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How Does Rāʿâ Connect The USMNT & Father’s Day?

How Does Rāʿâ Connect The USMNT & Father’s Day?

Last updated on: June 21, 2026 at 9:59 pm by Martin Thomas Johnson

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How Does Rāʿâ Connect The USMNT & Father’s Day? 2026-06-21T21:59:34-04:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

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The big news this weekend, once again, centers on the World Cup and sports teams working together to overcome the odds. On Friday night, the US national men’s soccer team

(USNMT) defeated powerhouse Australia and won their group to close out this stage of the competition.

Image by Wikipedia Commons

This year’s USMNT looks better than previous teams. I actually stopped watching them for over a decade because of their poor performance.

Although they are entering the knockout stage at the top of their group, they didn’t win their group by attacking their opponents or even controlling the game; they won by working together as a team. Players know the benefits of listening to their captain/coach/leaders:

Guidance
Leading
Protection
Encouragement

Soccer players stick to the game plan designed by their coaches. Coaches spend hours watching the tapes and developing plays to counter their opponents. Team captains and co-captains implement the plays designed to protect the goal and break through the opponents line up.

Interestingly, one of the USMNT co-captains is out with an injury, which means that players need to remember plays and listen to their coaches more. Reminds me of how God leads His people to victory like a shepherd (1 Samuel 17:34-37, Psalm 23:1-4, Isaiah 40:11).

What Is a Shepherd

These days, most people don’t understand the role and importance of a shepherd. A shepherd can be either a spiritual or commonplace leaders that play very crucial role in protecting and leading whomever they are overseeing.

Shepherd

A shepherd is defined as “A person who tends sheep or groups; to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd.” A traditional shepherd can be a dangerous role/responsibility in life. Shepherds often place themselves in harm’s way to protect the flock and to lead them to safety.

Spiritually, shepherds play an important role in God’s Kingdom, as they are overseers of His flock. That is why the Bible has a lot to say about shepherds and Who our ultimate shepherd is (Mark 6:34, John 10:7, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:4).

Shepherds are symbolic of spiritual leaders among God’s people (Isaiah 56:11, Ezekiel 34:2-5, Zechariah 11:17, John 21:15-17). Shepherds are assigned and commanded by God to lead His people (Luke 10:1-10, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:2-4). The apostles remembered their Jewish education about shepherds, how God uses them, and who our ultimate Shepherd is.

Rāʿâ

The Torah tells us how God walked with His creation, guided and provided for them like a good Shepherd (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:8; 5:24; 6:9). God sacrificed an animal to cover Adam and Eve after they disobeyed Him (Genesis 3:7, 21).

Our God tried to guide and teach mankind like a flock, but they strayed from His guidance and sinned (Isaiah 53:6). We see God trying to lead and protect mankind and animals through Noah and the ark like a shepherd (Genesis 6:13-7:5).

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for Shepherd is rāʿâ, and it can also mean “Feed, pastor, keep, companion, company, or herdsmen,” depending upon the context it is used in. God’s people are ultimately dependent on God to be their Shepherd (Psalm 23:1-7; 80:1; 95:7; 100:3, Isaiah 40:1, Jeremiah 31:10, Micah 7:14).

That is why Israel gave him the beloved name of Jehovah-Raah. Israel was led by many patriarchs and leaders in the faith who were also shepherds:

Abraham
Isaac
Jacob
Joseph
Moses
Aaron
David

The messianic prophecy predicts the Messiah will be a shepherd from the lineage of King David (Jeremiah 23:5, Ezekiel 34:23-24, Micah 5:2). It’s no coincidence that Jesus was born in David’s hometown of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-7).

Jesus the Good Shepherd

Bethlehem was a shepherd’s town where sacrificial sheep were raised to be sent to temples for sacrifice. Jesus is described by the New Testament writers as the sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29, Acts 8:32, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 9:12-14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 2:2, Revelation 7:14).

Our Lord described Himself as the “Good Shepherd” who willingly lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11-15). Before His final ascension, Jesus urged Peter to feed and care for His flock (John 21:15-17).

Father’s Day

As I write this, fathers around the world are being celebrated on Father’s Day. God ordained fathers the spiritual shepherds of the home (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Proverbs 4:1-4; 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:4, Ephesians 5:23; 6:4).

Image created by Martin Thomas Johnson using Canva

Fathers have similar responsibilities as shepherds for their families: provide, feed, protect, lead, guide, and discipline. God’s people are to rely on and trust their heavenly Father like a Shepherd (Psalm 23:1-7). It is foolish for them to keep wanting more than what He has already given them.

In my favorite book, a Shepherd looks at Psalm 23, Philip Keller writes, “Actually, what is referred to by ‘house’ is the family or household or flock of the Good Shepherd. The sheep is so deeply satisfied with the plot to which it belongs, with the ownership of this particular shepherd, that it has no wish to change whatever.”[1]

It is in the household of God we find and receive everything we need (Psalm 23:6):

Protection
Provision
Shelter
Love

Unfortunately, we live in a time where what God has given His people isn’t enough; they want more things and earthly greatness, just like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:4-5). Many in the American church have followed the hired hand who is out to only make them happy instead of being God’s holy people (John 10:1-42).

When we turn to the idols of the world and temporary happiness, we whore ourselves to another master and lord (Ezekiel 16:15-17, Hosea 4:12). To my MAGA friends, you cannot serve two masters, or be part of this fallen world and be part of God’s holy family (Matthew 6:24, James 4:4, 1 John 2:15-17). It is only our heavenly father who leads, guides, and sanctifies us as Jehovah-Raah!

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