The Sheep and the Goat

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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

Sheep

Sheep are unique to other animals in that they have a dependent relationship with their

shepherd. Once sheep experience the shepherd’s protection and provision, they view him as a

loving god whom they can trust, and feel at peace in his care. They readily follow him, worrying

little about the direction they are traveling because they enjoy his leadership. Sheep are very

safety-conscious, and other than the occasional immature, overly-curious lamb, they feel safest

when gathered together. They have a strong flocking instinct that allows them to bond closely to

other sheep. If separated, sheep become distressed, sad, and vulnerable to predators. If

threatened, sheep flock together and flee from the attacker. Sheep are trainable, recognize the

shepherd’s voice, and will follow, but will forget if they don’t consistently hear his voice. They

prefer to eat tender grass of good nutritional value, and graze side-by-side with one another.

They must be led to green pastures; otherwise, they would eat the grass down to the roots and

destroy the pasture. They prefer to drink from still water rather than moving.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. Psalm 23:2

Goats

Goats have a knack for finding trouble and getting out of fenced-in areas. They have a curious,

rebellious, stubborn nature to them. They display less herding behavior than sheep and will

often wander further away from groups compared to sheep. Goats are independent, don’t follow

anyone, and don’t protect their mates. Goats scatter and rely on their climbing ability to escape

danger. They are more dominant than sheep and can be aggressive and destructive. Goats are

extremely appetite driven and will do anything to get food, including ignoring their the safety of

themselves and their herd. They are foragers and browsers rather than grazers, which means

they prefer to eat things that are higher up rather than on the ground. They have an appetite for

weeds, vines, leaves, tree bark, and twigs, and forage separated from the rest of the herd.

Goats aware never full or satisfied — even after eating a meal, goats will beg for more and act

like they are starving.

Sheep and goats look similar to one another. Only a good shepherd can easily tell them apart.

Sheep or Goat?

If we readily follow our Shepherd’s voice, submitting to His leading and trusting His provision

and protection for us, we are sheep. Sheep have gentle and yielding spirits. If we go our own

ways, rebelling against God’s involvement in our lives and preferring to be independent of Him,

we are goats. Goats have defiant and self-willed spirits. Sheep may wander and get lost, but

when they see their Shepherd, they are happy and relieved to receive His help and be brought

back to the flock. Goats purposely run away, letting their own appetites and vain desires lead

them astray. When found, they are defensive and defiant. Sheep are content with the lowly

grass where the Shepherd leads them. Goats are never satisfied, preferring to consume thistles

and thorns and whatever else their flesh desires. Sheep are faithful to their Shepherd and their

community, having an “us” and “we” mentality. Goats are self-reliant and focused only on “me”

and “mine.” Many cannot tell which are sheep and which are goats based only on appearance.

But our great Shepherd knows, and will separate the two on the day of His return.