Psalm 23: Abundance and Anointing
Psalm 23:5
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.”
Psalms 23:5 NASB1995
One of my favorite things in the world is to eat something that is delicious and well-prepared and (occasionally) even healthy. The “Mediterranean Diet” is highly touted and has a large variety of delectable cuisines, including Spanish, Moroccan, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Arabic, and foods from the modern Levant region, including Israel. The basics include fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, lean fish and other meats, and extra virgin olive oil; Italy throws in the pasta, Greece adds Feta cheese, and Israeli hummus or falafel often make a showing, using delicious chick peas. Another good option and one that is so fun to make is a charcuterie plate with cured meats and gourmet cheeses, like the one in the photo, which is a variation on basic Spanish tapas or Italian antipasti. This is obviously less “healthy” but so satisfying, especially with a nice crusty bread on the side and a glass of fine wine. It was well nigh impossible to find a good photo to go with this devotional, as everything I looked at seemed appropriate (and mouth-watering), until I finally settled on this one. This is a table that would attract any spiritual warrior looking for that overflowing abundance provided by God.
David has journeyed through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and still faces adversity in his life, with many enemies and evil that he needs to conquer (including his own sinful nature). But we all must eat to live and as I have observed through the deaths of parents, friends and other relatives, when people stop eating, they are usually close to death. The Good Shepherd provides for His flock and ensures that we are secure in Him with our daily bread even though we may be surrounded by despair and darkness (we must always have faith). We can sit down to eat away from the battlefield, anticipating that Great Banquet that is to come.
In doing some research for this devotion, I found out that shepherds use oil poured over the heads of their sheep to heal wounds and keep flies and other insects from biting them. The sheep will not settle down if they are irritated, so this mollifies them and allows them to rest. Anointing us with the Holy Spirit (often represented as oil) creates a barrier to those life irritations that destroy our contentment. Instead, we are gifted with the fruits of the spirit to help ward off impatience, lack of self-control, hostility, anger, hatred, anxiety, doubt, and unhappiness. Our cup overflows with the oil of our sanctification through Him.
We have an abundant life in the Lord. Regardless of our temporal circumstances, we should spend time in prayer every day thanking God for His provision, protection, love, healing, words, power, freedom and our salvation. There is a serious lack of gratitude in our secular society - people are focused entirely on what they don’t have and blaming others for the “deficit”, rather than being thankful for what they do have. Here are some words of wisdom on this passage from David Guzik from Enduring Word commentaries:
a. You prepare a table before me: Without departing from the previous picture of the valley of the shadow of death, David envisioned the provision and goodness given by the LORD as a host, inviting David to a rich table prepared for him.
i. “Here the second allegory begins. A magnificent banquet is provided by a most liberal and benevolent host; who has not only the bounty to feed me, but power to protect me; and, though surrounded by enemies, I sit down to this table with confidence, knowing that I shall feast in perfect security.” (Adam Clarke)
ii. David gives a beautiful picture: table suggests bounty; prepare suggests foresight and care; before me suggests the personal connection.
b. In the presence of my enemies: This is a striking phrase. The goodness and care suggested by the prepared table is set right in the midst of the presence of my enemies. The host’s care and concern doesn’t eliminate the presence of my enemies but enables the experience of God’s goodness and bounty even in their midst.
i. “This is the condition of God’s servant – always conflict, but always a spread table.” (Alexander Maclaren)
ii. “When a soldier is in the presence of his enemies, if he eats at all he snatches a hasty meal, and away he hastens to the fight. But observe: ‘Thou preparest a table,’ just as a servant does when she unfolds the damask cloth and displays the ornaments of the feast on an ordinary peaceful occasion. Nothing is hurried, there is no confusion, no disturbance, the enemy is at the door and yet God prepares a table, and the Christian sits down and eats as if everything were in perfect peace.” (Charles Spurgeon)
c. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over: Despite the dangers about and the presence of enemies, David enjoyed the richness of his host’s goodness. He was refreshed by a head anointed with oil; his cup was over-filled.
i. “Beloved, I will ask you now a question. How would it be with you if God had filled your cup in proportion to your faith? How much would you have had in your cup?” (Charles Spurgeon)
ii. “Those that have this happiness must carry their cup upright, and see that it overflows into their poor brethren’s emptier vessels.” (John Trapp)
There are two excellent points at the end of this commentary from Charles Spurgeon and John Trapp that David Guzik cites: The cup overflows and is fortunately not in proportion to our weak faith; that cup that is carried upright should overflow into the vessels of those who have less abundance in their lives. Time for dinner!
My next devotional will examine the final verse in Psalm 23: Goodness, Mercy and the House of the Lord
Commentary from David Guzik and Enduring Word are used with written permission.