Show-off

This is the part of the blog post where I would normally tell an anecdote about me and my cats and compare it to my relationship with God, and where I would include adorable cat photos to back myself up, but I think I'll skip that part this time. I'm just going to launch into talking about Somebody who is infinitely cooler than I could ever hope to be.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies..." (Psalm 23:5a)

Lately while I've been opening my Bible (or my computer or my phone app) to Isaiah chapter 1 and wondering if I can read any further in my waaaaay-behind Bible reading schedule, God has been leading me to Psalms 23, 22, and 2. What has stuck out to me this week especially is 23:5. God prepares a table before me... in the presence of my enemies? My enemies are the devil and his fallen angels. Why the heck would I want to eat a meal in front of them? Gross.

I think it's because God is a Show-off, in the purest sense of the word. No, of course God isn't arrogant or annoying or prideful. He hates all that stuff. But if anyone in the entire universe deserves to show off, it's definitely God.

I don't think it's an accident that Psalm 23 happens to be right next to Psalm 22.

"But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:3)

This verse is quoted a lot, especially when people talk about praise/worship music. But its original context in Psalm 22 isn't a pleasant one at all. It's a psalm of David that prophesies how Jesus would die; for example, verse 16 says, "They pierced My hands and My feet," and verse 18 says, "for My clothing they cast lots." Psalm 22 talks about agonizing pain. After about 20 verses of excruciating torture, the psalmist switches gears in verse 21: "You have answered Me." Then he spends the rest of the psalm talking about how God will be praised and worshiped -- how He is going to get the glory for helping him through his agony.

I think verse 3 kinda sticks out like a sore thumb (or maybe like a healthy thumb in a sea of soreness). Right in the middle of the agony, God is going to get the glory. So, Jesus is hanging on the cross, experiencing agonizing pain that no other created being on earth could ever possibly suffer, and God is enthroned on the praises of His people?

Rewind back to Psalm 2, and I think it all kinda ties together.

"I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.' " (Psalm 2:7)

Psalm 2 is a terrifying psalm, I think, because it starts out with humanity rebelling against authority and basically saying, "Pffffft. We don't need to follow Jesus." Then God laughs -- not a cutsie little schoolgirl giggle, but a Most-Powerful-Being-In-The-Universe-Who-Killed-People-In-The-Bible laugh. Then He shows everybody who's boss. He basically says, "Nuh-uh. I'm the One who made Jesus King. You had better kiss Him or else."

Yes, Lord. No problem.

Now back to the idea of God being a Show-off. (The Best kind.)

Years ago, I heard the saying, "A coincidence is when God chooses to be anonymous." I'm sorry, but I think that's a load of crap. I don't see anything in the Bible where God was trying to do a good deed and then cover it up by choosing to be anonymous. I think the closest scenarios would be incidents where Jesus' life needed to be protected before He went to the cross, such as where He would perform a miracle and instruct the person to not tell anybody about the miracle (e.g., Mark 1:44). But even in those cases, God certainly wasn't anonymous. The people involved knew who Jesus was, and there was no question who He was or what He could do. Pffffft. Coincidence, shmoincidence. God wants to take the credit for what He's done. God wants to be KNOWN.

You think Jesus went to all the trouble of being born on this earth as a Man, living 100% sinless, and then being tortured and crucified in broad daylight just so He could remain anonymous? No way.

I've recently read/heard preachers talk about how God's glory was meant to be seen -- how He certainly does NOT want to be anonymous. Exodus 33:11 says that Moses spoke to God face to face as a man speaks to his friend. In verse 18, Moses asked God to show him His glory. (God was like, "I'd love to, but if I did, you'd get burned to a crisp, and I kinda need you alive so that you can finish My work for you here on earth; but what I can do is let you see My back while I pass by... because I'm the Lion of Judah. We Felines are totally cool with you seeing Our backsides.") In Exodus 34, Moses accidentally freaked out the people of Israel because his face was so shiny from talking to God. He had been with God, and he couldn't help being radiant because of it.

"All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom." (Psalm 145:10-12)

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

So, in Psalm 23:5 when God says that He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies... after I've been made to lie down in green pastures... after I've been led in paths of righteousness for God's name's sake... after I've walked through the valley of the shadow of death...

God sits me down smack-dab in the presence of my enemies who tortured me in the first place. Perhaps with many words, perhaps with few words, or perhaps with no words, He sits me down at a banquet -- right where all my enemies can see me -- and says, "See? She's still here. I did that. You thought you could take her out, but you didn't. I rescued her. I kept her alive. I won. You lost. And now she's going to eat food that you're never going to be able to eat. Your turn to be tortured, losers. See My feet? That's where you need to bow. 'Cause I'm in charge, and I always win. I'm the King."

Oh, yeah. God's totally a Show-off, and He's the only kind of Show-off that you'll ever want to be around. In fact, I don't ever want to stop following Him around. I'm hooked. I'm hopelessly hooked.