Untitled Sermon

Date: Sunday, November 4, 2018

Title: Come To The Feast

Scripture:

Loving (Introduction)

TALK ABOUT MICHIGAN TRIP AND FAMILY DINNER AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT

1. I think there is something special about feasts and people gathered around a table.

2. The Bible talks a lot about meals, feasts, and the importance of gathering at tables – and not just any tables, but God’s table.

READ

6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. 7And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. 8Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

9It will be said on that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Learning

Mealtime is more than food. Breakfast initiates the day, midday lunch replenishes the body, and dinner draws the day to a conclusion. We have breakfast foods, working lunches, and dinner parties. When breakfast and lunch are combined, especially on the weekend, we call it brunch. In certain regions, dinner is assumed to be a family affair; thus, on Sunday, dinner often is moved to midday so as to accommodate family and friends.

Mealtime as an event is more visible during celebrations. For example, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter dinners all echo the praise of the prophet, “O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure” (v. 1). Furthermore, meals often are integral parts of milestones such as weddings and funerals, which involve life’s larger story, changing life’s direction and meaning not only for those most intimately involved but also for the wider community. Thus mealtime, whatever the name, is more than food.

Throughout Scripture, the table repeatedly serves as a metaphor for God’s activity. From those invited to sit at the table, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies” (), to the food served, a loaf of bread and a cup of wine (), the table is often an eschatological symbol speaking of God’s promise.

For Isaiah, God is sustaining God’s people with more than a meal of “rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear” (v. 6b). The story that surrounds this mountaintop meal is a tale of two cities. One city, a foreign and fortified town, now lies in ruins. The other city is a refuge for the needy, a shelter from the storm, and a shade from the heat (v. 4). The first city is unnamed within this text; the second city is Jerusalem. As one city is destroyed and the other blessed, one might assume this meal is a victory meal prepared for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Though the table is set on God’s holy mountain, Isaiah’s proclamation is for all people, and God’s actions of destruction and blessing serve to place everyone at the same table. “He will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations” (v. 7).

Thus the table is set for friend and foreigner, strong and weak, wealthy and needy. Together they are reconciled and share in a common meal, and in keeping with Isaiah’s larger theme, the meal gives occasion to share the promise of God’s salvation. “He will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth” (vv. 7–8). Amid the memory of death, ruin, and disgrace, and during a banquet that speaks of God’s activity and purpose, Isaiah proclaims that God is a God of life and not of death—a God who ends war, slavery, and exile, not by political power or military might, but by upholding past promises.

The implications for this occasion are applicable to more than just those persons gathered for the meal. Some say Isaiah’s proclamation is apocalyptic, concluding humanity’s story with the dawning of God’s reign, while others believe Isaiah emphasizes God’s intention for life in the ongoing story of humanity. The concluding verse indicates a community that remembers the past, accepts the message of the meal, and immediately responds with thanksgiving and praise. The community of the text sees God’s promises revealed before them and God’s faithfulness transforming their present and future.

As the banquet table of Zion extends from the past through the present and into a promised future, so too a wedding feast and a funeral wake remember and celebrate a continuing story that begins in the past, gives occasion for remembrance and celebration, and then points to the future with hope. A wedding feast celebrates the love of a couple, their marriage covenant, and the continued support of their friends and family. A funeral wake celebrates the life of the deceased, their hope-filled salvation, and a continued legacy carried forth by friends and family. Both meals are occasions to celebrate the past, acknowledge the present, and then speak to the future. In both cases, the past is being transformed into something new.

It is common for people to make immediate promises to themselves after leaving a wedding feast, funeral meal, or holiday dinner: “I would marry you all over again”. “I’m going to invest more in others”. “I’ll come home more often”. “I need to pay more attention to my marriage”. “I’m not going to take life for granted”. “We should get together more often”. “I’m going to value my friendships more.” The refrains are common because the occasions for the meals remind us of the past, bring to light a reason to celebrate the moment, and give us a transforming hope for the future.

Today’s passage ends with a simple affirmation of trust and salvation: “This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (v. 9b). The people waited for God, trusting in God’s faithfulness, and God acted, providing salvation for all people. As the hymn so aptly states, “All I have needed thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

Leading (Application)