597
THE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S
JUNE 20, 1920 THE LORD OUR SHEPHERD Golden Text: “ The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Ps. 23:1. LESSON TEXT Ps. 23. (Read Ps. 23; Ezk. 34:11-16.)
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. (5) Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest (hast anointed) my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. He is the Good Shepherd in death, laying down His life for the sheep. He is the Great Shepherd in resurrection. He is the Chief Shepherd in His second coming. In the Twenty-second Psalm we have the sobs and suffering of our Lord as He cries out, “ My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” In the Twenty-third, the risen Christ, the Great Shepherd, leads His sheep through the wilderness and the valley. In the Twenty-fourth, we have the glorified Christ when He shall be revealed to us, taking us to Himself, filling the earth with His glory. Outline. (1) Provision for the Sheep, vs. 1- 3. (2) Protection for the Sheep, v. 4. (3) Preparation for the Saints, v. 5. (4) Preservation of the Saints, v. 6. (1) PROVISION FOR THE SHEEP, vs. 1-3. “ The Lord is my shepherd.” The de sire of Jehovah to adapt Himself to the understanding and need of His people moves Him to condescend to the use of terms simple in meaning. He is Bread for hungry people; He is a Door for people looking for a lodging; He is a Rock for the foundation of the house. Here we view Him in His relation as Shepherd to the sheep. Sheep are the most helpless and dependent of all do-
(1) The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth (guideth) me beside the still waters. (3) He restor- eth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: Introduction. If you will read this Psalm and medi tate upon it, you will find yourself painting pictures full of helpful, heaven ly truths. Six short verses! LESSON We call it “ The EXPOSITION Shepherd Psalm,” T. C. Horton but the 10th of John is the true Shepherd Psalm. This should be called “ The Psalm of the Sheep.” Here are 117 words woven together in a series of pictures of bewitching beauty. This Psalm never had its origin in the mind of man. It was heaven- born. Four pictures: (1) The Shepherd and the Sheep. (2) The Shadowed Valley of Death. (3) The Table of the Lord. (4) The Angel-Attended Pilgrim Going Home. This is the pearl of the Psalms. Its sweet simplicity, its perfect pictures, make it the best loved portion of Scrip ture for young and old in all the Bible. Its setting is suggestive. The Twen ty-second Psalm is the Psalm of the Cross. The Twenty-third is the Psalm of the Crook, and the Twenty-fourth is the Psalm of the Crown. In the Twenty-second Christ is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 12); in the Twenty-third Psalm He is the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20); in the Twenty- fourth Psalm He is the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5 :4).
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker