What an amazing sight enjoyed not only by Moses and Aaron but also Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders. These men saw God. They saw a glimpse into the glory of heaven. They saw God standing upon a clear sapphire foundation. They saw Him with their own eyes–and did not die! What a privilege, what a sight. To see God Himself, to see Him in His glory is the ultimate desire of the human soul and the best result of our entire existence–to see Him (and not be struck down dead) is the successful end of our purpose for living. These men saw it–and then they ate and drank.

The mention of eating and drinking is curious. Such a wonder as seeing God in His glory and the next thing mentioned is that they ate and drank. It seems such a contrast. The height of spiritual attainment followed directly by something as common as eating and drinking. It makes me wonder how common eating and drinking really are. After all, the Bible speaks of eating and drinking frequently as metaphor for spiritual hunger and spiritual satisfaction. Ecclesiastes speaks frequently about enjoying eating and drinking as a fundamental purpose of our days under the sun. The prophets speak often of eating and drinking as both warnings, when they are pursued excessively and sought as pleasures in and of themselves, and as rewards for truly seeking God. Jesus exhorts us to pursue that which is true food–that is–Himself. He is the everlasting and true food. God promises feasting in His kingdom as a part of His heavenly rewards. One of the primary ordinances of the new covenant involves the eating and drinking of the bread and wine as expressions of Christ’s sacrifice. And the apostle Paul addresses many spiritual matters using examples and applications that deal with issues of food and drink. In all these ways the Bible frequently connects God, Jesus, heaven, faith, and glory with food and drink.

This probably means that food and drink have a much greater meaning and purpose than I know when I receive them each day. So, will I think of Christ above when I eat some chips? Will I ask for living water for my soul when I enjoy a diet Stewart’s orange ‘n cream soda? Will I hear the echo of Isaiah 55:12 when I sit down to dinner?

“Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance.” Isaiah 55:1-2

When I eat honey – or more often chocolate, will I remember the reason why some things taste sweet?

“My son, eat honey, for it is good, yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; if you find it, then there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.” Proverbs 24:13-14

When I look forward to a special meal–or enjoy a carefully prepared dish–will I recall the feast that Jesus longed for?

“And He said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’” Luke 22:15-16

No, I think eating and drinking are not so common after all. While eating and drinking and hunger and thirst are basic components of daily life, they are not insignificant. In fact they may be among the most significant daily events of our lives. God speaks every single day about hunger, thirst, appetite, desire, dependence, provision, satisfaction, and pleasure by making us need and want food and drink. Anybody, anywhere, anytime can produce in themselves a great and fervent hunger by simply abstaining from food and drink for a short time. And this easily created gut twisting hunger is just as easily satisfied by taking some food. And we do this every single day.

God speaks daily through our hunger and our thirst. God designed these basic and frequent occasions for us to be reminded of our need for the true food and true drink. The cyclical nature of hunger and thirst, eating and drinking should turn our attention to the source from which all things to derive their existence–the God of glory standing upon a clear sapphire foundation burning brightly in eternal glory. He is standing in heaven every moment of every day–during every meal, while I chew every bite of food and sip every cup of drink.

Lord, increase my awareness of your presence and your purposes for eating and drinking. Draw my mind and my heart upward whenever I eat, whenever I drink, and whenever I enjoy your good gifts. And Lord, from time to time remind me to take up fasting to remind myself how powerful a means of grace eating and drinking, hunger and thirst really are. And most of all open my eyes to the glory of Christ seated at your right hand on a clear platform of sapphire – and thank you and I may see you and not die because of the blood and the cross. Amen.

This year my wife discovered and introduced me to at a terrific show on the Food Network called “Good Eats” It’s a cooking show. It’s informative and instructional like other cooking shows but it is so much better because its host, Alton Brown, provides extremely interesting historical and scientific information about the process of cooking. On top of that, the show is very entertaining, fun, silly, and captivating.

But what I think is most compelling about the show is that Alton Brown really loves “Good Eats.” His passion for good food is evident in every show – and he’s not afraid to make his personal tastes and preferences known. He treats food with such enthusiasm that he almost makes me willing to eat artichokes or blue cheese - almost.

In some respects Alton’s job is easy. That’s because food really is good eats. We all have appetites and we all love food – it tastes good. Making me want to eat chocolate chip cookies is like shooting fish in a barrel.

God made food to be good. He made me like the taste of food – especially sweet food like honey. Proverbs 24:13 says “My son, eat honey for it is good.” Okay! Here’s a command that’s easy to obey. Honey is good, and I’m willing to speculate that God allows substitutions in this recipe. “My son, eat chocolate for it is good… My son, eat steak for it is good,” mmmmmmm steak. God is the one who made honey good eats. But He doesn’t stop there. God is good and His good gifts, like tasty food, are to be enjoyed, but something else needs to happen when I eat tasty food. I need to know something else when I enjoy the taste of honey on my tongue. I need to know that wisdom is to my soul, as honey is to my taste. Proverbs reinforces this truth.

“Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
That they may be ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the LORD,
I have taught you today, even you.
Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
To make you know the certainty of the words of truth
That you may correctly answer him who sent you?

Tasting wisdom, eating wisdom, is “good eats” for the soul. Eating good food is pleasant on my lips, but eating wisdom is pleasant deep within. Eating food is a pleasant, but not very long lasting – I consume a dish of ice cream in maybe five minutes – if I try to make it last. But wisdom, when eaten and digested can be pleasant forever. God’s councils and knowledge are excellent and they have the spiritual capacity to increase my trust in the Lord – which is eternally nourishing.

The wisdom of God is vast and comes in many forms, flavors, and dishes. The wisdom of God can be enjoyed in bite sized snacks, or dined upon in elaborate feasts. But whatever its form, or however it is prepared, the effective ingredient is always Christ. Jesus is the wisdom of God,

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

Considering Jesus Christ in all His glory is the eating of wisdom – and it is Best Eats!

Lord thank you for your goodness, your kindness and your generosity. Thank you for making honey sweet to the taste. Please help me to enjoy food as a sweet reminder that wisdom is such for my soul. And grant me a tongue that has the capacity to taste and enjoy that which is truly good. Destroy, I pray, my lively taste buds for worthless things that compete for my appetites. Change me to enjoy the wisdom of God – the glory of Christ – so much that competing desires would no longer appeal to me. Give me truly good eats to satisfy my soul in Christ. In His name I pray. Amen.

Proverbs 16:16 declares, “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” If getting wisdom is better than getting gold, I can rejoice when God gives me hunger. Anyone who is hungry longs to eat and dreams of abundance. I think the desire for abundance is built into being human. Sometimes God actually give us abundance, but usually more hunger comes along with it. In this sense I am always going to be in a state of hunger. This is okay, because the abundance God intendeds for me, is with Him in heaven.

I suppose that if I had in my possession everything that I ever wanted, if I had true abundance, I would be sated. To be sated means not to be hungry, but rather to be full. During the holidays I ate some large meals and I was stuffed, I could not eat another bite – after the second piece of cake that is. At such a time even the idea of more dessert was loathsome – “A sated man loathes honey.” In such a state, when I’ve had my fill, I am no longer hungry and I actually turn away from good and tasty things. Not so when I’m starving on a diet – then anything looks good. In this regard hunger is my ally. It works for me to make me attracted to good things. It works for me it urges me on. It enables me to truly enjoy every good thing given to me. But to the degree that I am sated, I will not enjoy such gifts as much – there is even a danger that I will turn away from good things when I am sated.

I must therefore live in tension – and be glad about it. I will always desire abundance – this is God’s design to motivate me to seek Him in heaven. Even when I receive abundance now, there will always be something more I desire. In withholding abundance God blesses me by producing in me an effective drive that urges me to seek abundance and it also creates a deep gratitude, thankfulness, and enjoyment of those provisions that meet my daily needs.

On top of God’s blessings in keeping me hungry He adds the blessing of learning wisdom. If only greater insight and understanding of Proverbs 16:26 were the reward of hunger it would be worth it because getting wisdom is better than getting gold. I suspect, however, that the blessings of wisdom extend much further than an appreciation of Proverbs and will yield rich dividends all my days.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with hunger. Let it go to work for me. Let me be diligent in my work, let me be thankful for your provisions and your blessings, more than that grant me a longing for true abundance and draw me all my days toward my eternal inheritance in you. In Jesus name. Amen.