At the end of each month this year, I am writing a ‘thought for the month’. This one is June’s. You will find the others here.
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Here in the UK, lockdown restrictions have finally started to ease and, for the first time in eight months, I have started to have people inside my home again.
In pre-pandemic times, I would regularly invite friends and family to join me in eating at my table.
Eight months is a long time to go without. It means I’ve got out of practice.
In recent weeks, I’ve rediscovered the joy of preparing the food and setting the table – cloth and condiments, plates and napkins, cutlery and glasses – and enjoying the buzz of conversation, catching up in person, while enjoying home-cooked food.
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There are several verses in the Bible which use the metaphor of food being prepared and a table being set.
One of them is Psalm 23:5, in which King David speaks to God, saying: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
Think about that for a moment.
Why would God prepare a table before us but, instead of it being in the company of our friends and family, it’s with our adversaries? Why indeed?
This is something I’ve been wrestling with this month, so let me try to break it down …
God’s table is a metaphor that speaks of abundance, provision, and satisfaction. It tells us that, when we put our trust in God, we can feast at His table, enjoying an abundance of His endless love and grace. It tells us that He will provide us with all that we need, until our souls are satisfied.
God prepares us a table because He wants us to sit down and take time to enjoy the feast that He has laid out. He doesn’t want us to snatch something to eat on the go. He wants us to eat unhurriedly, in peace, without disturbance or distraction. Also, in Middle Eastern culture, a host prepares a table as a mark of respect to his or her guests, by providing what they need.
Further, God prepares a table before us in the presence of our enemies, but what does this mean?
Looking at the original text, I have discovered what seems to be a bit of a contradiction: On the one hand, the phrase ‘before us’ comes from a Hebrew word, meaning ‘in front of’, in a peaceable, non-confrontational sense. On the other hand, the phrase ‘in the presence of our enemies’ comes from a different Hebrew word, meaning ‘opposite’ or ‘against’, which has a confrontational stance.
So, why the use of a non-confrontational word, followed by a confrontational one?
Perhaps we are meant to understand this phrase as a kind of peace offering – an invitation from God, to sit together with those who oppose us, in order to peacefully resolve our differences.
I’m not so sure …
The use of the two Hebrew words suggests to me that it is actually saying, “Lord, you provide me with all that I need, in order to be respected and victorious in the face of those who oppose me.”
I don’t often think about those who oppose me – but it’s good to know that God does, and that He has a plan for what will happen when I am in their presence …
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The next time you set your table for guests, why don’t you reflect on this verse?
Picture, in your mind’s eye, the table that God has prepared for you.
Dwell on His invitation to come, sit and eat.
Think of the abundant feast, laid out on the table before you, more than sufficient to satisfy your soul.
Consider those who are sitting in the other chairs around the table.
And then remember that, even if they oppose you, God will provide you with all that you need to be respected and victorious in their presence.
As ever, if you have any thoughts or reflections on this, please feel free to share them in the comments below.
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Photo by Asiya Kiev on Unsplash
