There are more books in the world than you and I can possibly get through in a lifetime. (Don’t despair; that’s one reason that eternal life in the world to come is good news!). So, why should you take such precious, limited reading time from the stacks of books on your nightstand and spend it on my book? Here are four reasons that A Table in the Presence of My Enemies is worthy of your consideration.
1. It vindicates rabbinic and patristic biblical interpretation.
In spite of the title, I didn’t set out to write a book about Psalm 23:5. (In many ways the subtitle, “Banqueting and Battling in Ancient Israel” remains a better description of the contents of the book as a whole). Originally, I simply invoked this text as further evidence for the “pre-battle banquet motif” that I had discovered. However, I soon realized that many modern interpreters were quite perplexed by this verse. “Why would God prepare a banquet for us right when our enemies are about to attack?” Others found a distasteful, gloating tone here: “God has prepared a nice meal for me, and you losers don’t get any!” Older perspectives that connected the table with the Eucharist, or, in a Jewish context, Passover, were simply passed over as irrelevant and quaint. I have shown that the rabbis and the Church Fathers were actually reading this verse in harmony with its original sense of covenant renewal that brings spiritual victory.
2. It will help you better understand a number of biblical passages that you may have puzzled over.
Psalm 23:5 will make more sense to you after you read this book. That’s not the only biblical text that you will read differently. This is a wide-ranging study that deals with numerous texts in both the Old and New Testament.
3. It will expose you to stories from the Ancient Near East that you have never heard before.
I’m supposing that unless you geek out about the Ancient Near East like I do, you probably haven’t ever heard the “Tale of Aqhat.” That’s just one of a handful of old stories that I discuss in this book. They’re wild and raucous, and the authors of our Bible knew them really well.
4. It will help you better appreciate the gift of the Eucharist that God has given to His Church.
This is not really a devotional book, but I can’t help but draw spiritual connections between the literary motif of sacrificial covenant meals that prepare soldiers for battle and the Eucharist. I dedicate a significant portion of the book to the Messianic Banquet that developed from these older motifs, and the Last Supper and the Eucharist that was given to us there are the ultimate realization of that Banquet. My prayer is that readers will better realize how receiving Communion strengthens them to resist their spiritual enemies.
Come See Me at the Inklings Festival!
I’ll be signing books at the Eighth Day Institute’s 2025 Inklings Festival. Come by, get a copy, have a chat with me, and let me sign your book!
