“With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the LORD, the King.” Psalm 98:6
People in the Bible raised sheep for a number of reasons. Some sheep and goats were set aside for sacrifices. But they also provided many other things people used every day.
The wool was removed in a process called “shearing.” The person shearing tried to remove the fleece in one piece. Within a week the sheep would regrow enough wool to keep them warm again. After the sheep was killed, they sometimes left the fleece attached to the skin and used it for head coverings or other heavy coats. The soft fleece was usually worn on the inside and the leather hide on the outside. At other times, they scraped the wool from the hide in a process called “tanning.” The wool was then spun into yarn to become woolen fabric. The sheep skin was also valuable in making water bottles and tents. Because of the wool, sheep were more valuable than goats.
The meat from sheep is called “mutton.” Lamb meat is simply called “lamb.” The meat is nutritious and tasty. The inside parts of the sheep were used for food or fertilizer. Sheep and goats’ milk was also used for making cheese. Goats were kept especially for their milk since their meat is not as nutritious as the sheep.
Goat and ram horns were also used to make musical instruments. The Hebrew name for them was “shofar.” Some were curly horns three to four feet long. It took much practice to learn to play a shofar. They blew the horns to make public announcements and to announce each holiday. Joshua had his men blow the rams’ horns when they went into battle against the city of Jericho. Can you imagine the sound that made?
To Bible people, blowing horns and trumpets was very important. Many times the Bible mentions blowing on these instruments. The Bible says there will come a time when everyone on earth will hear horns blowing to announce the end of the world. Matthew 24:30,31 tells us: “[All the nations] will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” No one will miss that announcement! What a glorious day that will be. The Good Shepherd will come back just as he promised to take us to his sheepfold in heaven where he will care for us forever.
Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.
Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre.
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