Do sheep drink from running waters?

[TallMan]

Someone quoted this and said that sheep won't drink from running waters, or at least they prefer pools, is there any truth in this?"The Lord is my shepherd; . . . he leadeth me beside the still waters."

 

[Christina]

Interesting question dont know but will try to find an answer sense we know God uses nature as types and examples it would be an interesting tid bit to discover in light of your verse but in the mean time I found this

http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/images/05/sheepdrink.htm

 

[Christina]

Its interesting to note the most important thing for sheep is Water.... Water is listed as number one thing they need and not just water but clean water .... .....Care of SheepFeeding sheep the proper way means you have to get the right nutrients to the phase that the sheep is in. The nutrients that are most important for sheep are: water, energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals. To sum it all up, feeding sheep properly is getting the right nutrients and forage type with the right production stage of the sheep. In the following paragraphs I will discuss all the most important nutrients in more detail. Water is the most important nutrient for sheep . Always make sure there is plenty of water at hand for your sheep to drink. Especially because some parts of the United States there is a lot of water and in other parts there is very little. There are many things that depend on the amount of water a sheep needs to drink on a daily basis. Some of these things are: the production stage the sheep is in, what feeds they are eating, how much water is in the feed, and the temperature of the sheep's environmet. Sheep will drink 1/2 to 1 gallon of water on a daily basis. If the water is not clean there will be a decline in the production of sheep. This will cause them to eat less, have trouble digesting food properly, be more likely to get digetive and metabolic problems.

 

[Christina]

Sorry Tallman I could find no support for this unless there is a farmer/rancher that knows different I'd have to say not truethere are many sites that speak of making sure the river or creek on your farm is healthy/clean for sheep In Australia Rivers and creeks seem to be main source of water in wool country no where did I find a warning that Sheep can not drink running water. Only that it needs to be clean water. (not a muddy river stream ext.(I googled watering sheep from river or steams)

 

[Christina]

Moved your post Tallman if you were looking for it

 

[Glen]

Someone quoted this and said that sheep won't drink from running waters, or at least they prefer pools, is there any truth in this?"The Lord is my shepherd; . . . he leadeth me beside the still waters."

My brother quoted this to me as well. We were discussing the 23rd psalm and he seem to have a stock answer. We have friends who's sheep drink from a running stream daily. A quick Google image search shows wild and domestic sheep drinking from rivers and streams. So why the imagery? I believe the psalmist was painting the scene for how they tended their own flock. Think of Laurence of Arabia and the wells at Acaba... Or Ten Commandments and the Midian wells where Moses meets his future wife and her sisters. The shepherd draw water FOR the sheep. Poured into shallow troughs the shepherd provided what is needed for their daily requirement. BTW the green pastures and righteous paths make more sense from the hebrew and desert sheep herding practices to be daily grazing and grazing track (the herder puts the sheep on parallel paths on a hill side that are spaced such that the sheep above meets the head of the sheep below roughly in middle. The psalmist essentially says... I am a shepherd and I watch over my flock. The sheep in my flock can trust me to bring them to a place where there is enough to eat and i draw the water enough for them to drink. They don't need to worry...i set their feet on the correct path so they get access to the food. (If they listen and don't rebel. I set them in the right direction and it all works out). The Lord is MY shepherd in the way that I am a shepherd. If I trust in Him he provides my daily needs.

The image of grassy meadows and a quiet stream seems comforting.... but the need for the shepherd once you find this place seems minimal. The psalmist seems to be implying an integral personal daily involvement with our daily needs and concerns.

 

[SheepWhisperer]

I've heard men "preach" that sheep will only drink still water, among other things like "they can only see fourteen feet away", they are "totally helpless", and the familiar "God didn't do us any favors comparing us to sheep" (because) sheep are "dumb". One church brother, came out to see my farm, and asked me "who shows them how to find the water"? Sheep aren't that devoid of intelligence and they will drink "running waters".

They also aren't completely stupid......

And far from being benign and helpless, sheep can be very dangerous. A shepherd should NEVER turn his/her back on the ram.
WARNING>>> very disturbing......

I personally, believe that the shepherd/sheep relationship, in Psalm 23, is diametrical to what an earthly one would be. For instance, Jesus said "the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep". That statement does not hold true in a normal, earthly shepherd sheep relationship because an earthly shepherd keeps sheep not only for "wool" but for sacrifice and for food. Earthly sheep give their lives for the shepherd. With the Lord Jesus, it is the other way around. So the "green pastures", the "still waters" the "rod and staff" are likely diametrical as well. I;m not saying the Psalm isn't true: I'm saying there is a much deeper, spiritual meaning.

 

[Helen]

What an interesting thread.

I think God was right-on when He called us sheep! We are for the most part stupid! If were weren't we would be further along the road than most of us are at the moment!! And we wouldn't have to "go around the mountain" more than once, we would learn His lessons quickly...( obviously I speak for myself!! )
Maybe the " He leads us besides still waters"...is showing us that when we are close the a raging river, or stormy seas...it is not Him who has taken us there....but we ourselves who have wandered off of the Path.

 

[Job]

I've always looked at the still waters as a place of calm. A place of peace. We put our trust in Him and He relieves our troubled mind. He leads us beside the still waters. He takes the pressures and anxieties of the outside world and makes them go away.

I wanna thank Glen for pulling this one out of the attic and dusting it off.

Thanks man.

 

[Helen]

I've always looked at the still waters as a place of calm. A place of peace. We put our trust in Him and He relieves our troubled mind. He leads us beside the still waters. He takes the pressures and anxieties of the outside world and makes them go away.

I wanna thank Glen for pulling this one out of the attic and dusting it off.

Thanks man.

Agree...this was well worth a second look...it's given me my "blessing for the day"
Some things don't inspire...but this one did.

 

[Jun2u]

Why do Christians look for truth “out there” (in the world)? What has darkness have to do with light? Did not the Bereans searched out the scriptures to see if Paul was telling the truth? Do we not read in Pr 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter?”

The Bible is its own interpreter. Firstly, we look up a word then we search the scriptures to see how God uses the word we are looking for elsewhere in scriptures. Secondly, we are to look for the Gospel message.

On this thread the word we are looking for is “water.” If it does not pertain to baptism then we search the scriptures. Lo and behold we read:

Jer 17:13 “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.”

Jo 4:10 “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

Joh 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

So we see “living water” is synonymous with the Gospel.

To God Be The Glory

 

[Angelina]

Someone quoted this and said that sheep won't drink from running waters, or at least they prefer pools, is there any truth in this?"The Lord is my shepherd; . . . he leadeth me beside the still waters."

Sheep prefer still water but they can drink running water as well. Most farmers in my country will not allow sheep from drinking out of streams due to the problems it can cause. There is usually a trough of water available but they don't tend to drink that much...

 

[SheepWhisperer]

...........................So we see “living water” is synonymous with the Gospel.........

Is not "living water" represented as "running" or "flowing" water? John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

What about the "still waters" in Psalm 23? I have found nothing like it, elsewhere, in the Bible.

 

[Job]

So we see “living water” is synonymous with the Gospel.

That's all well and good but the question that was asked is, "Do sheep drink from running water?"

 

[Jun2u]

Is not "living water" represented as "running" or "flowing" water? John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

What about the "still waters" in Psalm 23? I have found nothing like it, elsewhere, in the Bible.

SheepWhisperer,

The term “living water” cannot be understood literally. It must be spiritually discerned, For example, Jesus said: “ Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Likewise, “The Lamb of God...” must be understood spiritually!

Believe it or not, Psalm 23 is a believer’s prayer. There again, the word “waters” is a synonym for the Gospel.

To God Be The Gkory

 

[Jun2u]

That's all well and good but the question that was asked is, "Do sheep drink from running water?"

What does the title "Do sheep drink from running water?" have to do with the Gospel message? Is not this thread a Christian forum?

To God Be The Glory

 

[SheepWhisperer]

"He leadeth me beside the Gospel? hmm. I'll get back to you later on this.

 

[Job]

What does the title "Do sheep drink from running water?" have to do with the Gospel message?

Is fellowship not a part of the Gospel?

Is not this thread a Christian forum?

Yes it is and the topic of this particular thread is Do sheep drink from running water?

 

[Jun2u]

Is fellowship not a part of the Gospel?

Yes it is. 1Jo 1:3 reads: "...truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

Job said:
Yes it is and the topic of this particular thread is Do sheep drink from running water?

It would have served better if the topic were such as: "Do believers (sheep) drink from the water of the Gospel (running water)?
My answer would still be the same as I have posted in Post #11

To God Be The Glory

 

[Job]

It would have served better if the topic were such as: "Do believers (sheep) drink from the water of the Gospel (running water)?

You should start a thread.