And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.John 10:4
In
this verse, we are made to know that there is a relationship between
the shepherd and his sheep. On the strength of this relationship, the
shepherd calls the sheep, and the sheep recognizes the voice of the
shepherd. But we also find that the shepherd knows the sheep in a
personal way, so he calls the sheep by its name.
The
main duty of the shepherd is to lead the sheep, but he is only able to
do this to the extent that the sheep is ready to follow the leadership
he provides. It is only in the context of this leadership that the
shepherd is able to provide protection and nourishment for the sheep.
So, the sheep has the responsibility of recognizing the voice of the
shepherd and following him. For the believer in Christ Jesus, this is
possible only as he learns to discern the voice of Lord and to
distinguish His voice from the voice of the enemy. Apart from this, the
shepherd is powerless to help the sheep.
(I have a book titled, Identifying the Voice of God).
Toni
