Here’s Redford in “ready to shear” position. Sheep in this position look relaxed, but this is probably a case of tonic immobility… their cortisol readings are elevated when they are in this position, but they do get quiet and passive, which makes shearing much more pleasant for everyone.
"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."
{Isaiah 53:7} (NIV)
Job cried out to God that the affliction, pain and loss he suffered was unjust. His whole book is one of struggling with evil that has happened in his life, in spite of his right relationship with his Creator.
Here, in Isaiah 53, we have a listing of how the servant of God would suffer; oppressed, afflicted, taken away, cut off, punished, and assigned a grave with the wicked and the rich. This servant of God would not even open His mouth to protest. All that is recorded that comes close to a protest is His righteous prayer in the garden “your will be done” that echoes Isaiah’s prophecy of “God reigns”. He only opened his mouth to His God, and that prayer was a prayer of submission. To His captors, oppressors, and executioners, He said nothing in the way of protest. He didn’t say a word to save Himself. NO. He had come to give Himself to save others.
The NIV’s translation of verse 8 has caught my attention: "None of His generation protested." So neither the servant nor His people protested that the Son of God would die in their place. Does this not describe the hardness of our hearts in 2013 towards our Saviour? It almost seems right that the Son of God would die in our place, as if God somehow owes us. It isn’t right by human standards that the innocent die for the guilty. But it is righteous by heaven’s standards, that God in His great love for humans would suffer and die in our place.
Oh that our love would not grow cold, but that we would treasure the Servant. That we would love Him for His willingness. That we would hate the sin in our lives that nailed Him to the cross.
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