stake
his life on the goodness and mercy of the shepherd." (IB, p. 130)
"All the benefits enjoyed by a flock under skilled and loving management
have
been drawn in bold lines. Now all of this is summed up here by
the Psalmist in
one brave but simple statement: 'Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life.'! . . . It is worth
reiterating at this point that sheep can, under
mismanagement, be
the most destructive livestock . . . they can ruin and ravage
land
almost beyond remedy. But in bold contrast they can, on the other
hand, be
the most beneficial of all livestock. . . . Their manure
is the best balanced of any
produced by domestic stock. When scattered
efficiently over the pastures it
proves of enormous benefit to the
soil. The sheep's habit of seeking the highest
rise of ground on which
to rest insures that the fertility from the rich low land is
re-deposited
on the less productive higher ground. No other livestock will
consume
as wide a variety of herbage. Sheep eat all sorts of weeds and other
undesirable plants which might otherwise invade a field. In a few
years a flock
of well-managed sheep will clean up and restore a piece
of ravaged land as no
other creature can do. . . . In ancient literature
sheep were referred to as 'those of
the golden hooves' -- simply because
they were regarded and esteemed so highly
for their beneficial effect
on the land. In my own experience as a sheep rancher
I have, in just
a few years, seen two derelict ranches restored to high productivity
and usefulness. More than this, what appeared as depressing eyesores
became
beautiful, park-like properties of immense worth. . . . In
other words, goodness
and mercy had followed my flocks. They left
behind them something worthwhile,
productive, beautiful and beneficial
to both themselves, others, and me." (Keller)
"Should we comment too
that there is nowhere any mention of the shepherd's
dogs? In our day
they do a great deal of the shepherding of wandering sheep.
Their
skill is uncanny and has become proverbial; but only a countryman
knows
how high is their sense of honor. A sheep dog will finish a
day exhausted almost
to collapse, his feet wounded and sometimes bleeding,
but not a single sheep will
have been lost; all are enfolded. On that
fact a poetic preacher of an older time
fastened. He spoke in the
vernacular, which added both force and tenderness to
his words. 'The
Lord is my shepherd,' he cried, 'aye, and more than that, he has
twa
fine collie dogs, Goodness and Mercy. With him before and them behind,
even poor sinners like you and me can hope to win home at last." (IB,
p. 130)
"Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness,
love -- the kingdom
of heaven -- reign within us, and sin, disease,
and death will diminish until they
finally disappear." (S&H, p.
248)
AND I WILL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOR EVER:
"The 'dwelling
in the house of the Lord' reflects the return to the village after
the
summer grazing period, when families prepare to go up to the House
of God, in
mended garments and new-made shoes to thank Him for His
'goodness and loving
kindness' and to entreat Him to let these blessings
follow the family forever."
(Harper's Bible Dictionary, p. 674)
"His
highest delight will be to continue as a guest in the house of his
divine host.
The picture of the tent melts into that of the temple.
'For ever: Lit., 'for length of
days,' i.e. 'as long as I live.'"
(IB 130)
"The reference to 'the house of the Lord' in v.6 may be a
continuation of the figure
of the host, and need not indicate a date
after the building of the Temple."
(Dummelow's One Volume Bible Commentary,
pg. 338)
"The word 'house' used here in the poem has a wider meaning
that most people
attach to it. Normally we speak of the house of the
Lord as the sanctuary, church
or meeting place of God's people. In
one sense David may have had this mind.
And, of course, it is pleasant
to think that one would always delight to be found
in the Lord's house.
But actually, what is referred to by 'house' is the family or
household
or flock of the good shepherd. The sheep is so deeply satisfied with
the flock to which it belongs, with the ownership of this particular
shepherd, that
it has no wish whatsoever to change. . . .There is
one other beautiful and final
sense in which the psalmist was speaking
as a sheep. It is found in the Amplified
Old Testament, where the
meaning of this last phrase is, 'I will dwell in the
presence of the
Lord forever.' . . . In our Christian lives and experience, the same
idea and principle applies. For when all is said and done on the subject
of a
successful Christian walk, it can be summed up in one sentence:
'Live ever aware
of God's presence.'" (Keller)
"The understanding,
even in a degree, of the divine All-power destroys fear, and
plants
the feet in the true path, -- the path which leads to the house built
without
hands 'eternal in the heavens.'" (S&H, p. 454)
"The real
house in which 'we live, and move, and have our being' is Spirit,
God,
the eternal harmony of infinite Soul. The enemy we confront would
overthrow this
sublime fortress, and it behooves us to defend our
heritage." (Pulpit and Press, p. 2)
"The letter of your work dies,
as do all things material, but the spirit of it is
immortal. Remember
that a temple but foreshadows the idea of God, the 'house
not made
with hands, eternal in the heavens,' while a silent, grand man or
woman,
healing sickness and destroying sin, builds that which reaches
heaven. Only those
men and women gain greatness who gain themselves
in a complete subordination
of self." (First Church of Christ, Scientist
and Miscellany, p. 194)
"And I will dwell in the house [the consciousness]
of [Love] for ever."
(S&H, p. 578)
"SHEPHERD, SHOW ME"
One of
the most beloved hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal is based
upon
a poem by Mary Baker Eddy, entitled "Feed My Sheep." This poem
explores the
concept from the 23rd Psalm that God is our Shepherd.
Little children love to
sing it, and many have found healing or guidance
through its comforting message:
FEED MY SHEEP
Shepherd, show me how
to go
O'er the hillside steep,
How to gather, how to sow, --
How to
feed Thy sheep;
I will listen for Thy voice,
Lest my footsteps stray;
I will follow and rejoice
All the rugged way.
Thou wilt bind the stubborn
will,
Wound the callous breast,
Make self-righteousness be still,
Break earth's stupid rest.
Strangers on a barren shore,
Lab'ring long
and lone,
We would enter by the door,
And Thou know'st Thine own;
So, when day grows dark and cold,
Tear or triumph harms,
Lead Thy
lambkins to the fold,
Take them in Thine arms;
Feed the hungry, heal
the heart,
Till the morning's beam;
White as wool, ere they depart,
Shepherd, wash them clean.
Click here to go to words of the 23rd Psalm
