The Ninety and Nine

"And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." Matthew 18:13

Evangelist D.L. Moody enlisted Ira Sankey as the song leader and soloist at his great campaigns. The two became a renowned duo; but unfortunately, within a few years Sankey's magnificent voice was ruined by over use. Later in life, exhausted and facing blindness, he was invited by Dr. J.H. Kellogg (of Kellogg's cereal fame) to Battle Creek, Michigan, for convalescence. There Sankey finished a long-anticipated book of hymn stories. But a fire at the sanitarium destroyed his manuscript and all his notes. He rewrote the book as well as memory would allow, and there we find the story of "The Ninety and Nine."

In 1874, Moody and Sankey had just finished a series of meetings in Glasgow. At the station en route to Edinburgh, Sankey picked up a penny newspaper, hoping for news from America. Aboard the train, he perused the paper, finding in it a poem by a woman named Elizabeth C. Clephane.

Sankey wrote:
I called Mr Moody's attention to it, and he asked me to read it to him. This I proceeded to do with all the vim and energy at my command. After I finished I looked at Moody to see what the effect had been, only to discover he had not heard a word, so absorbed was he in a letter he had received. I cut out the poem and placed it in my musical scrapbook.

At the meeting on the second day, the subject was the Good Shepherd. At the conclusion Moody turned to me with the question: "Have you a solo appropriate for this subject with which to close?" I was troubled to know what to do. At this moment I seemed to hear a voice saying: "Sing the hymn you found on the train!" But I thought this impossible, as no music had been written for it. Placing the newspaper slip on the organ, I lifted my heart in prayer, struck the key of A flat, and began to sing.

Note by note the tune was given, which has not been changed from that day to this. Mr. Moody was greatly moved. He came to where I was seated and said, Sankey, where did you get this hymn? I've never heard the like of it in my life." Moved to tears, I replied, "Mr. Moody, that's the hymn I read to you yesterday in the train, which you did not hear."

The Ninety and Nine

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 thron.

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.

(from Then Sings My Soul)

My children (and husband) love the story of the Good Shepherd (Luke 15:1-7) from Arch Books collection of religious stories for children (copyright 1965).

Jon and the Little Lost Lamb

Inside the sheepfold, fast asleep,
What do you see? One hundred sheep!
That little one is "Baby Baa,"
who loves to snuggle in a heap
beside his brothers on the straw.

The morning sun is peeking in
to waken Baby Baa, who's been
a-dreaming of the meadow grass
that grows up where the hills begin,
right near the narrow mountain pass.

Since now another day's begun,
who comes along but Jonathan,
the shepherd, who unlocks the door,
and counts each sheep to see that none
is missing or is sick or sore?

One hundred strong, all safe and sound,
come greet the sun, as out they bound.
And little Baby Baa runs, too,
his tiny hoofs beat on the ground-
until he spies a plant to chew.

The shepherd lets them frisk and play,
before he leads them on their way
to meadows green, quite far from home-
good Jonathan knows every day
just where it's best to graze and roam.

At times it can be dangerous,
as through the narrow mountain pass
they walk along in single file-
(Now, Baa, don't be so mischievous!)
so Jon is watching all the while
to see that wolves aren't waiting there
about to spring down from their lair.

What's that? A lion sees the flock!
The shepherd, with no time to spare,
hurls with his sling a well-aimed rock.
He hits the beast between the eyes.
The lion falls. Stone-still he lies:
he's harmless now. Say, look ahead-
green, juicy! Their spirits rise,
and as they eat, Jon had his bread.

His kindly eyes keep in full view
his flock of sheep, who romp and chew,
or rest beneath the big tree's shade.
Let's see what Jon's about to do-
sweet music on the flute he made!

The hours go by, the sun sinks low;
it must be time for them to go
along the path for home again.
The shepherd calls, and in a row
he leads them downhill toward their pen.

They reach the fold; the shepherd counts
the sheep as through the door they bounce
to find a soft spot on the straw.
But wait! Just ninety-nine? He frowns-
oh, where is little Baby Baa?

How sad is our good shepherd Jon;
one lamb is lost or strayed. It's gone.
Jon's tired from tending sheep all day-
but must search up hill and down
and find this lamb who's lost his way.

Jon climbs back to the pasture gound,
keeps calling, looking all around-
until beyond the place they'd stayed
he hears a little bleat that sounds
so low and faint and sore afraid.

You see, this lamb forgot and strayed
from his good shepherd late that day.
He did not hear Jon's call to come
and get in line for walking home,
so Baby Baa just romped and played.

But then he stumbled, tumbled down
into a hole- Would he be found?
The day turned slowly into night;
no shepherd near. What was that sound?
A jackal's howl - Baa froze with fright.

Another sound - his shepherd's voice!
Above the wild beast's night-time noise.
Baa's gently lifted up by Jon;
what happy reason to rejoice!
So safe at last, all fear is gone.

Once back inside the snug sheepfold,
the shepherd does not rant nor scold,
but smooths on olive oil to heal
all Baa's deep scratches, and we're told
it's done so kindly, Baa can feel
How much his shepherd cares for him-
one poor, lost lamb, back home again!