Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family, 
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name's sake.” (Psalm 23;1-3)

When we were little ones, after learning John 3:16, our next passage to memorize was the 23rd Psalm, at least that was my case. This wonderful passage is a Psalm that brings hope and comfort for believers no matter the circumstance. Are we happy? We can read Psalm 23 and find joy that our Lord is leading us, and we don’t need anything else, because he is our supply. Are we sad? We can read Psalm 23 and find comfort, knowing that he is beside us during hard times.

Psalm 23 has been the fountain of inspiration for many artistic disciplines. Paintings, sculptures, poems, classical music, and of course, hymns to be sang by the church, portray the lovely image of our savior Jesus taking care of his sheep.

Psalm 23 was the based for a very familiar hymn, “He Leadeth Me! O Blessed Thought” written by the Baptist pastor called Joseph H. Gilmore. He was the son of a Governor of New Hampshire. He was born on Boston, MA, 1834, and became a pastor in 1862.

During a Wednesday night service at First Baptist Church in Philadelphia, while he was pulpit supplying for a couple weeks, he was teaching about the 23rd Psalm. At the end of the service, while he was talking with some members about his sermon, inspiration came to him and in the back of his sermon notes, he wrote:

“He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.”

He gave this paper to his wife and forgot about these lyrics, but his wife didn’t. She sent it to The Watchman and Reflector, a paper published in Boston. Gilmore’ lyrics were printed without his knowledge, and the paper sent it to William B. Bradbury, a fine hymn composer, and he set the tune that we are familiar with.

Joseph H. Gilmore went to Rochester to preach as a candidate before Second Baptist Church, and while he was in the chapel, he picked up the hymnal, with the curiosity of which hymns this congregation was singing, and he opened it at his own very hymn, “He Leadeth Me.”

“And when my task on earth is done,
when, by thy grace, the victory's won,
e'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me.
He leadeth me, he leadeth me;
by his own hand he leadeth me:
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.”

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.” (Psalm 23:6).

Read this Psalm, sing this hymn, and have an encounter with your Good Shepherd.
​
In His service,
Israel