One Feast for All Peoples

Long tables stretch reach as far as eye fit see. Di smell of meat wey dey roast full di air. Dem dey fill cups with di best wine. And di guests dey arrive from every country for di earth. But look di host. Di one wey dey serve di feast na God imself.

Dis words come from Isaiah, di prophet for Jerusalem, for one part of im book wey dey look far go di future. Chapter twenty-four reach twenty-seven describe di whole world as judgment dey shake am: cities wey don scatter, di proud wey dem bring down. But for di middle of all dat, Isaiah burst into praise. For di verses just before our passage, e thank God because e be refuge for di poor, shelter from storm, shade from heat. And then e describe wetin God go do for Mount Zion, im holy mountain for Jerusalem. For di old world, when one great king win war or dem crown am, e go throw party. Isaiah see God as e dey throw di biggest party of all.

“For dis mountain, di Lord of armies go make one feast for all peoples, feast of di best meat, feast of di best wine, of di best meat wey full with marrow, of di best wine wey dem don filter well.” All peoples. No be only Israel. No be only di big men. Everybody. And no be thin soup or ordinary bread. Na di very best. Rich food. Wine wey dem don keep long and filter well until e clear and smooth. For land where most people dey chop meat only for special occasion, dis na picture of full generosity. God no be stingy person. E be host wey dey give di best wey e get.

But dis feast pass food matter. “For dis mountain e go destroy di covering wey cover all peoples, and di veil wey spread over all nations.” One veil. Maybe like di cloth wey people wey dey mourn dey cover dia head with for burial. Something wey hang over every nation, every family, every person: sorrow, and di shadow of death. And God go tear am comot. Then Isaiah talk di tin wey go shock person pass. “E don swallow death forever!” Death, wey dey swallow everybody, dem go swallow am. “Di Lord God go clean tears from every face.” Imagine God, di host of di feast, as e dey go from one guest to anoda, dey gently clean each person tears. No face go remain wet.

And di guests go sing. “Dem go talk for dat day, See, dis na our God! We don wait for am, and e go save us! Dis na di Lord! We don wait for am. We go dey glad and rejoice for im salvation.” We wait. And e come. Christians dey hear dis one as di song of Christmas and of Easter together. Paul quote dis passage when e write about resurrection: Death don swallow inside victory. And di very last book of Bible end with di same promise: God go clean every tear from dia eye, and death no go dey again, no sorrow, no crying. Jesus imself dey always talk about di kingdom of God as one big feast, with people wey dey come from east and west, north and south, to sit down for di table.

Old kings like to boast about dia parties. For nineteen fifty-one, archaeologists for Nimrud for Iraq, di old Assyrian city of Kalhu, find one stone writing of King Ashurnasirpal di Second. E describe one ten-day feast to celebrate im new palace, and e claim say sixty-nine thousand, five hundred and seventy-four guests come. Isaiah feast still big pass: God invite all peoples, and di guests go comot with dia tears wey dem don clean.

One feast for all peoples. You go find am for Isaiah chapter twenty-five, verse six reach nine. God prepare di best for everybody, and e swallow death forever. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who you fit invite come your table, or show kindness, as one small picture of God big feast?