Psalms 23:5 – “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.”
When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we learn about the power of the Comforter, the precious Holy Spirit. John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
We are living in a time of great shaking, persecution, and governmental chaos. We have the promise of God to prepare a table for His people in the presence of our enemies. This is a supernatural table. It will restore our strength, refresh our spirits, and reenergize our minds.
The Psalmist continues in verse 5, “You anoint my head with oil.” We must experience a new anointing for the new challenges we are facing. The word anointing means “to rub or pour oil upon.” Lori Wilke writes in her book, The Costly Anointing, “the word anointing means to smear oil upon.”[I]
“The Old Testament type, or symbol, of the anointing was seen in the act of pouring oil over the head of the individual whom God had chosen for a specific office.” In Leviticus 8:10 Moses anointed Aaron to be the High Priest of Israel. This is referred to in Psalms 133:2, "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments."
David, the sweet Psalmist of Israel experienced three different anointing’s in his life.
1. In I Samuel 16:13 he was anointed among His brethren as the future king of Israel.
2. In II Samuel 2:4 he was anointed as king over Judah.
3. In II Samuel 5:3 he was anointed as king over all of Israel.
In each occurrence, they poured the whole horn of oil upon his head. This act of anointing with oil was used to set apart and consecrate these individuals for the work and offices God had called them to do and fill.
In the summer months sheep are bothered by flies, mosquitos, gnats, and other winged insects. Phillip Keller writes in his book, “Sheep are especially troubled by the nose fly, or nasal fly as it is sometimes called. These little flies buzz about the sheep’s head, attempting to deposit their eggs on the damp mucous membranes of the sheep’s nose. If they are successful, the eggs will hatch in a few days to form small, slender, worm-like larvae. They work their way up the nasal passages into the sheep’s head; they burrow into the flesh and there set up an intense irritation accompanied by severe inflammation. For relief from this agonizing annoyance, sheep will deliberately beat their heads against trees, rocks, posts, or brush. They will rub them in the soil and thrash around against woody growth. In extreme cases of intense infestation, a sheep may even kill itself in a frenzied endeavor to gain respite from the aggravation. Often advanced stages of infection from these flies will lead to blindness.”[ii]
At the first sign of flies an attentive shepherd would apply an antidote to the head of the sheep. He would pour or rub oil onto the head of the sheep. This is why the Psalmist wrote, “He anoints my head with oil.”
[i] Wilke, Lori, The Costly Anointing, Destiny Image, Shippensburg, PA, 1991, page 23.
[ii] Keller, Phillip, A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1970, page 102.
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