ββ¦I appoint unto you a kingdomβ¦that ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israelβ (Luke 22:29,30).
As you can see from these words that the Lord spoke to the twelve apostles, dining with the King is associated with reigning with Him. We see this same thought in the Lordβs words to Tribulation Jews who will need to overcome the temptation to take the mark of the beast if they want to reign with Christ in the kingdom of heaven on earth:
ββ¦if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throneβ¦β (Rev. 3:20,21).
If you are wondering what connection dining with the king could have to reigning with him, the kingβs table was probably a place where the kingβs business was discussed.
We see this connection between dining and reigning typified in the story of Mephibosheth. If youβll remember, after David became the king of Israel, he wanted to show kindness to any members of the house of Saul that he could find (II Sam. 9:1). When Mephibosheth was brought to his attention (II Sam. 9:2-6), David said to him,
ββ¦I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy fatherβs sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continuallyβ (II Sam. 9:7).
David went on to give Mephibosheth βall that pertained to Saul and to all his houseβ (II Sam. 9:9), and remember, Saul had been king of Israel. In other words, Mephibosheth was given a kingβs inheritance, and invited to sit at the kingβs table and reign with him βas one of the kingβs sonsβ (II Sam. 9:11). Quite an honor for the grandson of a man who had once been the present kingβs enemy.
Some men might take such a tremendous honor for granted, but not Mephibosheth! He later told David:
ββ¦all of my fatherβs house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?β (II Sam. 19:28).
Mephibosheth knew that he had been given such an unbelievably high honor that he felt he had no right ever to ask the king for anything ever again.
Now how about you? May I remind you that what the king did for Mephibosheth is exactly what your King has done for you? God βhath raised us up togetherβ with Christ (Eph. 2:5,6), βand made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,β we who were once members of the family of Godβs βenemiesβ (Rom. 5:10).
In response, you can grumble and complain about your position in life, or you can rejoice in your position in heaven, and join Mephibosheth in wondering about your right ever to ask anything more of God beyond what He has already done in giving you a Kingβs inheritance (Eph. 1:11) and seating you at the Kingβs table βas one of the kingβs sonsβ (cf. Gal. 4:4-7). Iβm sure David would have given Mephibosheth anything he asked for, but his heart was so filled with thanksgiving that he felt he didnβt dare ask for more. While we have a clear command from God through Paul to βlet your requests be made known unto Godβ (Phil. 4:6), before asking God for anything, it might be good to run a βMephibosheth checkβ on the level of your gratitude. After all, if God never did anything else for you other than what He has already done for you in Christ, Heβs done enough. source
