Topical Bible: Sheep were Frequently: Cut off by Disease

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, sheep were a vital part of the agrarian economy and daily life in the ancient Near East. They provided wool, meat, and milk, and were often used in religious sacrifices. However, like all livestock, sheep were susceptible to various diseases that could decimate flocks and significantly impact the livelihood of shepherds and their communities.

Biblical References and Context

The Bible frequently uses sheep as metaphors for God's people, illustrating their vulnerability and need for guidance. This metaphor extends to the physical vulnerabilities of sheep, including their susceptibility to disease. While the Bible does not explicitly detail specific diseases that affected sheep, it does acknowledge the challenges faced by shepherds in maintaining healthy flocks.

In the Old Testament, the role of the shepherd is often highlighted, emphasizing the care and protection required to keep sheep safe from harm, including disease. For instance, in Ezekiel 34:4 , God criticizes the leaders of Israel for failing to care for His people, likening them to shepherds who have neglected their flocks: "You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured, brought back the strays, or searched for the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty."

Shepherding Practices and Disease Management

Shepherds in biblical times had to be vigilant in protecting their flocks from disease. This involved regular inspection of the sheep, isolating sick animals to prevent the spread of illness, and ensuring that the flock had access to clean water and nutritious pasture. The shepherd's rod and staff, mentioned in Psalm 23:4 , "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me," were tools not only for protection against predators but also for guiding and managing the sheep, including during times of illness.

Symbolism and Spiritual Lessons

The frequent occurrence of disease among sheep serves as a powerful symbol in Scripture, illustrating the spiritual condition of humanity. Just as sheep are prone to wander and fall ill, so too are people prone to sin and spiritual waywardness. The need for a shepherd to guide and heal the flock is paralleled in the spiritual realm by the need for divine guidance and redemption.

In the New Testament, Jesus is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). This imagery underscores the protective and sacrificial role of Christ, who not only guards against spiritual "disease" but also provides healing and restoration for His followers.

Conclusion

The vulnerability of sheep to disease in biblical times highlights the challenges faced by shepherds and serves as a poignant metaphor for spiritual truths. Through the imagery of sheep and shepherds, the Bible communicates the need for divine care and guidance, emphasizing the protective and redemptive role of God in the lives of His people.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 9:3
Behold, the hand of the LORD is on your cattle which is in the field, on the horses, on the asses, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Jesus the Good Shepherd.
... and it was also plain that the Pharisees were not among ... He knows His sheep and is
known by them ... Many of us are frequently brought into doubt of our interest in ...
/.../xxi jesus the good shepherd.htm

Upon Compassion.
... our nature in the parable of the lost sheep, and does ... is manifest our life would
be neglected were it not ... them off from that which is too frequently their only ...
//christianbookshelf.org/butler/human nature/sermon v upon compassion.htm

The Cross as a Social Principle
... Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves ... spirits as Arnold of Brescia,
Wycliffe, Huss, and Savonarola were most frequently found battling ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter xi the cross as.htm

The Broken Column
... have walked through a cemetery, you have frequently seen over ... are you become like
the silly sheep that goes willingly ... to alarm you as if you were some children ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/the broken column.htm

Thanksgiving to God for Deliverance from the Evils Expected Owing ...
... delights; and fowls and swine nourish; sheep and goats ... under the power of those who
were my servants ... regards the commandment which I so frequently discourse of ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xi thanksgiving to god.htm

The Use of Money
... although there would rarely be occasion for them were it not ... They drive them to hell
like sheep. ... This motive of expense is frequently interwoven with one or ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 50 the use of.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty
... of those blue and green stones which were so highly ... favour, associated him with herself
more frequently in the ... to being accused of sacrilege was cut away, and ...
/.../chapter iiithe eighteenth theban dynasty.htm

In Death and after Death
... Neither watercourses nor public roads were allowed to pass through them, nor sheep
to graze ... or else in an open coffin, the bearers frequently changing to ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 10 in death and.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... 2659] After frequently condemning us ... meat-offering and the drink-offering is cut
off from the ... that, because there was no shepherd, the sheep were scattered over ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

Characters and Names of Messiah
... this great Shepherd claims from His sheep, are absolute ... They who have frequently
access to the beds of ... It were easy to prove at large, that procrastination is ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon ix characters and names.htm