Shepherd and Sheep
See Luke 2:8-12
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
When Jesus was born, an angel made the news known to shepherds while they were keeping watch over their flocks at night (Luke 2:8). Shepherds are people taking care of sheep. Sheep are mild animals with short-sight and low intelligence. Their front legs are shorter than the rear legs. So they are easily fallen down and not able to get up by themselves easily. Without protection by shepherds, they become preys of wild animals like wolfs and lions. In Luke 2:8, shepherds were watching over their flocks to protect them from predators. Shepherds use various tools to protect their flocks.
See Psalm 23:4.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
“rod” & “staff” are deadly weapons that shepherds use to strike predators. They are thrown directly to hit the body of lion or wolf, resulting in immediate death.
In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, David testified his experience as a shepherd of his father’s flock:
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
As for David, “sling and stones” might be his weapon to rescue a sheep from predators (1 Samuel 17:40).
In this generation, there are many types of predators that carry off a sheep from the flock. Spiritually speaking, the evil forces that cause “Sin” are the predators (Ephesians 6:12). The evil forces and the followers of the evil may cause sins like (sexual) immorality, unbelief, and worries of life that make sheep slain and result in spiritual death in the end (James 1:15).
A sheep’s life depends on protection provided by the shepherd. Let us protect our sheep from various sins.
See Proverbs 27:23
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
Let us keep watch over them and provide adequate protection, swinging the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) (Ephesians 6:17).
