ZECHARIAH 10:3

“My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the LORD of armies has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic horse in battle.”

Have you ever heard the expression, “Got your goat”? It commonly means to annoy or anger someone. The etymology of the phrase is not certain. Whatever the origin, to get someone’s goat is not a good thing. People who raise goats seem to like them, so it makes sense if you got their goat they would not be very happy.

All through Scripture we find goats being on the wrong side of God’s judgment. Look at this passage in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 34:17 says “As for you, My flock, this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am going to judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats.’” Sheep were always the ones that were chosen. Goats were turned out. They were even given the task of carrying away the nation’s sin on the Day of Atonement.

APPLICATION

In Matthew 25:31-32 we read where Jesus said, “31 ‘But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;’” 

One day Christ will come and judge between the righteous and unrighteous. I had much rather be called a dumb sheep than a smart goat, hadn’t you? He is our Shepherd and cares for us, even when we don’t know any better. I prefer the gentle coaxing of the Shepherd rather than separation that Jesus described.

The Lord told us in today’s verse that He was going to divide between believers and unbelievers, between those who follow Him and those who don’t. We have a choice. We choose who we will relate to and how we respond to them. What are you, goat or sheep? I know what I choose to be.

Lord, I choose the more docile side – sheep.