I know there are lots of verses in the Bible that compare people to sheep. Whether or not this is flattering, it's true :)
In fact, I really like a lot of the sheep imagery in the Bible - the Shepherd rescuing the wandering sheep and greatly rejoicing over it, the Shepherd holding the lambs in his arms and gently tending those that have young.
But some of it is not so nice: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way..." I guess sheep, although they are supposed to follow their Shepherd, are stubborn and not too bright, so they tend to wander off - thus the need for a Shepherd to watch over them. Ok. So this was all familiar to me before. But I never made the connection to the rest of the verse and the one following: "...and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:6-7). The connection is that the Shepherd became one of the sheep. Is this appalling? Or is it completely and miraculously awesome? Maybe a bit of both.
Teach me, Lord, to follow you unquestioningly, whether beside still waters and through green pastures or through the darkest valleys. Remind me that you are the Shepherd - you always have my best interests at heart and you take care of me so faithfully. May I be as faithful to you in return.
In fact, I really like a lot of the sheep imagery in the Bible - the Shepherd rescuing the wandering sheep and greatly rejoicing over it, the Shepherd holding the lambs in his arms and gently tending those that have young.
But some of it is not so nice: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way..." I guess sheep, although they are supposed to follow their Shepherd, are stubborn and not too bright, so they tend to wander off - thus the need for a Shepherd to watch over them. Ok. So this was all familiar to me before. But I never made the connection to the rest of the verse and the one following: "...and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:6-7). The connection is that the Shepherd became one of the sheep. Is this appalling? Or is it completely and miraculously awesome? Maybe a bit of both.
Teach me, Lord, to follow you unquestioningly, whether beside still waters and through green pastures or through the darkest valleys. Remind me that you are the Shepherd - you always have my best interests at heart and you take care of me so faithfully. May I be as faithful to you in return.
2 comments:
So good!
(i don't want to be a goat. nope.)
Wow. I too never thought of it that way before. That brings things even more into light. Can you imagine a shepherd sitting in the grass, looking at all his sheep and thinking, "Man, it would be nice to be a sheep!" I don't think so! Yet, God did...for us. Incredible! :)
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