ARE YOU A SHEEP OR ARE YOU A GOAT?

Moses said that it was the presence of the Lord that distinguished Israel from all the peoples of the earth, and just as it was with Israel, it is the same case for AJAN Fellowship.

We are blessed with the presence and the voice of the Lord which provide instruction into righteousness.

Recently, our Elder Dearin shared the word, which jolted us back to the realization of who we are in Christ.

She made the distinction in a very simple but profound way by using two animals-the sheep and the goat.

DIFFERENCES

Physical Appearance. 

• She said the sheep's tail is always down while the goat's tail is always up, unless the goat is afraid or in distress.  Lamb tails are usually docked (shortened) whereas goat tails are not.
• Most goats are naturally horned. Some goats have beards. Many breeds of sheep are naturally hornless (polled). Some sheep have manes. Goat horns are more narrow, upright, and less curved than sheep horns. Sheep tend to curl their horns in loops on the sides of their heads.
• Sheep and goats have numerous physical differences. Most goats have hair coats that do not require shearing or combing. Most sheep grow woolly coats that need to be sheared at least annually.



 Diet

Sheep are grazers- Sheep are grazers, preferring to eat short, tender grasses and clover and they like to graze close to the soil surface.
Sheep normally have a special diet

Goats are browsers- Goats are natural browsers, preferring to eat leaves, twigs, vines, and shrubs. They are very agile and will stand on their hind legs to reach vegetation. Goats like to eat the tops of plants and anything they get their mouths on including plastic, paper, clothes, garbage, just about anything.

 Characteristics

• Sheep are content to be led by the shepherd while goats are resistant and disobedient
• Sheep are dependent on the shepherds protection and need the fellowship of the flock while goats tend to wander off, away from the flock and the shepherd's care.
• Sheep have a stronger flocking instinct and become very agitated if they are separated from the rest of the flock. It is easier to keep sheep inside a fence than goats.
• Goat's are strong-willed and disobedient by nature.  They follow their own lead and are unpredictable and impulsive while sheep obey and conform to their master's will.
• Goat's tend to butt everyone, even their masters especially when they are being restricted while sheep tend to be mild and peaceful.

 

Our Elder asked us the most provocative question-Are we sheep or are we goats?

The Bible states that "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left." (Matthew 25:31-33)

SELF EXAMINATION

She encouraged us to examine ourselves to see if there are traits of the goat in us. 

The Lord is often referred to as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep while the body of Christ is referred to as his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Therefore, if we are God's people, we cannot be goats because God refers to us as sheep.

TRAITS OF THE GOAT ARE DEADLY

She taught that the traits of the goat are deadly.  Naturally goats are disobedient and resistant. This disobedience and resistance will ultimately lead to the death of the goat because by going against the shepherd, the goat is fair game for prey.  So if we are goats then we will die because we will wander away from the Shepherd and then we will be left to our own vices.

GOATS ARE ON THE LEFT HAND OF GOD

What's the difference between the right and left hand of God? A person on the right hand has high rank, honour, dignity and authority.  Therefore, those who are on God's right are in a position of authority and privilege which those on the left are not privy to.

It is best to be on the right hand of God because such a one would be known of God and known by Him.  If we are sheep we will know the voice of God and God himself.  We will be under his leadership and protection and eventually will be led by him and be given the positions of authority which God wants so desperately to give us.

SHEEP ARE EASILY PURGED

Sheep are normally sheared when their woolly coats get too heavy for them to handle. While the wool helps to keep them warm, various insects and and harmful elements get lodged into the coat which will harm the sheep.  

Additionally, a sheep with a woolly coat is easily cast  and when it falls on its back, it is not able to get up and without the help of the shepherd, that sheep will die.

As Christians, there are many things that need to be purged from us and though we feel comfortable with them, if we are left with them we will die.  In just the same manner that the sheep humbles itself to be sheared, we ought to humble ourselves to be purged from those things that might harm us eventually.

The shearing or the purging does not feel nice but it is important and necessary. The sheep might even feel some pain, but it is not in the heart of the Shepherd to inflict pain but to ensure that the sheep will live.

SHEEP WANT TO BE WITH EACH OTHER

The sheep always wants to be apart of the fold, if a sheep gets separated from the body he would cry and try to find its way back.  It should be the same situation with us, we should long for the fellowship in the body of Christ, we should yearn for the presence of God and yearn to see our brethren because we are one body.

If we find that we do not yearn for the presence of God or yearn for entering into his sanctuary we need to examine ourselves because the sheep need the Shepherd and his fellow brethren, just like the deer which pants for the waters.

If we find that we have the traits of the goats in us, let us ask God for a shearing and a purging, because it is necessary for our survival, it is necessary for our lives.

So, who are you? Are you a sheep or a goat?

                                                

PS: You can't be half sheep and half goat.  Scientifically, sheep-goat combinations are rare and the offspring of such a union usually DIES.