Why Sheep?

I have often laughed at the fact that Scripture refers to Christ’s followers as sheep. There are many reasons why this is an appropriate analogy. We will get into that later. The fundamental fact is sheep need a shepherd. They are not intelligent animals. Some might say they are dumb. I have heard farmers comment that their sheep would walk into a hole. I guess that’s why shepherds have a staff.

One interesting factoid I recently read explained that sheep cannot drink from moving water. Their nose and mouth are so close together that running water will cause them to be unable to breathe while drinking. They need still water.

Sheep are herd animals, but it is also not uncommon for one to wander off. Maybe they daydream. Perhaps the most interesting fact deals with their sleep patterns. When a sheep cannot sleep, they count humans jumping over a fence. Weird! 😊

They are beautiful creatures with helpful wool. They are gentle, loyal, and loving to their shepherd. They indeed learn their shepherd’s voice. They are also delicious with mint jelly. I apologize to my vegan friends.

One might ask, why sheep? Why would God compare us to sheep? Because sheep need a shepherd. Honestly, we are a lot like them. We wander off at times. I have been known to step into an obvious hole in front of me…more often than I care to admit. I also like to get too close to the wolf on occasion. I need a shepherd, and so do you.

Fortunately, Jesus is ready, willing, and lovingly able to shepherd His people. From the book of Isaiah to the Gospel of John, Jesus is proclaimed our Good Shepherd. So good that John 10 tells us He is willing to lay down his life for His sheep.

Psalm 23 is probably the most known portion of Scripture outside John 3:16. David writes about the Good Shepherd. While these verses do not explicitly use different names of good, His character is depicted in the text. Two names are used. I will mark those with an *. I will present this verse by verse with the NLT text of Psalm 23.

Verse 1, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

In Verse one, we see the first of two names written in the text: Jehovah-Ro’iy*, the Lord my Shepherd.

“I have all that I need,” Jehovah-Jireh.

Verse 2, “He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful stream.”

This is a peaceful place where we see God as Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord my peace.

Verse 3, “He renews my strength.”

He is Jehovah-Raphe, the Lord, my healer.

“He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.”

He is Jehovah-Tsidkenu, the Lord my righteousness.

Verse 4, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

We see God’s nearness to us reflected in His name, Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord is there.

Verse 5, “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.”

He is Jehovah-Nissi, the Lord my banner.

“You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”

He is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, the Lord who sanctifies.

Verse 6, “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”

He is Jehovah*, YHWH, the covenant God.

It is interesting to contemplate the character of sheep and how we connect, but my goal is not to be like another sheep but like my Shepherd. Isn’t the character of our Shepherd amazing? He is truly our all in all. YHWH, the I Am that I Am. I encourage you to do the same. Strive to be like the Shepherd. Trust the Shepherd. Know His voice and love Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He will do.

Stay close to the Shepherd. Otherwise, the enemy of our soul may serve us up on a plate with a side of mint jelly. As the Facebook prophetess once remarked, “ain’t nobody got time for that.”