added for compliments or ornaments or the like, such as are those things
usually wherein wicked men excel the godly. Even so it is when we say that
a godly man wanteth nothing. For though in regard of unnecessary goods he
be "as having nothing," yet in regard of others he is as if he possessed all
things. He wants nothing that is necessary either for his glorifying of God
(being able to do that best in and by his afflictions), or for God's
glorifying of him, and making him happy, having God himself for his portion
and supply of his wants, who is abundantly sufficient at all times, for all
persons, in all conditions.
Zachary Bogan.
Verse 1. "I shall not want." To be raised above the fear of want by
committing ourselves to the care of the Good Shepherd, or by placing our
confidence in worldly property, are two distinct and very opposite things.
The confidence in the former case, appears to the natural man to be hard and
difficult, if not unreasonable and impossible: in the latter it appears to
be natural, easy, and consistent. It requires, however, no lengthened
argument to prove that he who relies on the promise of God for the supply of
his temporal wants, possesses an infinitely greater security than the
individual who confides in his accumulated wealth. The ablest financiers
admit that there must be appended to their most choice investments, this
felt or expressed proviso—"So far as human affairs can be secure." . . . Since then no absolute security against want can be found on earth, it
necessarily follows, that he who trusts in God is the most wise and prudent
man. Who dare deny that the promise of the living God is an absolute
security?
John Stevenson.
Verse 1. "I shall not want." The sheep of Christ may change their
pasture, but they shall never want a pasture. "Is not the life more than
meat, and the body than raiment?" Matthew 6:25. If he grant unto us great
things, shall we distrust him for small things? He who has given us
heavenly beings, will also give us earthly blessings. The great Husbandman
never overstocked his own commons.
William Secker.
Verse 1. "I shall not want." Ever since I heard of your illness, and
the Lord's mercy in sustaining and restoring, I have been intending to
write, to bless the Lord with my very dear sister, and ask for some words to
strengthen my faith, in detail of your cup having run over in the hour of
need. Is it not, indeed, the bleating of Messiah's sheep, "I shall not
want"? "shall not want," because the Lord is our Shepherd! Our Shepherd
the All-sufficient! nothing can unite itself to him; nothing mingle with
him; nothing add to his satisfying nature; nothing diminish from his
fulness. There is a peace and fulness of expression in this little
sentence, known only to the sheep. The remainder of the Psalm is a drawing
out of this, "I shall not want." In the unfolding we find repose,
refreshment, restoring mercies, guidance, peace in death, triumph, an
overflowing of blessings; future confidence, eternal security in life or
death, spiritual or temporal, prosperity or adversity, for time or eternity.
May we not say, "The Lord is my Shepherd?" for we stand on the sure
foundation of the twenty-third Psalm. How can we want, when united to him!
we have a right to use all his riches. Our wealth is his riches and glory.
With him nothing can be withheld. Eternal life is ours, with the promise
that all shall be added; all he knows we want. Our Shepherd has learned
the wants of his sheep by experience, for he was himself "led as a sheep to
the slaughter." Does not this expression, dictated by the Spirit, imply a
promise, and a full promise, when connected with his own words, "I know my
sheep," by what painful discipline he was instructed in this knowledge,
subjected himself to the wants of every sheep, every lamb of his fold, that
he might be able to be touched with a feeling of their infirmities? The
timid sheep has nothing to fear; fear not want, fear not affliction. fear
not pain; "fear not;" according to your want shall be your supply, "The
Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I trust in him."
Theodosia A. Howard, Viscountess Powerscourt (1830) in "Letters," etc.,
edited by Robert Daly, D.D., 1861.
Verse 1. "I shall not want." One of the poor members of the flock of
Christ was reduced to circumstances of the greatest poverty in his old age,
and yet he never murmured. "You must be badly off," said a kind-hearted
neighbour to him one day as they met upon the road, "you must be badly off;
and I don't know how an old man like you can maintain yourself and your
wife; yet you are always cheerful!" "Oh no!" he replied, "we are not badly
off, I have a rich Father, and he does not suffer me to want." "What! your
father not dead yet? he must be very old indeed!" "Oh!" said he, "my Father
never dies, and he always takes care of me!" This aged Christian was a
daily pensioner on the providence of his God. His struggles and his poverty
were known to all; but his own declaration was, that he never wanted what
was absolutely necessary. The days of his greatest straits were the days of
his most signal and timely deliverances. When old age benumbed the hand of
his industry, the Lord extended to him the hand of charity. And often has
he gone forth from his scanty breakfast, not knowing from what earthly
source his next meal was to be obtained. But yet with David he could rely
on his Shepherd's care, and say, "I shall not want;" and as certainly as he
trusted in God, so surely, in some unexpected manner was his necessity
supplied.
John Stevenson.
Verse 1. In the tenth chapter of John's gospel, you will find six marks
of Christ sheep: 1. They know their Shepherd; 2. They know his voice;
3. They hear him calling them each by name; 4. They love him; 5. They
trust him; 6. They follow him.
In "The Shepherd's King," by the Authoress of "The Folded Lamb" {Mrs.
Rogers.}, 1856.
Verses 1-4. Come down to the river; there is something going forward
worth seeing. Yon shepherd is about to lead his flock across; and as our
Lord says of the good shepherd—you observe that he goes before, and the
sheep follow. Not all in the same manner, however. Some enter boldly, and
come straight across. These are the loved ones of the flock, who keep hard
by the footsteps of the shepherd, whether sauntering through green meadows
by the still waters, feeding upon the mountains, or resting at noon, beneath
the shadow of great rocks. And now others enter, but in doubt and alarm.
Far from their guide, they miss the ford, and are carried down the river,
some more, some less; and yet, one by one, they all struggle over and make
good their landing. Notice those little lambs. They refuse to enter, and
must be driven into the stream by the shepherd's dog, mentioned by Job in
his "parable." Poor things! how they leap, and plunge, and bleat in terror!
That weak one yonder will be swept quite away, and perish in the sea. But
no; the shepherd himself leaps into the stream, lifts it into his bosom, and
bears it trembling to the shore. All safely over, how happy they appear!
The lambs frisk and gambol about in high spirits, while the older ones
gather round their faithful guide, and look up to him in subdued but
expressive thankfulness. Now, can you watch such a scene, and not think of
that Shepherd who leadeth Joseph like a flock; and of another river, which
all his sheep must cross? He, too, goes before, and, as in the case of this
flock, they who keep near him "fear no evil." They hear his sweet voice,
saying, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and
through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee." Isaiah 43:2. With eye
fastened on him, they scarcely see the stream, or feel its cold and
threatening waves.
W. M. Thomson.
Verse 2. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures," etc. Not only
he hath "green pastures" to lead me into, which shows his ability, but he
leads me into them, which shows his goodness. He leads me not into
pastures that are withered and dry, that would distaste me before I taste
them; but he leads me into " green pastures," as well to please my eye with
the verdure as my stomach with the herbage; and inviting me, as it were, to
eat by setting out the meat in the best colour. A meat though never so
good, yet if it look not handsomely, it dulls the appetite; but when besides
the goodness, it hath also a good look, this gives the appetite another
edge, and makes a joy before enjoying. But yet the goodness is not
altogether in the greenness. Alas! green is but a colour, and colours are
but deceitful things; they might be green leaves, or they might be green
flags or rushes; and what good were to me in such a greenness? No, my soul;
the goodness is in being "green pastures ," for now they perform as much
as they promise; and as in being green they were a comfort to me as soon
as I saw them, so in being green "pastures" they are a refreshing to me
now as soon as I taste them. As they are pleasant to look on, so they are
wholesome to feed on: as they are sweet to be tasted, so they are easy to be
digested; that I am now, methinks, in a kind of paradise and seem not to
want anything, unless perhaps a little water with which now and then to wash
my mouth, at most to take sometimes a sip: for though sheep be not great
drinkers, and though their pastures being green, and full of sap, make drink
the less needful; yet some drink they must have besides. And now see the
great goodness of this Shepherd, and what just cause there is to depend upon
his providence; for he lets not his sheep want this neither, but "he
leadeth them besides still waters," not waters that roar and make a noise,
enough to fright a fearful sheep, but waters "still" and quiet; that
though they drink but little, yet they may drink that little without fear.
And may I not justly say now, "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want?"
And yet perhaps there will be want for all this; for is it enough that he
lead them into green pastures and beside still waters? May he not lead them
in, and presently take them out again before their bellies be half full; and
so instead of making them happy, make them more miserable? set them in a
longing with the sight, and then frustrate them of their expectation? No,
my soul; the measure of this Shepherd's goodness is more than so. He not
only leadeth them into green pastures, but " he makes them to lie down" in
them —he leads them not in to post over their meat as if they were to
eat a passover, and to take it in transita , as dogs drink Nylus; but, "he
makes them to lie down in green pastures," that they may eat their fill and
feed at leisure; and when they have done, "lie down" and take their ease,
that their after-reckoning may be as pleasing as their repast.
Sir Richard Baker.
Verse 2. "He leadeth me." Our guiding must be mild and gentle, else it
is not duxisti , but traxisti —drawing and driving, and no leading.
Leni spiritu non durf manu —rather by an inward sweet influence to be
led, than by and outward extreme violence to be forced forward . . .
Touching what kind of cattle, to very good purpose, Jacob, a skilful
shepherd, answereth Esau (who would have had Jacob and his flocks have kept
company with him in his hunting pace), Nay, not so, sir, said Jacob, it is
a tender cattle that is under my hands, and must be softly driven, as they
may endure: if one "should over drive them but one day," they would all die
or be laid up for many days after. Genesis 33:13.
Lancelot Andrewes.
Verse 2. "He leadeth me," etc. In ordinary circumstances the shepherd
does not feed his flock, except by leading and guiding them where they may
gather for themselves; but there are times when it is otherwise. Late in
autumn, when the pastures are dried up, and in winter, in places covered
with snow, he must furnish them food or they die. In the vast oak woods
along the eastern sides of Lebanon, between Baalbek and the cedars, there
are there gathered innumerable flocks, and the shepherds are all day long in
the bushy trees, cutting down the branches, upon whose green leaves and
tender twigs the sheep and goats are entirely supported. The same is true
in all mountain districts, and large forests are preserved on purpose.
W. M. Thomson.
Verse 2. "Lie down"—"leadeth." Sitting Mary and stirring Martha