Covenant Meals

So often we brothers and sisters let their relationship with the Lord become feudal. He is the liege lord and they do as He says. While obedience is a virtue, I want to point out that Christ died and rose from dead to be with us. Immanuel literally means “God with us,” and this is His desire, to be with us now in Spirit and oneday in the flesh!  

There are two major events in Scripture, both of which center around God having a meal with His people. The first is during the Exodus when Moses and the Elders eat with God, “Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

So Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. Under His feet was a work like a pavement made of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:6-11). Notice Moses sprinkled them with the blood of the sacrifice and they coukd eat with God, just as now we all may eat with God by the speinkled Blood of Jesus, which bring up the second major meal with God, “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’  He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.” They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.  For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:7-20). Notice that Jesus is celebrating the Passover commerating the Exodus, and at both meals is a covenant ratified. In the Exodus the Old Covenant was sealed by blood of bulls and a meal, the New Covenant is sealed by God-Man’s Blood and a meal. Today in the Middle East covenants are sealed by meal, and they always say about “peace deals,” that no one is eating together. 

We live under the better covenant, “But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises,” (Hebrews 8:6) and the Old Covenant is fufilled and obsolete, “By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13). The importance of a meal to God is not to be understated, for He sealed his covenant with a meal. In the same way we await another meal at His Return, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, “And I heard a sound like the roar of a great multitude, like the rushing of many waters, and like a mighty rumbling of thunder, crying out:

“Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. She was given clothing of fine linen, bright and pure.” For the fine linen she wears is the righteous acts of the saints. Then the angel told me to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”” (Revelation 19:6-9). 

Our Lord and God likes to eat. His intimacy with us calls us to eat a meal with Him! Sadly so many people think He is distant, when He came in flesh to be near to us and save us so that we may be with Him forevermore! Christ is an intimate God, He wants yo share a meal with us. I love Moravian food blessing, “come Lord Jesus our guest to be, and bless these gifts bestowed by thee.” Why not invite our Great God to every meal we eat? After all He lived in us and we live in Him, “All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God” (1 John 4:15). Amen.