Topical Encyclopedia
Definition and Context:The term "repast" refers to a meal or the act of taking food. In biblical times, meals were significant social and religious events, often symbolizing fellowship, covenant, and divine provision. The concept of repast in the Bible is not merely about physical sustenance but also about spiritual nourishment and community.
Old Testament References:In the Old Testament, meals often had covenantal significance. For instance, in
Genesis 18:1-8, Abraham prepares a meal for the three visitors, who are later revealed to be divine messengers. This repast signifies hospitality and the establishment of a covenantal promise regarding the birth of Isaac. Similarly, the Passover meal, as described in
Exodus 12, is a pivotal repast that commemorates Israel's deliverance from Egypt and God's covenant with His people.
The book of Proverbs also highlights the importance of meals in the context of wisdom and folly.
Proverbs 9:1-5 describes Wisdom as having prepared a feast, inviting those who lack understanding to partake and gain insight. This metaphorical repast underscores the spiritual nourishment that comes from embracing wisdom.
New Testament References:In the New Testament, Jesus often used meals as opportunities for teaching and fellowship. The feeding of the 5,000, as recorded in
Matthew 14:13-21, is a miraculous repast that demonstrates Jesus' compassion and divine provision. This event not only satisfies physical hunger but also points to Jesus as the Bread of Life, offering spiritual sustenance.
The Last Supper, described in
Matthew 26:26-29, is perhaps the most significant repast in the New Testament. During this meal, Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper, a sacrament that commemorates His sacrifice and the new covenant in His blood. This repast is central to Christian worship and serves as a reminder of Christ's atoning work and the unity of believers.
Symbolism and Theological Significance:Repasts in the Bible often symbolize God's provision and the fellowship between God and His people. In
Psalm 23:5, the psalmist declares, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." This imagery of a divine repast signifies God's protection and blessing even amidst adversity.
Theologically, meals in the Bible often foreshadow the eschatological banquet, the ultimate repast in the Kingdom of God.
Revelation 19:9 speaks of the "wedding supper of the Lamb," a future celebration of the union between Christ and His Church. This anticipated repast represents the culmination of God's redemptive plan and the eternal fellowship believers will enjoy with their Savior.
Cultural and Social Aspects:In biblical culture, sharing a meal was an act of intimacy and acceptance. To eat with someone was to affirm a relationship and extend fellowship. This cultural understanding is evident in Jesus' ministry, as He often dined with tax collectors and sinners, challenging social norms and demonstrating God's inclusive love (
Matthew 9:10-13).
Conclusion:While the Bible does not use the term "repast" explicitly, the concept is woven throughout Scripture, highlighting the importance of meals as expressions of divine provision, covenantal relationships, and spiritual truths. Through the lens of biblical repasts, believers are reminded of God's faithfulness, the call to fellowship, and the hope of eternal communion with Him.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The act of taking food.
2. (n.) That which is taken as food; a meal; figuratively, any refreshment.
3. (v. t. & i.) To supply food to; to feast; to take food.
Library
Of the Hospitality of Abbot Serenus.
... had finished the duties of the day, and the congregation had been dismissed from
Church we returned to the old man's cell, and enjoyed a most sumptuousrepast....
"Honorable," Therefore, "Is Marriage in All, and the Bed Undefiled...
... However neither in that case isrepast preferred to fasting, but righteousness to
sacrilege; nor in this, marriage to virginity, but faith to impiety....
Meditation i. Preparations for the Pasch
... Yesterday evening it was that the last great publicrepast of our Lord and his friends
took place in the house of Simon the Leper, at Bethania, and Mary...
How by Holy Complacency we are Made as Little Infants at Our...
... with his sweetness by the pleasure which we take therein, and satiate our heart
in the divine perfections by the delight we take in them: and thisrepast is a...
The Answer How we Should not Exceed the Proper Measure of Food.
... is absolutely ridiculous when you offer food to a brother, nay, to Christ Himself,
not to partake of it with him, but to make yourself a stranger to hisrepast...
Last Week of Jesus.
... he suspected the fate that awaited him. In the evening he took his last
repast with his disciples. It was not the ritual feast of...
Meditation vi. The Last Pasch.
... was not aware of this circumstance, because being engaged in plotting his betrayal
of our Lord, he only returned a few moments before therepast, and after the...
Journey to Evora
... Excellent figs from the Algarves and apples completed ourrepast, which we ate in
a little side room with a mud-floor, which sent such a piercing chill into my...
The Third Continental Journey.
... The mountain multitude waited with patience until we had made ourrepast, when
a few of the leading villagers were introduced to our room....
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6
... of the offerings and the funerary furniture, the crossing of the Nile, the tomb,
the farewell to the dead, the sacrifice, the coffins, therepast of the dead...
Thesaurus
Repast (4 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Repast (4 Occurrences). Genesis
... house. And he made them
a
repast, and baked unleavened cakes; and they ate. (DBY).
...Repairs (24 Occurrences)
Lunch (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A luncheon; specifically, a lightrepast between
breakfast and dinner. 2. (vi) To take luncheon. Multi-Version Concordance...
Luncheon (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (n.) A lump of food. 2. (n.) A portion of food taken at any time except at a
regular meal; an informal or lightrepast, as between breakfast and dinner....
Finishing (17 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 1:41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they
were finishing theirrepast; and Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, and he...
Entertainment (2 Occurrences)
... which one is entertained; as: (a) Hospitality; hospitable provision for the wants
of a guest; especially, provision for the table; a hospitablerepast; a feast...
Meal (288 Occurrences)
... taken at a particular time for the satisfaction of appetite; the quantity usually
taken at one time with the purpose of satisfying hunger; arepast; the act or...
Cakes (65 Occurrences)
... and entered into his house. And he made them arepast, and baked unleavened
cakes; and they ate. (DBY). Exodus 12:20 Take nothing...
Repay (79 Occurrences)
Drank (70 Occurrences)
... (DBY). 2 Kings 6:23 And he prepared a greatrepast for them, and they ate and
drank; and he sent them away, and they went to their master....
Resources
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