[0:00] Seeking the Lord's blessing and his guidance, let us look again at the person of scripture read.
[0:11] Prophecy of Isaiah chapter 25 and at verse 6. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
[0:52] And we shall seek to consider these words under two headings. First of all, the terrible famine which exists spiritually in the world.
[1:16] And secondly, the wondrous feast of our Lord's provision and the location, the magnificent location in which it is set.
[1:34] Firstly, the famine. It is the custom among the great of this world to entertain their own equals at lavish banquets and go on to be entertained in turn.
[2:10] And the Lord had solemn counsel concerning such. He told clearly, he told explicitly, for whom we should provide banquets, and the gospel of our Lord, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is not, is not a feast for entertaining those who have plenty themselves.
[2:51] It is the very opposite. It is a table provided for the nourishment of those who are in desperate want and hunger.
[3:11] We know that God made man perfect. We know that God fitted the perfect man into a perfect environment.
[3:29] We know that man could not but be satisfied in body and soul with God's provision.
[3:42] He lacked for nothing. The Scottish theologian Boston, he expressed it as follows.
[3:55] The king of heaven set down Adam and his posterity with him to a well-covered table in paradise in this lower world, making a covenant of friendship with him and with his posterity in his loins.
[4:18] But man being drawn into rebellion against God, this table is withdrawn, and Adam and all his posterity in his loins were driven out of God's guest chamber, the lower guest chamber.
[4:44] We know we have been taught from earliest days that mankind, by sinning, lost communion with God.
[5:01] And that a spiritual famine is the result. Here is a question.
[5:14] Where could fallen man find food to appease the ravages of hunger which beset him?
[5:26] The table of God's providence is full of God's bounty.
[5:38] Though sadly, we see many parts of our world which do not experience very much of this bounty, while other parts do.
[5:57] But the table of God's providence is full of God's bounty in spite of man's sin. But the joycest dainties of providence could never satisfy the needs of a fallen being who had been made in God's image.
[6:22] Terrible indeed is the table set in vanity fair, for the allurement of the poor guests at that fair of vanity.
[6:44] You know what vanity fair is? It is this world of ours as it divorces itself from God's salvation.
[7:00] That's vanity fair. Everything can be procured at that fair, except one commodity.
[7:14] There is one commodity which is entirely lacking at the fair which is called vanity. And what commodity is that?
[7:28] That commodity is truth, the truth of God, the truth expressed by God in all its fullness.
[7:47] It is altogether wanting. The pleasures of sin in all their enticement are to be found there.
[8:05] And the word of God names the various courses on that table of vanity. The word of God names them for what they are not for what they are not.
[8:20] It names them. It pronounces on them. The prodigal son, he wandered off into a far country.
[8:38] How far did he wander? It was not a geographical wandering. It was a wandering from the things of God to the fair which is called vanity.
[8:57] And how did he fair there? What did he do there? Where he wasted his substance riotously.
[9:11] And he came to great want. And he filled his belly with swine food.
[9:24] With the swill of the swine. This very prophet Isaiah, he describes certain guests at this table as feeding on ashes.
[9:45] He is talking spiritually. They feed on ashes. There is a deep sense in which the people of God have their share of ashes.
[10:02] The psalmist tells us so in the 102nd Psalm, but this is not what we have here. Feeding on ashes unspiritually.
[10:14] The prophet Hosea describes Ephraim's desperate state.
[10:27] Ephraim, the ten tribes. Which divided themselves, the ten tribes.
[10:40] Which left the kingdom. Ephraim feedeth on wind. The prophet declares.
[10:58] What are you feeding on yourself? Are you at this fair called vanity?
[11:12] Where the truth cannot be purchased? The gospel of her is for you to leave that fair.
[11:28] And to leave it speedily. I am often quoting the pilgrim's progress to you. Faithful was put to death at the fair called vanity.
[11:46] But hopeful was found there. To be a companion for Christian instead of faithful.
[11:59] The psalmist describes the anguished cry of disappointment.
[12:10] Which some guests at the fair of vanity given to. This is what they say. Who shall show us any good?
[12:24] They know the bitterness of disappointment.
[12:35] Which attends giving oneself to sin and its allurements.
[12:46] Who shall show us any good? And the man after God's own heart.
[12:57] He answers them in this wondrous strain. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
[13:16] He himself at that very moment was bereft. Of the good things of this life. The things which he had formerly enjoyed.
[13:28] In his kingship. Absalom's rebellion had brought this about. But this is what the great man said.
[13:41] And a man is great in terms of his God. And not otherwise. This is what he said. Thou hast put gladness in my heart.
[13:54] And he was bereft of all these things. Which worldly people enjoyed. He was bereft at that time anyway of these.
[14:05] Thou hast put gladness in my heart. More than in the time. That their corn and their wine increased.
[14:17] Worldly corn. Worldly corn. Worldly provision. Worldly provision. Is good. Very good in its own place.
[14:29] But. It cannot satisfy. It cannot satisfy. The need.
[14:40] Of. Of. A fallen. Soul. The gospel banquet then.
[14:50] Is God's answer. To all these traits. And.
[15:03] To all the destitution of sinners. The wondrous invitation is. Eat ye. That which is good.
[15:17] And let your soul. Delight itself. In fatness. Let us consider then. For a few minutes. This.
[15:29] Feast. In its. Magnificent location. And a word first about the location. The place.
[15:40] Where the feast is held. The location is the mountain. Of the Lord. The mountain.
[15:52] The mountain. The mountain. The mountain. Of the Lord. Mountains. We know from our Bibles.
[16:04] Have figured gloriously. In the history. Of God's church. The ark. The ark.
[16:17] Which was the ark. Of salvation. It. Came to rest. On Mount Ararat. On Mount Moriah.
[16:33] God's provision. Was presented. To Abraham. God's provision. God.
[16:47] God. Asked. Abraham. To do a certain thing. Which was. Terribly. Difficult. It is quite.
[16:57] Possible. That. No. Mere. Man. Was asked. To give. To. To give. Up. So much. God.
[17:07] Asked. Him. To give up. To surrender. To surrender. With a total. Surrender. His Isaac.
[17:19] His son of promise. Why did God do that? In order. To show him.
[17:30] His provision. In order. That Abraham. Would be able. To read. God's heart.
[17:40] God. In order. That Abraham. Would be able. To see. God's.
[17:52] Giving. God's. Not. Sparing. The father's. Not. Sparing. His own. Son. The mountain.
[18:04] Of Moriah. Was a mountain. Of provision. God. Will. Provide.
[18:18] Then again. In the fastnesses. Of Mount. Horeb. In these lonely. Wastes. Moses.
[18:30] Saw. A sight. That was indeed. Amazing. He saw.
[18:41] A bush. Burning. And not. Consumed. No man.
[18:54] No. One. Will ever. See. The ashes. Of that fire. They aren't there. A fire. A fire.
[19:07] Without ashes. Then Mount Sinai. Where the law. Was given. In a context.
[19:17] Of salvation. Let us always. Realize this. It was. Given. In. A context. Of salvation.
[19:28] It could not. Be given. In any. Other way. Without destroying. These people.
[19:39] These people. From the top. From the top. Of Pisgah. Moses.
[19:50] Saw the land. Which. He. Was not. To enter. That great. Servant.
[20:01] Of God. Did not. Enter. The land. Of promise. He entered. A better. Land. Of promise. But he did not.
[20:12] Enter that one. The special. Reference. Here. Is to Mount Zion. And all.
[20:26] The wealth. Of spirituality. Associated. With Mount Zion. See that you read. Read.
[20:37] For yourself. The amazing. Account. Given. Of Mount Zion. In the 12th. Chapter. Of the letter.
[20:47] To the Hebrew. The wealth. Of spirituality. Associated. With it. You know.
[20:59] What is innermost. In Mount Zion. It is. Blood. Speaking.
[21:10] Better. Things. Than the blood. Of Abel. The church. Of the first born. Are there.
[21:22] Many. Very. Many. We hope. Who worshiped. In this church. Are there. Making up.
[21:35] That. That. That. Wondrous. Number. The spirits. Of just men.
[21:46] Made. Perfect. Those who sat in these pumes. Those who adorned this pulpit.
[21:57] They are there. They are there. In the midst. Of the glory.
[22:08] Above. In the midst. Of that glory. Mount Zion. Stands for Jerusalem.
[22:18] And there. The gospel feast. Was prepared. There.
[22:31] Outside. Its walls. It could not be inside. Because. He was made a curse.
[22:42] It had to be outside. The walls. Men. Had it that way. But God. Ordained it.
[22:56] The mighty hand. Of the almighty God. Was in it all. It was his plan. Wicked men.
[23:07] Were the instruments. Of that torture. That indescribable.
[23:17] Scene. Of agony. But the Lord's. Hand. Was there. The Lord. Of glory.
[23:28] Was crucified. That he might. Be food. For those. Who were totally. Famishing. There's the gospel.
[23:39] For you. Nothing else. Would do. The Lord. Of glory. The Lord. Of glory. Was crucified. Remember.
[23:51] What he said. To these. Sorrowful. Disciples. On the way. On their way. To Emmaus. After he. Had. Listened.
[24:02] To their. Plains. He told them. Ought. Ought. Ought. Not. Christ.
[24:15] Ought. Not. Christ. To have suffered. These things. And to enter. Into his glory. He is the only food.
[24:26] Speaking with all reverence. Nothing else. Nothing else. Can reclaim. Can feed.
[24:38] Can repair. Can replenish. A lost soul. Like yours and mine. Except this food. Are you rejecting him?
[24:49] There. In Jerusalem. God. The Holy Spirit.
[25:00] Descended. In a glorious. Outpouring. Upon the infant church. They were gathered. In a room. Not in a church.
[25:15] But in a room. In some spacious house. And the Holy Spirit. Came upon them.
[25:28] In wondrous wise. And there also. In that Jerusalem. Repentance.
[25:39] And remission. Of sins. Were first preached. To people. Assembled. From all nations. It was Easter time.
[25:52] And Jerusalem. Was full of Jews. From all corners. Of the earth. And. The gospel. Of God's grace. Was preached.
[26:03] To them. In the fullness. Of the spirit. And it has. Been preached. Since.
[26:14] In the fullness. Of the spirit. Oh. How guilty. We are. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of. Of.
[26:25] Of. The best things. The things. Which. Tend. To our. Salvation. It was preached.
[26:37] There. At the Lord's. Express. Command. Beginning. He said. The resurrected. Lord. Commanded.
[26:48] His disciples. With regard. To the gospel. Being preached. Beginning. At Jerusalem. Him. A crucified.
[27:02] Saviour. Is the. Only. Food. That can. Satisfy. A crucified. Saviour.
[27:13] Is the only. Drink. That can avail. The great. Sacrament. Of. The Lord's. Supper.
[27:24] Sets. This. Plainly. Before. Us. For. My. Flesh. Is. Meat. Indeed. And. My. Blood. Is.
[27:34] Drink. Indeed. Do you. Realize. That it was. When he. Proclaimed. This. Defined. In the gospel. Of. John. That.
[27:45] The. Multitudes. Melted. Great. Crowds. Were. Following. The Lord. Who. Could. Preach.
[27:55] Like. Him. He. Was. The. Messenger. And. He. Was. The. Message. And.
[28:05] Great. Crowds. Were. Following. Him. And. He. Told. Them. Plainly. That. Their. Following. Was. Not. After.
[28:15] A. Spiritual. Sort. He. Told. Them. That. At.
[28:26] The. But. That. At. The. Heart. Of. Their. Following. There. Was. Just. Worldly. Desire. And. Worldly.
[28:37] Wishing. He. He. Said. Before. Them. That. This. Was. What. They. Should. Aim. At.
[28:47] To. Eat. And. Drink. The. Only. Food. And. The. Only. Drink. That. Would. Suffice. Did.
[28:58] They. Accept. His. Message. No. The. Great. Crowds. Melted. From. Following. The.
[29:10] Preacher. God. Himself. What. Does. That. Show. Us. It.
[29:20] Shows. Us. This. Anyway. How. Desperate. Our. Sinfulness. Is. Your. Sinfulness. And.
[29:31] My. Sinfulness. Boaz.
[29:44] Entertained. A. Stranger. He. Did. It. Out. Of. The. Largeness. Of. His. Heart. His.
[29:55] Magnanimity. As. We. Say. Made. Him. Entertain. This. Stranger. The.
[30:05] Moabite. Stranger. And. He. And. He. Paid. A. Special. Attention. To.
[30:16] Her. He. Had. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He.
[30:27] He. He. He. He. That. And. He. Treat. And. He. Raれた. Royally. Raاض. James.
[30:37] Good. Peace. Onecept. He. He. You. Ad. Soncept. Hoology.に a. Sub fellation.
[30:47] And. N. Was. Satisfying. and she left much. He had provided so much for her.
[31:01] And interestingly, if you follow that chapter, her mother-in-law partook of what she had left.
[31:15] Naomi partook of Boaz Repas. We also read that it was in the nature of the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with just a handful of food, a boy's lunch.
[31:41] A boy's lunch fed 5,000. And they were all satisfied, but that was not all.
[31:57] Twelve baskets of what remained. Twelve baskets were furbished of the food that remained.
[32:10] There was that much surplus after far more than 5,000 men plus women and children part two of a boy's lunch.
[32:27] But these are only, though they are wonderful symbols, there are nothing compared to this feast.
[32:47] This is a feast of fat things. A feast that is so wonderful that all other feasts pale into insignificance when compared, when contrasted with it.
[33:10] The exceeding excellence of this provision is labeled in the words of prophecy, a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow.
[33:30] We remember the provision made for the returned prodigal.
[33:42] We remember the special provision made for the returned prodigal. That the fatted calf.
[33:56] that the fatted calf was provided. And the guests at this feast will be well satisfied with the fatness of God's house.
[34:17] He, he himself, will give them to drink of the rivers of his pleasures.
[34:34] One who was entertained at this table, he expressed it like this. Now Sam, we all know, he had been entertained at this table of tables and he said, My cup runneth over.
[34:57] Another who was entertained at this table said, Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick because of love.
[35:14] It is a feast of wine on the lees, of wine on the lees well refined.
[35:26] It is a feast of marrow. Marrow was considered a chiefest delicacy.
[35:38] At the feasts of that time. And what is wine on the lees? Seems that the best wines are the clearest.
[35:55] The best wines are the clearest wines. The best wines are the wines that are clarified of all impurity.
[36:13] The best wines are the wines so clarified that they, that they excel all others in their color and in their riches.
[36:24] The blood of a lamb without blemish or spot.
[36:36] The best wine is the oldest. The best wine is the oldest. Wine gets better with age. And this is eternal blood.
[36:55] This is the blood of God. The blood that was offered before the foundation of the world. The blood that was offered before the foundation of the world.
[37:10] God's plan has no beginning. If it had, it wouldn't be God's plan. God's provision has no beginning.
[37:21] If it had, it would be no provision. The lamb was slain before the foundation of the world.
[37:35] And the blood was out poured in the fullness of time. And everyone is invited to this feast.
[37:51] No matter who you are, you are invited to this feast. This is God's proclamation to you.
[38:11] All who are entertained at this banquet are poor. No one has ever tasted of this feast in the midst of his or her own self-sufficiency.
[38:48] It is the deficient who are entertained here. Held deserving sinners, everyone.
[39:00] And may I ask you a question? Friend, are you at this banquet?
[39:12] Friend, are you at this banquet? Or may I put it like this? Are the sincerest longings of your heart towards this banquet?
[39:26] Oh, make sure, no matter which banquet you miss, that you do not miss this one.
[39:39] Friend, are you at this banquet. There are no consequences. Because here is life. Here is life eternal. Here is what you need.
[39:58] and at the head of the banquet is the master of the feast the great master of ceremonies the sovereign Lord only a sovereign Lord could prepare such a feast as this and he has all the riches of eternal provision at his disposal it would not be at all wrong to say that as a reward for his atoning work he is honored to preside at this banquet it would not be wrong at all to say that as a reward for his atoning work he is favored to preside at this banquet and what a banquet the Lord God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoice over thee with joy and with joy there means with a leap of joy he will rest in his love he will be silent in his love he will rejoice over thee with singing and what music can compare with that music and what rejoicing can compare with the rejoicing of that feast amen let us pray thou art mighty to save oh that sinners would taste and see that God is good and that every person who trusts in thee is assuredly blessed we thank thee for the gospel help us to appreciate it in our lives and in our way of living pardon all our sins for Christ's sake amen