Prepares My Table Series

Psalms 23:5 Monte T. Brown

Prelude

As we continue our series “The Lord is My Shepherd,” we come to verse five of the 23rd Psalms. Where we find four parts to the fifth verse;

1. You Prepare a Table Before Me

2. In the Presence of My Enemies

3. You Anoint My Head with Oil

4. My Cup Runs Over

Scripture

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Psalms 23:5

Prayer

Introduction

Even though we do not know every detail about the everyday life, of the Israelites, the Bedouin living in Israel today preserve a nomadic lifestyle that dates back to ancient times.

Bedouin live in tents and travel as nomadic tribes, much as the ancient Israelites would have done.

Their shepherds tend flocks in the wilderness, just as King David did when he was a young boy.

In Bedouin tradition, guests are treated with great honor.

Visitors, even strangers, are provided with the best they can offer.

The Bedouin would fight to their own death to defend their guests from any harm.

The amazing hospitality of the Bedouin was probably common behavior to the ancient Israelites.

When David wrote that the Lord “prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies,” he probably drew on imagery from his everyday life.

By doing so, he gave a beautiful picture of God’s love.

Even when enemies surround us, he offers protection and provision.

1. You Prepare a Table Before Me

1. God’s Table Provides Nourishment

Physical nourishment and spiritual nourishment, physical nourishment required to maintain physical life and spiritual nourishment required to maintain spiritual life.

God provided the Israelites food in the wilderness.

He also provided John the Baptist food in the wilderness.

God’s Word tells us in 1 Peter 2:2 that it is spiritual food for us.

2. God’s Table Provides opportunity for Growth

Physical growth and spiritual growth, physical growth to develop a healthy body and spiritual growth required to develop a strong spiritual body.

Proverbs 3:1-10 tells us that God’s Word will bring health both physically and spiritually.

3. God’s Table Provides a Place of Fellowship

This is why God provided us the church.

The Bible tells us that we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves with other believers. Hebrews 10:25

4. God’s Table Provides a Sense of Security

Job 8:15 tells us that worldly security won’t last. However spiritual security last throughout eternity.

5. Gods’ Table Provides an Abundance

Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

6. God’s Table Provides a Place of Belonging

In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2 (NKJV)

7. God’s Table Provides a Place of Acceptance.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

2. In the Presence of My Enemies

The enemy is all around us.

Everywhere we look, he is present, the wilderness that surrounds us, and the very elements that are in the wilderness.

However, God is ever present and he draws us close to him.

The writer of Psalms 81 spoke of God’s ability to provide “honey from the rock,” pointing to the truth that God’s sweetness is often found in the wilderness.

We may not want to face them, but the “rocks” in our own lives are the very places where God draws closest.

Dust and rocks are a natural part of our sinful world. Some may be small, others so large that we feel crushed.

But the wilderness will not destroy us. We have a good shepherd that walks by us in the darkest hours of life.

Our world glorifies leisure, so it’s hard to go to the “wilderness” where life’s challenges confront us.

Few of us go there by choice.

But most of us will walk through the wilderness at some point during our faith journey.

When we do, we can count our shepherd to guide us safely through.

Do you trust God to walk with you even in the wilderness?

3. You Anoint My Head with Oil

You anoint my Head with Oil´. We see a shepherd anointing the heads of sheep with oil to preserve them from sunstroke, insects, or to heal bramble scratches.

In Exodus 30 there is a holy anointing oil, used to anoint the priests, tabernacle, and congregation.

This was to sanctify them, so that they may be holy, in the presence of God almighty.