Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-17
SABBATH SCHOOL
LESSON
For June 2o-Psa11ns 23
BY DIR. MARION NH. HULL

Golden Text "The Lord Is my Shepherd,
I shall not want" Psa. 1911.
Suppose we print this in its proper literary
form-that of a modified envelope structure
and catch a new strain of music from the
familiar harp of six strings.
jehovah. Jesus is my Shepherd,
l shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures;
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul,
He leadeth me in right paths for the
love of His name.
Yea, though 1 walk through the valley of
the shadow of death
l will fear no evil,
For thOur art with me,
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
In the presence Of my enemies,
Thou anoinest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
And 1 shall dwell in the house Of Jehovah
unto the ages of the ages
The Characteristic of this form is that
the first and last cOuplets express the
theme which envelopes the body of the
psalm. The three stanzas of four lines
each explain the statement made in the
opening couplet, and they give the reason
for the conclusion expressed in the closing
couplet Study them anew with this thought
in mind.
Now 1 hardly think David had a thought
for this lin a seuse) mechanical devise
he was by nature and by inspiration a
poet and without forethought nsed this
and that literary form which best eX-
pressed the meaning of his heart. In his
latter years, like many a mature person,
he thought much of the experiences of
past years. He dwelt upon his shepherd
days, thought of how he had led the flock
out finding for them the pastures rich with
green grasses, and made the sheep lie down
in them after they had had enough. Then
beside the waters of QuietneSs where they
might quench their thirst without HARM
and not have to undergo the dangers of
drinking from the tempeStuous mountain tor
rents. When one was well-nigh exhausted
he would restore its very life by giving it
just what it needed, and all the while he
would be leading them in the right paths,
for his own good name was at stake. And
when it becomes necessary to lead them
through solde narrow, dark gorge in the
mountains lurking with DEATH to the sheep,
because Of the lions and bears infesting
these regions, how he had gone on before
them with rod and staff in hand, stricking
the rock walls with them and calling out
when he was out of their sight to assure
them that he was still with them to lead
and protect them from their enemies. He
remembered, also, leading them out from
such dangerous gorgcs into rich pastures,
but that frequently he would have to rout
out and kill the snakes that would other
wise have wounded them at this prepared
table" as they ate of the grasses. Once
and again he had anointed the head of
sheep that had been bitten, and made them
to drink out of an overlooking cup.
As he thought of all his shepherd eXpe-
riences, he looked back over his life and
1i1n1 hot Cd 1,nI hoo 3,,@% KIaL
him that he had been to his sheep; he real
lied also that he had been just as prone to
go |astray and get into trouble as His sheep
had Until one day, when his heart was
Overlooking, he sang this shepherd psalm,
that millinos have kept on singing ever
since. LII q ID
The Good Shepherd
Many writer's have called attention to
the many things the shepherd gives the
sheep as recorded in this psalm-rest, re-
freshment. restoration, Brightness, peace, His
own presence, power. permanence. Why
should you worry about anything If He is
your shepherdfi
But there is just the crux. You must
appropriate Him. Read the pslam again,
pronoun that you could claim as your very
own-my shepherd, 1, me, me, etc. Then
note the change from the third person in
the first part to the second person in the
latter part-He, Thou! The growth in in
timacy increases proportionately.
The most interesting exposition of the
psalm, and the newest thoughts concerning
tbs in the Sunday School Times (1031 Wal
nut ST., Philadelphia, Pa, for June 5, by
E. C Pace. Get it and file it for future
frequent study.
Our thought of this psalm today though
revOlves around the shepherd. Let think
of Him a bit. 1.-The Lord is my Shep-
herd" Whenever you notice the word Lord
in smell b IN the The old TIES
'Jehosah' is thesimost Vsacred name of God
the one that signifies that He is self-ex-
istent, Independent OF all His crea lures,
and who will exist after every creation