Isaiah 62:8-10 Amplified Bible

8 The Lord has sworn [an oath] by His right hand and by His mighty arm,
“I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies,
Nor will [the invading] foreigners drink your new wine for which you have labored.”
9 But they who have harvested it will eat it and praise the Lord,
And they who have gathered it will drink it [at the feasts celebrated] in the courtyards of My sanctuary.

10 Go through, go through the gates,
Clear the way for the people;
Build up, build up the highway,
Remove the stones, lift up a banner over the peoples.

Here in these passages I find the meaning and source of communion.

It begins with the oath sworn by our Lord.

Psalm 132:11 The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.”

His promise was kept in Jesus. 

Communion: “a having in common (koinos), partnership, fellowship” Strong’s g2842

One of the oldest issues of making a contract was in celebrating a shared meal between the two parties, the breaking of bread together. This oath of the Lord is one that declares He will not covenant with the enemies of Christ.

The next issue is the celebration of the feast. Remember our recent conversation about agape love defined as a love feast.

To eat and drink in the courtyard of His sanctuary requires that those invited to participate in this communal feast, this love feast, must be deemed holy.

Psalm 5:7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.

1 Peter 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

The last issue is the banner, a sign to everyone, of our Lord’s oath to us.

John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Jeremiah 17:8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Ephesians 5:26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

Psalm 147:18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.

God sent out His Word to do His will. The Spirit is represented as the wind, His Word as water. The two working together influences our growth.

Psalm 1 tells us that man is like a tree. That similitude is carried out in Jeremiah 17. Consider this, the tree sends out multiple roots to the river, and does not rely on just one root. The nurturing nature of the water, the Word, is drawn from different places in the river.

Isaiah 11:1

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

• Ezekiel 17:6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.
  Ezekiel 17:7 “And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it.
• Ezekiel 31:7 It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters.

God’s plan for our growth and maturity is given to us throughout His Word, not just in one verse or one chapter of the bible. It all works together to serve the will of the Father in nurturing His children so that they may grow and mature.

That happens for us only if we stay in the Word and allow the Word to do what the Word does best, feed His children.

John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Commune with the Lord.