Psalms 23:5 A table In The Presence of My Enemies

Introduction

Thank you to pastor Steve for allowing me to once again come and preach to you today. after i was asked again to preach originally i thought it was going to be on Romans as you are slowly romping though Romans as my dads old professor at bible college named his class. but then when i had some time i finished reading a book that i had stopped reading after my father had passed away. this book was called A Table in the Presence it was written by Chaplain LT. Carey H. Cash who served as a navy chaplain stationed with the marine corps during the invasion of Iraq for operation Iraqi Freedom. this story told over a matter of days accounted the experience of cash and his battalion and the many miracles that occurred during the fighting. the main passage that the chaplain said inspired him through this time was Psalm 23 “A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalms 23:5 the table

cash focused mainly on one of the lest interpreted part of the psalm 23-5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. now what does it mean for god to prepare a table for you? well we will start with the table.

Most people we interpreting this passage tend to combine with the rest of the psalm were the table is just a feast where you can eat to your fill but its more than that.

During ancient times through until the modern era there were always two meals that happened around battle. the first was a small meal usually uncooked as most army were prepared for the enemy to attack at dawn where they had the best advantage therefore men had to be prepared to fight at a moments notice. therefore they would eat the rations that did not require cooking such as bread cheese and dried meat this was done caution in an alert state and in haste.

the human body when it is about to go into battle will send signals to counter any feelings of hunger to allow our fight or flight response to kick in allowing us a better chance to survive.

the second feast was the victory feast soldiers victors in battle would gather the spoils and if there was no need to chase the enemy would celebrate with a massive feast cooking fire would be lit and a feast prepared the men would then safe from any attack would start to relax the general would in turn have tables set up and they would dine in peace with no fear. this would be a massive table with the finest cutlery and plates possible the whole nine yards so to speak.

this is the table of victory that we are invited to the table of the marriage supper of the lamb Revelation 19:9 “Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.””

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 NIV

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

Hebrews 13:6 NIV

So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

In the presence of my enemies

God has invited us to the table to celebrate the victory he has won for us through jesus and as we already know the battle is one that we sit in the midst of our enemies and have a nice sit down dinner.

now in ancient times when you were invited for dinner you would receive guest rights where as long as you were eating at the table with the host you were under his protection and no harm should ever come to you .

what does this protection look like?

Psalm 91 “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike…”

2 Kings 6:15–18“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.”

Romans 8:31 NIV

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Acts 12:3–19 “When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; h…”

in his book cash tells of the many miracles that happened due to the soldiers faith and in order for more to be saved

Hummel had been tasked with providing security in the middle of the night for a section of our convoy. While lying prone, he was run completely over across the midsection of his back by a rolling Humvee. Not realizing what he’d done, the vehicle’s driver backed up and rolled over Hummel a second time. The young man should have been killed on the spot. But not a bone was broken on his body. “I should be dead, Chaplain. But God protected me. I don’t know how or why I wasn’t killed, but here I am without a scratch.”

Or what of First Lieutenant Jeremy Stalnecker, who on the second day of the ground war, March 21, drove his Humvee directly over an antipersonnel mine. The explosion erupted from underneath the vehicle, blowing out all four reinforced tires, cracking the gas tank, and sending bits of shrapnel up through the floorboard and into the cabin. It was an explosion that could have and should have taken lives. Not one of the four men aboard was injured or even scratched in the explosion. Lieutenant Stalnecker, a devout Christian and a tremendous leader in his platoon, went on to distinguish himself with great bravery throughout the duration of the war.

The next morning, April 13, 2003, was Palm Sunday. In Saddam Hussein’s palace, in the courtroom of one of the century’s most notorious villains, I baptized Jeff Guthrie, a new creation, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As the waters of baptism poured over his head and onto the marble floors of the palace, the symbolism wasn’t lost on anyone. Here we were in the inner chamber of a place known for oppression and tyranny, vice and unspeakable cruelty. Yet that sacrament proclaimed to us all the greatest freedom and victory that a man can experience. There before our eyes, the courts of evil had become nothing less than the courts of the Lord. A place that had been known for the presence of darkness and treachery had become a place of the presence of God—a table in the presence.

in my own life we were on the way to Boise to see the rock and worship road show tour it was mom and dad in one car and the teens and young adults in the other car we had just left miracle hot springs and were joking around until we were laughing and not really paying attention and if i hadn't spotted it we would have driven of the cliff but gods was with us and we stopped just in time.

god is inviting you to his table and its a table for two just you and him sitting down for a nice meal at peace with no fear even surrounded by you enemies

where in your life do you need this peace ?

The New International Version Chapter 4

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

where would you like god to set a table in you life? in your marriage, in your finances, in the cancer ward, in the nation god is just waiting to prepare a table for you to sit in victory and to be in his presence.