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Picture of the day -
February 18, 2006
Sheep Grazing In Washington County, Va
Down through the ages, human beings have relied upon sheep for their
livelihood. Their meek nature and gentle disposition made sheep the farm animal
of choice back in the
days before the advent of fences. In a nutshell, they were relatively easy to
control and protect from predators - so easy in fact that children were often
assigned the chore of shepherding the family's herd of sheep.
In the days of Christ, there were herds of sheep virtually everywhere that
humans existed. Their wool was sheared and made into warm garments that
protected people from the winter cold, and their meat was the basis for many a
meal. These gentle animals have truly played a major role in the history of
mankind.
Sheep have played a prominent role in Christianity as well. The Lord Jesus
Christ himself made frequent references to sheep in his teachings and sermons.
He wanted humans to take on some of the characteristics of sheep - such as
meekness and the willingness to follow their shepherd. In John 10:11, Jesus said
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
The lamb (a baby sheep) has long been considered a symbol of perfection and
total innocence, leading others to use the term "lamb" to describe Christ - the
only truly perfect and completely innocent person to ever walk upon the face of
the earth. John 1:29 says "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and
saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Every time I see a herd of sheep grazing in a pasture field, I think about what
it must have been like living some 2,000 years ago. Humans depended on their
sheep to keep them warm and fed while the sheep in return depended on their
shepherd to lead them to greener pastures and keep them safe from predators.
Today, we humans could get along just fine without sheep if we wanted to, but we
still need The Good Shepherd to lead us and keep us safe - since we
are in fact His sheep.
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