Psalm 23:5
5 Thou preparest [`arak] a table [shulchan] before [paniym] me in the presence of mine enemies: [tsarar] thou anointest [dashen] my
head [ro'sh] with oil; [shemen] my cup [kowc] runneth over.
[ravayah] KJV-Interlinear
5 Thou
dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast
anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. NASB
God prepared, arranged,
put in order, past tense, in eternity past, God prepared all that we would ever
need in life. Not only in life now but in eternity as well.
God prepared a table, a
dining table where upon it, is laid all the needs necessary for the physical as
well as the spiritual. These are not just the starvation basics one needs in
life, but everything necessary to provide for ones comfort and in accordance
with ones station in life.
We are believers in
Christ. We are Royal Family. We are family of God, adopted children. We are
adopted first born adult mature sons. All this gives us the highest honor
within our new adoptive family. And Gods family is the highest possible place
that one could ever hope to attain. His family is greater than any royal family
on earth, greater than any wealthy family on earth, greater than any appointed
or elected family in the highest positions of government, business, or social
life. Gods family is superior, infinitely so, to everything under creation.
And, we, as believers in Christ, are a part of that family.
We are first born sons
with the right of the double portion of inheritance. But in our high positions
of honor we have responsibility, the responsibility to learn wisdom, to grow up
in wisdom, and to use Gods wisdom in the proper fashion. We also have the
responsibility to live within Gods will, that is to dwell in His house
constantly and permanently. That is what we call fellowship.
'... in the presence of
my enemies;'
We are surrounded by
enemies. Not in the paranoia sense. Not like we are seeing things around every
corner, things that are not really there. But we do live in this world, in that
valley under the shadow. The shadow is an interruption of light, nothing more.
A shadow cannot hurt you. The object interrupting the light, evil, can
certainly hurt you, but once we see the shadow, then a smart person looks
around to see what that cause is, and then looks to where the light is coming
from.
The light, Gods Word,
should be where our attention is focused, not that which is interrupting it. If
given the room, the shadow of evil will overtake you and ruin your life. So we
are surrounded by enemies. Enemies are everything that is contrary to Bible
doctrine. Every opinion which contradicts the Bible, every attitude that
rejects or ignores the Bible, every sin certainly, and even more subtly, every
good work that is done in the energy of the flesh - a self righteous, or do
gooder, or crusader attitude.
The world is full of
opinions, theories, philosophies, views, some of which gain general acceptance
without ever being proven, but they are accepted based on logical assumptions
or through repetitive use. I was
watching a show on TV about ancient weather patterns and how they had an impact
on the Sphinx (wind vs. rain erosion), on peoples and such, and the show gave
estimated dates of between 5000 and 25000 years ago as the general timing of
these weather changes. The information was a mixture of objective analysis of
the effects that wind and rain and flooding and such, combined with vague and
subjective conclusions such as the timing of these events. If we go by the
Bible then Noah's flood occurred about 2800 BC and Adam lived about 4400 BC and
so forth.
Review the generations
chart in the online library.
No man could have lived
25000 years ago if Adam was the first man. So the Bible is either the truth on
it is not. And if the truth, then mans science is flawed. Anyway, all this
leads to is that the world can generate very subtle distractions or even doubts
as to whether the Bible is what it says it is, and as such, can lead people
astray and into lives of misery.
So in the midst of
enemies, those who are obvious enemies and those who are not so obvious, God
provides us with truth, Bible doctrine. No matter where you are located in the
world, whether in a free land or in some oppressed country, if you are
positive, Gods word will get to you, or God will get you to His word.
Several centuries ago God
saw positive volition among the peoples of Africa. In some instances
missionaries went there, but in many cases slave traders brought slaves to
America and elsewhere, and as such through the gruesome ordeal of slavery,
spiritual freedom was obtained. All things work together for good, and God
turned a bad situation into a very good thing.
God anoints our heads
with oil. Oil is used as a recognition, or an appointment of high honor or
office. We have all of these. At the point of our initial faith in Christ, we
were anointed to a very high office - family of God, Royal family, first born
sons, joint heirs with Christ. During our spiritual life we are anointed with
the oil of the Holy Spirit, in that in fellowship, the Holy Spirit is in
control of our soul. As we learn Gods Word, then our anointing is through Bible
doctrine and as we advance to spiritual maturity, then we receive the higher
honors of appointment to maturity. Again all through Bible doctrine. Bible
doctrine is the oil of life. Through it burns the light of Christ who is the
living word.
As a result - our cups, cups
of blessing, or Gods unique provision to each one of us individually, overflow
constantly. Some may look at their cup as being half full, or half empty. But
in fellowship, in spiritual maturity, your cup is constantly overflowing. 'I
shall lack for nothing', verse 1.
God prepares for us a
table to dine. He provides the spiritual growth mechanism for us to grow. He
provides the blessings that result. He is
the means and mechanism for the completion of our soul.
