You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5
Sheep have enemies including wild animals and other pests. One such pest is the nose fly that lays eggs in the mucus membrane of the sheep's nose. When the larvae hatches, it crawls into the sheep's flesh causing such great irritation that the sheep will thrash and beat its head until it literally kills itself! DISGUSTING!!!
Another enemy of the sheep is the snake. The pastures of the Middle East are filled with little snake holes and since sheep aren't bright enough to look where they are grazing, they may just munch right by a snake's hole. The snake will slither up and bite the sheep's nose.
Like us, the sheep live amongst their enemies. There are no pastures without snake holes, the nose fly will always hover around sheep, and there will always be wolves and mountain lions looking for a delicous meal of lamb chops. 1st John states that Christians are no exception to this rule. We live in a world surrounded by our enemies. Satan is the chief enemy - the root of all the enemies we face. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
What do you struggle with? Who are your enemies? anger? bitterness? depression? lack of motivation? selfishness? pride? greed?
Jesus says in his prayer to his Father his disciples, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one" (John 17:15).
The Shepherd will protect you and will provide all that we've stated previously as we've studied this 23rd Psalm.
This oil in verse 5 has two meanings:
1. The shepherd makes special oil that he rubs on the sheep's noses that prevents the nose fly from bothering them. It also prevents snakes from being able to latch onto the sheep when they try to bite them. Notice that the nose fly and snakes aren't eliminated. Sin will always be present in our world. Christians are not exempt from suffering. The shepherd also goes ahead of the sheep through the pasture, pouring oil down and around the snakes' holes so the snakes have a harder time getting out in the first place.
2. The other meaning is that God is the host of an extravagant banquet. In Bible times, the host would anoint the honored guest with oil made by adding perfumes to olive oil.
Picture a big banquet at which a table is laden with food. God is the host and you are the honored guest... yes, even YOU with all your nose fly lavae implanted in your flesh and the snake bites on your nose. You've been thrashing your head for months, even years.
At the end of the verse, David says, "my cup overflows."
This overflowing cup represents the care and provision of God. The green pastures and quiet waters described in verse 2 of the Psalm.
Let's go back to the image of the banquet. The host has spared no extravagance. You are the honored guest at the head table. And for one evening you forget the financial strain on your family at home; you forget that you were stuck at home once again this week with a sick child so you got nothing done. You forget that your marriage is falling apart or that your Mom was recently diagnosed with cancer. You forget that your parents are getting divorced or that your best friend is having an affair. And you live in the moment for this beautiful evening.
That is the picture David is trying to portray. David is speaking of the Shepherd's tremendous grace for each of his sheep. And that is how we can live our lives: in the presence and care of the banquet host, Jesus Christ.
In God's presence David knew that his life was good (remember what we learned about God being sovereign and working all things together for the good of those who love him) and worth living. He knew what Paul also would find out centuries later: that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).
My challenge to you is that you will ask the Lord to change your perspective so that you will agree with David and Paul. This attitude does not invalidate our trials and pain but a Biblical eternal perspective changes how you live your life.
We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:9-15
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