Or, as the NIV phrases it, “who leave nothing for the morning.” In other words, the very ones tasked with upholding justice cruelly oppressed the people. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey” (NLT). “Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. We find similar imagery in Zephaniah 3:3, only this time referring to the nation of Israel itself. According to former minister Joseph Benson, the powerful foe would be as “rapacious, greedy, and devouring as a wolf.” Of this verse, theologian Charles Ellicott suggested these three animals represented “fierceness, ravenousness, and cunning” perhaps embodied in one invader. For their rebellion is great, and their sins are many” (NLT). A leopard will lurk near their towns, tearing apart any who dare to venture out. For example, speaking of ancient Israel’s rebellious leaders, Jeremiah 5:6 states, “So now a lion from the forest will attack them a wolf from the desert will pounce on them. The Bible often equates wolves with cruelty, betrayal, and malicious deception. Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Animaflora Instead, He relentlessly pursues us and lovingly brings us back to His protective fold. When we leave that narrow path He so lovingly carved out for us, He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. His words revealed our Father’s merciful response to our rebellious tendencies. Jesus also referenced this tendency in Matthew 18 when He said, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” (v. Largely helpless animals, they’re timid, easily confused and known to wander, and therefore must be watched with patience and diligence.ĭrawing an analogy between us easily-swayed humans and these senseless animals, Isaiah wrote, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way ” ( Isaiah 53:6). Scripture mentions sheep more than any other animal in Scripture. This is precisely what our Savior did ( John 10:18).Īs with all literature, the Bible utilizes various figures of speech, such as idioms, hyperboles, and metaphors to convey a message. How would they know who they could trust? Whereas false shepherds are selfishly motivated ( Ezekiel 34) and conniving ( Jeremiah 10:21 50:6), “he good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” ( John 10:11). I imagine many in his Greek-influenced audience thought not only of local shepherds guarding their sheep, but also of the popular Aesop’s fable that warned them to remain alert and aware. Jesus later expanded on this idea in John 10, when He said, “ Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber” ( John 10:1). “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” ( Matthew 7:14). “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,” He said, “and many enter through it.” As indeed many of the religious elite, a number of whom were themselves wolves in sheep’s clothing, had. Shortly before, He had instructed His listeners to “Enter through the narrow gate” ( Matthew 7:13), or the harder to follow, counter-cultural path. “They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” ( Matthew 7:15). Jesus’s use of this common idiom conveyed a similar meaning. "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" In Scripture The moral? Outward appearances can be dangerously deceiving. Accurately discerning the situation, the shepherd beats the wolf off with a stick. Realizing something is amiss, at nightfall he watches from a place of hiding as one of the flock attacks and eats another. Eventually, the shepherd notices a loss and counts his sheep, first one day, and then the following. This costume allows the wolf to hunt undetected, night after night, sheep after sheep. None, the shepherd included, are the wiser. He wraps himself in the hide of the killed sheep and joins the flock. His momentary satiation motivates him to develop a plan. The wolf seizes the opportunity and attacks and eats a fat sheep. Then, wandering about in search of food, he comes upon a flock of sheep and their sleeping shepherd. Too weak to hunt, he worries he will soon die. This tale begins with a hungry wolf struggling to survive in the jungle. As you can see, by the time of Jesus, the warning to watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing had worked its way into first century culture.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |