Yesterday we discussed the symbolism of the bread in the Meat Offering in the ancient Israeli ceremony. Along with the bread offering in the Meat Offering, is also the drink offering. Today we will see that the drink offering is just as practical to a Christian's life as the bread offering.
God's instructions for the wine were given in Exodus along with other laws of sacrifice. And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. (Ex 29:40) This was wine which was poured out on the ground during this offering. The pouring out represents shed blood of our Savior as he purchased our salvation. In the following scripture where Jesus discussed eating his flesh and drinking his blood, it turned some people away from him because they took it literally. Without a spiritual understanding it does not seem right to people.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (Jn 6:54-56) The wine of the communion service symbolizes the blood of the New Covenant. All those years the priest poured out the wine because the Messiah had not yet come to earth. Do no drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor they sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. (Lev 10:9) What a privilege for us to eat and drink of our savior by having the Spirit living inside us.
It is interesting that when Jesus became our High Priest he said And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. (Lk 22:17) Jesus did not drink wine that night as he began his suffering for our sin. Our Savior is still following that law by not drinking wine in the tabernacle of the heavens above. After we settle in the new earth Jesus will once again drink with his friends.
As Christians, we are to pour out the drink offering still today. However, it is not a cup of wine, but our lives. The apostle Paul said that his life was being poured out for our good. It was his privilege to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and this job took everything he had in life. The two verses that tell us this are difficult to understand in the King James Version. They are found in Phil 2:17, Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all and 2 Tim 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
When Paul says it is joyous to be offered, we need to understand what that means. The word "offered" in the common Greek is described in the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance number 4689 which in English is "being poured out as a liquid sacrifice." We are to offer our lives to God as living sacrifices and pour them out for His sake and His people. When looking in the Old Testament for this offering you will find many warnings against pouring the drink offering out to a strange god. Are people today pouring out their lives to God or to worldly endeavors?
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