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HEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. 3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. 7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. (Luke 15:1-7)
Like all classical hymns, this hymn has direct reference to biblical truth which it extols and praises. It is the second of two great hymns written by Elizabeth Cecilia Clephane (1830-1869) of Edinburg, Scotland.
One of my favorite devotional commentaries is by the Rev. Wm. Arnot of Edinburg who published these remarks concerning Elizabeth Clephane, the author of there were ninety and nine:
These lines express the experiences, the hopes, and the longings of a young Christian lately released. Written on the very edge of this life, with the better land fully, in the view of faith, they seem to us footsteps printed on the sands of Time, where these sands touch the ocean of Eternity. These footprints of one whom the Good Shepherd led through the wilderness into rest, may, with God's blessing, contribute to comfort and direct pilgrims.
The meaning is drawn directly from Luke 15 of “lost things.” The reverent tune is by the prolific tune writer – Ira Sankey, entitled There Were Ninety and Nine that Safely Lay (1875).
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
There were ninety and nine that safely lay
in the shelter of the fold,
but one was out on the hills away,
far off from the gates of gold —
away on the mountains wild and bare,
away from the tender Shepherd's care,
away from the tender Shepherd's care.
"Lord, thou hast here thy ninety and nine;
are they not enough for thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer:
"This of mine has wandered away from me,
and although the road be rough and steep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep,
I go to the desert to find my sheep."
But none of the ransomed ever knew
how deep were the waters crossed;
nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed thro'
ere he found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert he heard its cry —
sick and helpless, and ready to die,
sick and helpless, and ready to die.
"Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way
that mark out the mountain's track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray
ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They're pierced tonight by many a thorn,
they're pierced tonight by many a thorn."
But all thro' the mountains, thunder-riv'n,
and up from the rocky steep,
there arose a glad cry to the gate of heav'n,
"Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne,
"Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own!
Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own!"
1 There were ninety and nine that safely lay in the shelter of the fold, but one was out on the hills away, far off from the gates of gold — away on the mountains wild and bare, away from the tender Shepherd's care, away from the tender Shepherd's care. This hymn begins with the first of three lost things our Lord pointed out in his three parables of Luke 15 – the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost Prodigal. Each reveals a varying degree of awareness. The sheep is tender-minded but lacks in-depth of understanding. Its only means of survival is to adhere closely to the shepherd, else it will be lost. It is short-sighted, as well. This is very much like the newly born-again Christian who lacks depth of understanding of God’s Word and needs nurturing in that Word by those who are of deeper understanding. This is one characteristic that has fallen by the wayside in most modern churches. They require only a profession of faith without the full understanding of the professor as to what that entails. Who is Jesus Christ other than a mere name? The little lamb cannot survive in the wilds of nature. It MUST enjoy the tender care of a shepherd.
2 "Lord, thou hast here thy ninety and nine; are they not enough for thee?" But the Shepherd made answer: "This of mine has wandered away from me, and although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep, I go to the desert to find my sheep." Our Lord Jesus lost not a single soul entrusted to His care by the Father. Our Lord came to redeem us individually, not en masse. The Shepherd will not rest while His lost lamb is exposed to the dangers of the desert wilderness – He must seek that lamb anon. Not one lamb will be missing at the Muster of the Lord when Gabriel sounds the last trump. The shepherd knows the way for He has traveled the arid desert lands of rugged terrain and threatening beasts.
3 But none of the ransomed ever knew how deep were the waters crossed; nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed thro' ere he found his sheep that was lost. Out in the desert he heard its cry — sick and helpless, and ready to die, sick and helpless, and ready to die. The ransomed lamb can scarcely understand the depth of waters crossed and the sacrifice made on finding him out. Never having tasted death as his Shepherd has done, he cannot comprehend the smothering darkness of the Borrowed Tomb of his Shepherd. The lamb must often be brought to the brink of destruction before it cries out – much like the Christian who withholds his prayers of petition until hope seems forlorn. Unfortunately for too many Christians, prayer is the last resort and not the first to be offered in times of distress.
4 "Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way that mark out the mountain's track?" "They were shed for one who had gone astray ere the Shepherd could bring him back." "Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn?" "They're pierced tonight by many a thorn, they're pierced tonight by many a thorn." I believe the author’s comprehension of Gospel principles is noteworthy given the tender age at which she died. The Way of the Lord, and the path we follow in pursuing Him, is rife with the blood of sacrifice that we scarcely understand. But the Christian, too, must offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart before the Lord.
5 But all thro' the mountains, thunder-riv'n, and up from the rocky steep, there arose a glad cry to the gate of heav'n, "Rejoice! I have found my sheep!" And the angels echoed around the throne, "Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own! Rejoice, for the Lord brings back his own!" There is a plethora of lost lambs in our churches today, but few shepherds of a sacrificing spirit to seek them out and train them up in the way that they should go. Note, our author, Elizabeth Clephane, understood that even a lost lamb still belongs to the Shepherd. If our pet dog or cat goes missing, it is nonetheless still our pet whom we love and seek to find. Please read the remainder of Luke 15 and discern the varying nature of the other two lost things.
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