“All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.” Isaiah 53:6 NLT
Dumb and defenseless, that is how a shepherd describes sheep!1 While they may look cute and
cuddly, they lack certain built-in life-saving mechanisms. First, with no sense of direction, they frequently wander off unable to find their way home. Second, lacking the “full” signal in their brain, overeating is a life-threatening concern. Third, they like to walk and graze repeatedly on the same path not realizing that they are depleting their food source. Fourth, without the ability to stand up after falling on their backs, sheep helplessly flail their legs causing gas to build up in their abdomen resulting in paralysis. Unless rescued, death is certain.
Defenseless, with no protective body armor, sheep are easy prey for foxes, wolves, and other predators. Further, if they walk into a river or pond, their woolly coats will soak up with water pulling them under. In addition, without the ability to perceive danger, they will wander into a thorn bush or nibble the grass to a cliff edge and right over! The need for a shepherd is vital to their very existence.
Throughout the Bible, its writers, using terms to which the ancient people could relate, included many shepherd and sheep illustrations to compare God’s situation with His people. For instance, King David used this metaphor in many of his Psalms while Isaiah and Ezekiel emphasized their points of instruction using sheep and shepherds as examples (Isaiah 53:6, Ezekiel 34:1-23). Later, Jesus called himself the ‘Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11-16) and told a parable using a shepherd and his sheep to make a point (Matthew 18:12-14). However, after learning about the every day lives of sheep and then reading the metaphors in the Bible, I said, rather indignantly, “Surely, people cannot be compared to sheep!”
My defense starts:
• I am teachable and retain most of what I am taught
• I usually wander with either a map or some idea of my destination
• My brain has the “full” signal, so I know when to stop eating
• While I do not have much in the way of body armor, perhaps fingernails, teeth, and fists might be useful, my brain is programmed to avoid impending trouble using my legs to run away
• I can swim, and my skin and hair do not soak up water and pull me under
Pondering further . . . now willing to be enlightened, I ask, “Are we really like sheep?”
My admission starts:
• I do not always stop eating when my brain says, “enough,” causing discomfort to my stomach and digestive tract
• I do ‘walk in a rut’ frequently in the way I interact ineffectively with others and repeat detrimental lifestyle habits
• I did actually get lost in Amsterdam, taking four hours to find my way back to the hotel
• I have some addictive habits, especially around chocolate and cookies, when self-control has ‘left the room’
• Although I am always on the lookout for danger when out and about, especially when out with my camera, I frequently ignore the danger signs in favour of making a great photograph
• Emotionally, I let concerns loom large in my life leading to bouts of depression
• Spiritually, in the past, I let the “I am god” philosophies of New Age lure me away from Jesus Christ
• (I could go on, but you get the idea . . .)
Verdict: “OK, I admit - I am like a sheep!”
King David knew what he was comparing, as he had been a shepherd in his youth and knew all the habits of sheep. He had been their protector and provider. Later in life, David examined his own heart and life situation from the Lord’s point of view and realizing his need for a spiritual shepherd he declared in Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd.” The Lord is revealed in the New Testament as Jesus Christ, who has the same care and concern for His people that a shepherd has for his sheep.
Lord, as one of your people, I admit my inability to avoid danger, my lapses in self-control, and my straying away from your paths. Lord, thank you that as my shepherd you supply all of my needs, you give me rest from daily pressures, you comfort me during times of trouble, and bless me with your goodness and mercy. You, Lord, are my shepherd, and I am your sheep. Amen.
1. Keller, W. Phillip, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan), 1970, 2007.
