Your Daily Slice

NISAN 25

A Table Before Me

 

“You spread before me a table in the face of my enemies …” (Ps 23:5)

 

There is a play on words in this line, when it is read in the Hebrew.  The word translated ‘before’ is the Hebrew word pânı̂ym (Strong’s H6440), and quite literally means ‘in my face’.  This word pânı̂ym is also used in Ex 33:11 – “Thus יהוה spoke to Mosheh face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” – implying an intimate and close relationship.  The word translated ‘face’ in our opening verse is the word neged (Strong’s H5048), and means ‘in front of’, or ‘in the presence of’.  Neged Is also found in 1Kin 8:22, describing Solomon standing in front of the congregation of Yisra’el at the dedication of the mishkan, the temple.  Thus, we can see, by looking at these two different words, that for those He is intimate with (face to face), our Elohim spreads out a banquet, all done in front of our enemies.

 

There was another time when a table was prepared and spread before the nation of Yisra’el.  It occurred the night before all of them left Egypt, approximately 6 million of them, and it was, literally, in the face of the enemy.  Commanded to butcher a lamb during the afternoon hours, this lamb was cooked and eaten in its entirety later that evening, while the first born of Egypt was systematically being killed.  Only the Creator of the universe could pull off something of this magnitude (see Ex 12).

 

And there is another banquet still to come, one that those of us who claim to be children of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are eagerly anticipating.  It is known as the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” and will take place at the end of the age (Rev 19:7-9).  Again, this table is prepared and spread in the presence of all our Messiah King’s enemies, for immediately following this banquet, Messiah Yeshua will defeat those who have come against Him (see Rev 19).

 

Is your name on the list of invitations?

 

“And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true words of Elohim.”” (Rev 19:9)

 

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