The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalms 23:1
The above text clearly tells us who the Lord is but also clearly implies that we are His sheep. I ask - why of all animals did the Lord choose sheep to illustrate who we are? As you are reading this Valmae & I (God willing) will be deep in the sheep country of New Zealand. Sheep by the millions graze the pastoral land and high country runs of both North and South Islands. I have had a lot of experience with these animals in my farming years. They are at all times to their owner shepherd, frustrating, clever, demanding, determined, stupid, lovable and very high maintenance animals!
By the way - sheep have always been like this - even in ancient biblical times. This should give us a clue, why God so often chose sheep in both the Old & New Testaments to describe His people! I will say no more, but read what Phillip Keller wrote on this in his book, A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23 -
“It is no accident that God has chosen to call us sheep. The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways… Our mass mind (or mob instincts), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity, our perverse habits are all parallels of profound importance. Yet despite these adverse characteristics Christ chooses us, buys us, calls us by name, makes us His own and delights in caring for us.”
Hallelujah! What a Great Shepherd we have in our Lord. Let us be sheep of His pasture that heeds His voice, as we graze on His Word.