Daily Manna: The Drink Offering

Wednesday 11, December 2013

TEXT: NUMBERS 15:1-10

KEY VERSE: “And for a drink offering thou shalt offer the third part of an hin of wine, for a sweet savour unto the Lord” (Numbers 15:7).

Every meal in the old Roman empire ended with a kind of sacrifice. A cup of wine was taken and was poured out to the gods. Believers need to glorify the Almighty God today more than the heathens who offer sacrifices to dead gods who can do nothing. The Lord commanded the children of Israel to offer him sacrifices of praise. We first read of the drink offering in connection with the Israelites in relation to the continual burnt offering.

A lot has been written about the Levitical offerings, the burnt, the meat (or meal), the peace, the sin and the trespass offerings, but relatively little has been written about the drink offering. Therefore, it is probably the least appreciated of the offerings, despite being one of the earliest recorded (it is one of only two known to have been offered before the giving of the law in Exodus, the other being the burnt offering). This lack of understanding is probably due to the fact that it is entirely omitted from Leviticus 1-7 where all the other offerings are considered in great details and from where most of the teachings regarding the offerings are found.

The use of wine in the offering is instructive and has spiritual significance. Wine is a symbol of joy both to God and to man (Judges 9:13; Psalm 104:15), and this characterises the drink offering. It does not speak directly of Christ’s death or else the offering would be composed of blood which was poured out in animal sacrifices, or consumed by fire in picture of the judgment of God. There is no such command; indeed, the practice of offering blood as a drink offering was condemned by God (Psalm 16:4; 106:37,38). The drink offering speaks rather of God’s joy at the accomplishment of the work of Christ at Calvary.

We too are able to find joy and delight in the devotion of our fellow believers. But in a higher sense, the libation must present the thought of the believer’s joy in the devotion of the Lord Jesus Christ. His was the perfect sacrifice and in Him alone we find complete joy.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The wine is a symbol of our joy in Christ.

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