The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 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 runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. (Psalm 23 NKJV)
Where do you want your feast or party table set up? Don’t you want your party table set up in a nice restaurant or in a fancy cabin with a nice view? We can come up with so many different preferable places where we can have a feast with cozy feelings. But what about having a feast table surrounded by hostile enemies? Do you want to have a feast or party in enemy territory?
In the 23rd Psalm, David mentions two different realities.
Firstly, the reality of hostility. He mentions that we are going through the valley of the shadow of death. We all have struggles, concerns, family dysfunction, relationship entanglements, spiritual and emotional turbulence, financial uncertainty, physical illness and pains, etc. And conflicts are everywhere. Yes, we all have that reality.
The second reality is the reality of God’s presence. Although we are going through the valley of the shadow of death, we are comforted by God’s rod and His staff. In the 23rd Psalm, David’s hope to dwell in the house of God will happen in the future, and not in the present. However, that doesn’t mean that we cannot dwell in God’s presence. So, where and when does God set up that feast table?
The important point is that we are surrounded by enemies as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We all know that Satan is responsible for all pain. But that’s not something we can fix. Only God can fix that problem. That’s why God said He will take care of that problem by sending His only begotten Son. God also shows us that the ultimate victory has been claimed by Jesus on the cross. That’s not our responsibility. That’s not something we can do. But, what really impacts our lives is “fear.” David’s real question is, how can we overcome the fear we face and its painful realities, knowing that God already solved the problem? The Scripture talks about hope. It talks about the second coming. It talks about Heaven. But how can we really make sense of those realities when we are dealing with injustices, health challenges, and the unfairness of this world?
David depicts the imagery of a feast table set up in the presence of enemies. Can you imagine that you are sitting at a table but surrounded by the most hostile enemies you can ever imagine? Can you enjoy the food and the feast if you are in that situation? Why doesn’t God just get rid of the enemies? This has been the question for many. However, instead of getting rid of the enemies, God invites us to sit and enjoy the feast in God’s presence, in the middle of a hostile environment.
Dining with someone is about making memories. Who you dine with is also a part of the memory. David shares that God will take care of that painful reality if we simply trust Him and let Him control the situation. David says, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.” God says He will bring healing and comfort for those who have faith to sit at the feast table with God in the presence of enemies.
We shall not fear even in the worst moments of our lives, because we have an inseparable connection with God, just as a shepherd loves his sheep. Paul says,
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:39 NKJV)
When Jesus was taking His last journey to Jerusalem, He must have had many thoughts. He knew His supporters, but He knew that their support wouldn’t be strong enough to bear what He would go through. The hostility from the powerful leaders, however, grew stronger and stronger. He knew one of His disciples would betray Him. Troubles and hostilities were everywhere in His life. Though, Jesus did not have fear. Jesus wanted to teach His disciples how not to have fear. Right before He was betrayed, arrested, and eventually crucified, Jesus wanted to spend time with His disciples feasting. Jesus wanted to show His disciples how to overcome fear and have a feast with God, in the presence of enemies. Not only did He set up feast table, but He also asked His disciples to remember Him. The last supper is all about remembering what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do for us. God will set up a feast table for us to be able to dine with God, in His presence. This is a perfect way of depicting the victory of Jesus. The audacity of having a meal before your enemy is the highest form of fearlessness.
If you are living a problem free life and you don’t have anything to worry about, praise the Lord. Be thankful and be willing to help others. If your life feels like it is surrounded by enemies, that’s ok. Many of us are in the same situation. So we get it. But that doesn’t mean that we should have “fear.” Like Daniel in the lions' den; like Esther in the palace of the Persia, full of people with hostility towards her and her people; like Joseph surrounded by his own brothers, who sold him as a slave; like the friends of Daniel who were confronted by the king of the most powerful kingdom in the world, threatening to throw them into the fire, we can have peace and enjoy God’s presence in front of hostilite enemies.
As we celebrate the last Sabbath of 2018, remembering the love of Christ by having communion is meaningful. I think all of us experienced tough times this year. It was tough. It was painful. We all had sad moments, and many of us felt that giving up might be an option. But, having communion can be our ultimate expression of claiming victory in Jesus, in the midst of all these painful enemies on our journey. Yes, we do have times we go through the valley of the shadow of death. But, do not fear. Instead, let's have a feast in God's presence, let us have a feast with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us celebrate life and joy, through which we can witness our victory in Jesus Christ.
