Psalm 23:5
“You Prepare A Table Before Me In The Presence Of My Enemies;
You Have Anointed My Head With Oil; My Cup Overflows”
At this point in the journey and guidance of the shepherd, the pastures and valleys seem rather distant as the scene of a feast emerges from the text. It’s a feast of abundance and triumph. There are a couple details within the text that would draw the conclusion that this isn’t a typical celebration. Chiefly the presence of enemies at the banquet makes this passage about victory in war. Within warring cultures, every victory in battle would be accompanied by a banquet. At these dinners it was common for the subdued enemies or kings to be present, as well as lots of food and drink. Another common feature were feast cups that would be passed around, and there would be wine to drink in celebration. Even within the Jewish Passover tradition, there are four cups that are prayed over and used in celebration over God’s past triumph of the Egyptians and trust that he will deliver Israel from all their future enemies. With the cups and the restrained enemies, the only situation that this feast fits into is one of enjoying the spoils of war.
But this setting baffles most interpreters of the text, for where is a sheep ever given a place of honor at a table, and his enemies are all standing at bay? This is the same sheep that just walked across pastures and by quiet waters. They haven’t been in any battles up to this point. So most interpreters have taken this shift in the setting to signify discontinuity with the previous verses. It’s as if the Psalmist is taking up a different image to reinforce his “I shall not want” statement.
But there is a lamb elsewhere in the library of scripture that had conquered his enemies: Revelation 5:5-6, “And one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and it’s seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”
Here within the book of Revelation, there is the glorious lamb that stands triumphant over his enemies, but the curious feature of this image is that his victory is achieved after his death. This is the lamb that is triumphant by his death, and this lamb is Jesus. Jesus conquered all his enemies through his sacrifice. But his enemies aren’t a nation or a people, his enemies are the great enemies of humanity—sin, Satan, and death. Jesus rid them each of their power by his victorious sacrifice on the cross.
There is a feature to this feast that is of great interest to us. Notice how the table is only prepared, and no one is diving into it yet? Our lamb, Jesus, has conquered his enemies, and all he is doing is waiting for us to come and celebrate his victory with him. Sin, Satan, and death are bound by God’s mighty arm. Our only job is to come and join him at the table. Will you come to the table? Will you come and join him?
