A Testimony of Safety – Part 1
Psalm 23:5
Psalm 23:5(a) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
Previously:
A Testimony of Sufficiency
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd [Yahweh-Rohi]; I shall not want [Lack]. [Messages 1 & 2]
Testimony Of Satisfaction
Psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside the still waters. [Messages 3 & 4]
A Testimony of Salvation
Psalm 23:3 He Restores My Soul: He Leads Me In The Paths Of Righteousness For His Name’s Sake [Message 5 & 6]
A Testimony of Security
Psalms 23:4 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.” [Messages 7, 8, & 9]
Today: A Testimony of Safety
Psalm 23:5(a) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies...
Introduction:
In this verse, the shepherd and his sheep have reached the top of the mountain.
The “Table” here refers to the flat plateau covered with lush, tall, healthy, easily accessible, nourishing grasslands.
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On the top of the mountain there was beautiful sunshine accompanied by cool breezes!
This was the ideal place to be – the most beautiful time of the year for the sheep and shepherd:
- Little lambs were playing in the open field
- The rams and ewes were completing their beautiful wool coats in preparation for the winter
This was the highlight of the entire year!
1. The Tablelands Were Hard To Reach By Both Sheep
And Shepherd!
A. They had walked through the “valley of the shadow of death” to
get there…
B. The shepherd worked constantly to get the sheep here:
-Going before the sheep to know the way
-Making sure the sheep were safe on the journey
C. They had began their journey to get here at the end of winter…
D. Months of laborious, treacherous, climbing and searching for food
and water had ended here at the tablelands of late summer and
early fall…
God wants us to get to the “mountain top experiences” of our spiritual life with Him also!
He is constantly trying to lead us there…
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Not pushing or punishing – but leading us by His grace…
Requires prayer – fasting – commitment – dedication ….
Through many dangers toils and snares I have already come, tis grace that brought me safe this far and grace will lead me home!
2. Sheep Got So Caught Up In The Tablelands That They
Didn’t Recognize The Enemies All Around Them.
A. That’s why the psalmist said, “You prepare a table before me in
the presence of my enemies…”
B. There was always the danger of the sheep becoming prey to wild
animals…
-Wild Animals would scatter them then attack the weak, young, and isolated
-Most of the time the shepherd never saw the wild beasts but he did see the affects of their work through dead lambs, broken limbs, and chunks of wool and flesh missing from the frightened sheep’s bodies…
C. Sheep were also tempted to eat the sweet white cammas – but it
brought sudden death by paralyzing the sheep’s nervous system.
-It looked good and taste good but brought sudden destruction!
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Christians find themselves in the same dilemma!
In our times of blessing – when everything seems to be going great – we fail to notice the enemy poised to bring destruction…
Without notice, Satan pounces on us to scatter and destroy…
We fall to our fleshly desires to “taste” and indulge in things that will bring sudden destruction…
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3. Sheep Do Not Really Know The Sacrifice And
Preparation Made By The Shepherd For Them To Enjoy
The Tablelands!
A. Sheep are clueless of the time and energy spent by the shepherd to:
- scout the trails
- trap or destroy the wild animals
- get on his hands and knees to pull up the sweet white cammas
B. They don’t know how to appreciate the sleepless nights the
shepherd spends to provide their peace and safety…
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We to forget the sacrifice Christ made for us:
Just as loneliness and personal privation describe the shepherd’s love and care for his sheep….
-the lonely agony of Gethsemane,
-the false accusations of Pilate’s hall,
-the desolate pain of Calvary’s cross,
-and the dark solitude of the tomb…
…..describe the sacrifice Christ, our Shepherd, has made for us!
We don’t know how to appreciate the times He has gone before us to prepare the way and protect us from the snares of the enemy.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
God laid our iniquity on Christ so we could enjoy the tablelands…
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
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Conclusion:
God’s desire is for us to have an abundant life:
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
This verse implies that Christ is working to make sure the enemy does not stop us from reaching the mountain top!
Christ wants us to have the best! He was willing to do whatever necessary to make it happen:
Quote from A Shepherd Looks At Psalm 23, by Phillip Keller:
Speaking of Christ’s choice to come to earth to bring everlasting life:
“This meant laying aside His splendor, His position, His prerogatives as the perfect and faultless One. He knew He would be exposed to terrible privation, to ridicule, to false accusations, to rumor, gossip, and malicious charges that branded Him as a glutton, drunkard, friend of sinners, and even an imposter. It entailed losing His reputation. It would involve physical suffering, mental anguish and spiritual agony.”
In short, The Good Shepherd has prepared a table of blessing for us in the presence of our enemy also!
There may be danger all around, but Christ has already made the sacrifice for us to have a “tableland life experience.”
God wants you to have the best today!