that cared for the sheep of Israel even when times were difficult. Men that outshine their normal duty as leaders, that keep their faith in God despite what man did or said. They were solid rocks, and had a strong arm, to carry the sheep to embrace with, to soothe, to mend and to heal. People of faith that would stand against the enemy and opposition of those that refused God, Christ and the Holy Spirit. Israel was suppose to be a type of shepherd and rock to the children and nations around them. A people called by God for the purpose of being a rock or a shepherd for the world to see and know. However the world has proven time and time again Israel was not their shepherd or their protector. The God that Israel served was not their God. Yet all that would believe were welcome to be part of Israel.

God's master plan in the life of Israel was that his love shown by the people would draw them to him. God's plan did not fail, yet the opposition is real. When God sent the chief shepherd, the son of God to gather his people together the enemy was within the priesthood of the land. He was not the type of shepherd they were seeking much less the type of king they hoped for.

God is faithful to show his people who he truly is as the Great Shepherd, but also to the world. When Jesus arose up from the grave after his crucifixion he gather those that were his and taught them for forty days before ascending into heaven. Do we want a shepherd that is like Jesus or are wanting a worldly shepherd? What type of shepherd we want has consequences. Saul was the people's choice, King David a choice of God. God giving his people what they desire in their own thinking first and then what they truly need as a shepherd.

I ask a question a few days ago are you ready for the Good Shepherd to rule for eternity in your life? He ruling anyway, but we make choice to follow and obey Christ and His Father. We make choice to obey the Holy Spirit? Yes, there was at times evil leaders and people in the land of Israel, and even times of destruction. However those people feared not God. There is consequence for evil. A consequence that can lead to hell if we continue in sin and not allowing Christ to reign in our hearts, by obeying is word. The Lord restores our soul and that something man can not do for us. Man can not restore us except with material possession though man may try. Evil people care not to know God for themselves, or the peace he can bring. The need for little rocks and shepherds are why these titles are refered to man as well as God.

As believers in faith God is more then a father's blessing upon a son, He is more then Shepherd and the Rock. He is more then one tribe who represents him. He is a God that will show you even God's people fail and God's people do know the difference in a good shepherd and a shepherd that tries to steal the flock of God. Joseph brothers were only herdsmen by trade and not necessarily in faith in God. A stone is a term used even in John 1:34 in reference to Peter. There many us that believe and are classified as living stones/rocks, but we are not the Rock of faith, we are only people with the testimony of the Rock of faith and the Shepherd. There are people that will say they have been faithful all their life, and fail to remember a time when their faith was tested, or that they strayed. Yet all people struggle. Even Peter declared a stone would deny knowing Christ. Let us remember those that say they been faithful all their life, they just might not have been tested yet, or they may not understand what they do is wrong yet. They might not understand their perfection comes through salvation in Christ. That they too sin and fall short of the glory of God. I am not saying they are not rocks, I saying we all fail and stumble and we can not hold the title of being a Great Shepherd or The Rock, only God can. God's faithfulness to his children by giving them rocks/people of faith in their life til they become mature and strong in faith til they stand solely on the solid Rock of their salvation who is God and Christ Jesus(the word of God). Decide what rock you stand on, your fellow man or the everlasting Rock of faith.

Dear Heavenly Father thank you for so many titles that applied to man but can be applied to you. A term to describe faithfulness that can truly be said of you and not man. For truly great is your faithfulness to continue to be our Shepherd and our Rock despite our short coming. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: John 1:40-42 KJV
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 KJV
1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.