AP

1 Chronicles 16:1-3  They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God.  After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.  Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each Israelite man and woman.

This whole chapter tells us about the all-encompassing praise, rejoicing and thanksgiving that accompanied the re-establishing of the Ark of the Covenant as the centre and focus of worship practised by God’s Chosen People in the pre-Temple tent (Tabernacle) in Jerusalem.  It is interesting that as well as the enthusiastic singing and playing of music to celebrate this momentous occasion, and even before those things are mentioned, we are told of the part that food, fellowship and hospitality played in the whole proceedings!

It is not surprising, therefore, to find the same thing happening when Jesus came among us, into our world.  He is the One to whom the Ark of the Covenant, with its ‘Mercy Seat’ cover, pointed.  Jesus performed his first recorded miracle/sign of turning water into wine at a wedding celebration, and the risen-ascended Lord Jesus talked about the future time when he would come back again and call all those who belong to him to share and rejoice in the great ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb’. (Revelation 19:7)

The regular ‘Lord’s Supper’ we celebrate features bread and wine in the context of a fellowship meal.  Jesus himself was accused by the religious heirarchy for eating and drinking with ‘sinners’.  So it seems that table fellowship and hospitality ought to play a significant part in our efforts to share the Good News of Jesus with a lost world.  (I shake a bit as I type this because my late wife was an excellent exponent and provider of this form of evangelism and thereby kept my ministry alive, but she had to spend 60 years of her life bound by a marriage covenant to a Number One introverted party-pooper!).  Nevertheless (and perhaps because I recognise my failings) I do love sometimes singing Robert Stamp’s take on this when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the Church to which I belong:

“O, welcome all ye noble saints of old, as now before your very eyes unfold the wonders all so long ago foretold, 

God and man at table are sat down, God and man at table are sat down.  Elders, martyrs, all are falling down, prophets, patriarchs are gathering ‘round; 

what angels longed to see now man has found, God and man at table are sat down, God and man at table are sat down.  

Who is this who spreads the victory feast?  Who is this who makes our warring cease?  Jesus, risen Saviour, Prince of Peace, 

God and man at table are sat down, God and man at table are sat down.  

Beggars, lame, and harlots also here; repentant publicans are drawing near; wayward sons come home without a fear, 

God and man at table are sat down, God and man at table are sat down.  

When at last this earth shall pass away, when Jesus and his Bride are one to stay, the feast of love is just begun that day, 

God and man at table are sat down, God and man at table are sat down.”

– Bruce Christian