Theme: My Cup Overflows
Text: Psalm 23:5
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." Psalm 23:5.
Greetings: The Lord is good and His love Endures forever.
Introduction:
Setting the Psalm: David began his carrier as a shepherd boy, he composed many songs through his life experiences. His involvement with his flock enabled him to pen down this beautiful Psalm 23. This psalm universally accepted and memorised by millions and millions down the centuries. The psalm is classified as a "psalm of confidence." The psalmist expresses their trust in God's protection, guidance, and provision. This verse has three key concepts: "A table," "Anointing oil," and “Cup overflows."
Let us meditate on these three concepts: A Table, An Anointing, and A Cup.
1. A TABLE
We are familiar with hotels and restaurants. We love to go to a hotels where you see more peaceful atmosphere, we love to good ambience, good reception, good table, good spreads over the table.
Hospitality: A gracious host provided a banquet for an honored guest. A table signifies hospitality, dietary taste food with love and care. Even before death some people had this ego issue. Prepare a table refers to a feast and generous hospitality (Proverbs 9:1-6). Tables were common in wealthy households, but not ordinary homes (2 Samuel 9:7-13; Job 36:16). The rich Host provides rich foods. Israelites had wilfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness? (Psalm 78:18-19).
The word “prepare” means ‘to arrange, to set in order, to set in place; to ordain.’ Here, God is understood to be setting the table before David and putting everything into its right place. The dishes are perfectly positioned, the drink is poured, and the meal is cooked and served. Every detail has been given the strictest attention. Nothing David could possibly want has been overlooked or omitted.
Saul told his arm bearer to kill him because he doesn’t want his enemy to claim his death. A table before my enemies. We all have an ego problem. We do many things whether it’s good or bad. Because he told, because she told I will prove who am I? I will live before others. I want to live before my enemies.
Spurgeon Says: ‘The good man has his enemies. If we are without enemies we might fear that we are not the friends of God, for the friendship of the world is enmity to God.’ David says in another occasion, “Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread has lifted up his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9).
Remember the Psalm 31:19 he rewards in front of the men. The Shepherd supplies all our needs in the presence of our enemies. Now it is more than rest or work. He provides for us here in this world. He provided manna of His promise, and water out of the Rock.
2. AN ANOINTING OIL
Oil plays vital role in our lives. We eat certain oils. We apply certain oils for healing. We anoint our heads with certain oils. I used to anoint my head with coconut oil but when I crossed Coimbatore I understood that they are using coconut oil for all cooking. When I crossed south India I understood the mustard oil for cooking.
The people of the Old Testament used to anoint their guests with oil. There are certain tribes in India, they receive us washing of our legs. Women come and they wash our legs.
Olive oil also was used during the beautification process in Esther 2:12. Biblically, abundant oil is a sign of prosperity (Deuteronomy 32:13, 33:24, 2 Kings 18:32, Job 29:6, Joel 2:19, 24), and running out of oil is indicative of famine and hard times (Joel 1:10, Haggai 1:11).
Oil had sanctifying (cleansing) properties. Whenever someone poured oil on someone or something, they had set apart that object as a blessed object of the Lord. Therefore, this explains the reasons why those throughout the Old Testament would anoint both people and inanimate objects (Genesis 28:18). And to pour oil on the sick as part of the healing process (Mark 6:13).
A gracious host would anoint his guest by applying a soothing oil to the guest's head. A shepherd would use oil to treat his sheep's wounds. Anointing with oil in ancient Israel was a symbolic act that signified consecration, favor, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Kings, priests, and the prophets were anointed with oil during their ordination or appointment. The anointing oil that is poured over our heads is the soothing ointment of His never-ending love. It teaches us that we can regularly pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance, wisdom, and strength in our lives, and be open to the ways in which the Spirit may work in and through us.
Anoint (dašen) is more literally translated “make fat”. God the Host makes the psalmist head fat with oil. Anointing a guest’s head with oil (šamen) was the part of the ancient cultural etiquette for hospitality and honoring guests. Oil would give guests’ foreheads a certain shine and fragrance, and olive oil could be used to treat dry/cracked skin.
3. AN OVERFLOWING CUP
Cup means our body. It’s also known as vessels. Our vessels are created by God. He expects us to keep it holy. Holy means separated and preserved and lived its full term of life on the earth.
Full term was 1000 years during the prehistorical period. The decreased to 200 years during patriarchal period. Then to 120 years during the time of wilderness journey. Then it’s reduced to 100 years during the period of the kings. It stands even today.
The psalmists says that “my cup overflows”, the entire psalm uses many personal nouns. Everything is personal.
Man is a vessel (Romans 9:21, 23).
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
1 Timothy 4:8: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
1 Timothy 5: 23: “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.”
Matthew 6: 22-23: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy,your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Psalm 116:13: I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
Philippians 1:20 “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”
The psalmist says the cup is overflowing (rewayâ) using a word that literally means “saturation” and “superabundance”. This is a depiction of God the Host’s generosity. It means abundance or a state of overflowing. A full cup is a symbol of prosperity and abundance. The overflowing cup represents God's generosity his blessings beyond measure.
The cup David depicts as overflowing may refer to the brimming cup the host provided or to the large cup a shepherd used to give water to thirsty sheep. This statement shows the fullness of material blessings, spiritual blessings, emotional well-being, and a sense of peace and contentment that comes from a deep relationship with God. His grace is limitless, His love is boundless, and His mercy endures from one generation to another.
He was not given mere mercy drops from heaven, but a deluge of grace, far more than he could ever comprehend. God was so lavish in pouring out His goodness into David’s life that his cup could not contain it. His heart was overflowing with divine provisions. This speaks of the fullness of blessing that God has for him, and for all believers.
Applications:
As recipients of God's overflowing abundance, we are called to be channels of His blessings to others. Whenever we get an opportunity to bless others with our time, resources, and compassion, we should be liberal to receive more blessings. We must spend our time with God through prayer, Bible study, and worship, and invite Him to be an active part of our daily life. By implementing these practical steps in our lives, we can experience the overflowing blessings, protection, and favor of God, even in the midst of challenges and adversities.
