The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1905-03-31
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON /. SECOND QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, APRIL 2.


These blind guides, blind leaders Of
the blind, pastors that destroyed and
scattered the sheep, shepherds that fed
themselves and not the flock, allowing
the flock to become u prey Matt. xiii,
16; Ky, II; Jer. xiii, /; Eek. Xxxlv,
9, 81, show forth by contrast the good
shepherd of our lesson, who always
had compassion on the sheep because
they were as those having no shepherd.
In the opening parable Of this chapter,
which they understood not Verse @,
He had told them that they were not
His sheep because they knew not His
voice oversees 26, 20. and in the opening
verse of our lesson, with the emphasis
Of His double verify, He says, Il am
the door os The sheep Oversees Z, 81.
The greatest buildings Israel ever
knew were the tabernacle and the tenn
pie, the houses in which their God, the
only living and true God, dwelt In the
midst of His people ok. XIV, 8; 1
Kings, tx, 81, each typical Of Him
who IS the true tabernacle and temple,
the word made flesh. God manifest in
the flesh. There was but one way Of
entrance to these buildings, and close
by the entrance was the braZen altar
If burnt Offering (1X. 81, o, whc"o the
lambs of the daily morning and even
Ing sacrifices were offered.
There was no way of approach to
God but by the shedding Of bloc. The
Lord taught this to Adam and Eve ut
Eden (Gen. III, 2I, and they to their
children. Cain was the first to refuse
to confess himself n sinner and come
to God with Il sacrifice, but he has had
IN immense number Of followers, Of
whom it is written, "Woe unto them,
for they have gone in the way of Cain"
dude IL. These blind, self righteous
shepherds were therefore thieves and
robbers, for they knew not the only
door Of entrance to the fold.
The words before me- in verse 8
cannot refer TO those who came in His
name as His true prophets and priests,
but must have the same significance as
in the first commandment (EX. Xx, -,
where in the revised version margin the
translation is beside me-" Many do
hear and receive the teaching of the
false shepherds Of today, the wolves in
Sleeps clothing Matt. vii, 10; Acts XX,
90, but that proves that they do not
know the true Shepherds voice.
What blessed door this is by which
"any man" may enter in and be saved
and evermore in all his going out and
coming in find pasture and protection
(verse o; rs. cxxi, s.. Not only is He
the door, but He Himself is also the
pasture John vi, 90, for He said, "He
that eateth Ne. even lie shall live by
Me-"
The adversary to whom all the false
shepherds belong ever seeks TO kill and
destroy. He has been at it ever since
lie killed Abel. The Lord Jesus is the
life giver, and He gives freely, fully
and forever. His words are, Il give
unto them eternal life, and they shall
never perish, neither shall any pluck
them out of My hand" Verse 2S). In all
Scripture there is nothing that conflicts
with this, yet l find Christians every
where who are slow TO believe that
they shall never perish.
Not only life, but life more abundant
Iy, it is His will that we should have,
for "abundantly" is one of His great
words from Gen. i, 20, 81 onward. Phil
ip would give each of the 5000 a little
If he could, but the Lord Jesus filled
every one of them. Who can tell the
meaning of exceeding abundantly
above all we can ask or think?" (Eph.
iii, 20.) We cannot have the abundant
life while we tolerate unbelief, for we
can only be filled with JOY and peace
by believing Rom. XIV, 49,.
AS the good Shepherd He giveth His
life for the sheep oversees IL, 15), as the
great Shepherd He works I'm us His
good pleasure, and as the chief Shop
herd He will reward those who feed
His sheep at His appearing QIeb. Kill,
20; Pet. V, Id. To question the pow
er or love or faithfulness of Him who
laid down His life for the sheep must
be a great grief to Him; rather let us
be such most surely believers" know
ing the certainty of all that He has told
us duke /, l, A., that we shall be wells
and rivers of living water to His glory.
An abundant life will insure an abun-
dant entrance into the kingdom, in
stead of n possible Saved as by fire"
experience, with works disapproved
and burned QI Pet. /, 10, IL; Cor. iii,
1915. If we are truly His sheep and
rejoicing in Him, we will covet earnest
~ to be used by Him to gather the
other sheep to complete the one flock
under one shepherd
What wonderful saying is this in
verses II. IS: 81 lay down my life that
/ might take It again. No man taketh
It from me, but l lay it down of my
self. l have power to lay it down, and
/ have power to take it again." What
manner of man is this? Truly He Is
God Verse 33), and His works testify
1t as well as His words oversees 81, 3S).
Not all the powers on earth could take
Him nor hold Him. much less kill
Him, but He gave himself up for us;