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SOlyDAYSCINNa
LESSON
Gy e. o. SELLERS, Acting Director ci
Sunday School Course, The Moody Bible
Tuati<ufa Chfcnr0 I'LL
LESSON FOR APRIL 70
THE SHEPHERDS PSALM

| LESSON TExT-Psalm 81
GOLDEN TExT-The Lord d my Shep-
| herd.-Ps. 23:1
This is the most famous of the
shepherd kings writings. Probably
| written In his later life, he borrows
! his figure from the experience of his
youth. The relation of the lamb to
David is a type to him of his rela-
tions to God. Israers greatest poet
had ample time for meditation in the
days Of his youth as he followed the
occupation OF shepherd. His playing
on the harp is famous and he made
| the first official use of music in the
worship of Jehovah (see Chron. Is:
1920. The word Psalm" is from the
Greek, and first meant stringed In
strument. The Hebrew title Of this
book Is Praises" OF the $50 psalms
David is expressly credited with 70.
To fully study this. the sweetest of
all psalms, we must consider 1t verse
by verse.
ID "My Shepherd" The lamb Is
David. The Shepherd is Jehovah. The
time Is mans natural time on earth.
The rest is in the future. This Shep-
herd SO provides that the lamb shall
not want" II is his business to care
for his sheep. We are the sheep.
Jesus is the Shepherd. and his sheep
obey his voice John 1914, 81. We
shall not want for food. for drink. for
grace, for quietness, for companion
ship, for guidance and for welcome
back to the fold at the end of the day
or In the time of storm.
(2) HE Ieadeth me-" 'The Lord is
my Shepherd because (a) he bought
me; (b) he feeds me; (c) he leads me-"
Robertson. To fully comprehend
the deep significance of this psalm we
must try to know the land of Palestine
and the habits of eastern shepherds;
how they feed their focks. know
them by name, and keep constant
vigil against the danger of flood and
wild beasts. The Lord is an individ-
ual shepherd, interested in the one
as we'll as the whole, and as such at
tends to each individuals need. He
provides place for us to "lie down
in pastures of tender grass he also
causes us to walk beside waters OF
ouietness." He makes us to lie down
at times and he knows where to lead.
providing at the same time both food
and drink.
f3, MHs restoreth my soul" The
Shepherd revives our faintness. II
the lamb is too weak. he carries it "in
his BOSOM until it is revived. Many
are the ways he revives us. 4 word,
a sentence, paragraph, or an expert
ence will ofttimes restore the sick,
weary. sorrowful or sin-buFeted Child
OF God. He also leads he
does not drive--and his paths are
paths of pleasantneas and OF peace.
His paths are fright tracks, not the
delusive ones of SIM We cannot
walk in these paths without his leader
ship, without his strengthening rest,
without the invigorating food and
drink which is provided for us by the
Good Shepherd.
"a, "Yea though I walk" Just as
every need has been and will be pro-
vided for (Phil. 4:1s) even so will
every fear be banished. The flock has
nassed beyond the tender grass and
waters of quietness" into new and
strange experiences. into the valley
NJ deenest darkness" not alone the
exnerience of physical death but all
~ lifa,s experiences that are shroud-
ed nv thick impenetrable darkness,
for the Christian does not always walk
N maths Of light. Sometimes we scarce
" zoe the Shepherd. but we may al
wavs baar his voice. Dark valleys
Wv ,ia hatween two excellent pas
tnrape grounds even as Bunyan sug-
ros+s n pilprim,s Progress. Death
:, shadow not .. substance. for the
:. -, hos hoar removed II