While sheep were a major source of income in agrarian societies, shepherding was one of the lowliest occupations. If that animal was a sheep, the metaphor continues when Jesus became our sacrificial Lamb (Revelation 5:12). His killing of a sacrificial animal to cover Adam’s sin and shame set the stage for His plan of redemption for the world (John 3:15–18). In the Garden, God showed us that sin can only be forgiven through the shed blood of the innocent (see Hebrews 9:22).
An even earlier reference to sheep may be in Genesis 3:21 when “the LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Again, while the Bible does not state explicitly that these were sheepskins, it is very likely that God used sheep because of the later symbolic importance of lambs as sacrificial animals (Numbers 6:14 Leviticus 14:10 Exodus 12:5). Although the Bible does not state specifically that this sacrifice was a lamb, most scholars agree that it was likely a sheep because of the word flock and because sheep were among the first domesticated animals. One of the Bible’s first references to sheep is in Genesis 4:4 when Abel sacrificed “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” to the Lord. The Bible even refers to Jesus Christ as the “ Lamb of God” (John 1:29 1 Peter 1:19). But sheep are also used symbolically to represent God’s people (Matthew 25:32). They were also a primary source of income in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Sheep were often used as sacrificial animals (Numbers 28:4 Exodus 29:39). References to sheep are found throughout the Bible.
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