When my mom shared Jonathan Traylor’s song “The Table” with me, I knew I wanted to use it as a launching point on the podcast closest to my debut novel release, “A Seat at the Table.” I contend that the world sees a “seat at the table” as an opportunity for power and influence. But what does Scripture say about having a seat at the table of Christ? That is what we’ll explore in this episode.
Let’s examine a table in the Old Testament and the table of the Last Supper in the New Testament.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
- Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week’s Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
- Read in context
- Exploring a theme
- Episode Guide
- My debut novel, A Seat at the Table – Learn More
- How to evaluate the tables you are sitting at
- My newest endeavor, Story Sessions, where I use a story as inspiration to study Scripture (much like I do on the podcast)
- Exploring the theme of tables in Scripture
- Exploring the Table of the Bread of Presence in the context of the design/construction of The Tabernacle – Exodus 25-31
- The Tabernacle was God’s dwelling place among His people – Exodus 25:8
- The Bread of the Presence was a part of the priests’ regular interaction with God – Exodus 25:30, Leviticus 24
- The 12 loaves of bread on the Table of the Bread of Presence represented the 12 tribes. “Each tribe had a seat at the table.” – Exalting Jesus in Exodus Commentary – Amazon Paid Link
- The bread of the Presence can also be translated as “‘bread of the face,’ referring to the fact that bread was in the presence of God, set before Him.” – Exalting Jesus in Leviticus Commentary – Amazon Paid Link
- The Lord’s Table, as enacted by Christ at the Last Supper – 1 Corinthians 11:24-25
- The account of the Last Supper in Luke 22:14-20
- Before the face of God in the flesh
- Not 12 loaves, but rather 12 men
- The bread of life at this table is Jesus
- The cost of Christ’s invitation to His table – Matthew 16:24, Galatians 2:20, Romans 6:4
- The example of humility and a heart for others set at Christ’s table – John 13:12-16
- The betrayal at Christ’s table – John 13:21
- Counting the cost before we accept the invitation – Luke 14:27-28
- The intimacy at Christ’s table – John 13:23-25
- In Christ, our seat in heavenly places – Ephesians 2:4-6
- Our future seat at the banquet table of the marriage supper of the Lamb – Revelation 19:9
- To accept this invitation to the table of Christ
- Don’t get cleaned up first – Romans 5:8
- Confess and believe – Romans 10:9-10
God is inviting you to the Table of His Presence where you have fellowship with Him and are nourished by the Bread of His Presence.
Enjoy the live performance video below.
More Than a Song Playlist
Additional Resources
- Lyrics – New Release Today Link
- The story behind the song “The Table” by Jonathan Traylor – Worship Together New Song Cafe
- Exalting Jesus in Exodus Commentary – Amazon Paid Link
- Exalting Jesus in Leviticus Commentary – Amazon Paid Link
- My favorite Bible Study Software – Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week’s Challenge
Learn about the Table of the Bread of Presence by reading Exodus 25-31. Read about the Bread of Presence in Leviticus 24. Then consider the Bread of Life, Jesus, at a table described in all four gospels—Luke 22, Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 13.
I hope you take advantage of the free video series I created for you– Story Sessions: A Seat at the Table. In it, we harness the power of story to unlock God’s Word. Do you have to read the novel to complete these online studies? Absolutely not. I use the book as a parable—a story to point back to—to teach truths. The story can act as a series of pegs to hang future truth. And I promise not to spoil the story, so you can complete the studies before or after you read the book.
