Proverbs 9:2 [ESV] She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
When we are getting ready for our guests coming we take care don’t we. We clean the house, the guest bathroom gets a special overhaul, fresh towels, a candle, some scented oil. We prepare the food, something special that has been given love and care, and represents our care for our guests.
I remember as a young Christian inviting a husband and wife over for dinner, they had been a massive blessing to me in my early Christian journey, and this was a very small way of saying thank you. I made a home-made lasagne, my own bechamel and tomato sauces lovingly prepared. Then before they arrived it went into the oven so that it would be bubbling away and all I would have to do is flip on the grill and melt some cheeses over the top at the last minute.
Twenty mins before their expected arrival I went to check it – and all that had happened was that I had put on the oven light – not the oven. (I was new to this rental house) – despite a flurry of pressing buttons and pushing dials nothing would make this oven bring heat. So I carried it to a neighbour out the back door and down the street in the rain, and hardly able to talk for laughing at myself, hair plastered to my head by the rain carrying a cold lasagne covered by tin foil and a grocery bag, arriving at my friends door unexpectedly. I asked for their help – which they graciously did. I went home, my friends arrived, my neighbours slipped a perfect cheese topped lasagne in through my back door forty minutes later and I served it up and we ate and enjoyed, my visitors none the wiser to the dilemma of the night, although I think I shared it with them a few years later and they laughed with me. I had so wanted to make a good impression, to be prepared for them and it nearly all went horribly wrong.
KNOWLEDGE
Preparation is a key principle in life and in the Christian life. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 23:5 that “You [God] prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”. The Bible as a whole urges us to be prepared spiritually, mentally, and practically for the return of Jesus. That is one of its main messages to mankind, and well, to me. Having an ongoing close relationship with God, standing firm in the faith, preparing for the future and in 1 Peter 3:15 [ESV] “but in your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”.
UNDERSTANDING
Let’s pick one word from this verse to look closer at and see if that can help us gain a deeper insight into how God would love us to live?
The word used for “set” in Hebrew is pronounced as “arak”, and carries the meaning of – to arrange in rows; put in order; take up battle positions; to have formation.
In the LXX the word used is ητοιμάσατο [etoimasato] – meaning “prepared”. In the New Testament it is used as a literal and metaphorical understanding of being prepared – whether in Matt 41:21 the disciples are preparing fish and bread for a large crowd – or in Matthew 3:3 where John the Baptist is calling the crowd to “make ready their way”.
WISDOM
When you consider your life, what does your preparation look like, what are you prepared or preparing for right now?
STRENGTHS THOUGHT: Arranger is a beautiful Gallup Strength that is energised by challenging processes of change when the outcome outweighs the pain. Change for the sake of change is less appealing for sure.
Allan’s Unauthorised Version – She has slaughtered and butchered flocks of beasts; she has mixed substances into her wine; she has arranged all the places in order at her table.
She has slaughtered – she has slaughtered and butchered
her beasts – flocks of beasts
she has mixed – she has mixed substances
her wine – into her wine
she has also set – she has arranged all then places in order
her table – at her table
PRAYER: Father, thank you for today. Help me to lean in to your ways and for my life to be a life prepared for your service.
To chat to me as a professional coach/mentor – allan@theallankey.com
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