You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
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.
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.
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