Mehreen Alberts
Iowa, my uncle raised sheep. One thing is that sheep are invulnerable to predators. They can’t fight back and they can’t outrun predators. They just panic. They’re afraid of water and can only be led to still water by a shepherd (Psalm 23:2), and who can blame them? Sheep can’t swim. Imagine getting all that wool soaked, so they’re really good at doing two things in water…sinking, and drowning. They’re also very good at getting stuck on their backs and being totally defenseless. You can scare them into thinking they are having an accident. Heart attack by imagining a dog or wolf is going to attack, even if it doesn’t. And sheep must be led to green pastures (Psalm 23:1); otherwise they’d eat the grass down to the roots, destroying the pasture 🙌
Shepherds love their flock as much as their children and do everything they can to take care of it. Most shepherds will remember all the mothers and her young. Two of the sheep are placed in separate stables for approximately four to five days, if the mother does not care enough about her young. Next, all the other mother sheep care for and feed their children. The lamb will be killed if the mother sheep fails to care for her young until the very end. The shepherd will feed the lamb with milk and then raise it.
From the beginning of time, shepherds have been the proverbial “ditch diggers,” the down-trodden, the disrespected. Even the’s angels coming to shepherds to tell the tale. Nothing has changed over the years. From the shepherds on the hills in Scotland to those of the Western frontier to the Basque shepherds, who immigrated from Mexico, and were the shepherds at the extreme west and the emancipated slaves All those who moved west to raise sheep were treated differently and considered an inferior class throughout history. Thank you, Curley Orellana of Santa Cruz (Bolivia), for this wonderful information.
Guidance to the sheep. As the Western shepherd, the Eastern shepherd does not drive his sheep. The Eastern shepherd always leads his sheep, sometimes even going ahead of them. “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them” (Joh 10:4). However, this does not mean the shepherd must always be in front of his flock. While he might be in that exact position while traveling, he will often walk alongside his sheep, or follow them if they are heading for the fold at night. He can catch any wanderers and defend them from wild animals from an attack. If the flock is a large one, the shepherd will be in front, and a heifer will follow behind.23 Isaiah speaks of the omnipresent Lord in a double relationship to His people: “For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward ” (Isa 52:12). This was modified by Gregory Ashley, Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand) on May 26, 2021.
This article is based on a brand new article by ministrymatters.comI’m having heard it’s saying that sheep are the most basic of livestock. The sheep, therefore, are very vulnerable to predators without having a shepherd. These sheep are very vulnerable to the enemies they face, like wolves and thieves (see John 10). Their vulnerability to their enemies is also evident as they often wander off from the flock. Even though I don’t know much about sheep, my limited understanding of them suggests that any sheep who ventures away from their shepherd’s watchful eyes is likely to get into trouble. While sheep may be dependent upon a shepherd to keep them safe, I doubt they fully appreciate their dependency on him. They probably scarcely notice the shepherd’s presence until they feel the pull of the staff when they are pulled from danger. At the other end of the spectrum, human beings are creation’s most complex thinkers. Humans are capable of processing vast amounts information. Complex decisions are possible. We’re not sheep-like. Yet, Jesus uses the parable of the good shepherd to teach his followers about the relationship offered and sought by God with God’s creation. Jesus understood an important human characteristic. Perhaps, we may look more like sheep than our conscious awareness suggests.
Christian Connolly blueletterbible.orgThis explains why human passion is so weak. Jesus speaks of his divine ardor to the Father, “the men whom thee gavest me of the world”, but oh! How strong these expressions are of divine love! He’s saying, “Thine were they,” and “thou gavest these to me.” And those whom thou gavest me have I had kept. You sheep of Christ, be safe; don’t let your heart become troubled by fear. God’s Father gave you to your Son and He’s wining’t allow him to lose what God has already given. Even the infernal Lions will not take the least of the lambs that are a token from his Father to his most beloved Beloved. Christ will defend his sheep while he protects them from the lions and bears that will take their lambs; he’s wining’t allow the least to die. Modified by Alexis Ashford, Kurnool (India), June 17, 2020
Anais Beatty, bridgesforpeace.comRich imagery is a key ingredient of the Bible’s ability to assist its readers in understanding deep spiritual truths. A shepherd and his sheep are one of the most common images. According to the prophets, there are good shepherds and bad shepherds. God is called our shepherd. Psalm 23, which is both Christian and Jewish, is one of my favourite psalms. As a young child I remember it. It speaks of the Lord’s great love for His people. Yeshua (Jesus) referred to Himself as the “good shepherd.” Lately, I have been reflecting on the characteristics of a shepherd. How can this ancient occupation be taught us?
A new article by work.chron.com, a shepherd’s primary responsibility is the safety and welfare of the flock. One flock may contain as many as 1000 sheep. A shepherd will take the livestock to pasture, where they can be fed. Keeping a watchful eye out for poisonous plants. Sometimes, shepherds reside in trailers and other mobile housing. The Shepherds often live in trailers or other mobile quarters. Sheep eat all the forage in an area, the shepherd will move both the sheep and his living Quarters for fresh range. Most cases the shepherd and his livestock are responsible. Dogs will move the sheep out to fresh grazing each day and bring them back Each night, you should sleep in the exact same spot.
