Psalm 95:6-7

Psalm 95:6-7

Come, let us bow down in worship, 
   let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; 
for he is our God 
  and we are the people of his pasture, 
  the flock under his care.

Verses 1-5 encourage us to sing, praise the Lord, and give thanks. Verses 6 and 7 follow this up with encouragement to worship and bow down before the Lord our Maker. Bowing and kneeling are signs of respect and submission to God.

This is surely not the only passage of scripture in which we (God's people) are compared to sheep. We are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. The sheep comparison is not very flattering to us because sheep are among the most helpless of all creatures. The life of a wayward sheep does not end well! However, when we, the sheep, have the perfect Shepherd, we are safe and secure.

The New Testament bears this out in several places. Jesus said in John 10:14-15 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep." And then in John 10:27-28 "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."