What do I know about God?

EL

The name of God.

Elohim

God the creator

El Elyon

God the most high

El Shaddai

Almighty, most powerful.

Adonai

My Master

El Roi

The God Who Sees

Jehovah

The name of GodI AM- THE LORD

JehovahJireh

The Lord provides

JehovahRoi

The Lord is my shepherd

Isaiah 53:6We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Sheep are dumb (You won't find sheep acts in the circus because they can't be trained to perform).

Sheep are unintelligent & they don't learn from mistakes but in fact often repeat them. They tend to wander & go astray & are unable to find their way home to the sheepfold even when it is within sight!

But knowing this the shepherd never takes His eyes off His wandering sheep

Defenseless (No quills like porcupines, scent like skunks, claws like cats or teeth like lions). A sheep's bite is harmless. Most have no horns. Unable to defend themselves against attacks. Lambs are especially vulnerable & in need of protection.

Sheep drown easily (wool soaks up the water & they sink to the bottom).

If they get on their backs they cannot right themselves. Kicking & bleating doesn't help although their cries can alert the shepherd who sets them on their feet again.

They don’t have a good sense of danger and are unaware of what may hurt them.Often a sheep will wander into a briar patch or fall over a cliff in the rugged Palestinian hills. The shepherd tenderly searches for his sheep and carries it to safety on his shoulder, wrapped in his own long cloak (Luke 15:3, 4, 5, 6).

Sheep depend TOTALLY upon their shepherd.

Need meticulous care: Phillip Keller(1) writes that

"Sheep do not "just take care of themselves" as some might suppose. They require more than any other class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care."

In water-hungry Syria and Palestine, shepherds have always had to search diligently for water, sometimes for hours every day for they know that the sheep must be watered daily.

Sheep have actually been known to nibble themselves over the cliff! That is dumb! But as you say it or think it, remember that "sheep" are a metaphor for men! So what is the great need for mankind?

Clearly without a tender, caring shepherd willing to lay down his life for the sheep, they would surely perish & so it is with all men who do not have a "Good Shepherd"

WE ARE THE "SHEEP".

The LORD is MY Shepherd = Psalms 23

A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd,I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3 He restores my soul;He guides me in the paths of righteousnessFor His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I fear no evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;You have anointed my head with oil;My cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The LORD is MY Shepherd = Jehovah Roi. He is not just "a" Shepherd or "Israel's" Shepherd, but is my own personal Shepherd.

The LORD is MY Shepherd = Psalms 23