series: Romans
title: 17 Reconciliation & Salvation
date: May 19, 2019
teacher: Jacob Bender
scripture: Romans 5:10-11
Psalm 23 is a what is considered to be a Psalm of thanksgiving… and most people find this line to be out of place with the other parts… such as “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want… though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me and comfort me…” Then he says “you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies… and my cup overflows.” - in other words… you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies… AND THATS AWESOME. I AM SUPER STOKED ON THAT. I am REJOICING IN THE FACT… I AM BOASTING IN THE FACT that a table has been prepared for me in the presence of my enemies.
and the reason is INCREDIBLE.
The Hebrew word that David uses there for table is the word “shulchan” -
it is used to describe A KING’S TABLE… something grand… something important…
and from that word we get a word that is still to this day used and sometimes even practiced in Arabic culture, and that word is “sulha” which means: “A MEAL BETWEEN ENEMIES WITH THE PURPOSE OF RECONCILIATION.”
it was a last-ditch-effort before a feud between two parties got so out of hand that it is likely they would never go back.
and what would happen was, they would set the table for their enemy, and they would share a meal together… and both parties would enter this meal with the understanding that WE WILL NOT LEAVE THIS TABLE UNTIL WE HAVE COME TO WHATEVER TERMS NEED TO BE COME TO FOR THERE TO BE RECONCILIATION.
if you have no gauge on what is important, then you have no way to measure whether or not you are on the right track. That is what Core Values do… they keep us disciplined… they keep us on mission… they give us something the bounce whatever it is we are doing, off of, and see… IS THIS FURTHERING THE MISSION?
Romans 3:1-20