The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1903-11-12
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
uesson In the International Series
for November 15, 19O;s-David's
Trust In God

nesson In the international Series
for November Is, Is03-David's
Trust In God.
The Lesson Text-Psalm %.
FPS. 23;1. - Jehovah is my shep-
herd:" For hundreds Of years the He
brews had been a shepherd nation.
They knew as we cannot know the rich
ness and beauty Of this thought Of Je-
hovah as a shepherd. In trying to re-
alize what the Syrian shepherd was 10
the sheep We must remember that the
Syrian pastures are not like ours, but
vast stretches Of half barren land in
which streams are few and often dry.
and which are infested with wild beasts
and Arab robbers. With us sheep are
turned out to pasture and left to them
selves in perfect safety; but in the east
the shepherd literally lives with his
flock and shares their hardships and dan
gers with them. for only so can he pro-
vide for them and protect them. Il shall
not want" The pcrfeCt'trust of one who
knows Gods care from experience. II
does not say: 81 shall never want any
thing | cannot have" but rather:
Whatsoever God sees is best for me,
| know that He will do, for lie loves
me-" He maketh me to lie down II
green pastures" There are beautiful
green oases in the most barren desert.
The Great Sheph lo.ish the
desert, but helps u 20 uud and 20 rest in
the cases. It is when We follow Him
most closely that the tru,st peace Is
found. He leadeth me-" There is
great difference between leading and
driving. In America we see sheep driven
about by man who, as Henry van
Dyke says. seems to be little more than
a policeman to them" The Syrian shop
herd leads. for in some Of the pastures
there are poisonous weeds. and he must
be there first to remove them; he must
select the pasture with the greatest care,
and at the parting of the ways he with
his superior wisdom must choose the
right one. and because they have grown
up with him and have never been disap-
pointed by him the sheep follow him
with implicit faith. Sheep have not
very much wisdom. but they have
enough to follow the shepherd, and that
is sufficient So we shall not want" II
oGly we have wisdom enough to follow
our Shepherd Beside still waters"
Literally waters of rest.
Tvs. 3, ~ "He restoreth my soul"
Or restores or refreshes me. for the He
brew word for life and sold IS one. The
most faithful Christians need refresh
ing OF spirit. and those who have wan
dered into dangerous, and therefore
forbidden places, need also to be re-
stored to the safety of the fold. Both
meanings are in this expression. THE
paths of righteousness The thought
here is especially Of the human flock.
One would not naturally speak of right
eous paths when referring to the sheep.
To the sheep they are the paths that
lead to what is best for them; they are
the same to us. Perhaps sometimes our
Shepherd leads us over stony ways; but
He does not do 1t for His own sake, nor
because He does not know the pain of
the bruised and bleeding feet, but be
cause there Is no other way by which
He can lead us out into the better life
that awaits us beyond. But we do not
suffer alone; He goes with us, and His
feet are wounded as well as our own.
And so we reach the better land through
the sacrifice and blood of our shepherd
ing Saviour The shadow of death"
Or, deep darkness. "The psalmist has
not merely the experience of literal
death in mind, but all experiences where
the darkness is thick and profound f.
(Vs. 3, g. Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of mine en-
emies:" The figure seems to change .
here to that of a meal at which the
psalmist thinks of himself as the pro-
tected guest of Jehovah. Foes he still I
has, but they cannot harm him II is
possible, however, as William a. Knight
has shown, that it is a shepherd-psalm .
to the very end, for in reality the shep- .
herd prepares the pasture for the .
flock In the midst Of all kinds OF dangers
and enemies" but they Craze upon It
in perfect security. Thou hast
anonted my head with OIL" A refresh
ing courtesy shown to guests In oriental
lands, or the bathing or amounting OF the
bruised and weary sheep as it enters the
fold at night. The shepherd has the
horn filled with olive oil, and he was
cedar tar, and he anoints knee bruised
upon the rocks or a side scratched by
And here comes one that Is not
bruised. but is simply worn and en-
hausted: he bathes its face and head
with the refreshing olive oil, and he
takes the large two-hande cup and dips
1t brimming full from the vessel of wa
ter provided for that purpose. and he