What Are You Eating?
On this mountain 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. And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation."
Isaiah describes a wonderful feast God is making for the people of God: rich food, good wine, everything of the best. It's the same thing Jesus describes in so many of His parables—a wedding banquet hosted by a king for many guests. Of course, the king represents God, and the guests are everyone who trusts in Him. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be there, says Jesus (Matthew 8:11b). And in Revelation God says, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9b). This is a wonderful picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns, and we are with Him forever.
But if you read the text again, you can see that God is having something different for dinner. It says, "And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever" (Isaiah 25:7-8). What is this? It sounds like some sort of shroud, some deathly grave covering—not something anybody would want to swallow! But God is going to do it. He is going to get rid of it forever—where? On the mountain, on the hill, we call Golgotha.
It was on the cross that Jesus willingly "ate death" for all mankind—so that we could eat at the table of God in His kingdom. He took death and sin into Himself, so intimately that they could not escape Him; and then He died and took them out of the world. Then Jesus rose from the dead, leaving them behind, breaking their power.
Now all of us will "eat life" at the table of God—both now, at Communion, and later, at the wonderful feast in God's kingdom. Jesus gives us this life. He tells us, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh" (John 6:51).
Lord, thank You for swallowing up death for us. Amen.
Dr. Kari Vo
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the food you like the most? The least?Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
2. Have you ever eaten something just to get rid of it? What was that like?
3. What are you looking forward to in God's kingdom?
Isaiah describes a wonderful feast God is making for the people of God: rich food, good wine, everything of the best.
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