You prepare a table
The Hebrew here is Shulchan a meal-table.
You Prepare
The shepherd prepares the table for the sheep
A shepherd would make scouting expeditions before the sheep ever get to the mesas, to see how the grass is growing, and which mesas will be suitable for grazing and would also check to see if there were clusters of poisonous plants
God prepares the table for us
So how has God prepared our Pasture for us? As he lets Jerimiah know in 1:12 12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.” God makes sure that everything that He says will happen exactly as God has said it would.
The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6). As Proverbs 30:5 tells us 5 Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. And this is why we study God’s Word, and look at it carefully, all of it is true. As it says in Psalm 119:160 The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. God has carefully prepared His Word so that it is good grazing for the sheep—perfect pasture, without anything harmful to the sheep.
Mesas are good grazing ground because, being flat, the shepherd could easily watch all of his sheep.
Jesus desires that we walk close to him. When the predator comes, when there is a day of adversity, it is always the distant sheep, the ones who like to stray, the ones who like to roam and backslide who are picked off by predators and have their faith fail. That is not what God wants for us. So, get close to the Lord, and stay close to His people. Stick together, little flock.
Like the shepherd, God prepares our path before us. Psalm 37:23 says 23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.
A table before me
The Israelites had challenged God. 18 As it tells us in Psalm 78 vs 18-19 And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire. 19 Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness”? And God showed them that He could prepare a table in the wilderness—the table of Showbread in the tabernacle; the Table of the Presence of God. Placed, inside the Holy place, on the North side, just outside the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:35), poles were attached so the table could be carried without touching it directly (Exodus 25vv. 25–28) to protect the priests.
In having such a table in the tabernacle, the Lord was demonstrating that the Israelites were to regard the tabernacle as His house.
God gave this bread back to “Aaron and his sons” who ate it in His holy presence. Eating of the bread of the Presence in God’s house signified the Lord was at peace with His people. We the priesthood of the New Covenant. 1 Peter 2:9 says But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Just how was the table of God’s Presence, the table of Communion spread out before us under the New Covenant?
It was at the cross. At the cross was where Jesus made an eternal peace between the God the Father and His people, so we may dine in His presence, which is what occurs during communion, when we partake of the Lord’s Supper at His table. What do we look to when we are taking communion? (1 Cor 11:23-28)
We look to the cross, the shedding of His Blood for us and the breaking of His Body for us. We remember the price that was paid in order to purchase this peace, this fellowship which we get to have with God.
In the presence of my enemies
Now when you’re in the presence of your enemies, sitting down to a nice meal is not generally what you have in mind. You don’t feel hungry and food doesn’t sound good. But King David here is talking about a feast in the midst of his enemies. David is calm among his enemies because he trusts in the Lord. Psalm 27 verses 1-4 says The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.
Remember Who’s table you sit at. The Lord of Hosts is our Host and Provider. And the picture here is that all of those others, the ones who choose to be the enemies of the Lord can only look on in frustration and envy. They could partake; salvation is open to anyone;
Romans 5:8But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 10:9-10 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.