“On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine — the best of meats and the finest of wines”. Isaiah 25:6
If you’re anything like me, you enjoy a good party! My kids often talk about what it would be like to have Christmas every-day! Surprisingly though it’s not for the presents. They love the whole celebration. The family gathering, the atmosphere and perhaps most importantly for them the food!
The Bible talks a lot about feasting, and Jewish traditions were built around seven feasts that they celebrated throughout the course of a year. These feasts were reminders of their history and the journey the Lord had them on. They celebrated the Lord’s hand on their lives, as they remembered their deliverance from slavery, and the Lord’s provision and protection on them as his chosen people. The festivals also served to point towards their ultimate destination of freedom from oppression and the promise of a saviour who, would be their final deliverance into all that the Lord had promised.
When we look at today’s verse, we see the picture that the Lord had given to the prophet Isaiah. We first heard of the mountain of the Lord in chapter 2, where Isaiah son of Amoz saw a vision that “the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it” (2:2). Now we see a new vision is being introduced —that of a great banquet hosted by the Lord. First, He will rid the world of evil and then He will host a great banquet. He will invite not only Israel, but “all peoples.” That is why we have hope today and can come to the Lord with confidence and assurance of his love for us and his hand on our lives. We are part of the ‘all peoples.”
We have been on the Lord’s heart since the foundation of the world and throughout history He has been working behind the scenes to ensure that we can receive the fullness of his blessing and goodness. The children of Israel were the people chosen to bring the Messiah. The Messiah came and introduced the world to a new feast. To feast on his broken body and to drink his blood. It was through this feast that we can now enter into this new life of celebration.
God’s love is one of extravagance and inclusion, this incredible picture of a feast for all. We freely receive it though it came at a great price. And what does the feast consist of…the finest and the best. He loves to lavish his love and goodness on all who are willing to come to him and receive. Today he is inviting us to feast with him and think about the incredible future that he has in store for us. This begins here on earth and carries into eternity. Notice that he is the one who prepares it (verse 6). It struck me that many of us are striving to prepare our own days of success and are busying ourselves with preparations that we are not required to make.
He has prepared it all for us. He has supplied all the provision we need. He is gathering His people. Our role is to trust Him, listen out for his invitation and to respond to his call on our lives.
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Who Do You Say I Am Series – Exchange Church Belfast 2020