The psalm selection this week from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer is the well-beloved Psalm 23. There is so much one can pull out of this psalm to study and meditate on. Countless sermons can, and have been written on this psalm. Rather than just lightly skimming over the psalm, (and surely it is worth more than that), I will focus on just one verse, and pull out some nuggets of thought to ponder on.
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments we often read of Yahweh pictured as a Divine Shepherd, and His people as sheep in His flock. One of the titles of the Lord Jesus is that of the Good Shepherd. Not everyone is one of God’s sheep, as only those who have a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus are a part of the flock. Yahweh is not an uncaring or cruel shepherd, but is a loving One, which we especially see in Psalm 23. Many people like to say that their favorite verse in this psalm is verse 4, where we read that God goes with us through the valley of the shadow of death, followed by verse 6, where we read of goodness and mercy following us throughout our life. Nestled in between those two verses is verse 5, which often gets less attention, but which we will look at closer today.
This verse begins with a declaration from David, the author of this psalm, that the Lord prepares a table before him in the presence of his enemies. Have you ever had an enemy, someone who really hated you, and would have loved to see you brought down? David had several throughout his life. One thing in particular about an enemy is that they don’t want to see anything good happen to you. They would rather see you fall. They want bad things to happen to you. They would gloat to see you humiliated. So how would they feel if they heard you got a special invitation to a dinner at the White House? Or even more prestigious, an invitation to dinner at Windsor Castle with the king? That would sure show them! Greater than the president or the king is the Lord Jesus, God of the whole universe, and as we read, He has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies. His table is filled with the most delectable foods, and He has prepared it for us. There is no going away hungry from God’s table! Right now our enemies may feel like they have the upper hand, but there is coming a day when the Lord will show the world just how beloved His children are to Him.
Next we read in this verse how the Lord anoints our head with oil. What does that mean? Do I really want to go around with a greasy, oily head? This is a very symbolic phrase, which would have meant a lot more to someone in Biblical times than today. As we know, this is a psalm about how the Lord is our Shepherd. In the days of the Bible a shepherd would pour oil on the heads of the sheep before they would go out to graze. It would soak into the wool, and it would keep pesky insects away. Insects would buzz around the sheep’s head, sometimes trying to lay their eggs in their nose and ears. The oil would protect the sheep from them. Also, if a sheep would get cut or scratched from thorns, branches or rocks while out grazing, the oil would soothe and cleanse these minor wounds.
In addition, oil was frequently used by the priests and others to pour on someone that they were giving a blessing to. As God’s children, He anoints and blesses us throughout life. As believers we have the Holy Spirit, who anoints us with His blessings and power when we walk close to Him in obedience. God’s anointing gives us blessings and protection throughout life. In the ancient Middle East it was customary to anoint guests with fragrant oil. Hosts would also protect their guests at all costs. God promises to protect us even as enemies surround us.
Verse 5 closes with David’s proclamation that his cup is running over. His cup isn’t just full, it is running over with abundance. This pictures God’s abundant blessings upon him, and upon us, as well. Yahweh is not a stingy God. He doesn’t just pour a little into our cup, into our lives, and tell us that is it. He doesn’t give us just a third or a half a cup. The Lord pours His blessings upon us till the cup overflows. He is the God of more than enough! He provides for our every need, even before our need arises. We will never experience a need that God will not supply.
As we see throughout Psalm 23, and today in verse 5 in particular, Yahweh is our Good Shepherd. To a good shepherd, the sheep are worth dying for, if necessary. He will put himself between the sheep and danger without a second thought. The Lord Jesus, who is the true Good Shepherd, did just that for us when He took our sins upon Himself, and died upon the Cross for our salvation. Now He has given all those who have accepted Him as Savior a table prepared for them, anointing them with oil, and filling their cup to overflowing with His blessings!
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