Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” (John 10:11).

In this beautiful passage, our Lord Jesus is telling us that He is the Good Shepherd, the Good Shepherd that knows His sheep, that He takes care of His sheep, that He lays down His life for His sheep. And this image is not new. The idea of the Good Shepherd is found in the Old Testament, when God Himself says that He is the true shepherd (Ps. 23; Isa. 40:11) in contrast with unfaithful shepherds (Jer. 23:1-4) who will be judged by Him.

As Christians, we can have confidence that our Good Shepherd will take care of us, and this comfort, for us, can be found in the lyrics of the loved hymn “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.”

Who is the author of this hymn? For many people, the author is Henry F. Lyte, author of the other famous hymn, “Abide with Me.” But the hymn, when it appeared for the first time in a hymnal called, “Hymns for the Young” was anonymous, but the person who put together this hymnal was a lady called Dorothy A. Thrupp, and people think that she wrote this hymn.

“Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.”

Dorothy Ann Thrupp was born in London, June 10, 1779, and she wrote many hymns, the majority for children, that is why the lyrics of her hymns have simple language. She wrote her hymns under the pseudonym of "Iota."

“We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray.”

When you read or sing this hymn, you can feel it as a prayer, because it is a prayer. We recognize Christ as the Shepherd, and we are His sheep, therefore we can ask Him for His care and guidance.

We know that this hymn has simple language so little ones can understand the message of the Good Shepherd, nevertheless, the hymn has its theological depths. Read the third stanza.

“Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow'r to free;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee.”

Jesus is our Good Shepherd, adore Him.

“Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Ps. 100:3).
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“Early let us seek Thy favor;
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior,
With Thy love our beings fill;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast love us, love us still;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus,
Thou hast love us, love us still.”

In His service,
Israel