Why does God use Animals to teach us—R Fritz
One of the animal examples God uses in the Bible is he talks about sheep. It is the most talked-about animal, so it must be important to God. You might ask why sheep. You have to look at the characteristics of sheep. Sheep are followers they follow the sheep in front of them without looking or thinking before walking. I read an article where 1500 sheep went over a cliff because their shepherds went for breakfast. The interesting part is the first four hundred died the 1100 landed on them and were fine. They have no sense of direction. It is like the blind leading the blind. Sheep are defenseless and have to stick together. Sheep if they get on their back cannot get up by themselves. In Jesus’ time the number of sheep and goats you had represented being wealthy. Jesus used sheep because some of their characteristics are much like ours.
Sheep are also the way Jesus wants us to be in blindly following him. Sheep follow blindly, that is why a shepherd in Jesus is required. That is called trust and all of us need to work on that and get more from our relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Jesus’s sheep know him and his voice. John 10:26-29 says, and this is Jesus speaking “But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” We should hear from the Holy Spirit if we are one of his. If you do not hear from him, it is time to work on that relationship and get to know him through studying God’s nature and the Holy Spirit showing you and speaking to you. This is the point I am trying to make. The Holy Spirit is not going to strike up a conversation with you if you do not care to check things out about God.
That is also why Jesus says he is the “shepherd.” We need Jesus to take care of us. Without him, we would still be stuck in sin. John 10:11-14 says, and this is Jesus speaking “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” Jesus has laid his life down for all of us. There
is nobody else that has laid down his life or has stayed around us when the battle rages around us and that is trusting him.
Satan our enemy is described first as a serpent. God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly because it caused Adam and Eve to sin. Genesis 3:1 says Now the serpent was more subtle (crafty, intelligent) than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. The devil chose to be a serpent because it was crafty, and it would not be intimidating. The devil is also described as a roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8 and says Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: That explains the devil’s character and what his motive is as far as we are concerned. God uses a lion to explain his character because lions are ferocious, territorial, and hunters. The devil (Satan) is hunting for souls and to steal, kill and destroy and a master of disguise and hunts at night or in the dark. He also preys on the weak.
Now let us take a look at people. God compares us to sheep. How many times do we follow other people’s words or actions without thinking about what we are doing? We trust certain people because they are like us. We should be looking at their character and checking to see if it matches Jesus’s character. We go and listen to people who claim to be Christians. We are supposed to check the fruit. Matthew 7:15-17; 19-21, Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast in the fire. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven.” Jesus says evil fruit will be thrown into the fire (hell). If we are not doing the will of the Father, we are not going to make it. If we have done many wonderful works in the name of Jesus, Jesus will say I never knew you, you who are lawless.
Just because we look like we are good and do all the right things does not make us right with God. We need to be righteous and holy and have a relationship with the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things we need to make it to heaven. We are trying to get to heaven on our knowledge and intellect. That is why we are not
going to make it. We have to have a spiritual relationship with the Holy Spirit. That is what it takes to get to Heaven. That is when Jesus will know you. He will know you when you obey him because that shows him you love him. God Bless.
