Good Shepherd – Dumb Sheep ∙∙
He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. – Isaiah 40:11
Ezekiel 34:11-16 For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I myself will search and find my sheep. As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. I will bring them back home to their own land of Israel from among the peoples and nations.
I will feed them on the mountains of Israel and by the rivers and in all the places where people live. Yes, I will give them good pastureland on the high hills of Israel. There they will lie down in pleasant places and feed in the lush pastures of the hills.
I myself will tend my sheep and give them a place to lie down in peace, says the Sovereign LORD. I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.
The Intelligence of Sheep: A Surprising Discovery
Sheep, often underestimated for their intelligence, have shown impressive cognitive abilities and memory. Researchers in Australia conducted experiments using a complex maze test, similar to those typically used with rats and mice, to evaluate sheep’s learning capabilities. The findings showed that these animals possess exceptional spatial memory, enabling them to learn from experience and improve their performance over time. Even more impressive, they can retain this acquired knowledge for up to six weeks.
At the University of Cambridge, scientists studying Huntington’s disease found additional evidence of sheep’s intelligence. Their research indicated that sheep have brainpower comparable to rodents, monkeys, and, in some cases, even humans. The sheep were challenged with tasks often used to test humans with Huntington’s disease. Remarkably, they demonstrated advanced learning skills, successfully navigating challenges in ways similar to those of humans and primates. (http://www.sheep101.info).
The Need for a Shepherd
Despite their intelligence, sheep are animals that need the guidance and care of a shepherd. In the Bible, the prophet Ezekiel critiques the leaders of Judah for their inadequate leadership, describing them as poor shepherds. These leaders not only exploited the people but also neglected their responsibility to cherish and safeguard them. In response to this dire situation, the Father made a promise of hope, a promise of a Good Shepherd who would come to lovingly care for His flock.
He pledges in Ezekiel 34:12: “I will be like a shepherd looking for his scattered flock. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day.”
This promise of a shepherd is echoed in the words of Isaiah: Isaiah 40:11: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.”
REFLECT & PRAY
The Father’s greatness exceeds anything on earth or in heaven. As described in Isaiah 40:12-20, He is the Creator who established the earth and displays His wisdom, power, and vastness through creation. He is greater than the nations and their gods, and nothing compares to Him. Isaiah further emphasizes this in Isaiah 40:21-26, presenting God as the one who sits on the throne in heaven, unmatched and unparalleled in His majesty.
Father, thank You for being a caring, loving, and great Shepherd. Thank You for sending the Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life so we could have eternal life and experience Your tenderhearted care forever.
INSIGHT
Insight into the Good Shepherd
The promise of a Good Shepherd, prophesied in the Old Testament, is fulfilled with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. In John 10:11-15, Jesus declares: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.”
This passage illustrates the depth of Christ’s love and commitment to His flock. Unlike a hired hand who abandons the sheep when danger arises, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, willingly sacrifices His life to protect and save His sheep. His relationship with His sheep is deeply personal, rooted in mutual understanding and love, reflecting the intimate bond between Jesus and the Father.
The Assurance of Eternal Security
Jesus expands on this promise in John 10:27-29: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Here, Jesus emphasizes three profound truths about His sheep:
- They are known by Him and follow His voice. Even before they respond to His call, they are already His sheep, chosen by the Father before the foundation of the world.
- They are given eternal life. This life begins the moment they put their faith in Him and lasts forever. Eternal life is not a future promise but a present reality for every child of the King.
- They are secure in His care. No force, earthly or spiritual, can remove them from His hand or the Father’s hand. This assurance of safety reflects God’s unshakable power and love.
The Depth of the Father’s Gift
The phrase in John 10:29, “My Father, who has given them to me,” carries significant weight. The Greek verb dedoken, derived from didomi “to give,” is in the perfect tense. This tense indicates “an action completed in the past with ongoing results into the present.”
The Father gave the sheep to Jesus at a specific point in the past, and they remain His forever. This eternal belonging highlights the unchanging nature of God’s promises.
John 10:27 reveals a subtle but profound truth about the relationship between the Shepherd and His sheep. Before the sheep even hear the Shepherd’s call, they are already His. He knows them. Their identity as His sheep is not dependent on their response to His voice. Instead, their identity as His sheep is shown when they choose to hear and follow Him.
In that crucial moment of hearing and responding, the Lord Jesus Christ grants them the gift of eternal life. Eternal life is not merely a distant hope to be experienced after death; it is a present reality that every child of the King can experience here and now.
The Shepherd’s Care and Promises
The care of the Good Shepherd is beautifully described in Isaiah 40:11: “He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart.”
As William Barclay eloquently notes, this secure life does not mean freedom from hardship but the serenity of God’s presence, even in the most challenging circumstances. The Good Shepherd’s promises are a source of unshakable hope and comfort for His flock.
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© Dr. H 2025
Dr H Reflections 