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Table Fellowship

Words of Faith Final

Table Fellowship
Words of Faith 3-29-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL    
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Genesis 18
    The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. [2] Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
    [3] He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by. [4] Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. [5] Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way--now that you have come to your servant."
    "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."
    [6] So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."
    [7] Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. [8] He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

        I have been to Mamre only once. There is a grove of large trees on a dusty road in Hebron, Israel. The location is not undisputed. It was a remarkable place to visit and think about what it means to have close fellowship with God. In my mind, I tried to imagine what it had been like nearly 4000 years ago when God came had had lunch with Abraham.
        For Abraham, there was now a Covenant relationship with God Almighty. Still, it was a mysterious visit that God made that day in the form of three men. Theologians call this a "theophany" or appearance of God, not unlike the burning bush or pillar of fire that would later appear to Moses. But this appearance of God was much more personal. In the heat of the day, Abraham saw the three men and offered them refreshment. They shared freshly made bread and the meat of a tender calf. They dined under the trees.  
         Dining was a supreme symbol of peace in the ancient Middle East. Offering a meal was a sign of peace and trust. One did not eat with enemies or even acquaintances. Sharing a meal took significant time, and it was a place to let down their guard and pretense. Abraham did not actually eat with the three men. Perhaps to do so would have seemed presumptuous. But he came close to God. It was not unlike the way that God walked through the trees of the Garden with Adam and Eve.
        Interestingly, in Revelation 3:20, the Lord Jesus invites us to the table of fellowship with Him. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."  What a marvelous invitation!
       We are invited not simply to stand among the trees or watch from a distance. We are invited to sit at the same table of the Lord with Him! We are invited to share table fellowship with Him. We are invited to let down our guard and be at peace with God Almighty.
        Are you distant from God right now? It is easy for that to happen. We drift a little. Forget to pray. We begin to operate in our own strength, and soon we find we are not close to him at all. He invites you to come near. Open that door. Meet with him under the trees of His protection and grace. Join Him, not at a distance, but at His very table.

        Father God, I want to draw near to You. Thank You for drawing near to me! Thank You for Your inviting grace! I love you. With all my heart, mind, soul, and strength, in Jesus' name.  

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)        
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.