THE K I N G ' S B U S I NE S S
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mestic animals. There is but one Shep herd, (Ezek. 34:23) “ And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.” (Psa. 100:3; Psa. 80:1.) Note the confidence of the believer, “ The Lord is my Shepherd.” The Shepherd has purchased the sheep. The sheep recognize and appropriate the Shepherd, as did Thomas in the upper room when he said “ My Lord and my God.” . The sheep cannot want for anything. “ The young lions do lack and suffer hunger,” (Psa. 34:10) but the sheep never. “ The Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psa. 84:11) “ For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2 :9). All need is supplied in Him (Phil. 4:19). He is the Bread of Life (John 6:48- 51). He is the Water of Life (John 7:37). In Him there is rest (Matt. 11:28). In Him, peace (John 14:27). In Him, joy (John 16:24). In Him, comfort (John 14:16). He is the Light (John 8:12). In Him is abundant life (John 10 : 10 ) . So the believer can well say “ I shall not want any good thing.” Our confi dence is in Him. Notice the compulsion of love, “He maketh me to lie down,” in the tender grass. A sheep lies down when it is full (Ezek. 34:14). “1 will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains ol Israel.” There is rest and refreshment in Him (John 15:16)
. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should re main; that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he may give it you.” He gives recreation. He revives them (Psa. 19:7, R. Y.) “The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.” He guides into the right paths, out into God’s great highway. He guides with His eye (Psa. 32:8). He guides with His voice (Psa. 73:24). He guides for His name’s sake; not because of any merit or virtue in the sheep, but be cause of His own righteousness (Psa. 11:7). (2) PROTECTION FOR THE SHEEP, v. 4. There are dangers in connection with the life of the sheep. Note that it is the valley of the shadow of death, not the valley of death. A shadow implies a light and an object. The light is the glory of the Lord. The object is the cross. The world is the valley where the shadow of the cross falls. There can be no fear of evil where He is (Isa. 45:5) “I am the Lord and there is none else, there is no God besides me; I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.” (Acts 12:6, 7) “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping be tween two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” “ God is our refuge and strength, a present help in time of trouble.” His rod and His staff sustain. The rod is for correction; the staff for pro tection. He is the Door of the sheep, and they pass under His rod. Every sheep is marked (Ezek. 20:37). The rod opened the way through the sea, but it brought judgment upon the Egyp tians. With the rod Moses struck the rock out of which came the water. With the rod He corrects, and with the crook of the staff He draws the sheep to Him self, puts them upon His shoulder, and carries the lambs in His bosom.
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