The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-11-12
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON. COM.
MENTs FOR NOVEMBER 15.
Subject; The Lord Our Shepherd,
Psalm 23--Golden Text Ps. 1881
Commit the Entire Psalm
Read John 1O:f-1S.

Psalm 23--Goldcn Text Ps. 23:f
Commit the Entire Psalm
Read John 1O:1-18.
TINIE.-Uncertain PLACE.-Un-
certain.
EXPOSITION.-I. Every Want
Met, 1-3. The twenty-third Psalm is
a great depth, an unfathomable ocean
of truth. The foundation thought of
the first four verses. Jehovah Is my
Shepherd" The figure stands for
care, protection and provision on
Gods part; trust and obedience and
following on mans part (Jno. 1871,
IS, 1929; Gen. 33:13; Lu. 1885, 5:4-
6; Acts 20:29; lisa. 53:6; Matt.
$500. 1t is a shepherds S business to
feed the sheep and lambs, and by
making Himself my Shepherd Jeho..
yah has undertaken to make It His
business to provide me with pasture,
to meet every need. So David con-
tlnues. II shall not want" This any,
one who Is sure that he is one of Je-
hovah's sheep can confidently say.
Who Jehovah's sheep are Jesus plain
ly tells us Ono. 1913, 4, s, 27). Je-
hovah's sheep will never lack any
thing that It is for his real good to
have Cps. S4:11; 34:9, 10; Phil.
4:19; Matt. 6:33; Ro. S:32; He.
1875, 81. The Psalm leads on from
the general statement to specific
wants supplied. In verse 9 we have
four wants supplied: rest, food, drink,
leading. Literally translated. "He
maketh me to lie down in pastures Of
tender grass, He leadeth me beside
the waters of rest" There Is a two
fold rest in this verse: the passive
rest of sheep lying down on the soft,
young spring grass; the active rest of
walking beside the waters of rest. Is
there any other grass, food, so easy
for a true sheep of Christ to eat, so
juicy, so delicious, so nutritious, as
that which we find in the Word of
God? There Is drink as we'll as food.
Jehovah leads His sheep right beside
"the waters of rest What 1.-The
waters Of rest" are Jesus tells us
(Jno. 4:14; 7:37-39). The Holy
Spirit is the water we drink (for the
appropriateness of waters Of rest"
CT. Gal. 5:22). There is guidance
also He leadeth me-" Not only are
there still waters there, but 1t is Je-
hovah Himself who leads along the
bank. This leading is continuous and
constant. He "leadeth," not driveth.
In this and the following verses there
are four experiences into which, and
In which, He leads; waters of rest"
paths of righteousness" "a holy
Walk; into and through darkness,
peril and testing into His own house
forever, In verse we have a fifth
want supplied: healing, or reviving,
invigorating. "He restoreth Cor. re-
viveth) my soul"
II. Every Fear Bnnlshed, 4. The
Lords sheep is now taken into entire
ly new experiences. No longer pas
lures of tender grass and waters Jf
rest, but "the valley of the deepest
darkness" Chat Is the force of the
Hebrew phrase Shadow of death").
The Psalmist has not merely the ex-
perience of literal death In mind, but
all experiences where the darkness is
thick and profound Gods sheep do
not always walk in bright paths. In
the darkest valley Jehovah's sheep
have no fears, II will fear no evil"
! true trust in God banishes all fear,
under all circumstances, for all time
lisa. 1872; 26:3; Ps. $50, 6; 27:1;
/ 46:1-3 Phil. 4:6, z; Ro. S:28-32).
| And why not fear? For Thou art
with me-" Not because there Is no
! danger, but because there is One with
| us stronger than any possible enemy.
III. Every Longing Satisfied. 3, q.
| Here the figure changes: Jehovah no
! longer appears as a shepherd, but as
| bountiful host. Thou preparest a
table before me"--think out all that
He has spread before us on this table.
| No banquet on earth like that. AS to
the general character of the feast
| read Ps. 63:5; SIG. Note where we
are feasted, "in tho presence of mine
! enemies" Christ's own have enemies
J (Jno. 1919; 2 tt. 3:12), but our
| wonderful Host will spread us a ban
| quet In their very presence. That Is
one OF the things that make the world
so angry with the church; they see
what banquet we have, while they
are feeding on husks. There is not
only feast; but also an amounting,
/ The oil with which He anoints our
heads is the oil of gladness," the
Holy Spirit (Acts 1898; He. 1:9; 1
Jno. 2:20, 27, r. w. He anoints
our heads with this oil, It flows down
over our whole person (cf. Ps. 1892,
r. W. In ancient times an anoint.
ing was a necessary preparation for a
feast, and the amounting with the Holy
Spirit Is necessary preparation for
the Lords feast. The next step fol-
lows naturally, yea, tnevitably-"my
cup runneth over" (or, is IAN abun!
dant drink"). Do you know the over
flowing cup? Now we leave the feast
for our earthly pilgrimage (v. 81.
But we are not unguarded, surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me-"
! wish no better rear-guards, or foot
men than those. Gods goodness and
mercy (loying-kindness) follow our
every step. There is no doubt about
1t, surely" How well-protected and
perfectly secure We are. The Shep-
herd picking out the path before US,
and again close beside us in the dark
valley and His own goodness and
mercy following us all the way. Note
how long this VIII continue. Now we
come to the END of our pilgrimage
and pass out of time into Eternity
81 will dwell in the house OF the Lord
forever"
A Cure For Seasiclness.