We considered the Passover lamb and Jesus as its fulfillment this past Sunday before communion, and so the male lamb we have here tonight should help us understand both matters more clearly.
The Bible has much to say about sheep … literally about real sheep and metaphorically about us.
Sheep are primarily raised for their fleece (wool for clothing) and their meat (lamb meat or mutton).
Sheep average 100-225lbs for females and 100-350lbs for males, and they usually live 10-12 years.
Sheep have four stomach compartments, and they chew the cud like cows after the first compartment.
Sheep have a tendency to gravitate to the other members of the flock and will easily follow a leader.
Sheep are perceptive enough to recognize individual human faces and remember them for years.
Sheep have eyes that can see 320 degrees, meaning they can see behind their back without turning; but they have poor depth perception and can balk or be frightened even at swells in the terrain.
Sheep are very fearful animals and can hurt themselves fleeing from danger or actually die of panic.
Sheep have little defensive ability and helpful intelligence, relying on flocking and fleeing to survive.
In the beginning, Abel kept sheep and brought of the firstlings to the LORD (Genesis 4:1-4).
God provided a male lamb or ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac (Gen 22:8,13).
The Egyptians consider shepherding a despicable job, which the Israelites were (Gen 46:34).
Jacob prophesied about Joseph with the mighty help of God as His shepherd (Gen 49:23-25).
The LORD passed over Israel’s houses where a lamb’s blood was sprinkled (Ex 12:1-14).
Israel offered a lamb every morning and evening for a sacrifice (Ex 29:38-39; Num 28:3-4).
Moses before he died asked God for another shepherd to lead the Israelites (Num 27:15-20).
When Israel destroyed the five kings of Midian, they captured 675,000 sheep (Num 31:32).
Sheep meat is not too popular in the U.S., but it is desirable meat for fine dining (Deu 14:26).
Sheep milk is not popular today, though somewhat nutritious, but Israel drank it (Deu 32:14).
Gideon asked God to prove His will for him by dew and a fleece of wool (Judges 6:36-40).
When Samuel needed God’s help, he killed a sucking lamb for a sacrifice (I Samuel 7:9).
Saul did not obey the word of the Lord and bleating sheep gave him away (I Samuel 15:14).
David proved the Lord was with him by protecting sheep from a lion and bear (I Sam 17:34).
David used a shepherd’s bag, or scrip, for four stones for Goliath’s brothers (I Sam 17:40).
Nathan the prophet described Uriah as a man with a ewe lamb like a daughter (II Sam 12:3).
Solomon’s provision for his family and servants for a day included 100 sheep (I Kgs 4:23).
Moab paid tribute to Ahab and Israel by 100,000 lambs and rams with the wool (II Kgs 3:4).
David had been a keeper of sheep, a shepherd boy, before becoming king (I Chronicles 17:7).
Solomon offered 120,000 sheep to dedicate His temple to the LORD (II Chronicles 7:5; 5:6).
Micaiah prophesied of Ahab’s death by Israel as sheep with no shepherd (II Chron 18:16).
Job defended his character by describing his fleece as warming the poor (Job 31:19-20).
Job had a rather large flock of sheep, especially after the Lord rewarded him (Job 42:12).
David described God as a shepherd in which he could trust for every need (Ps 23:1; 80:1).
David often faced death, but God comforted him with a shepherd’s rod and staff (Ps 23:4).
David described Israel as God’s people and sheep of His pasture (Ps 79:13; 95:7; 100:3; etc.).
David confessed in prayer that he had gone astray from God like a lost sheep (Ps 119:176).
David described prosperity as having thousands and ten thousands of sheep (Psalm 144:13).
Solomon knew about wool suits and sweaters 3000 years before Haywood Mall (Prov 27:26).
Solomon described God as a Shepherd giving words to masters of assemblies (Eccl 12:11).
Solomon compared beautiful teeth to a flock of shorn and washed sheep (Song 4:2; 6:6).
God reasoned with sinful Israel that repentance could make their sins white as wool (Is 1:18).
The kingdom of the Prince of peace is described as the lion and wolf together (Isaiah 11:6).
A hungry lion might not fear a shepherd’s voice, and neither would God fear (Isaiah 31:4).
Hezekiah compared his death prognosis to a shepherd removing a temporary tent (Is 38:12).
The great God described His care for His people as a kind, loving shepherd (Is 40:10-11).
Cyrus the Persian was God’s shepherd to defeat Babylon and set the Jews free (Is 44:28).
Isaiah’s great prophecy of our Lord’s death describes both Him and us as sheep (Is 53:6-7).
Isaiah by inspiration referred to Moses as the shepherd of God over Israel (Isaiah 63:11).
Even sacrificing a lamb was not acceptable to God without a righteous life (Isaiah 66:3).
God has particular interest in protecting His sheep from false shepherds (Jer 23:1; Eze 34:2).
God declared there was no shepherd that could protect Babylon from Persia (Jer 50:44).
Jeremiah described the scattering of Israel by foreign nations like sheep scattered (Jer 51:17).
God prophesied of tender care to seek out His sheep wherever they were lost (Eze 34:11-12).
Ezekiel prophesied of Jesus under David’s name and profession (Ezek 34:22-25; 37:24-28).
Hosea reminds us that Jacob kept sheep in order to get his beloved wife Rachel (Hos 12:12).
Amos warned of God’s judgment being so thorough only body parts remain (Amos 3:12).
God will severely judge false shepherds that take advantage of His sheep (Zech 11:15-17).
Jesus warned of false prophets like wolves seeking the flock in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15).
Jesus sent forth His ministers as sheep or lambs among wolves (Matthew 10:16; Luke 10:3).
Jesus did teach the obvious fact that men are more important than sheep (Matthew 12:10-13).
Jesus limited His earthly ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24).
Jesus described Judgment Day as a shepherd separating sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-33).
Jesus was compassionate for the people that were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34).
Jesus warned His apostles would be scattered like sheep when He was captured (Mk 14:27).
Angels announced the birth of Jesus to shepherds with a flock in the country (Luke 2:8,20).
Jesus compared a repenting sinner to a shepherd finding just one lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7).
John the Baptist publicly identified Jesus of Nazareth as the Lamb of God (John 1:29,36).
Jesus taught by a parable that He was the good Shepherd and others were not (John 10:1-13).
Jesus said He was the good shepherd and would save His sheep in one fold (John 10:14-16).
Jesus blessed believers as elect sheep that had been given by God to Him (John 10:26-29).
Jesus exhorted Peter to his ministry of feeding the lambs and sheep of God (John 21:15-17).
Philip found the eunuch reading about a slaughtered sheep and explained it (Acts 8:32-35).
Paul compared the Christian life as being similar to the slaughter of sheep (Romans 8:35-36).
God brought our great Shepherd back to life for the everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20-21).
Our redemption from sin is by the precious blood of the spotless Lamb of God (I Pet 1:19).
We were like sheep going astray from God, but have returned to our Shepherd (I Pet 2:25).
The great Shepherd will come and reward His faithful lesser shepherds or pastors (I Pet 5:4).
The glorified Lord Jesus had hair white like wool to the beloved John (Rev 1:14; Dan 7:9).
Jesus the Lamb of God is at the same time the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5-6,12).
The martyrs of God overcame the devil and his rage by the blood of the Lamb (Rev 12:11).
False prophets are described as lambs, because they appear gentle and kind (Rev 13:11).
Jesus the Lamb is different from other lambs – He wages victorious war (Rev 17:14; 6:16).
The temple and light of heaven are the Lamb – Jesus Christ our Lord (Revelation 21:22-23).
The book in which our names are found is the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 21:27; 13:8).
The Bible concludes with Jesus Christ described as the Lamb on His throne (Rev 22:1-5).
Conclusion:
The religion of Jehovah God has been bloody and dirty from the beginning … due to sin and death.
But though Jesus Christ died a bloody and dirty death for us, He lives forever in perfect glory!
