Topical Bible: The Evening: A Season For: Taking Food

◄ The Evening: A Season For: Taking Food ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In the biblical context, the evening holds significant importance as a time for taking food, reflecting both practical and spiritual dimensions. The evening meal, often referred to as supper, is a time for nourishment, fellowship, and reflection, deeply rooted in the traditions and practices of the ancient Near East.

Biblical Instances and Practices

1. The Passover Meal: One of the most notable instances of an evening meal in the Bible is the Passover. In Exodus 12:6-8 , the Israelites are instructed to slaughter the Passover lamb at twilight and eat it that same evening. This meal was not only a time for physical sustenance but also a profound act of remembrance and obedience to God's deliverance from Egypt.

2. Jesus and the Last Supper: The New Testament provides a pivotal example of an evening meal with Jesus' Last Supper. In Matthew 26:20 , it is recorded, "When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples." This meal, held in the evening, was a time of intimate fellowship and the establishment of the New Covenant through the institution of the Lord's Supper.

3. Daily Life and Customs: In the daily life of biblical times, the evening meal was a central part of family and community life. It was a time to gather after the day's labor, share food, and engage in conversation. This practice is reflected in various passages, such as Ruth 2:14 , where Boaz invites Ruth to eat with him at mealtime, indicating the social and communal aspects of evening meals.

Spiritual Significance

The evening meal in biblical tradition often transcends mere physical nourishment, symbolizing spiritual truths and divine fellowship. In Revelation 3:20 , Jesus says, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me." This imagery of dining together signifies a deep, personal relationship with Christ, highlighting the evening meal as a metaphor for spiritual communion.

Cultural and Historical Context

In ancient Israel, the evening meal was typically the main meal of the day, consumed after the work was done and the family gathered together. This practice is consistent with the agrarian lifestyle of the time, where the day's labor was followed by a time of rest and refreshment. The evening meal provided an opportunity for teaching, storytelling, and reinforcing family and community bonds.

Conclusion

The evening as a season for taking food is richly woven into the fabric of biblical narrative and practice. It serves as a time for physical sustenance, spiritual reflection, and communal fellowship, embodying the holistic nature of biblical living. Through the lens of Scripture, the evening meal is seen not only as a daily necessity but also as a sacred time for connection with God and others.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 14:17,18
And in the evening he comes with the twelve.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 24:29,30
But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Social Recreation.
... of food, and not enough to merriment in taking it. ... No part of the evening entertainment
should be allowed to drag. ... How shall the company disband in due season? ...
/.../judy/questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/vii social recreation.htm

All the Day Long
... until the day of life declines into the evening of old ... out like comets, the wonders
of a season, and they ... communion with God should be like our taking of food ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/all the day long.htm

The First Year --Society and Climate.
... pecuniary aid, not unfrequently to the taking of them ... strength, raising clouds of
dust, and lulls towards evening. ... cold weather, but as the season advances it ...
/.../chapter vi the first yearsociety.htm

"Jesus Says So. "
... of four or five in the afternoon, before taking any food ... to do so again:" and in
the evening her father ... Satan for a short season seemed permitted to make trial ...
//christianbookshelf.org/unknown/jesus says so/jesus says so.htm

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
... an entire week; by many, for two weeks; taking no sustenance till the evening of
each day ... Let every season, either of public or private fasting, be a ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 27 upon our lords.htm

Homiletical.
... Evening fell, and darkness came on, and even then he could hardly be ... Has thy need
for taking food passed away? ... may be placed at a similar season in another year ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/basil/basil letters and select works/iv homiletical.htm

Acts vii. 54
... 419] I would have thee admire how even in a season of calamity ... body, gets good for
his soul, in attending at evening and morning ... "and after taking food for the ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xviii acts vii 54.htm

Answers to Prayer
... watched the principal papers, and the same evening saw a ... I know of in the neighborhood
at that season. ... recovered to her usual habits of taking food and sleeping ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/the wonders of prayer/answers to prayer.htm

The Miraculous Feeding of the Five Thousand
... viz., what direction the boat was taking, should have ... be longer or shorter according
to the season of the ... It was the first evening' when the disciples, whose ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxix the miraculous feeding.htm

After the Whole People had Been Freed from all Distress...
... no one should eat any food until evening, and until ... these points, as if he were merely
taking an oath ... the virgins assembling at the same season should bewail ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily xiv after the whole.htm