“And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty” (1Sa_20:25). I shall look at these words in the spirit of accommodation to the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. There, too, will be a feast, a feast provided not by an earthly king, but by Him who is the King of kings. Let us consider some of the reasons which may probably be assigned for these vacant places.
1. But some places are empty. Some are empty, and we may envy the men and women, brothers and sisters in Christ, who once sat there, but will sit there no more. They are gone to claim the inheritance of which the Lord said, “I will give it you.”
2. But other places are vacant not through this heavenly translation. And as we ask, “Where are they who usually occupy them?” the answer comes, “They are suffering under the Lord’s hand.” Yes, many places are empty for this reason, and where this is the reason the vacancy is no reproach.
3. Sometimes David’s place is empty because he is engaged in Christian work.
4. Other places, too, are vacant from motives which are entitled to tender consideration, and which also require as tender correction. They fear they are not in a true and befitting mood for the sacrament. They are cold. They know not bow it is, but somehow the spiritual temperature is low.
5. But other places are empty for reasons less worthy. Their blank spaces tell, it may be, of hearts that are dying through habitual sin, or habitual neglect of the very conditions of life. (E. Mailer, D. D.)
The empty place: A Christmas Day sermon
I. The empty place in the persecutor’s house: “David’s place was empty.” David had good reason for vacating his place at Saul’s table, for the passionate king was so malicious, and so embittered against him, that he sought his life. The child of a Roman noble had stepped into some little place where humble and unlettered people met to hear the gospel preached, to sing songs in the name of Jesus, and to keep holy one day in the week; and there that youthful heart had learnt the story of the cross, and by the grace of God had been brought to love the Saviour. As soon as the fact was made known, the officers of justice would take away the child from the father’s house, and hale the young believer off to prison, and so another seat was empty. You know how it was in our own land, how many a seat was empty during the persecutions of Queen Mary. If martyr days should come back again, could we vacate our places? Could the husband let his wife and children go for Christ’s sake?
II. There is another place which sometimes becomes empty, that is, the place of sinful pleasures. This empty place is the result of the working of God’s grace in the heart.
III. The place of our occupation has been empty.
IV. During the past year, many of you now present have had a place is the assembly of God’s people.
V. I have now to say just a few words specially to the members of the church about their place at the prayer meeting.
VI. There is another David’s place that is sometimes empty, and that ought not to be so, it is the place of christian service.
VII. Again, I hope that our place at the Lord’s table will not be empty at any time when it is possible for us to occupy it.
VIII. When you will be keeping the Christmas feast, there will be many family gatherings, and in those family gatherings there will be some households where David’s place will be empty.
IX. There will be no empty place in heaven. In that great family gathering up above, they will not be able to say, “David’s place is empty.” (C. H. Spurgeon.)
