The Drink Offering

by R.F. LUNDWILL,Vancouver, B.C. | Category: General | Jun 1963

The drink offering is not mentioned among the Levitical offerings of Leviticus chapters 1-7. The first significant mention of it is found in Exodus 29.40, 41, "And with the one lamb a tenth part of an ephah of fine 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. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meal offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD."

Before dealing with the teaching on the particular occasions where it is mentioned, it is important to remember that a "drink offering" was an offering poured out in honour of the God of Israel. It consisted of wine which speaks of joy. The psalmist says, "Wine ... maketh glad the heart of man ... " (Psalm 104.15). The responsibility of pouring out the drink offering belonged to the priests only, and was always associated with the holy place and "the place of the Name".

The heathen honoured their gods, and showed great zeal in pouring out to them their drink offerings. It was God's longing that His people should silence the reproach of the heathen by magnifying His name, and declaring His glory amongst them. The psalmist expresses it thus,

"Declare His glory among the nations,

His marvellous works among all the peoples.

For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised

He is to be feared above all gods" (Psalm 96.3, 4).

What are the heathen gods? "Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands" (Psalm 115.4).

How sad the record of Israel's failure ! Alas, they preferred to pour out libations to heathen deities. They rejected their King when they desired a king like unto other nations (1 Samuel 8.7). They rejected their God by seeking after the gods of other nations, and entering into all the wickedness associated with them.

In the Levitical offerings which have been dealt with in previous articles, we view in type the marvellous provision of God in Christ. When the Scriptures speak of the drink offering, it is always linked with the sweet savour offerings. Thus we understand that it was always associated with a sacrifice. The drink offering was an "act" of homage to God.

In Exodus 29 a continual burnt offering was to be offered morning and evening. The day ended as it began, with a sweet savour rising unto the God of Israel, and with each of these lambs there was to be offered a fourth part of an hin of beaten oil, which was mingled in the meal offering of a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour, and a fourth part of an hin of wine. We understand an hin to be approximately six quarts and there was to be an equal portion of oil and wine.

The drink offerings had in view the time when Israel would enter into the land. The order of the offerings in Numbers 28 and 29 is most significant. In Numbers 28 we note that day by day the continual burnt offering was to be offered unto the LORD. With the continual burnt offering morning and evening was the meal offering mingled with oil, and the drink offering. In each case the measure was in accordance with the measure of Exodus 29, an equal portion of oil and wine. Thus in type a fragrance of Christ ascended Godward daily throughout the year. The psalmist perhaps had the morning sacrifice in mind when he wrote Psalm 30.5. Truly we should have the eternal morning in view as well, when this joy shall never end, and we shall join the refrain of praise to God. As we meditate on this precious thought, we might contrast our feeble praise of today with what it shall be on that blessed morrow, and consider the words of the hymn writer:

"Great God, forgive our feeble lays,

Sound out Thine own eternal praise,

A song so vast, a theme so high,

Calls for the voice that tuned the sky."

On the Sabbath, and upon feast days, a bullock, a ram and seven lambs were to be offered in accordance with the prescribed number for that specific day. Each offering was accompanied by a meal offering mingled with oil, and the drink offering. One point which stands out is the portion of drink offering for each animal. For the bullock, the largest animal to be offered, there was a half an hin of wine for a drink offering. For the ram, there was a third of an hin of wine. For the lamb, there was a quarter of an hin of wine. The priest, who continually knew that consistent joy associated with the daily morning and evening sacrifice, would no doubt come into the precious experience of overflowing with joy, and would enter into the blessed rejoicing of each event in the ceremonial life of God's people.

"Sing unto the LORD; for He hath done excellent things let this be known in all the earth. Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (Isaiah 12.5, 6).

R.F. LUNDWILL,Vancouver, B.C. | Jun 1963
General