Psalm 22 brings before us the Saviour,
Psalm 23, the Shepherd,
Psalm 24, the King.
In other words,
Psalm 22 tells us of “the Good Shepherd” giving His life for the sheep;
Psalm 23 of “the Great Shepherd,” risen from the dead, living and caring for His sheep;
Psalm 24 of “the Chief Shepherd” coming in glory to reward the faithful under-shepherds.
One sentence in Psalm 23 stands out in striking beauty:
“He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Mark you, not for your safety’s sake, nor for your comfort’s sake, but “for His name’s sake.” How lovely this is! On what a solid basis His care rests. His thought will be for our comfort and safety, but the motive force is “for His name’s sake.”
His name is linked up with the right conduct and ultimate safety of the sheep.
Let me give you a striking and touching instance of this.
A Christian officer was greatly distressed when he heard that a former soldier in his regiment had been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on the serious charge of forgery. When serving in the army he had been known as a godly, consistent Christian. With a fellow-soldier he had started a Sunday-school in a low part of the town where they were quartered, where they were loved by the poor, and did much good. He had saved money and bought his discharge.
The officer inquired into the case, and was satisfied that there had been a miscarriage of justice. The man was perfectly innocent of the charge preferred against him, which was abundantly proved in a subsequent trial.
Putting on his uniform, the officer went to the Governor of the jail and told him the story, saying as he left, “I hope you’ll give him an easy berth.” There was a curious expression on the Governor’s face as he listened to the story, and although the official reply—“You know, sir, we can’t make any difference between prisoners”—had to be made, yet the officer felt his request was granted.
The Governor appointed the prisoner letter-writer to his fellow-prisoners. Instead of being kept apart, he was enabled in this way to read the Scriptures to them. Thus the Lord sent him into the prison to be an evangelist.
To be unjustly accused and wrongfully imprisoned must have been a bitter trial to him. What did the Lord mean by it? How was His Shepherd care manifested? We shall see.
The next time the officer called, after some hesitation, the man began:
“Please, sir, the young woman—” and stopped.
“Hullo!” the officer cried out. “Now I see it all. I thought there was something of this kind in the matter. This has been a great mystery to me, for I knew you were innocent; I was sure the Lord would never bring you in here except in mercy. Well, go on,”
“Please, sir, the young woman I kept company with has married the baker.” Then out came the story. He had kept company with a godless woman. She had two strings to her bow, and when our friend went to prison she married her other admirer. On being remonstrated with for acting contrary to Scripture, which plainly says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers,” he replied:
“Well, sir, she used to go to meetings with me.”
“No doubt,” the officer replied. “Many a man goes to church or meetings to win a woman; and many a Christian woman is thereby deceived into marrying a godless man, to her lifelong sorrow. ‘Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers’ (2 Cor. 6:14) is a command which no Christian can disobey with impunity.”
When they parted the officer heartily congratulated the Christian ex-soldier on the goodness of the Lord, who gave him only three months’ imprisonment instead of a bad wife.
After, as I intimated, his character was cleared.
Thus did the Good Shepherd lead him “in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
Cannot we all recall in many, nay numberless instances, of His Shepherd care? Oh! to trust Him more, to cleave to Him more, to honour Him more.