{"id":165,"date":"2012-04-03T16:46:01","date_gmt":"2012-04-03T22:46:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/?p=165"},"modified":"2014-08-08T13:58:09","modified_gmt":"2014-08-08T19:58:09","slug":"lamb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/archives\/165","title":{"rendered":"Lamb"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 LAMB<\/em><\/h4>\n

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Mary had a little lamb, <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Its fleece<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0was white as snow; <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

And\u00a0everywhere that Mary went <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The lamb was sure to go . . .\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This nursery rhyme, first published in 1830, was inspired by a true incident of a Massachusetts schoolgirl who had a constant companion in her pet. The lamb is a cultural icon for innocent compliance and vulnerability; for example, Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s 1958 film \u201cLamb to the Slaughter\u201d appropriated the theme of victimization, and an October 2011 article in Forbes magazine coined the term \u201cthe lion lying down with the lamb\u201d to illustrate an economic point\u2014both phrases originating in Scripture (Jer. 51:40<\/span>; Isa. 11:6<\/span>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Liturgical tradition has for many centuries included the symbol of agnus dei (\u201cLamb of God\u201d) in formulaic chant and religious art, but tracing the biblical usage of the word for oneself can be personally enlightening. Certain pictures come readily to mind: the Good Shepherd gathering the lambs into His bosom; the prophet Nathan\u2019s parable of the lamb, which convicted David of murderous greed; Jesus sending His disciples out into the world as lambs into the midst of wolves (Isa. 40:11<\/span>; <\/span>2 Sam. 12:1ff<\/span>;<\/span> Luke 10:3<\/span>). <\/span><\/p>\n

But an exciting redemptive theme emerges when we look a little more deeply.<\/p>\n

Of course, the nomadic Hebrews depended on sheep for meat, milk, and wool. For this reason we see hundreds of biblical references to the animal, beginning with the story of Abel\u2014history\u2019s first murder victim and keeper of flocks\u2014who pleased God by his faith but suffered his brother\u2019s jealous rage (Gen. 4:2<\/span>; <\/span>cf., Heb. 11:4<\/span><\/span>). However, the explicit employment of the word \u201clamb\u201d (as distinct from the greater category of \u201csheep\u201d or \u201cshepherd\u201d) first appears later in Genesis, when Abraham set apart seven ewe lambs from his herd as a gift to seal a treaty agreement, securing his legal right to dwell in the land God had provided (Gen. 21:28<\/span>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From that point on, God\u2019s gracious provision becomes the characterizing factor of the image, as evident almost immediately in the testing of Abraham\u2019s faith, when God instructed him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering:<\/p>\n

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Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said,\u00a0\u201cMy father?\u201d He said,\u00a0\u201cHere I am, my son.\u201d He said,\u00a0\u201cHere is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?\u201d Abraham said,\u00a0\u201cGod will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Gen. 22:7-8<\/em>). <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And God did indeed provide a \u201cram\u201d (male sheep), caught by its horns in a nearby thicket, as a substitutionary sacrifice\u00a0(Gen. 22:13<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

Next we read of Isaac\u2019s son, Jacob, greatly prospering due to his genetic manipulation of his father-in-law\u2019s flocks and the direct intervention of God (who soon thereafter renamed Jacob \u201cIsrael\u201d\u2014father of His chosen people; Gen. 30:40<\/span>; Gen. 32:28<\/span><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

The very next mention of a lamb in the Bible is in the context of the Passover, a pivotal event in Israel\u2019s history. The Jews, long enslaved in Egypt and crying out for their freedom, had watched as nine plagues wracked the country. Now Moses instructed each Israelite family to kill a lamb and eat its roasted flesh, then sprinkle its blood on the household doorposts to provide protection from death when God killed their captors\u2019 firstborn in the final plague, which \u201cpassed over\u201d the Israelites (Exod. 12:3-5ff<\/span><\/span>). The Lord delivered His people to freedom, and thereafter\u2014throughout the Old Testament in a continuous and elaborate cycle of sacrifice\u2014a year-old male lamb without spot or blemish acted as a substitution for sin, its flesh consumed by the people for sustenance, its blood thrown against the altar for atonement (2 Chron. 29:22<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

But God despised the persistent rebellion of His children and eventually told them that He \u201cdid not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats\u201d offered in hypocrisy. Instead He wanted \u201cobedience\u201d (that is, positive volition accompanying informed willingness) and a contrite heart (Isa. 1:11; Isa. 1:19; Ps. 51:16-17). In a picture all red and white, He spoke through His prophet Isaiah to promise a coming redemption that would once-for-all satisfy His demand for the shedding of blood necessary for forgiveness:<\/p>\n

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Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.<\/em> \u00a0(Isa. 1:18<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The prophesied Servant-Messiah was further described by Isaiah:<\/p>\n

\n

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. <\/em>\u00a0(Isa. 53:7<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Seven centuries later the Saviour-Lamb was announced clearly by John the Baptist in the early words of his gospel, as he one day watched Jesus walking towards him:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBehold <\/em>[calling special attention]\u00a0,<\/em> the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!\u201d\u00a0<\/em> (John 1:29<\/em>)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The religious leaders, steeped in Old Testament tradition and Scripture, would have known exactly what John meant in referring to Isaiah\u2019s description: Jesus was Messiah\u2014the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and of the whole sacrificial system. Indeed, it was during the Passover that they crucified Him\u2014perhaps during the same hour that the blood flowed from the lambs being slaughtered for the yearly festivity on the Temple Mount.<\/p>\n

Then, after Jesus\u2019 resurrection from the dead, the words of Isaiah about the lamb led to slaughter\u2014read by the Ethiopian eunuch sitting in his chariot on a desert roadside between Jerusalem and Gaza\u2014were expounded by Philip to bring about that court official\u2019s salvation (Isa. 53:7-8<\/span>; Acts 8:32-35<\/span><\/span>).\u201cHe is our Passover Lamb,\u201d Paul declared, and Peter reiterated that Christ was the \u201cLamb without blemish or spot\u201d (1 Cor. 5:7<\/span>; 1 Pet. 1:19<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

Most New Testament occurrences of the image of Christ as the Lamb occur in Revelation\u2014the culmination of all biblical books bringing to a conclusion every prophecy in a grand unveiling of Jesus as Lord. Someday all creatures \u201cin heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea\u201d will raise their voices in praise to the worthy \u201cLamb who was slain\u201d (Rev. 5:12<\/span><\/span>). This heavenly scene is very different from the scenario to happen on earth during the end times, when God\u2019s enemies will \u201cmake war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them\u201d (Rev. 17: 14<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Church\u2014the Bride of Christ\u2014must today prepare herself for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, for Jesus is coming to take us to our wedding feast with Him (Rev. 19:7<\/span><\/span>). In the closing act of God\u2019s Word, all believers\u2014whose names are written in the \u201cLamb\u2019s book of life\u201d\u2014will worship and serve the Lamb on the throne of God forever (Rev. 21:27<\/span>; Rev. 22:1-3<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

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To comment on this reading, or to subscribe or unsubscribe to a monthly email reminder of new postings, please write me: deb@rolledscroll.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0These short literary articles tied to the Bible explore what God might have been saying in His pattern of usage for each symbol. English rendition of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek varies with translations (e.g., \u201cscroll\u201d is sometimes interchangeable with \u201cbook\u201d); however, the quality and underlying meaning of the selected emblem remain consistent across versions. Sketches are by Lorenda Harder. I recommend the website of Dr. Grant C. Richison for thorough expository Bible study: www.versebyversecommentary.com<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

*<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 LAMB   Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece\u00a0was white as snow; And\u00a0everywhere that Mary went The lamb was sure to go . . .\u00a0 This nursery rhyme, first published in 1830, … Lamb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":544,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165\/revisions\/544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rolledscroll.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}