The Sorrows of the Lamb of God on the Cross, Contrasted With the Path of the Sheep

 •  11 min. read  •  grade level: 6
 
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;
 
 
 
 
 
“I shall not want.
 
2 ”He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
 
 
 
 
“he leadeth me beside the still waters.
 
 
 
 
3 ”He restoreth my soul:
 
 
 
“he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
 
 
4 ”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“for thou art with me;
 
 
 
 
“thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
 
 
 
 
5 ”Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“thou anointest my head with oil;
 
 
 
“my cup runneth over.
 
“6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
 
 
 
“and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
 
“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.” (Zech 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” (Isa. 53:7).
“It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief” (Isa. 53:10).
“Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36).
“But I am poor and needy” (Psa. 40:17). “Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy (Psa. 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” (Psa. 109:22-24).
“Thou hast brought me into the dust of death” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 102:3-6, 9-11).
“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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).
“Lord, why castest thou off my soul?” (Psa. 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” (Lam. 3:12-13, 17-18).
“thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin” (Isa. 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” (Lam. 3:2, 5-7, 9-11).
“The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 22:14, 21). “Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 116:3).
“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” (Psa. 22:1, 11, 19). “Why hast thou forgotten me?” (Psa. 42:9). “why dost thou cast me off?” (Psa. 43:2). “Forsake me not, O Lord: O my God, be not far from me” (Psa. 38:21). “why hidest thou thy face from me?” (Psa. 88:14). “How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself for ever?” (Psa. 89:46). “Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight” (Jonah 2:4).
“I Am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath” (Lam. 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. . .” (Isa. 53:5, 8, 10). “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass” (Psa. 102:4). “The Lord hath chastened me sore” (Psa. 118:18). “smite the shepherd” (Zech. 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” (Psa. 69:20).
“How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” (Psa. 13:2). “Mine enemies speak evil of me, When shall he die, and his name perish?” (Psa. 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?” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 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” (Psa. 102:8-9). “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (Psa. 69:21).
“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” (Psa. 89:38-39, 44-45). “Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down” (Psa. 102:10).
“I am poor and sorrowful” (Psa. 69:29). “I am a worm, and no man. . . My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws” (Psa. 22:6, 15). “Horror hath overwhelmed me” (Psa. 55:5). “He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood” (Lam. 3:15).
“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” (Psa. 102:3, 11, 23). “The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with shame” (Psa. 89:45). “Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day” (Lam. 3:3).
“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” (Lam. 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?” (Psa. 42:2).