“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

Matthew 5:45b NIV

God is indeed good to both the righteous and the unrighteous. While GOAT has been made into an acrostic for “greatest of all time”, the goat has long been a metaphor for those who are wicked.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

Matthew 25:31-33 NIV

While this passage does not mention that goats are bad (the rest of the chapter, Matthew 25:41-46 mentions the outcome for the goats), Jesus always referred to those who belong to Him as sheep, never goats.

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

John 10:16 NIV

Interestingly, goat idols became a snare to the Israelites.

They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. This is to be a lasting ordinance for them and for the generations to come.’”

Leviticus 17:7 NIV

The same goat demon is a snare to Satanists.

 

Related reads: The Sheepfold | As Pretty As Canby

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