“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.” (Psalm 23:5 New King James Version)
“You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You annoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5 The Passion Translation)
“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by annointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” (Psalm 23:5 New Living Translation)
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed and refreshed my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5 Amplified Bible)
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible)
“You have prepared tables in front of me opposite my enemies; you have anointed my head with oil and my cup overflows as if it were alive.” (Psalm 23:5 Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
Who is your shepherd?
Who are you?
Where are you living?
Why are you here?
How do you respond to life’s seasons?
What gives your life meaning?
All of these questions are answered in Psalm 23:1 – 4.
As we keep memorizing, and meditating, our way through Psalm 23, we now come to verse 5. This is a highly significant verse as it unlocks the fact that this Psalm was written to equip us for life today. Notice the phrase, “in the presence of my enemies.” If this Psalm was intended to be a messaage pertaining to life after death (which is primarily how it is being used throughout the Body of Christ – the Church) then the writer would have left out this phrase. It is obvious that this is giving us a description of how the Shepherd intended His sheep to experieince life today.
I am given a picture of a bountiful feast that I am to enjoy while my enemies look on and drool. Far too often those of us who follow Christ look at what the world offers and become filled with lust and envy. We look through the lense of sacrifice thinking that the most enjoyable things belong to our enemies and we are called to lives of sacrifice, want, and lack. In truth, the opposite is the case. We have been given everything that pertains to life and godliness, and it is those who are on the opposite side of the table that are living in lack.
The New Testament describes this feast as milk, meat, and fruit. We have the Milk and Meat of the Word to enjoy. We have the Fruit of the Spirit to fill us to overflowing. The “oil” refers to the presence of the Spirit. The way to enter into this banquet is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The presence of God in my life is something that my enemy does not have. I need to remember that my “enemies” are not people. My “enemies” are spiritual enemies. I am not fighting against people, I am at war with satan and his army of fallen angels.
Let’s feast together on…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 208 Life With the Shepherd (Psalm 23) Part 6 – Verse 5