We are continuing our series The Way of the Shepherd in Psalm 23. This beloved Psalm has been quoted in numerous contexts and settings, offering encouragement to believers for thousands of years.
The problem with familiarity, however, is that we don’t often slow down and think through the depth of the psalm, and we pigeonhole the text to common expressions. For instance, considering Psalm 23 as only a funeral Psalm and missing out on the everyday life application of this song.
With that, let’s turn to Psalm 23 and read it in its entirety, then we will focus on verse 5 today.
Read Psalm 23
Theology Provokes Worship
As we read through the text there are a couple of shifts David presents us. 1-3, David is describing God with the pronoun “He”. In these few phrases, David is recounting what he believes about God, which is what we call “theology.” Every believer is an amateur theologian, meaning we all think about God and talk about God. We have views of God which we should regularly recount and develop.
Then in verses 4-6 we see a shift from talking about God, to talking to God, this is called “worship.” We should never allow ourselves to talk about God’s glories without turning those into praise. This is a natural shift when our theology engages our hearts.
It’s About Honor
One more thought from the context before digging into verse 5. In verse 3, we heard an astounding phrase, “for His name’s sake.” Why is God doing all this for us? For His name’s sake! It’s about His reputation, about His character. It is about who He is.
In our culture honor, character and integrity are virtues, but we are not an honor culture, at least not like what we see in the Jewish and Middle Eastern cultures. Your name, your family name and your house’s reputation were guarded with great care.
We see this understanding of honor and “name’s sake” expressed in the Bedouin hospitality laws. The Bedouin culture has been around for over 4,500 years. Bedouins are a people who live in tents and continually move around the Judaean/Jordanian wilderness.
In a Bedouin context, tales about hospitality and generosity became as important as battle stories. Just as important as being a strong and victorious in battle was being a welcoming and hospitable host. Consider,
1 Kings 8:41–43
41 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.
It is this honor code that God has used to describe Himself. His provision, protection, leading and hospitality communicate His character and draws people to Himself. This is why it is so important for us to be His “witnesses” to the world, that we proclaim the love and care we have experienced from our Father.
It is this Bedouin backdrop that shapes how I’ve read through Psalm 23, and especially verse 5. Keep that in mind as we talk through our verse for this week.
Psalm 23:5
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows
Many commentators and Study Bible contributors provide a significant change in Psalm 23 when we come to verse 5. They transport us from the shepherd with His sheep in the field, to the royal palace. They use the words like “banquet” and “feast” and conjure up images of a kingdom and festivals.
Those images and ideas are not foreign to the Bible as feasts and celebrations with God are talked about numerous times. However, I don’t want to leave the wilderness, the shepherd/sheep context of Psalm 23 too quickly and miss what is revealed in this setting.
Will you walk through Psalm 23 with me, thinking of a Bedouin context for verse 5.
Radical Hospitality
“You prepare a table before me…”
In the Negev, the Judaean wilderness, where shepherds watch over their flocks, it is a hard land. It’s not the green pasture lands of Ohio. It’s rocky, difficult terrain, where the shepherds need to lead their sheep continually to new grasslands. This led to the nomadic lifestyle of the Bedouin.
In the desert wilderness of Judea, the harsh environment was exhausting and would demand the life of one who does not know the wilderness. This is why the Bedouin’s developed the desert code of hospitality. In the desert, one is always welcomed to your tent. When a guest arrived, announced or unannounced, they were to be treated with honor and care.
Look at Genesis 18:1–8
1 And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth 3 and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, 5 while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” 6 And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” 7 And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. (ESV)
Provision
Here we see the Bedouin Hospitality on display. The generosity of Abraham is on display. The invitation, the water for washing, a place to rest, to a snack to eat and to be refreshed. Once that is taken care of, he rushed out to prepare a meal.
If we read this from an American perspective, Abraham looks task driven, hasty and inconvenienced by the important visitors. But from a Bedouin’s view, this is a wonderful tale of hospitality, where Abraham is not rushing out of inconvenient embarrassment, but out of joy for having a guest in his tent.
This is the image I have as I read this verse. We haven’t left the wilderness where the Shepherd watches over the sheep. Rather, we have a tent in the wilderness, where the host beckons us to his table.
I think David is caught up in this imagery as he is humbled by God preparing a meal, washing his feet, and giving his weary soul a place to rest.
Psalm 23 does not just point us to the Bedouin hospitality but lays a pattern for the Good Shepherd’s hospitality. In Matthew 11 Jesus offers an open invitation to come into his tent and receive rest for your soul (Matt. 11:28-29). Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). The provision that Jesus has made is more than a temporary meal, it is eternal life (John 10:10).
Not only is God’s radical hospitality on display at the table, but it also says a strange phrase:
“in the presence of my enemies…”
Protection
We all have enemies, whether external or internal. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Habitual sins, wayward thoughts, lies we believe, relationships that are broken, or even people who antagonize us. David definitely knew about having enemies.
Early on, David faced the Philistine giant, Goliath. Shortly thereafter he had to run from King Saul, who was jealous of him. David wander throughout the desert land evading enemies in his youth, and later in life when he fled from his own son’s conspiracy to take over his kingdom.
David knew what it was like to be overwhelmed by this world. He did not take God’s hospitality for granted.
The Bedouin Hospitality laws not only demand that provisions are made, but that protection is offered. A leading scholar on the Bedouin life, Dr. Clinton Bailey, said this,
“A Bedouin host is obliged to protect anyone who enters his tent from outside threats…Preventing harm from befalling anyone who has entered a man’s tent, who has thereby become his guest, is reflected in the legal directive, “Defend a guest if he’s done good or done bad; keep a violator at bay or pay for his faults.” Defending a guest may mean stopping assailants from assaulting their intended victim by admonishing the assailants, especially if they are still outside the tent.”
Again, it was the character and honor of the host at stake, and therefore they would protect the guest, even if it put their own life in danger. As in this Bedouin legal directive, “You will die in front of the one you’re protecting.”
This understanding is transformative! God is not transporting us out of the shepherd’s fields and into a palace, He is meeting us where we are at to provide refreshment and protection for our souls.
Not only will God stand before you and your enemies, He sent His Son to defeat your enemies. Jesus was willing to die in front of the one He is protecting, by taking our sin and shame to the cross, conquering it by overcoming death. Listen to His invitation:
Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ESV)
Oh, weary soul, listen to the voice of our Savior calling out to you, come to His table and find the provision and protection you need. Experience the radical hospitality of our divine host today.
Compassionate Care
Not only does our Shepherd offer us radical hospitality, but he shows us compassion in the way He cares for us.
“Anoints my head with oil…”
It’s easy to read this and think of the anointing of kings, or the anointments of perfumed oils at festivals. But let’s stay in the shepherd’s context here. The Hebrew word for anoints in this passage is “to make healthy.” To anoint a king is a different word all together.
The Bedouins would offer their guests oils to refresh their face and skin. This was particularly refreshing coming out of the sun and wind of the wilderness.
A caring shepherd, even today, will anoint the sheep’s head with oils for several reasons. We all know what it is like to have dry and cracked skin, especially in the winter. A shepherd would rub oil to bring healing to the sheep’s cracked skin.
Another reason as shepherd would put oil on a sheep’s head was to keep the flies away. There is a type of fly that will pester the sheep continually so they can’t rest. These flies will land on the sheep and try to lay their larva in the cracks of their skin or in their nose. This causes to the sheep pain, frustration, and can even lead to death.
Shepherds developed an oil mixture that keeps these flies away and protects the sheep. Sheep who are being attacked by these flies will rub their noses in the ground or on a bush, or sometimes even bang their head on a rock. An observant shepherd would see this and treat the sheep with this medicinal salve.
Do you resonate with that sheep having flies attacking and being a painful nuisance to you? Allow the tender, compassionate Shepherd to apply the oil of healing to your pain.
James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (ESV)
We most often refer to this when it comes to physical sickness, but it is not limited to the body. The flies that are attacking can be physical sickness, or mental struggles. James is calling us to bring in spiritual leaders who can be the presence of the Good Shepherd to us. Whether it is real oil, or the presence of prayers and counselors that act as the oil of healing to our weary souls, we need to bring others into our pain.
As I read Psalm 23, especially 4-6, I see David increasingly being astounded by what he is writing about God. This is a song of praise, of worship and wonder. As he ponders God’s protection, provision, and care, I can’t help but think he did recall the time he was called from the shepherds field and anointed with oil.
Yes, it’s a different word, as I have said earlier, but it was a profound moment in David’s life. This radical hospitality, compassionate care and call from his God led David to Abundant Joy.
Abundant Joy
“my cup overflows.”
The Bedouins would offer water, milk and wine to their guests. A generous host would ensure that their cup was never empty, thus, my cup overflows would mean that I have been greatly cared for by my host.
Consider Psalm 104:15
“You (God) gave… wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.” (ESV)
In this verse we see the Bedouin radical hospitality of our God on display to bring joy to our hearts. David is overwhelmed by God’s love and his care for him. An overflowing cup is a symbol of abundant joy.
When you dwell on the presence, provision and protection of our Good Shepherd, how can you not be filled with joy?
When we come to Psalm 23, and dig deep, as we have, we have to allow the truths, the promises and the teaching to sink deeply into our hearts. We cannot just memorize the verses, recite the refrain, without letting it affect our heart and expect the abundant joy that David sings about.
Oh Christian, Jesus is offering you abundant joy, are you living in it? Drink deeply from His provision, His care, His protection and know His love for you.
This is His promise to you, that when we come to Him, our lives will be the cup that overflows with the living waters, that His Spirit will indwell us, empower us, and help us overcome.
Daily you can come to the table of our Lord and experience His provision, protection and care and be refreshed in your soul. However, we shouldn’t stop at just what we receive from Psalm 23:5 and the radical hospitality the Shepherd has for us. We should learn from the Good Shepherd and imitate him by becoming radical in our own hospitality towards others. Consider this article by Rosaria Butterfield on “Ordinary Hospitality” and consider how your hospitality could be used to bring others to the Good Shepherd.
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