This name for God implies we are like sheep. What are some characteristics of sheep? I have observed that you never hear the expression, “wise as a sheep.” Sheep are not considered to be very bright. Nor are they very clever, you don’t see them in the circus doing tricks. You also won’t see a sheep surviving in the wild, they cannot make it on their own, they cannot feed themselves or take care of themselves. They cannot protect themselves.
They are vulnerable. Their bite is harmless. When their coats grow full if they roll over into a depression in the ground, they can get stuck on their backs, cast down, and quickly die if not set aright. They are timid and fearful and their fear is contagious. If one sheep gets spooked the whole flock quickly follows. They follow other sheep without question. They will even step off a cliff to their death just because they are following another sheep. But if their shepherd is with them, they calm down. Sheep need a shepherd, and we have the good shepherd, Jehovah Ra’ah.
Sheep are affectionate, they differentiate the voice of their shepherd from intruders. They like to rub against his leg. They actually like personal attention from their shepherd more than even food. Companionship provided by the shepherd is important to sheep, Jehovah Ra’ah.
God is first introduced by this name in Genesis when Jacob is nearing the end of his life. The last thing Jacob did before he died was to bless his children. As he blessed the children of his son Joseph, He described God as his shepherd. he said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day…” Genesis 48:15. Jacob looked back over his long checkered past and could see God’s tender invisible hand clearly, leading and caring for him just like a shepherd.
Jesus talks about his role as the good shepherd in John 10. He is personal. His sheep hear His voice when He calls them by name. He goes ahead of them and leads them. His sheep will not follow a stranger because they know the voice of their shepherd. We see the Good Shepherd always faithful to His flock in the last book of the Bible, Revelation 7:17, “for the lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd and shall guide them to the springs of the water of life, and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Indeed, throughout the entire Bible we learn the truth of this name Jehovah Ra’ah, the Lord is my shepherd.
One last thing about sheep, they are led, not driven. You cannot drive them if you try. The Lord doesn’t force us to do anything. We choose to follow Him. He leads and we follow. We need His guidance. We don’t know which path to take. He doesn’t only lead us, He goes with us. His presence brings His protection. Our good shepherd will never leave us or forsake us. When we walk through life with our shepherd we can say with David who himself was a shepherd, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
