THE KING’S TABLE

Isa.25:6 – Now the LORD of armies will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain; a banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow and refined, aged wine.

So today we continue our gospel feast, a banquet that has no comparisons in this life. I remember one of our first Christmas’s together Parris and I stayed at our tree planting campsite near Coos Bay, Oregon for the Christmas break. I say near but it was actually a two hour trek to town through logging roads in the coastal mountains of Oregon. Parris and I splurged that Christmas and went to our favorite spot in Coos Bay called the King’s Table. We felt so blessed eating all we could eat at their buffet; it was a great improvement over our daily staples of oatmeal, peanut butter sandwiches, and assorted types of weird casseroles. We really felt like we were sitting at the King’s Table. The beauty of that Christmas was the simplicity of it. There was no Christmas carolers or trips to the mall though we were living in a literal forest of Christmas trees. The presents were very few but we were also enjoying our true Christmas feast at the King of King’s table. He had called us into His service, He had loved us from eternity, we were His and nothing else even mattered. Spurgeon often spoke of the Christmas feasts served in England at Christmas time. In today’s quote he speaks of one of the courses served at the table of the Lord, His eternal plan in choosing us from before time began.

“What transport lies in that thought! Long before the Lord began to create the world, he had thought of me. Long ere Adam fell or Christ was born, and the angels sung their first choral over Bethlehem’s miracle, the eye and the heart of God were towards his elect people. He never began to love them, they were always “a people near unto him.” Is it not so written, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee”? Some kick at the doctrine of election, but they are ill advised, since they labour to overturn one of the noblest dishes of the feast; they would dam up one of the coolest streams that flow from Lebanon; they would cover over with rubbish one of the richest veins of golden ore that make rich the people of God. For this doctrine of a love that hath no commencement, is the best wine of our Beloved, and “that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of them that are asleep to speak.” How joyously doth the heart exult and leap for very joy when this truth is brought home by the witness of the Spirit of God! then the soul is satisfied with favor, and full with the blessing of the Lord.”

So settle that in your heart, has He marked you from eternity? How would you know? Believe me, if you are His you would know it. How do you know? You know because you have tasted His love. So go ahead and enjoy this Christmas at the King’s banqueting table. You are His and that is all that really matters.