The Sorrows of the Lamb of God on the Cross, Contrasted With the Path of the Sheep
THE Psalms present to us a mass of most blessed truth, of which we only find small portions in other parts of the Word of God; namely, the experiences of our blessed Lord— “the fat of the kidneys of wheat” “the fat that covereth the inwards.” God has in His marvelous grace allowed us to look into the deepest sorrows of His beloved Son. He has admitted us into fellowship with Himself, even in the most holy things; things which alone met His eye, and reached His ear: the secret breathings of the Lord unexpressed in audible words—the unuttered groanings of His Spirit on the tree have been recorded for our blessing. We are thus enabled, in some measure, to estimate that which surpasses all value—the costly price at which we have been redeemed. We shall find also that every true joy, every lasting blessing which we possess, has been purchased by the groans, and tears, and precious blood of the Son of God. In the following pages an attempt has been made to contrast the deep sufferings and sorrows of Christ on the cross, with the full and peaceful portion of the believer, purchased by those very sufferings. The 23rd Psalm has been selected as one descriptive of the blessings pertaining to the saints of God, and of so rich a stream of faith, and mercy, and goodness. In a parallel column, passages from other parts of scripture have been arranged, so as to render the contrast more apparent. The blessed Lord, as the Lamb of God, doubtless Himself experienced the joys and comforts of the 23rd Psalm. Jehovah was His Shepherd; and, as “the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father,” in what green pastures must He have rested—what waters of quietness must He have tasted! But in order that we might be sheep of the same pasture—children of the same Father—what deep and unsearchable billows of wrath rolled over Him on the cross! Another column of texts might however have been added, telling us at the same time of His faith and strong confidence—His trust in God in the midst even of that deep mire where there was no standing. All is wonderful that pertains to Him whose name is “Wonderful!” May we read and meditate, and worship whilst we read, and thus get joy and strength from this bread of life, this pure blood of the grape, this refreshing drink that God has given us “as out of great depths:”
The pathway of the sheep, under the care of the Great and Good Shepherd, to the house of the Father.|The sorrows of the Lamb of God on the Cross, conflicted by Jehovah, and endured for the sake of the sheep. |
1. “The Lord is my shepherd;
|“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zechariah 13:7).
“He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).
“It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief” (Isaiah 53:10).
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“I shall not want.
|“Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36).
“But I am poor and needy” (Psalm 40:17). “Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy (Psalm 86:1). “I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness” (Psalm 109:22-24).
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2 ”He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
|“Thou hast brought me into the dust of death” (Psalm 22:15). “For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. . . I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass” (Psalm 102:3-6, 9-11).|
“he leadeth me beside the still waters.
|“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me” (Psalm 42:7). “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. . . . Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me” (Psalm 69:1-2, 14-15). “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves” (Psalm 88:6-7). “For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me” (Jonah 2:3).
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3 ”He restoreth my soul:
|“Lord, why castest thou off my soul?” (Psalm 88:14). “But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed” (Psa. 88:38). “He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.. . . .And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord” (Lamentations 3:12-13, 17-18).|
“he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
|“thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Isaiah 53:10). “He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. . . He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.. . . He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate” (Lamentations 3:2, 5-7, 9-11).
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4 ”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
|“The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me” (Psalm 18:5). “My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me” (Psalm 55:4-5). “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. . . . Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns” (Psalm 22:14, 21). “Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions” (Psalm 35:17). “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? . . . O my God, my soul is cast down” (Psalm 42:5-6). “My soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength. . . Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.. . . I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off” (Psalm 88:3-4, 6, 15-16). “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow” (Psalm 116:3). |
“for thou art with me;
|“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? . . . Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. . . . But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me” (Psalm 22:1, 11, 19). “Why hast thou forgotten me?” (Psalm 42:9). “why dost thou cast me off?” (Psalm 43:2). “Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me” (Psalm 38:21). “why hidest thou thy face from me?” (Psalm 88:14). “How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever?” (Psalm 89:46). “Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight” (Jonah 2:4).|
“thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
|“I Am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath” (Lamentations 3:1). “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. . . . for the transgression of my people was he stricken. . . . it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief. . .” (Isaiah 53:5, 8, 10). “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass” (Psalm 102:4). “The Lord hath chastened me sore” (Psalm 118:18). “smite the shepherd” (Zechariah 13:7). “Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none” (Psalm 69:20).
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5 ”Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
|“How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:2). “Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?” (Psalm 41:5). “Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?” (Psalm 42:9, 10). “Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.. . . dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Psalm 22:12, 13, 16-18). “He is a reproach to his neighbours. Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice” (Psalm 89:41-42). “I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me” (Psalm 31:11). “Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me. For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping” (Psalm 102:8-9). “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21). |
“thou anointest my head with oil;
|“thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed. Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground. . . . Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground. The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame” (Psalm 89:38-39, 44-45). “Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down” (Psalm 102:10).|
“my cup runneth over.
|“I am poor and sorrowful” (Psalm 69:29). “I am a worm, and no man. . . My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (Psalm 22:6, 15). “Horror hath overwhelmed me” (Psalm 55:5). “He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood” (Lamentations 3:15).
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“6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
|“My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. . . . My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass. . . . He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days” (Psalm 102:3, 11, 23). “The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame” (Psalm 89:45). “Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day” (Lamentations 3:3).
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“and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
|“Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.” “My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall” (Lamentations 3:54, 18-19). “I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever” (Jonah 2:6). “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:2).
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“His glory is great in thy salvation: honor and majesty hast thou laid upon Him. For thou hast made Him most blessed for ever: thou hast made Him exceeding glad with thy countenance” (Psalm 21:5, 6).