"Sheep" --
God's Sheep
A tablet
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Terrific Tablets"
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by John
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[Author's
note: I especially enjoy the Biblical
references shown below, concerning God's "sheep". These
scriptures are frequently quoted -- and have splendid
"metaphoric" implications. I consider these scriptures to be
further references to those "human" sheep who
have already been "accepted" (redeemed, saved,
chosen
[link]).... by God.... those
individuals who are already "approved" and included, by God,
among His
people (link) --
God's
children (link).... those
who are claimed by God, for God's
own reasons. Can there be any other
"interpretation"?
[There are 38 references to "sheep", in the New
Testament. Almost all of these 38 verses employ the word
"sheep" metaphorically, refering to God's
people.]
When I consider a
scriptural reference (like God's metaphoric analogy
to His "sheep", as quoted below) -- I
assume the words of the scripture to
mean what they say. For
example, in the quotations below, concerning "sheep"
-- when the Biblical words say that God
has His own "sheep", and that He
gathers His sheep from afar (Ezekiel
34, below).... and when the Bible says that God-Incarnate's
"sheep" hear His voice; and that His
sheep follow Him (John 10) -- I
assume the quoted words to mean
precisely what they say.
Similarly.... I assume the words of any
clearly-stated scripture NOT
to mean what the words do
NOT say. For example, these same references to
"sheep" do NOT say that God
loves and "accepts" ALL sheep -- or
any-and-every "sheep" who may
decide to "try God", and "sign-up" with God's flock.
These scriptures state that God
searches for His flock -- and
that He Himself rescues and "saves" His
sheep
Furthermore, these same scriptural references do
not say that the Great Shepherd
claims only those "human-sheep" who crawl
before Him; or only those who recite a
particular doctrinal creed; or only those who
"join" a certain denominational
"church" (and follow that
church's laws, rules, rites, and regulations); or
only those who perform certain "good works";
or only those who are without sin and
error; or only those who "clone" themselves
with others in a certain humanistic "religious"
endeavor.
The reference below, from Ezekiel, DOES
state that God Himself judges between one
sheep and another sheep -- and that
He Himself gathers His
scattered sheep. There
is NO indication that God
needs or awaits "human"
or "church" approbation -- before God
"gathers" His own
"sheep".
Note the following selected references to
"sheep" -- from NRSV. Read these
quotations out loud -- so that you may "hear"
your own voice.... repeating
God's words:
Ezekiel 34: 2 Thus
says the Lord GOD: Ah, you
shepherds of Israel who have been feeding
yourselves. Should not shepherds feed the
sheep? 3 You eat the fat, and you
clothe yourselves with the wool. You slaughter the
fatlings; but you do not feed the
sheep...... 6 My sheep
were scattered -- they wandered over all the
mountains, and on every high hill. My
sheep were scattered over all the
face of the earth, with NO ONE to
search, or seek for them...... 11
For thus says the Lord GOD: I
myself will search for my sheep,
and will SEEK them out.
12 As shepherds seek-out their
flocks when they are among their scattered sheep,
so I will SEEK OUT
my sheep. I will rescue them
from all the places to which they have been
scattered, on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
13 I will bring them out from
the peoples, and gather
them from the countries; and will bring
them into their own land; and I
will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by
the watercourses -- and in all the
inhabited parts of the land....... 15 I
myself will be the shepherd
of my sheep....... 16
I will seek the lost -- and I will
bring back the strayed; and I
will bind up the injured....... 17 As for
you, my flock, thus
says the Lord GOD: I SHALL
JUDGE between SHEEP and SHEEP
-- between RAMS and GOATS......
22 I will SAVE MY
FLOCK -- and they shall no
longer be ravaged; and I will
JUDGE between SHEEP
and SHEEP....... 30 They shall
know that I, the LORD their God, am with them -- and that
they, the house of Israel, are my people,
says the Lord GOD. 31 You are my
sheep, the sheep of my pasture
-- and I am your God, says the Lord
GOD.
John 10: 2 (Jesus speaking): The one
who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the
sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him;
and the sheep hear his voice.
He calls HIS OWN sheep by
name, and leads them out. 4 When
he has brought out ALL his
own, he goes ahead of them; and the sheep
follow him, because they know
his voice....." 7 So again
Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I
am the GATE for the sheep. 8 All
who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the
sheep did not listen to them. 11
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down
His life for the sheep...... 16 I
have other sheep that do not belong to
this fold. I must bring
them also; and they will
listen to my voice. So there
will be ONE flock --
ONE shepherd..... 26 .......
You do not believe,
because you do not belong to
my sheep. 27 My
sheep hear my voice. I
know them; and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life -- and they will
never perish. NO ONE will snatch
them out of my hand.
29 What my Father has
GIVEN me is greater than ALL else --
and NO ONE CAN snatch it out of the Father's hand.
30 The Father and I
ARE ONE."
Matthew 25: 32 All the nations will be gathered
before Him, and He will separate people one
from another, as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats;
33 and He will put the sheep at His right
hand, and the goats at the left.
Matthew 26: 31 Then Jesus said to them,
"You will all become deserters because of me this
night; for it is written, 'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock
will be scattered.' "
Mark 6: 34 As He went ashore, He saw a great
crowd; and He had compassion for them, because they were
like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to
teach them many things.
Luke 15: 4 "Which one of you, having a hundred
sheep, and losing one of them, does
not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and
go after the one that is lost until he
finds it? 6 And when he comes home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors, saying to them,
'Rejoice with me, for I have found my
sheep that was lost.'
Psalm 100: 3 (KJV) Know ye that the LORD He is
God: it is He that hath made us, and not
we ourselves. We are His
people, and the SHEEP of His
pasture. 4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
and into His courts with praise. Be thankful unto Him,
and bless His name. 5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting; and His truth
endureth to all generations.
Jeremiah 23: 1 Woe to the shepherds who
destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture, says the LORD. 2
Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel,
concerning the shepherds who shepherd my
people: It is you who have scattered
my flock, and have driven them away, and
you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you
for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I
myself will gather the remnant of
MY FLOCK out of all the lands where I
have driven them -- and I will bring them back to
their fold, and they shall be fruitful, and
multiply. 4 I will raise up
shepherds over them who will shepherd them,
and they shall not fear any
longer, or be dismayed -- nor shall ANY
be missing, says the
LORD.
And, of course -- the
"Twenty-third Psalm". What review of Biblical
metaphoric "sheep-and-shepherds" would be complete
without including this magnificent
reference?
Psalm 23: 1 The
LORD is my Shepherd. I
shall not want. 2 He
makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still
waters. 3 He restores my
soul. He leads me in path of
righteousness -- for His
name's sake. 4 Yes -- though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no
evil -- for He is with
me. His rod and His staff comfort
me. 5 He prepares a
table before me, in the presence of
my enemies. He anoints
my head with oil. My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy will follow me, all
the days of my life; and I will
dwell in the house of the LORD,
forever.
Personal
remarks about the 23rd Psalm:
(I especially like the
statements in Psalm 23, concerning what
God does..... and has
done..... and will do..... for
His "sheep" (His
people). Note the following:
God "makes
me lie down in 'GREEN'
pastures." (God directs His sheep into
"fertile" and productive locations and
situations, where the performance and
"yield" of His sheep will be greater.)
"God leads
me beside STILL waters." ("Still
waters run DEEP". God places His
"sheep" into circumstances that are profound. and
important.... where His sheep will be most
effective.)
God
"restores my soul" (no outside individuals,
or counsellors, or evangelists, or
church-groups.... have the authority or the power
to "restore" anyone's soul. Neither
can we individual "sheep" restore our own
souls..... by devotion to certain deeds and
creeds.
God directs
("leads") His people onto "paths of righteousness,
for HIS NAME'S SAKE". God imputes
"righteousness" to His sheep.....
not as a reward for an individual's
performance or "obedience" -- and not for
"the world" to notice and acknowledge and thank --
and not for the aggrandizement
and achievements of a certain church.....
but for the "sake" of the
power and authority of God's
name..... for recognition and
acknowledgment, by the world, of the
supremacy of God-the-Creator.
"I fear no
evil -- for God is with me".
God protects me, for reasons that I
cannot explain -- even in "the presence of my
enemies".
"My cup runs over".
God supplies more than what is needed by His
people; and God encourages and comforts His
people, as they carry our the plans and purposes of
God.)
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So, what do you say? How can you get to be a
"God's-Sheep"? Is it your "choice"? Can
a "church" embrace you, and thus cause you to
become enrolled among God's selected "sheep"? Will
baptism -- or a public claim of "faith".... or
tithing.... or bowing before certain church-icons....
enable you to be included in The
Shepherd's "flock" -- so that you may
then receive the "benefits" granted by
God to His sheep?
OR.... does God already know His
own "selected" sheep, as the above Biblical quotations
indicate? Has God's selective-process
(see link) already taken place? Or is God
helplessly waiting for us human-beings to
advise Him as to whom He may "accept" -- or is
God anxiously waiting for a certain earthly church to
approve God's own choices for
inclusion among His "sheep"?
Can we humans "write our own ticket" -- and
include ourselves among
God's "sheep".... God's "flock"? If you and I "make a
decision" to sign-up as one of God's "sheep", must we then
anxiously wait, and hope throughout a
lifetime.... that God will agree with our
humanly "self-approval" -- and that God will include
us, sometime later, when He Himself "brings home" His
own flock?
When God "judges" between one sheep, and
another sheep -- and between "rams and
goats and sheep" -- do you and I and our
church have a "vote" as to whom
God may "include", and "save"? Or, is
it God's decision -- only? Is
there any way that we human-animals can
bypass or circumvent God's decision....
God's intention.... God's choice?
I think I know the answer. Do you?
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