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Chosen no: R-4851 a, from: 1911 Year. |
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The Lord Is My Shepherd
THE PROPHET DAVID wrote the 23d Psalm concerning himself; but in his words there is still deeper signification,
namely, that Jehovah is the Shepherd of the antitypical David--The Christ, of
which Jesus is the Head and the Church His Body.
In proportion as any are in an attitude of mind
in harmony with the Lord they are out of harmony with their present
environment, in which the great Adversary is seeking their destruction, under
conditions unfavorable for their spiritual development as the Lord's
"sheep." Foxes, wolves, lions and even cattle have means of defense
and offense; but the sheep has practically none. It seems to have no judgment;
therefore, the sheep is dependent on the shepherd. In other words, it is out of
its environment if away from the shepherd. God provided [R4852
: page 207] for man's protection, but by reason of sin the race got
into the wilds and became exposed to various difficulties which otherwise would
not have been man's lot.
Those who are the "sheep" will come
back into harmony with the Lord. As represented in our text, the Church class
comes back in the present time. We all recognize, as the days go by, how
necessary is the Divine care. As we come to see the Divine Plan, we see that
"all who are of this fold," all those who will come into harmony with
God, will have this care; and that eventually there shall be one Shepherd and
one flock.
Our Lord Jesus is the representative of the
Father. Humanity, as the Lord's sheep, went astray. All of Adam's posterity are
now astray. The Great Shepherd sent His Son for the lost sheep. He is seeking
them and will ultimately find all who belong to this true flock. He is,
therefore, in the highest sense of the word, the Bishop, or Shepherd of our
souls, the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.
W.T. R-4851a : page 207 - 1911r