#rdtwot

Let’s continue looking at the Old Testament foreshadowing we began yesterday. Today, we turn to the Psalms and the Prophets.

Psalm 23

In verse 5 of this well-known Psalm, we read, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” These are the words of David and likely the foundation for his table-fellowship with, say, Mephibosheth. David had experienced the shepherding love of the Lord. It met his every need. It afforded him peace. It restored his soul. It led him into obedience. It created courage in the valleys. It led and disciplined him for his truest comfort. It filled his cup. It assured of divine goodness and mercy as his constant travel companions. It assured of eternal life.

And in verse 5, it promised victory over enemies. When a king triumphed in battle, it was customary then to set up a feast in the midst of his defeated foes. David says the Lord does this for him. The fulfillment of this comes to us in King Jesus, the Lord. He has fought and ultimately won all our battles. His enemies and our enemies are defeated foes. Sin, death, Satan, Hell, etc., all are subject to us in our Lord Jesus. How shall we celebrate this? By setting up His ordained table in the presence of our enemies. The Lord’s Supper has a little bit of smack talk in it! Like baptism, it preaches to our foes, ‘you’re defeated. For Christ has conquered! And by His grace, we, who were on the losing side, are now on the winning side. We’ve been redeemed. God is for us. He’s our Shepherd! And all His benefits are ours!’

Isaiah 25

We read this for our call to worship on Easter Sunday. I hope you noticed verse 6. Isaiah prophecies about the Day when the Lord will swallow up Death. It’s the Day of the Resurrection, when our risen Jesus will raise all and His own to that state of full glorification. What will take place on that Day, when we are forever brought back into face to face fellowship with God in Christ? “The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.” God’s going to put on a party! Let’s call it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev 19)! It’s a table-fellowship that will fulfill it’s foretaste… which we practice in the Lord’s Supper. This ‘meal,’ remember, not only points us back to what Christ has done but forward to what Christ will do. While we live in the balance, it nourishes our hearts on the food of future grace bought by His blood.

I hope this survey of the Old Testament’s shadows whet your appetite! Next time, we’ll go further into the New Testament’s teaching on the Lord’s Supper. Until then, continuing to aim only for fully-informed minds begetting fully rejoicing hearts as we, in spiritual unity and with holy accountability, come to remember the Lord’s death until He comes again. Devoted to the most Scriptural display of Christ’s glory in and through you,

TMC elders