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THE K I N G ' S B US I NE S S
mony we bear in behalf of our risen Lord. He was anointed with the oil of glad ness (Psa. 45:7) and so He anoints all those who honor Him by their implicit faith, and who recognize that He has provided a finished salvation for them, and give unto Him all the glory. (4) PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTS, v. 6. Here the scene changes again, and we are oh the highway, blest beyond compare, saved, fed, anointed, the glorious Leader going before us (John 10:27); behind us come the attending angels, Goodness and Mercy (2 Tim. 4:18). Shut in; hedged about; perfect-, ly safe and secure; every need supplied; every comfort assured; before us the open gate into the glorious city of our God. God help us to love, and adore, and serve Him who hath made all these things possible for us. PRACTICAL POINTS (T) A prophetic picture of Shepherd and sheep— soul-satisfying and age- abiding. (2) This Psalm is the song of a soul centered in Christ. (3) He is a good Shepherd because He is God. (4) If you can say “ The Lord is my Shepherd,” you can always say “ I shall not want.” (5) We are sure to have what the Shepherd has because of what the Shepherd is. (6) Well-fed sheep are found in well- watered pastures. (7) In the shadowed valley of death, we can take delight in the table of the Lord. (8) The prepared table, the perfumed oil, and the plentiful cup, are the pledges of perpetual supply. (9) The goal of the pilgrim is the gate to the King’s palace.
The sheep do not have an easy time. Sheep are restless, foolish creatures, hard to shepherd, easily led astray. Enemies are many, dangers great. The burden is always upon the shepherd. What a wonderful, divine, loving, un tiring Shepherd is our Lord! This is a wicked world, dark with sin, sickness and death, but we need not fear. He leads; He supplies; He guards; He com forts. He is too loying not to correct us, but too faithful ever to desert us. He is with us in person to comfort (John 10:14). The light shines above, and the shadow of the cross is always speaking to us of His finished work for us. Having begun a good work in us, He will perfect it unto the end. There is no death to the believer. We fall asleep in Jesus. (3) PREPARATION FOR THE SAINTS, v. 5. There seems to be here a change in the figure. Now it is the table in the midst of a wicked world, enemies all about; a prepared table, prepared by the Lord in the presence of the enemy. This is the table of our Lord. As sheep we graze in the tender grass.- As saints we eat at the table of our Lord. There we have the bread which speaks to us of His broken body, and the wine which tells the story of the shed blood. It is a communion table; a fellowship table, where the risen Lord, with the marks upon His hands and feet, meets with His blood-bought ones. Here He gives assurance of their ac ceptance by the Father, through His blood-offering in their behalf. Here He speaks of His coming in the glory for us. Our heads are anointed with the* oil of the Spirit, (2 Cor. 1:21, 22) the unction of the Holy One. Through this anointing we have the assurance that we are eternally His; joint heirs with Him; a truth so marvelous that joy unspeakable and full of glory is ours. Our cup runneth over, and the unsaved around us are recipients of the testi
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