The Living Table

In Exodus, after God brings the Israelites out of Egypt and they arrive at Mount Sinai, He gives them the Ten Commandments. Following those commands, God provides instructions on building the tabernacle. In Exodus 25, He starts with building the ark of the covenant followed by the building of the table. There is no mistaking the significance of the table.

After reading Exodus 25 I immediately thought, Wow! My God wants me first to worship Him and then second, to dine with Him at the table. In Exodus 25:30 God tells Moses, “Place the Bread of the Presence on the table to remain before Me at all times” (NLT). I can’t help but think that the Bread of the Presence is exactly what Jesus refers to as the “bread of life” in John 6:35, when He says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty” (NLT). Let’s take this a step further: God wants to be at the table with us every single time we sit there. I believe that’s what He was saying in Exodus 25:30 when He was talking to Moses. He was asking us to sit at the table with Him, commune with Him, and enter into His peace. God, in His infinite wisdom, designed the table to be a safe place where the human soul receives healing from past events, forgiveness from past actions, and a deep-seated love that only comes from the presence of God.

At some deep level, I believe we are drawn to the table. When Jesus said, “I am the bread of life,” I believe He literally meant for us to bring people to the table and serve them, and to let Him do the rest. When we set the table and prepare a meal, there is something supernatural that happens to our hearts. It’s undeniable!

It is my hope that you will be inspired to clean off your table and prepare to serve others. Trust me, I know life gets overwhelming and busy, but God longs for us to release all our pressures to Him. He wants us to live peaceful lives—lives that are full of joy and fellowship. It is so important that we don’t lose sight of the significance of hospitality amid the busyness of life in today’s world. And it’s crucial that we don’t lose sight of God’s desire for us to live in community—His desire for us to have deep, meaningful relationships in which we support and pray and care for one another. When we make the time and effort to practice hospitality—to intentionally gather around the table with people—we build a strong community that spurs “one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24 NIV).

The table is the first piece of furniture (after the ark of the covenant) God instructs the Israelites to make for the tabernacle—the place where He would meet with His people—and it’s the last piece of furniture Jesus sat at before He died. Let that sink in. The table literally bookends God’s love story to us in addition to being laced throughout Scripture. There is absolutely no question about it: the table is important.

Because the table—and what it represents—is so meaningful, I’ve devoted much of my time and energy to learning how to cultivate a heart that seeks to give to others around my table in the form of hospitality. It’s something I’ve had to work at. I’ve also had to work hard at accepting that I’m single—not because I want to be, but because that’s just where I’m at right now. I haven’t dated in years, and honestly, the horizon looks pretty bleak. So I’ve been working through the concept of being hospitable while being single for a while now. I have done a ton of research on this. (I must admit, my research is partly motivated by me trying to find some supernatural prayer I can pray so I don’t have to be single.) Everything I have read and studied has pointed me to community and to Christ. You and I were designed by God with souls that crave Him, and nothing else can fill that craving but living for Him. No date, no marriage, no man can satisfy us like God can.

It’s easy to believe the lie that hospitality can only happen when you have a home, a husband, 2.5 kids, and a dog. As it turns out, the two women in Scripture who always get brought up when discussing hospitality are Mary and Martha. These two ladies demonstrate two of the most important disciplines of hospitality: the keeper of the home (Martha) and the encourager and communicator (Mary). And guess what? Theologians believe they were single! What about you? Have you thought about opening your home, cooking, preparing for people to visit? Maybe you don’t have a home with a table or maybe your hospitality looks like getting people together for a potluck, or at the coffee shop around a coffee table, or around a table at a local restaurant. What does practicing hospitality mean to you?

Abby Turner is a young professional who is single and loving life as a food blogger, speaker, and writer. Born into a large family, she grew up in Central Arkansas, where she learned the importance of community and biblical hospitality at a young age. After completing undergraduate degrees at Ouachita Baptist University and obtaining her Master’s from Baylor, Abby lived in 6 states in 5 years, learning that community is essential to a healthy relationship with Christ. Over the last few years, Abby has spoken at college/universities, churches, and companies, and has been featured on regional TV shows and podcasts. Abby’s passion is to encourage women to stop wasting time waiting for the perfect family, house, or table and to start opening their homes, cooking for friends, and building community. You can learn more about Abby and enjoy even more recipes by visiting her website at atabletopaffair.com.