The Goat Doctrine

People with no experience with shepherding wonder why all the fuss the Bible, even Jesus places on the need of His people being sheep. I want to shed some light on a few differences between sheep and goats so that you can appreciate the fact that there is no theological confusion or grey areas in the topic.

I have shepherded both and so am speaking from experience, though not very extensive as it was in my childhood.

The first difference is that sheep are normally dependent on the shepherd whereas goats are very independent and therefore break free from the shepherd whenever opportunity arises. The most risky place for the shepherd is next to someone’s farm as the goats will never settle until they run to those farms, however lush the pasture is.

That explains why it is very rare to see a fat goat. It is never content with available resources or even having a shepherd. The only place I found fat goats was the Turkana where there is almost no pasture. They thrive from feeding on anything, from feces to dry shrubs.

Sheep on the other hand are content with whatever the shepherd provides. It will never run off to a farm if the pastures are rich.

Goats are ungovernable. The only sense they follow is their own.

Goats are individualistic. It is next to impossible to find a herd of goats as each of them is fending for itself. We do not have a leading goat as we have a leading sheep. This of course means that we can never have a goat community.

Who are we to God?

Are we ‘foolish’ like sheep and totally dependent on God’s shepherding? Are we as ‘bright’ as goats and can fend for ourselves irrespective of whether we have a shepherd or not? Do we listen to our Shepherd or do we know enough to disregard whatever He has to say.

Sadly, many of our churches are made by goats for goats with no place in their hierarchy for God’s sheep. Most of the sermons we preach and enjoy listening to are meant to make goats comfortable as opposed to making sheep more sheep like.

We pamper the goat instinct instead of nurturing healthy sheep for the Shepherd. We run to the preachers who are more proficient on the urges of the goats instead of the voice of the shepherd.

But we have the last day coming soon when the Shepherd will separate the sheep (His sheep) from the goats.

My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me (John 10: 27)

Are you a sheep or a goat?