In the Hebrew culture, a good shepherd would break a lamb’s leg so as to discipline it. A lamb that was playful would sometimes cause harm to itself as it would end up feeding on poisonous herbs or easily sported and prey on since it would exclude itself from the rest of the flock. The shepherd would break its leg and then bind it again and nurse the lamb and carry it around with him on his chest/ embrace.
In this season of mending, healing, and caring, the lamb would feel the heartbeat of the shepherd and realize how loving and caring the shepherd is and that he did not break it intentionally to harm it but to discipline it in great love.
The shepherd would keep the lamb too close to his heart as a sign of caring for a period of 60 days before it would fully recover. With time the lamb would develop a strong relationship/ bond with the shepherd and it would realize that there is no other place it would rather be but just always close to the shepherd (a loving Father).
The meaning of this text.
The shepherd represents our loving Father (God), while the lamb represents us His children. The Father does not punish us to kill us, but to discipline and empower us and in that season of mending and healing we may encounter and know the loving heart of the Father. It is at this season we develop true intimacy with the Father.
Finding true comfort in affliction
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (II Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)
God gives us sufficient grace to go through this season, for His power is made perfect in our weakness. Therefore, we should always count if pure joy when God allows us to be broken, for it is for our own benefit.