2 Samuel 8-9: A Seat at the Royal Table

After subduing more neighboring nations in 2 Samuel 8, we see David in a moment of profound symbolism extend a merciful invitation to one of Saul's descendants, Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, in chapter 9.  David would like to be an example of God's mercy so he seeks out any remaining descendants of Saul, the same Saul who tried to kill him, and in so doing shows us how to love our enemies.  Once he tracks down Mephibosheth he tells him, "Fear not, for I will surely show thee mercy for Jonathan thy father's sake, and I will restore the lands of Saul, thy father, and thou shalt eat bread at my table always" (2 Samuel 9:7).  A note in my commentary says that an invitation to the king's table was a "mark of the greatest distinction."  And it made me immediately think of another connection described by Scott Hahn in his book Reasons to Believe.  Hahn says that David "extended covenant loyalty through royal-table fellowship" and "the Psalms of David use images of eating and drinking to celebrate God's provision."  In 2 Samuel 7 we saw how the prophet Nathan foretold of how David's kingdom would be everlasting, a prophecy that only makes sense when seen in the light of Christ and His New Testament.  And if a seat at King David's royal table was truly a distinguished and important mark, then one would imagine that the Son of David, Jesus Christ, would maintain that importance.  This made me see the Last Supper in a whole new way.  In Luke 22, which records the Last Supper, Jesus says, "I assign to you, as my Father hath assigned to me, a kingdom, That you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom" (Luke 22:29-30).  By sitting down at the table with His apostles and eating bread with them, Christ is, like David, mercifully allowing the lowly a place at the royal feast (and by extension, that invitation is given to all of us still!).  This "royal-table fellowship" is just one of many connections between David's kingdom and Christ's Kingdom, but it's one that I hadn't before considered.  Remarkably, it is found throughout Scripture.  In Isaiah 25:6 it is written, "And the Lord of hosts shall make unto all people in this mountain, a feast of fat things, a feast of wine, of fat things full of marrow, of wine purified from the lees."  And in Ezekiel 34:23 it is written, "And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd."  Scott Hahn further says, "eating and drinking with Jesus will be important manifestations of the kingdom's presence."  This of course ultimately points toward the Eucharist.  All the symbolism of sitting at the royal table means nothing unless it's ultimately tied in with the most important meal of all, the Body and Blood of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.  There have been images and foreshadowings of this most important meal of all throughout Scripture, even going back to the manna in the desert in Exodus.  But here in 2 Samuel we see it described for the first time in royal terms, which is significant as it points in a more specific way to Christ's establishment of a kingdom.  David may simply be inviting Mephibosheth to his royal banquet, but there is something so much larger being alluded to here, and at the Last Supper we can see the full picture.