Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, January 27, 2025
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 23:5 – Part 11
Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows.
Today we amplify the final phrase of verse 5, “My cup overflows.” Doesn’t God already know? After all, it is He who makes my cup overflow. What does the “cup” represent, and with what does it overflow? These are all good questions. Let’s dig in.
The concept of having our cup full, even to overflowing, is frequently connected throughout Scripture as being euphemistic for being satisfied with the abundance of God’s provision. For example, the same Hebrew word is used for “abundance” at the beginning of verse 9(8).… Psalm 36:8(7) How precious is Your love, O God! The children of men find refuge in the shadow of Your wings. 9(8) They drink their fill from the abundance of Your House. You give them drink from the river of Your delights.
We are all like impoverished children, wandering around the earth without even a (proverbial) “cup” in our hands. When we receive Him as our Lord and Savior, he gives us a cup. Then He fills it with faith, hope and love, the abundance of His table, at which we are then seated. We all desire to be satisfied or filled, (We sometimes express this as desiring Shalom.) but without Him, we have nothing.
Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? On earth there is none I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Let’s take a moment to look in our cup. We already said it is filled with faith, hope and love. The better question is are we drinking from God’s provision? Psalm 116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation (Yeshua), and call on the Name of Adonai. Yeshua makes this promise to the woman at the well… John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty. The water that I give him will become a fountain of water within him, springing up to eternal life!”
May we all overflow with the goodness of God. Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and shalom in trusting, so you may overflow with hope in the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Mon 27-Jan-2025 27th of Tevet, 5785
Ex 10:12-23 1 Ki 8 Ps 107 Lk 20:27-47 (Eph 6)