“You anoint my head
with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5B)
He again and welcome back to the Psalm 23 blog. Today’s post will focus on the second half of
verse 5 of the 23rd Psalm. I
hope you find this post as informative and eye opening as I was when I first
discovered the depth of meaning contained in these two deceptively simple
phrases: (1) “you anoint my head with oil”
and (2) “my cup overflows”. Let’s get started.
For many years I had been taught and read that this verses
reference to oil being poured on my head related to the Old Testament practice
of anointing someone by pouring oil on their head to signify their being set
apart or chosen. (Exodus 28:41, 29:7,
30:30) There is also the idea that this
anointing mentioned in Psalm 23:5 is related to the anointing of objects as a
way to sanctify them or consecrate them.
(Exodus 40:9-15) While a case can
be made that the act of anointing mentioned in Psalm 23 is related to the above
verses I think you may find the following discussion of the topic as it relates
to the care and nurturing of sheep will be a real eye opener to the deeper
meaning of “anoint”. Most of what I will
share will, once again, be drawn from the descriptions of author and former
shepherd, Phillip Keller in his book A
Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. I will
be sharing a quote from another book on the subject a bit later.
I need to begin this discussion by reminding you that the 23rd
Psalm relates to the journey of sheep to their place of summer grazing. In previous posts we’ve made it clear that
this is an allegory or a word picture of the Good Shepherd. It is, however, based on actual day to day
practices of the shepherd as he leads his flock of sheep to their summer
grazing grounds in the high country. We
have spoken about the fact that the sheep were extremely needy in terms of
having someone take care of just about every facet of their lives. He sheltered them, protected them, led them,
cared for them and helped them avoid dangers and problems which might harm or
even kill them. All of this was a precursor
to the sheep finally reaching the lush summer fields which were made safe for
them as the shepherd “prepared the table” for them to enjoy in relative
safety. I say relative safety because
there was still an urgent need for the shepherd to keep a vigilant watch over
his flock every day. With that sense of
final arrival and relative safety we’ll begin today’s study.
Where I live in Upstate New York (not Albany or Schenectady
but way up north) the summer days bring warmth and long hours of sunshine to
enjoy the out of doors. But in the
Adirondacks as well as the rest of the North Country it means BUGS! Because conditions are also right for the
hatch of a great variety of insects we are inundated with many different types
during most of the summer. The most
common would be the state bird of New York State, the mosquito! Add to that such nasty little buggers as the
black fly (they can draw blood too), the chigger (a tiny, nasty little biting fellow
who can even force his way through door and window screens, as well as other
buzzing, biting, stinging pests. In the
Middle East they also have a variety of insects which can, if left alone, cause
great torment, harm and even death to sheep in the hills. Right when you might think that the sheep had
finally made it to safety and could then eat to their hearts content and build
up body fat, milk for the lambs and strength to make it through the colder
months, a variety of nasty little bugs appear in great numbers to ruin the
party. (Boy, that was a long sentence!) These pests include insects and parasites
such as warble flies, bot flies, heel flies, nasal flies, deer flies, black
flies, gnats and other tiny and nasty bugs.
I won’t go into great detail but some of these intruders
seek out moist places where they can lay their eggs. In a very short time these eggs will hatch
and the larvae will infest both the outside and inside of the sheep. Maladies such as nasal invasion, respiratory
illnesses, inability to eat or rest, nasty bites, etc. are all a part of the
problem these insects create for the sheep.
Some can become so severe that it will actually kill an otherwise healthy
animal. Bites from these bugs can drive
the sheep crazy. Some will cause the
sheep to bang their heads against trees, posts, or rocks to try and drive them
away. Just hearing their “buzz” can put
the sheep into a panic and cause them to rush into danger. They will run through the pasture trying to
find a way to escape the onslaught of the bugs.
Great harm can come to individual sheep as well as many in the flock if
the bugs are not dealt with. This time
of year had a nick name. It was called “fly
time” and the shepherds took it very seriously.
If you have ever been around cattle or horses for very long I’m sure that
you have seen these very same pests trying to attack them as well. We sometimes see guards on the faces of
horses to keep bugs from their eyes and noses.
There are devices to allow cattle to rub insecticide onto themselves to
help them contend with the intruders.
In modern times as well as Biblical times the shepherd
learned that they needed to do something with each sheep to help fight this bug
blight. One of the most common was the
application of some kind of oil or ointment to keep the bugs away from
sensitive areas on the sheep such as their face, nose and ears. In modern times shepherds often used a
concoction of oil, Sulphur and tar. I’m
sure that now they rely much more heavily on chemical compounds to do the same
thing. In Biblical times they created
this “anointing oil” from olive oil, Sulphur and spices. I guess this would be like our modern day insect
repellent. When this concoction was
poured onto the sheep’s head they would almost immediately calm down. They settled into their routine again as the
bugs wouldn’t come near and they could eat, drink and lie down to rest without
fear of being pursued by them. This was
not a one-time application. The shepherd
would have to keep watch of his flock and when he saw that individual sheep
were starting to show the symptoms of bugs on the attack again he would have to
re-apply the oil on their heads. It’s
been suggested that this anointing oil application is very much like God’s
anointing of the Holy Spirit on us. It’s
something that happens frequently to help us deal with all the “bugs” in our
own lives.
“You anoint my head
with oil”. That phrase makes a whole
lot more sense to me than it used to. Just think of how it can represent pests,
irritants or even dangerous infestations which appear in our own lives,
especially in a spiritual sense. There
are so many things out in this world which can distract us, irritate us, even
panic us and draw us away from our own Shepherd. We find so often that we take our eyes of Him
and focus almost solely on the problems around us. As the insects could cause the sheep to run away
from the flock and into trouble, our own spiritual bugs can do the same
thing. We run, or are drawn, from the
safety and security of staying within our “flocks” and run out into the open
where we are much more vulnerable. The
sheep could become so distracted or even panic to the point of totally
forgetting everything and letting their struggles become the only thing they
think about. Sounds kind of familiar to
me. How about you?
Often these infestations were passed from one sheep to
another. The same is true for our
spiritual problems. Have you ever
noticed how being around negative people can begin to cause you to think in a
similar fashion? Or when you sit down
with someone who is constantly complaining and picking others apart it often
causes you to look at others with a similar, critical eye. I’m guessing that the sheep remembered where
their “help” came from when the shepherd eased their torment from the
bugs. I don’t’ know this for a fact but
it makes sense to me that they would try to get near the shepherd in hopes that
he could help them once again. I know
that’s what helps me when the spiritual bugs are getting to me. I can feel more and more frustrated,
concerned, distracted and even tense and irritable but when I finally remember
to get closer to my “Shepherd” things start to improve. When I take the time to get close to God
through quiet times or reading my Bible I start to feel some peace creeping
back into my heart, quieting my spirit and helping me to experience that “peace
that just doesn’t make sense” to the outside world.
I discovered yet another use for the “anointing oil” we’ve
been talking about. It was written by
another author with personal experience regarding sheep and their
shepherd. I will include a paragraph
from the book He Leadeth Me, The Shepherd’s
Life in Palestine by Charles W. Slemming.
In his book Mr. Slemming writes of the lives and activities of shepherds
of the Middle East. He gives a great
explanation regarding our passage for today.
He is writing of how a shepherd helps to prepare a new field before his
flock can use it.
Before allowing his
sheep onto the field, he inspects it for vipers - small brown adders that live
under the ground. These snakes jump up out
of their holes and bite the sheep on their noses. This bite would often cause inflammation and,
on occasion, the death of a sheep. When
a shepherd found a viper's hole he would take a bottle of oil from his belt and
pour it around the hole, making it too slippery should the snake try to crawl
out and attack a sheep. He would also
"anoint" the heads of the sheep so that, if a snake was in the tall
grass, it would be repelled by the smell of the oil on the sheep. Thus, the shepherd really does "prepare
a table" for the sheep.
Pretty cool, isn’t it?! “You
prepare a table before me in the very presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows”. (Psalm 23:5)
Isn’t it amazing how well the
scripture fits the loving acts of a shepherd toward his sheep? And, of course, how this translates to you
and I as “sheep” in God’s “flock”.
I’d like to briefly (I know, that’s
a relative term) address the end of verse 5, “my cup overflows”. I have
learned something that adds deeper meaning to this simple three word
phrase. I hope you recall the discussion
about the shepherd having to create “quiet waters” for the sheep to drink from
when they were out in the wild. Remember
that the sheep were spooked very easily and didn’t like to have water splash up
into their face. That was why the
shepherd would use rocks to create a quiet patch of water where the sheep could
drink their fill in peace. There are
many references, especially in the Old Testament, to another source of water. That source is, of course, wells. These wells were dug deep into the ground to
provide a source of fresh water in an arid climate. Without a good source of water the livestock
as well as the people could not survive so they were very important.
Here’s a pretty interesting discovery. Many times, especially in areas where sheep
were raised, there was something you and I would probably call a “watering
trough” next to the well. If you’re as
old as me you probably recall many a western movie where there was just such a
thing near the well where a bucket dangled from a rope over the water, deep in
the ground. The water was lifted by way
of the bucket and then poured into the watering trough so that man and beast
alike could drink from it. I read that the
trough used in Palestine wasn’t only made of wood but more often they were made
of stone. The stone was hallowed like a
deep dish or barrel but it wasn’t too tall.
This way the sheep could step up to the stone trough and drink their
fill. Now here’s the exciting part. This stone trough was called the “cup”. Since the sheep were so skittish about water
in their face a shepherd who really loved and cared for their sheep would take the
time to fill the “cup” (trough) completely to the brim so that the sheep could
drink without getting their faces in the water.
As the sheep drank the shepherd would refill the “cup” again and
again. Are you starting to get any goose
bumps? I mean, not only was this trough
full but it could be said that it (“my cup”) “overflows”. God, like the shepherd, loves us, His sheep,
so much that he not only provides “enough” but he fills to “overflowing” the
refreshment and spiritual “water” that we need to be spiritually healthy in
Him.
Our Good Shepherd loves us so
much! He provides for us so well! He protects us and wants us to stay near to
Him. I hope that you find peace in the
study of this Psalm. It’s so comforting and
reassuring for us in so many ways. I
find that it speaks to me even more as I start to understand the context of a shepherd
and his sheep in ways that are foreign to me but would have been common
knowledge to those who lived in David’s time.
I feel like we should end today’s post right here. There’s a lot to think about isn’t
there? Please do me a favor and take a
few moments to pray. Think about how God
has fed you, led you, protected you and helped you heal. Then read through the Psalm as far as we’ve studied. I’ll make it easy and post it below. Until next time remember that you and I don’t
just have a ‘good’ Shepherd, we have an “Awesome Shepherd”. God bless.
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