Argumentnative Essay: Comparison Between Humans and Sheep in Bible is Reasonable

The Bible mentions sheep 577 times. God could have compared humans to many other different creatures, but He chose sheep. God’s choice to compare humans to sheep is reasonable. Sheep cannot walk straight or follow a straight path which resembles a human’s spiritual life and tendency to commit sin. God compares sheep to humans because they have many similar behavioral patterns. 

Sheep express emotions, just like humans do. When a sheep is feeling affectionate towards a certain individual, it will spend most of its time around him. The primary way sheep express their affection is through socializing. (Savvy Farm Life) When the sheep are nervous or excited, they are fidgety . When they feel comfortable, sheep will try to play or stand near the person who gives them tranquility. 

Sheep exhibit many types of aggression. When someone whom the sheep dislikes approaches them, they make loud vocalizations. If a sheep is anxious and annoyed, it will stomp and paw at the ground. In most cases, sheep move back” to avoid closer contact.” (The Open Sanctuary Project). Now, when a sheep is mad, their bodies tremble and shake. When the sheep have reached their breaking point, they will get into someone's space and make a confrontational pose. This action closely resembles human behavior. Rams, which are male sheep, start attempting to cause someone else bodily harm when its annoyance has transformed into anger. 

Humans and sheep use similar methods to cope with their anger. In the workplace, if a coworker irritates someone, most people will go somewhere else. When humans have reached a snapping point, they writhe in anger (just like sheep). If someone is passive aggressive towards someone, they might frequently criticize and complain, and display resentment when someone succeeds. When a tiny iota of irritation grows into an enormous chunk of hate, humans attempt to hurt someone physically and psychologically. 

Sheep can not defend themselves. They “will usually stay in a group while grazing” because they think that a single sheep will be safer with a flock of sheep. (Sheep 101) Sheep  are fearful of being isolated and alone. One way that sheep stay safe is by hiding their vulnerability and pain. Predators would stalk a flock of sheep and wait until the flock showed signs of weakness. Then, the predator would isolate the sheep and devour him. For this reason, if a sheep seemed strong and healthy, the predator would most likely not attack the flock because when he would attack the flock, the sheep would run in all directions, confusing the predator. 

We can see this in human societies. People form armies, clans, civilizations, etc. because they think that there is security and prosperity in numbers. A perfect illustration would be the battlefield. For example, Alexander the Great’s troops used a special shield formation called the phalanx. In a phalanx, a soldier would bear his shield to protect his left side and his neighbor’s right side. By using the phalanx, the troops could protect themselves effectively and inflict heavy battlefield casualties. This formation was a key part of Alexander’s successful conquest. 

In Iceland there is a special breed of sheep called leadersheep. These leadersheep are intelligent enough to lead sheep (and sometimes people) to safety. Leadersheep stay in front of the flock at all times. Not to mention, there have even been cases where leadersheep fended off predators. There are stories where leadersheep '' sense or forecast changes to the weather.”(Drymundsson) One leadersheep refused to come out of its shed, even though other sheep were leaping out, because of an upcoming snowstorm. 

Capable human leaders and leadersheep share similar characteristics. Wise leaders and leadersheep both have foresight. Wise leaders are at the forefront of their nations’ progresses, just like sheep are at the front of their flock. Brave leaders defend the people under their charge from foreign enemies and domestic problems. When a leader is being put under pressure to endorse an ungodly law, he has to stand by his guns and not give in to bad advice, just like when the leadersheep refused to go out, despite others coming out of their sheds. 

God makes an effective comparison between sheep and humans because they are alike. Sheep are defenseless, but they are not alone because they have a shepherd. Humans, when they are alone, are helpless, but they have God. Filled with anger, sheep and humans respond to provocation with hatred, violence, and malice. Yet sheep and humans do not express their pain and vulnerability to others. When God is trying to reach a person, they might up a fight and resist. Many people are reluctant to expose their vulnerabilities and pour out their hearts to Christ because they are afraid that the world and all its evil will cram down on them.