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Psalm 23:5-6

INTRODUCTION: Something odd happens when we get to verses 5-6 in Psalm 23. Up to this point, David has been using the image of a shepherd with his sheep to describe his relationship with the Lord. But suddenly in verse 5, the picture changes, and we no longer have the image of a shepherd, but rather that of a host in his home. And yet the change takes place so smoothly, you hardly recognize it happening. In fact, as many times as you have read the twenty-third Psalm, you may never have noticed the change.

And you might wonder, how does David accomplish this? How does he make the change so smoothly? And the answer is, he begins the switch in verse 4. Take another look at the Psalm. In verses 1-3 David is speaking in the third person. “The Lord is my shepherd … he leads me beside the quiet waters, he restores my soul.” He is talking to you about his relationship with the Lord. But starting with verse 4, he is speaking in the second person. Instead of talking to you about the Lord, he talks to the Lord directly: “Even 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.” Even here he makes the transition from third person to second person very smoothly, because when he starts verse 4, you don’t realize until the second half that he is now talking directly to the Lord instead of about him.

This change of person accomplishes two things in the Psalm. First of all, it raises the Psalm to a whole new level of intimacy as David approaches the topic of death. How much more personal this verse becomes than if David had just continued in the third person: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for he is with me; his rod and his staff, they comfort me.”

But secondly, the change in person prepares the way for the shift of imagery in verse 5. The shepherd imagery of verse 4 connects with the shepherd imagery of verses 1-3 which precede it. And the you’s of verse 4 connect with the you’s of verse 5 which follow it. In verse 4 David has already begun speaking to the Lord as his Lord and not just as a shepherd, and so when he continues talking to him in verse 5 as his host, you barely notice the change in imagery. This is beautiful and skillful poetry, and yet another reason why Psalm 23 is one of the best-loved pieces in all of literature.

And so we have moved from the shepherd on the pathway, to the shepherd in the valley, to the shepherd at home, where the good shepherd hosts you in his own home as his special guest of honor.

There are two truths I would like us to focus on in these last two verses of the Psalm. The first is the incredible truth that God invites you into his own home, which is a beautiful picture of heaven and eternal life. And the second truth is this: that according to the Bible eternal life starts now. You don’t have to wait until heaven to start enjoying the benefits of eternal life.

I. God invites you into his home (Psalm 23:5)

So let’s begin with the first truth. God invites you into his home. How appropriate that this imagery would follow the imagery of the valley of the shadow of death. We quoted Charles Spurgeon last week who said that “Death is not the house but the porch.” It is not the final resting place, but simply a passageway to life eternal. And with this shift to the host imagery, David is saying that the Lord is not only your shepherd in life and through death, but when your days on earth are done, God invites you into his eternal home where he is the host and you are the guest and where you enjoy abundant life with him for ever and ever.

    A. He prepares a table for you (Psalm 31:19; Isaiah 25:6-8)

Let’s look at the specific imagery David uses to relate this truth. First David says, when God invites you into his home, he prepares a table for you: “You prepare a table before me.” (Psalms 23:5a) The word David uses for “table” here refers specifically to a table spread with food. This is not a table used as a desk or for storage, but David is talking about a meal. This is a banquet table, a place where you share fellowship with the host and his other guests.

Notice that the Lord “prepares” this table for you. That word “prepare” means “to arrange, to set out or put in order.” When you have company over for a special meal, what do you do? You take special care to prepare everything for them. You dress up the table with a nice tablecloth. You get out the best tableware. You prepare the best food. You put up table decorations. You create a special environment to ensure that your guests feel welcomed and honored.

Before Jesus left earth to go back to heaven, Jesus told his disciples he was leaving to prepare a place for them. And that is exactly what we see here in verse 5. God is a gracious host, preparing this table for you that you might enjoy fellowship with him. Psalm 31:19 says, “How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.” We cannot even begin to imagine the amazing things God has prepared for us in his eternal home.

The prophet Isaiah also spoke of this great banquet of heaven. He wrote:

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:6-8)

And so here eternal life is compared to a great banquet, a feast of rich food for all peoples as we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and pain and sorrow.

So that’s the first thing God does when he invites you into his home: He prepares a table for you. He invites you to share table fellowship with him in his home.

    B. He honors you before your enemies (Psalm 27:1-6)

Secondly, when God invites you into his home, he honors you before your enemies. David writes, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” (Psalm 23:5a) An enemy is one who shows hostility to you or causes distress. And one of the great mysteries we struggle with in life is this: why do the godly suffer, and why do the wicked prosper? This is a theme that is taken up a number of times in the Psalms, in Psalm 37 and Psalm 73 for example. Why do God’s enemies seem to have the upper hand so often? Why are believers persecuted and not immediately rescued? Why do unbelievers mock God and seem to get away with it?

And the answer is this: we are not seeing the whole picture. We have not reached the end of the story. Yes, the godly may suffer and the wicked may prosper for now, but not always. God will vindicate his people. Every injustice will be addressed, and every wrong will be made right. That’s what David is talking about when he says that God prepares this table for him in the presence of his enemies.

When a king would return from battle, he would hold a great feast for his soldiers while the enemy captives would look on. One day the enemies of God will look on as God honors his people in their presence. And so we do not need to be afraid now.

David writes about this in Psalm 27:

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

4 One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Normally if you must eat when the enemy is all around, you have to snatch and grab; you keep your head up, alert to all possible danger. But here in God’s eternal home you may relax, for you are safe and secure. God has not only delivered you from all your enemies, he honors you before them. And you may partake of this rich banquet in perfect peace knowing your enemies will never harm you ever again.

    C. He treats you as a guest and fills your heart with gladness
(Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7-8; Luke 7:46)

When God invites you into his home, he prepares a table for you, he honors you before your enemies, and thirdly: he treats you as a guest and fills your heart with gladness. This is symbolized by the oil in verse 5: “You anoint my head with oil.” (Psalm 23:5b)

Olive oil was a common staple in Biblical times and had many uses, but the use pictured here is the hospitality that a good host would afford his guests. When a guest entered your home, one of the common courtesies you would extend would be oil for the guest’s head. It was a dry and dusty climate, and oil on the head was a welcome refreshment for your guests.

Psalm 104 speaks of the many good gifts God gives his creation, and verse 15 includes oil as one of those gifts: “wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.” (Psalm 104:15) The book of Ecclesiastes also relates oil on the head with gladness of heart. Ecclesiastes 9:7-8 says, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil.” Luke 7 tells the story of Jesus at the Pharisee’s house where a woman anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. In verse 46 Jesus rebuked the Pharisee for not extending to him the common courtesy he should have showed Jesus as a guest in his home. He tells the Pharisee: “You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.” (Luke 7:46)

So oil on the head was an essential part of common courtesy to your guests. I suppose a modern day equivalent would be offering something to drink when somebody comes into your home. As a good host you want them to feel comfortable, welcomed, and refreshed. That is the way oil worked in Biblical times. David says, “You anoint my head with oil.” When God invites you into his home, he treats you as a guest and fills your heart with gladness.

    D. He provides unending abundance (Psalm 16:11; John 10:10)

And then finally, when God invites you into his home, he provides unending abundance. Or as David writes in verse 5: “My cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5b) The word David uses for “overflows” in verse 5 is used in only one other place in the Old Testament, Psalm 66:12 where it is translated “abundance”: “You brought us to a place of abundance.”

So David is using the image of the overflowing cup to symbolize the unending abundance God provides for those who come into his home. Picture a cup that is continually overflowing. No matter how much you take from the cup, it continues to spill over with God’s goodness and kindness forever.

David puts this another way in Psalm 16:11 when he writes: “You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Jesus said in John 10:10: “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full,” or as another translation puts it: “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”

There is nothing stingy about God. He gives generously to all who come to him. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Those who put their faith in Christ now will experience never-ending joys in Christ’s presence in heaven. When God invites you into his home, he provides unending abundance.

So that’s the first truth we learn from verses 5-6 in Psalm 23. After you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, God invites you into his eternal home.

II. Eternal life starts now (Psalm 23:6)

But there is a second truth we find in verse 6, and that truth is this: Eternal life starts now! So many people think Christianity is all about giving up all the good things now so you can enjoy them later in heaven. But you don’t have to wait until heaven to start enjoying the benefits of eternal life. Eternal life starts now, and you can know this abundant life Jesus offers in this life as well as the next.

    A. God’s goodness and love follow you throughout this life (Lam. 3:22-26; John 5:24)

David writes in verse 6 of Psalm 23: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” (Psalm 23:6a) You see, you don’t have to wait until heaven to know God’s goodness and mercy. God’s goodness and love follow you throughout this life.

That word “goodness” refers to those things which are good and pleasant. The word “love” is the special word for God’s covenant love for his people. Sometimes translated “mercy” or “loving-kindness,” it refers to God’s steadfast, loyal, covenant commitment to those who come to him in Christ.

So if you are in Christ, God’s goodness and love will follow you at all times. That word “follow” means “to pursue or to follow after.” Wherever you go, no matter what happens, God’s goodness and love will hunt you down and follow close after you. When you are in Christ, you are not pursued by your enemies, but you are pursued by God’s own goodness and covenant commitment to you as his child. You are surrounded by his love, for the shepherd goes before you and God’s goodness and love follow behind.

David says that God’s goodness and love will follow you “all the days of your life.” Every day God’s goodness and love are there for you. Lamentations 3 says: “His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) Jesus is the shepherd on the path, and he is the shepherd in the valley. When the Lord is your shepherd, not a single day is exempt. Having a good day? Having a bad day? No matter. God’s goodness and mercy are right behind you. They are in hot pursuit, following after you and hunting you down, day after day, hour by hour.

One of the great truths of the Bible is that eternal life starts now, not later! Jesus said in John 5:24: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” Did you catch that? Jesus said if you believe in him, you already have eternal life, right now, in the present tense. You have already crossed over from death to life. David said, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.” Christianity isn’t about some “pie in the sky, later on, by and by.” It is about receiving abundant life from Jesus Christ right now, right here on earth.

    B. You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! (John 14:1-3)

And then on top of that, after you die, you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Back to Psalm 23:6: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Here David brings the Psalm full circle. He began by saying, “The LORD is my shepherd.” And he ends by saying, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD.”

This is what Jesus told his disciples when he returned to heaven. He said:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3)

When God invites you into his home, it’s for keeps. You will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! Of course this is only good news to you if you love the Lord. There are many who don’t even want to visit God’s house once a week, but the godly person longs to dwell in God’s home forever.

So, how do we summarize Psalm 23:5-6? God is a gracious and generous host who invites you into his home. He prepares a rich banquet table of food, signifying rich fellowship with him. He does this in the presence of your enemies, signifying final deliverance, protection and vindication. He anoints your head with oil signifying refreshment and honor. Your cup overflows signifying abundant provision and unending satisfaction. The benefits of eternal life begin now, for God’s goodness and mercy follow you throughout all the days of your life, and ultimately you will dwell in God’s house forever.

CONCLUSION: George Herbert was a country pastor who lived in England back in the 1600’s. He is also regarded as one of the greatest poets of his time, and his poetry is still studied and taught in English literature classes today. One of his most well-known poems is the poem simply called “Love (III),” which draws from the host and guest imagery of Psalm 23.

LOVE (III), by George Herbert

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lacked anything.

“A guest,” I answered, “worthy to be here”;
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”

“Truth, Lord, but I have marred them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”
So I did sit and eat.

How marvelous, how amazing that the God of the universe would choose to take the role of the host and make us the guest in his own home. The decision you make for or against Christ matters for all of eternity. Eternal life starts now, so you are not trading in “the good life” for later on. No, God’s mercy and love will follow you all the days of this life, and you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Jesus is the Good Shepherd who will guide you on the pathway of this life. He will lead you safely through the valley of the shadow of death. He will welcome you into his home forever.

© Ray Fowler

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