Poor guy. He wandered from his herd and wasn’t shorn for about five years. When they captured him, they sheared 89 pounds of wool. He needed his shepherd.
Domesticated sheep
I’ve never been around sheep, but I’ve read that they:
Are prone to wander and go astray
Are easily lost in unfamiliar territory
Don’t know good from bad food
Sometimes can’t get up when they fall
Have to be regularly shorn
Don’t have defenses so have to be protected from predators
We are Sheep
Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. (Psalm 100:3)
We, like sheep, have gone astray
All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way. (Isaiah 53:6)
We’re lost (Matthew 10:6), scattered (1 Kings 22:17), distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)
Good Shepherds Tend the Sheep
I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding. (Jeremiah 3:15)
Jesus called on Simon Peter to tend His lambs, shepherd His sheep, tend His sheep. (John 21:15–17)
Church leaders are also called to shepherd the flock.
Bad Shepherds Feed Themselves
Bad shepherds destroy and scatter the sheep (Jeremiah 23:1), lead them astray, (Jeremiah 50:6), let them wander and become afflicted (Zechariah 10:2).
Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? (Ezekiel 34:2)
The Great Shepherd of the Sheep
The Great Shepherd of the Sheep, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20):
Searches and seeks His sheep. (Ezekiel 34:11)
Cares for and delivers His scattered sheep. (Ezekiel 34:12)
Teaches His sheep. (Mark 6:34)
Feeds His flock and leads them to rest. (Ezekiel 34: 15)
Lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
“I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God. “I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment.” (Ezekiel 34:15–16)
We, believers, have the Great Shepherd
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:1–6)
Rejoice! Praise! Give Thanks!
