In one of my previous posts Confidence In HIM we looked into the first 4 verses of Psalm 23. We will now be delving into the last two verses of Psalm 23.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Psalm 23:5-6
In the first 4 verses of the psalm, we are drawn into David’s description of the Lord’s protection, provision, comfort and care and we see him declaring with confidence that he fears no evil while he walks through the valley of the shadow of death because the Lord is with him.
We continue to see God’s abundant care and provision in verse 5; “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
This sentence paints a beautiful image of a feast. Let’s look at this sentence closely.
It is not just any table but a ‘prepared table’ – depicting forethought ,care and anticipation for what is on the table to be consumed.
Prepared by whom – by the Lord himself.
Where is this prepared – right there before David (me)
Where again – in the presence of his enemies
David has not departed from the valley of the shadow of death. He is still passing through it because the table the Lord prepares, he does it right there in the presence of his enemies.
What does this mean? Well, right in the middle of those situations that make us uncertain, doubtful, fearful and anxious, God calls us to sit at His table so that He can feed us His loving protection, provision and care. Even though the presence of the enemies is not removed, we can still experience what God is offering us in the midst of our trials.
Wouldn’t we want to be fed at God’s table? We can only have the shelter of what HE offers if we choose to sit at the table.
“You anoint my head with Oil; my cup overflows.”
There are two things we can glean from this;
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Anointing with oil was a customary treatment for an honoured guest – what a privilege it is for us to enjoy the richness and fullness of the Lord’s goodness.
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When looking at this from a shepherd and sheep perspective, we get a different but reassuring purpose for the anointing.
Phillip Keller, explains that anointing the head of sheep brings healing and relief from pests that can drive sheep crazy. Whenever gnats, mosquitoes and flies attack a flock, the sheep run around the pasture in distress to get away from the pests. Some even beat their heads against rocks or trees, desperate for relief.
When the shepherd applies oil to the sheep’s head, the result is immediate relief. The sheep become calm and content. This is not a one-time application, though. It’s a process that continues as long as the pests are present.
Who does the anointing – The Lord does.
Just as sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd to relieve them from these pests, we are also completely dependent on Him to find peace and comfort in the middle of our storm. And we have to remember that we have to go to Him repeatedly to lay our fears at rest and be fed with His peace that passes all understanding.
My Cup Overflows – We see abundant lavish care, there is never a depletion of His care and provision. Philippians 4:19 says “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life – We see David’s implicit confidence in his Heavenly Father. David is confident that God will take care of him in the days to come, because HE is a faithful God and he knows that God will never leave him or forsake him.
Do we have this same confidence for our future? It is easy to say this when things are going well but when trials strike, are we able to muster up that same confidence?
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever – This beautiful psalm ends with an assurance of God’s presence and of being with the Lord in the now as well in eternity.
We do not deserve any of His goodness, it is HIS grace that allows us to be recipients of His goodness, kindness and love. May this bring us to our knees with hearts full of gratitude.
He is our shepherd forever, our God forever, our Heavenly Father forever. He loves us forever and cares for us forever. What a blessing to be a part of His flock.
Amen! I find myself in this post, going to the Shepherd repeatedly for a daily provision as I wait with expectancy for Him to prepare a table for me. Thank you for the encouragement that He will continue to do so.
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Me too 😊
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Our God is able! We will wait for Him and be of good courage 🤗
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Great post! One of my favorites Psalm
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Mine too and thankyou 😊
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Thanks for that explanation about the anointing of our heads with oil. That was beautiful. Your commentary on Psalm 23 has been so helpful. ❤️
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Thankyou so much Dawn 😊🌺
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Amen….
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I love the part about the oil. So good to remember when the enemy is harassing us.
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Yes and only the Lord can protect us.
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Thanks so much ! So interesting. I watched shepherds in Israel. I saw them herd sheep and goats together. Helped me to understand how the Lord will eventually separate the sheep from the goats.
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Yes he will and thankyou 😊
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Sweetie, Very Good.
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Thankyou 😊
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Reblogged this on Drawing Closer to Christ and commented:
Perth Girl, your commentary on Psalm 23 was excellent! I enjoyed it. I wanted to share these last two verses you wrote about (Psalm 23-5-6). Thank so much!
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Thankyou so much Dawn. Glad you liked it 😊
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You’re welcome! 😊
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Wonderful message!!!!!
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Thankyou 😊
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God truly be praised! It was indeed a blessing reading!!
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I love this! So comforting to know that God is always with us. Even more encouraging when you’ve experienced it, so you know it’s the truth. That’s how amazing He is! Where there’s doubt, God’s there to prove that He’s there! Thanks for sharing!
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Glad you enjoyed reading it and thankyou 😊
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Love your detailed explanation. Keep spreading sunshine. God bless you💕💕
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Thankyou 😊. Blessings ❤️
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This is soooooo good! Very good thoughts put out in this study. By the way, Peppermint oil is a good use for deterring insects, like mosquitoes and gnats. I love the 23rd Psalm. I love David’s heart! I love my Lord Jesus! Praise Him!!
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Thankyou 🙂and good to know about the peppermint oil.
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Great post. Praise God for the beautiful revelation from Psalms 23
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Thankyou and yes Psalm 23 is such a wonderfully rich passage of scripture.
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Yes. The relationship between the Shepherd (Jesus) and the sheep(me) is so pure!! 😊
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Such a graceful reminder sis. Love the life of David and the book of Psalms have been a blessing.
It’s amazing how He chooses to set a table before our enemies – how God works!. A reminder that He is ever in care and in charge of our lives. All we need to do is trust Him always!.
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Thankyou 😊. Yes He is our wonderful God who is always with us and always cares for us.
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You are welcome. Utmost!❤
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