Let us turn then to the Psalm
that we've just read, Psalm 23. I suppose it's the most familiar
part of Holy Scripture, certainly the most familiar of all the
Psalms. And I want to direct you tonight
to words that we find here at the end of verse 5 Psalm 23 verse
5 and those four words my cup runneth over my cup runneth over
then is the theme that I want to attempt with God's help to
address and I trust there might be some profit and some encouragement
in these words for us tonight. So Richard Baker in his commentary
on the Psalms, observes that there is a reference to Christ
here. He says that all is verified
in him. It's a Psalm of David, we know
that. We're told that in the title. But David, of course,
himself is a type of the Lord Jesus. Christ comes of that seed of
David. made of the seed of David, we're
told, according to the flesh. And David's name, as the Beloved,
clearly directs us to Christ, of whom the Father says, This
is my Beloved Son, hear ye Him. And so might we hear something
of the Lord Jesus Christ as we come to this particular part
of Holy Scripture. We have the person of Christ
at the very beginning when David says, the Lord is my shepherd. Jehovah is his name and we see
the great Jehovah, the great I am in the person. of Jesus of Nazareth. Does he
not make those declarations throughout John's Gospel, those I am statements,
and amongst them he says, I am the good shepherd, the good shepherd
give us his life for the sheep. And so clearly David is speaking
of Jehovah Jesus in the way in which he opens the psalm, but
also David's experience, the experience that David is describing
with regards to himself directs us to the Lord Jesus and we can
discern something of Christ's experience in all that he said
throughout the psalm and here in the words that I've announced
for our text, my cup runneth over and previous to that when
we look at the context David says, Thou anointest my head
with oil. It is the Lord Jesus Christ,
remember, who is the head of the body, the church, and Christ
is that one who has been anointed as the Messiah, as the mediator
of the covenant for all of his people. And we're reminded of
the importance of those anointings in the Old Testament. In Psalm
133 we read of the priesthood. There in Psalm 133 verse 2, We have mentioned the precious
ointment upon the head that ran down the beard, even Aaron's
beard that went to the skirts of his garments. It was what
God had commanded there in Exodus when worship was established
after the giving of the Ten Commandments, Moses receiving all those instructions
and directions with regards to the tabernacle and tabernacle
worship and the Aaronic priesthood. Exodus 30 verse 30, Thou shalt
anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them that they may
minister unto me in the priest's office. Oh the Lord Jesus is
that one of course who is the fulfillment of the Aaronic priesthood
he is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek but
then also we have to remember that all those who are in the
Lord Jesus Christ are also anointed there is what John speaks of
there in the in the first general epistle in chapter 2 at verses
20 and 27 he speaks of the unction the anointing that you have and
you know all things Oh, the Lord Jesus, then, is here when we
take account of the context. He is the Anointed One. Thou
anointest my head with oil. And there, at the end of John
3, John's Gospel, chapter 3 and verse 34, God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him. glorious effusion of the Spirit
came upon the Lord Jesus. And it's interesting what we're
told here in the margin of this fifth verse, thou anointest.
The Hebrew is literally, thou makest fat my head with oil. Oh, what an unction. came upon
the Lord Jesus Christ as he begins his public ministry. It's there,
of course, when he comes forth, as it were, into the public place,
when he goes to John, his forerunner at Jordan, submits to baptism. The baptism of repentance identifies,
as it were, with those who stand in need of repentance. And as
he comes up out of the waters of baptism and the heavens open,
and the father speaks this is my beloved son in whom I am well
pleased and the spirit descends upon him it says in the form
of a dove and so he's anointed at the beginning of his ministry
but then here in the words that I really want to concentrate
on tonight the end of verse 5 where we have mentioned of the cup
it speaks of the end the end of that ministry my cup runneth
over so in the first place let's consider something with regards
to Christ's cup and what was that cup? it was a bitter cup
it was a bitter cup of death that you must drink to the very
dregs and in Matthew the end of Matthew when James and John
asked that they might have the chief place in his kingdom one
on the right hand and one on the other remember how the Lord
responds when he speaks to them as those who must taste of his
cup if they would know such a blessed privilege as that they must taste
of that bitter cup that he had to drink. And what a cup it was
because when the Lord is contemplating his sufferings there in the Garden
of Gethsemane and we have the record of course in the three
synoptic Gospels of all the agonies of his soul as he wrestles with
God in prayer and three times he makes the same request, if
it be possible. if it be possible he says let
this cup pass from me and again if it be possible let this cup
pass from me and again if it be possible let this cup pass
from me but always submissive to the will of God nevertheless
he says not my will but thine be done and so he submits to
that and he drinks the cup and he drinks it to the bitter end. He partakes of all the wormwood
and the gall. He endures all that wrath of
God that was visited upon his holy soul as the one who is the
great substitute for his people. So determined. What does he say
to Peter there in John 18.11? Put up thy sword into the sheath,
the cup which my father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
It is a bitter cup that the Lord must drink, and it is an overflowing
cup, as he says here. My cup runneth over all what
agonies he experienced in his soul. And remember how he speaks
of the extremity of these things in another psalm, in Psalm 69,
which is a psalm of David, a Messianic psalm, Save me, O God, for the
waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire where there
is no standing. I am come into deep waters where
the floods overflow me. Oh, there's an overflowing when
he endures all that his people must have endured to a never-ending
eternity. In those hours that he hangs
there upon the cross, pouring out his soul onto death. It was truly a bitter cup. It was a cruel death that he
died, and a cursed death. It was the death of the cross,
and curses everyone that hangeth on a truth. But then, at the
same time, This is the mystery, is it not, of God and the ways
of God. At the same time, it was a blessed cup. It was a blessed
cup of satisfaction. And isn't that really the context
that we have here at the end of the psalm? David says, as
the mouthpiece of Christ, Thou preparest a table before me in
the presence of mine enemies, Thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever." Oh, the cross was the way to His glorious exaltation.
He must rise again on the third day. He must enter into heaven
and ascended there to heaven He ever abides interceding for
His people. When He was upon the cross and
cried out those words, I thirst, all that they offered Him was
vinegar. But now, all but now He has plenty. He's promised there in Isaiah
53 that He shall see of the travail of His soul. and shall be satisfied."
Well, it's in that sense surely that his cup is now running over. He can say, Behold I and the
children which God hath given me. He has come and he has satisfied
divine justice. He has borne that penalty that
was due to his people. He has redeemed them from all
the wrath of the Holy Lord of God. And again then, in Isaiah
53, when they shall make his soul an offering for sin, he
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord
prospers in his hands. Oh, the Lord Jesus Christ, you
see, has accomplished a glorious salvation. All that's Christ
suffered for, everyone that he laid down his life for, must
and shall be saved. What has he accomplished? He
has accomplished salvation. He's not just made salvation
a mere possibility or a probability. No, it is a definite atonement. He has made atonement by the
sacrifice of himself it is as we would say a particular redemption
all that the father giveth me shall come to me and neither
cometh to me I shall in no wise cast out how the will of the
father and of the son acquiesces all that the father has given
him or they'll come to Him. They'll be made willing in the
day of His power. And He will in no wise cast them out. Oh, this is that great salvation
then that has been prepared. Thou preparest a table before
me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over. In the first place, We have to
recognize it is speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ and His experience. But it's also the experience
of David. And in that it's the experience
of David, do we not see that it's the experience of the children
of God? Every believer can say, my cup
runneth over. If we're true believers tonight,
that must be true of each and all of us. Our cup is overrunning
really. He that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely
give us all things? In the Lord Jesus Christ we have
all the fullness of salvation. In the Lord Jesus Christ we have
all that God is for us. All the divine attributes, they
all harmonize in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, as we see in another Psalm, Psalm 85, 10, mercy and truth
are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Where is it that we see this? This wonderful harmony of all
God's attributes, His holiness, His righteousness, His justice,
His mercy, His love, His kindness, His compassion, all of them coming
together in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, in Christ God
is just and He is the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. And remember what John can say
there at the end of that opening chapter of his first general
epistle. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves. and the truth is not in us if
we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness if we say that we have not sinned
we make him alive and his word is not in us or we are to come even as sinners
and acknowledge our many sins and our grievous failings and
shortcomings Our wanton ways were to confess it all to God.
And what does John say? He doesn't say God is merciful
and gracious to forgive us our sins. He is that. No, he says
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Oh, we see that
faithfulness and we see that justice in all that the Lord
Jesus Christ endured. All is on the side of the sinner
who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is truly a great salvation,
an accomplished salvation that we have. One thinks of the language
of Top Lady's hymn, my discharge procured, and freely in my room
endured the whole of wrath divine, payment God cannot twice demand,
first at my bleeding surety's hand, and then again at mine. Oh, there's a forgiveness of
sins, past, present, future, forever. Oh, the sinner's cup then is
an overflowing cup in the Lord Jesus Christ. What is it? It's
all the fullness of salvation. It's all the fullness of salvation. The cup of blessing which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? That's
the cup that we drink. the communion, the fellowship
of the blood of Christ. What a privilege it is for the
child of God then to come and in obedience to the Lord's command
observe that holy ordinance of His supper. And the Lord says
there, this cup is the New Testament in my name. The very cup that
we drink It is the communion of the blood
of Christ. It's a reminder of what that sacrifice, the shedding
of that precious blood has obtained for us. The New Testament, of
course, is the new covenant. It's the covenant of grace. This
cup is the new covenant in my name. And David knew it. All David knew that when he comes
to the end of his days. Remember his prayer there in 2 Samuel
23 concerning God and what God had provided thou has made an
everlasting covenant with me he says. Oh it's an everlasting
covenant ordered in all things and sure referred to in Isaiah
55 as the sure mercies Assure mercies of David. Oh, no wonder David can say in
another psalm, Thou hast brought me or brought my feet into a
large place. What a large place it is that
the believer occupies and comes into the possession of in the
Lord Jesus Christ and all that Christ is in His person, all
that Christ has done in that great work of redemption. This is what's being spoken of
here. My cup runneth over. How awful it is then, when we call that into question,
when we're full of doubts and fears. Omnilief is such an awful
sin. Now we need that God would pardon
that sin, that sin which does so easily beset us. and we feel
it, we want to believe, we can't believe, only the Lord can grant
us that true faith. Oh Lord increase my feeble faith
and give my straight and bosom room to credit what thy promise
saith and wait till thy salvation come says dear John Berry. To give our straight and bosom
room to enlarge our hearts that we might receive all this blessed
fullness of salvation. Again, think of the language
of the 116th Psalm, I will take the cup of salvation and call
upon the name of the Lord. And that's what we must do as
we come to the Lord in our prayer, surely, to take that cup, that
overflowing cup of salvation. all that fullness of grace that
is in the Lord Jesus Christ and call upon the name of the Lord
and then we can come and we can come with such confidence in
our hearts all the Christians come then here we see the fullness
of the salvation that is found in the person of another even
the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth but then also Does it
not remind us of what it means to have fellowship with Christ?
Because there's also this aspect to the believer's experience.
There's a fellowship of the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. As
I said just now, the Lord's speaking to those two apostles who wanted
to have that favorite position in his kingdom. And he asks them,
are you able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of? We
have to drink of that cup. we have to drink of that cup,
his cup what does he say again? whoso
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and
I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed
and my blood is drink indeed now it's not some cannibalism
that's been spoken of there literally eating his flesh and drinking
his blood it's surely to be understood in a spiritual sense. It's to come to that blessed
feast of the Gospel that is laid before us here in the Word of
God. Thou preparest a table before
me, it says at the beginning of the verse. There's a table
prepared. There's a salvation prepared. There's a cup that's
filled and filled to overflowing. and it's all provided for the
sinner. Remember that account that we
have in the book of Ruth in the second chapter when Boaz makes
himself known to Ruth how he speaks so graciously to her he'd
heard of her and her faithfulness to Naomi when they'd returned
from the land of Moab and come again to Bethlehem there she
is gleaning in his fields but he invites her having heard so
much of her he invites her to come and sit with the reapers
and partake of that provision that is theirs in fact Boaz himself
is there and we read we read in Ruth 2.14 how Boaz reached
a parched corn and she did eat and was sufficed. And it's a
wonderful picture of the gospel, isn't it, that we have throughout
that book of Ruth. Boaz, another type of the Lord
Jesus. Of course, David is descended
from Boaz. But he satisfies her. And how
does he satisfy her? He reaches her parched corn,
it says, and she did eat, and was sufficed. It was the time of the barley
harvest when she's there gleaning. Now, what are we to understand
by the parched corn? Well, if we go back to Leviticus, that Old Testament book that's
full of gospel, we learn a precious truth there, in Leviticus chapter
2 verse 14 if thou offer a meat offering, that means not a bloody
sacrifice, not an animal, but a meal, an offering made of meal,
if thou offer a meat offering of thy first fruits unto the
Lord, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy first fruits
green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of
full ears, and they shall put oil upon it, and lay frankincense
thereon. It is a meat offering, and the
priests shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn
thereof, and part of the ore thereof, with all the frankincense
thereof. It is an offering made by fire
unto the Lord. So it's beaten ears of corn dried by the fire,
it says. It's the very thing that we really
see in what is happening in Ruth. He gave her parched corn and she did eat and she was sufficed. Is it not a representation to
us of what it means to come and to be a partaker of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Who is the Lord Jesus Christ?
Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, he refers to himself in
his sacrifice as the Green Tree. In Luke 23.31, as he comes to
his end, the bloody death of the cross, he says if they do
these things in a green tree, what will they do in the dry?
He is the green tree. What does that mean, the green
tree? It suggests to us His innocence. He is that One who is pure, holy,
harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. And yet the Lord
Jesus Christ was to be scorched, and scorched by the wrath of
God when He made that great sin-atoning sacrifice. And we read of it
here in the previous psalm, Psalm 22. He says at verse 14, I am poured
out like water, all my bones are out of joint, my heart is
like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels, my strength
is dried up like a putrid, and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws,
and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. Oh, the Lord
Jesus is that one who was truly scorched by the wrath of God,
pasch cord. And this is what the believer
is so privileged to be a partaker of, but what does it mean to
partake of these things? It means that we have to enter
in some measure into his sufferings. That was Paul's great desire,
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings, he says, being made conformable unto his death. That's That's what Paul desires,
that's what believers are called to. He tells those same Philippians
that they had been granted not only the gift of faith, but they
would know something of the trying of that faith. There at the end
of the first chapter of that epistle, Philippians 1.29, unto
you it is given, he says, in the behalf of Christ, not only
to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. All the saints of God know something
of that. Saints who feel a load of sin,
yet come off victorious, suffer martyrdom within, though it seem
less glorious than the martyr's crown. But no mistake, the believer
will know something of that fellowship of the sufferings of the Lord
Jesus Christ, the crucified, of self, Again, Paul says to
the Galatians, I am crucified with Christ. Never yet I live,
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved
me and gave himself for me. We must know something then of
what it is to suffer inward sufferings, the mortifying of our sins, the
putting to death the deeds of the body. there is the fellowship
of his sufferings and how it makes us more appreciative of
all the fullness of the salvation that we find in him it's all
in the Lord Jesus Christ being brought to the end of our souls oh it's a strange cup that the
believer has to drink We have to drink in some measure
of that cup that Christ himself drank of, to know the fellowship
of his sufferings. Though our cup seems filled with
gore, there's something secret sweetens all, says dear Joseph
Hart. How true are the words. How true
are the words. Oh the cup, the cup of salvation.
the Lord grant that we might know what it is to drink draughts
of that blessed cup, that overflowing cup. May the Lord be pleased
to bless these four words to us tonight. We might say truly
in our own souls experiences my cup runneth over. May the Lord bless his word. Now, seeing that hymn, I just
quoted a little couplet from 307. In 307 to the tune Aslingdon,
544. And must it, Lord, be so? And must thy children bear such
various kinds of woe, such soul-perplexing fear? Are these the blessings
we expect? Is this the lot of God's elect?
307. you.