A Drink Offering For The World
Blessings and a good, good day to all who celebrate Jesus as their Savior!
Today we come to a very interesting text from the Apostle Paul. He draws our attention to an Old Testament practice and makes application to his own life of service. Hear what he says and let us seek to understand how his words can apply to our own lives.
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Philippians 2:17-18
The understanding of a “drink offering” is found in the worship practices of God’s Old Testament people. It is first found in the life of Jacob. Immediately after God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, he set up a pillar which was common to mark a significant event. Having set up the pillar he poured on wine and oil, and the Old Testament declared that it was a drink offering (Genesis 35:14).
Then as the worship life of the Old Testament people was set forth in the book of Numbers, drink offerings are prescribed as part of the sacrifice of any animal upon the altar of God. Different amounts of wine were prescribed depending on the size of the animal. This is seen in the amount of wine poured into the fire when a lamb is sacrificed versus a ram, and then what is required when a bull is sacrificed. If we are to understand it correctly, the smoke of the sacrifice rising to God is a pleasing aroma to Him. Part of what makes it pleasing is that when the wine is poured into the fire and mixed with the sacrifice itself the smoke takes on a different aroma. This would make no sense to anyone other than the people of God for whom it was prescribed.
The words of Jesus in Luke 22 when He institutes the Lord's Supper say this, “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” If we are to understand this aspect of what Jesus is saying in light of the Old Testament sacrifices, then as the Lamb of God is offered in the fire of judgment as He hangs up on the cross, the wine poured out as a drink offering makes the sacrifice a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable to the Father.
With this understanding as our context, Paul is saying that his work and labor in the Gospel ministry is an offering to God and that as he is poured out as a drink offering all will be acceptable to God. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, is an allusion to his own death as a martyr of the Gospel. Paul understood clearly the cost which was being paid by many who named Jesus as Lord, and he understood his life would be one of sacrifice both in service and in death.
Paul continues with the words, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Paul has just spoken of his life being poured out as a drink offering to God in service of the Gospel. How can he follow this idea with the word “rejoice”? Is it even possible to look upon your own death with a since of joy? Should we not rather be apprehensive and fearful?
Paul shows us the truth of faith as he speaks of his life and service to God. He understands, as should we, that we are given a very limited time in this world, and we should use our time wisely for the things which bring glory to God. Paul would be the first to say that death is always the enemy. Death was never part of God’s plan or desire for His people. Death came into existence through sin, and it has spread through all creation. But Paul would also be the first to declare that death is a defeated enemy. The moment Jesus was “quickened” in the tomb, death was overcome and its days became numbered.
The fear of death has been replaced with the joy of salvation. Every believer in Christ knows the day will come when our mortal life in this world will come to an end. And while we may fear the mode of death we face because none of us wants to suffer, we do not fear death itself! We know that death is but a doorway to the presence of God. This is the promise we have received from our Savior and He is faithful.
So, what is Paul asking of his readers and us when he says You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me? What is Paul’s joy? That he has labored in the lives of the Philippian people for the glory of God in Christ. Because they have come to faith in Christ and now share with him in salvation, he has reason to rejoice.
What is he asking of them? Paul wants them to know the joy which is to be theirs as they give themselves in service to God on behalf of others. The work of the Kingdom is to continue well beyond Paul himself. And it is to the glory of God that it has!
Think about it! You may be one for whom Paul is continually rejoicing now. Even as one seed gives way to a new tree, which in generations to come will give way to many more trees, so the Gospel has come down to us from all who have come before us.
If you could possibly trace your lineage of faith, who would it take you back to? Trace it back in your mind. Your parents, from their parents, then possibly a great uncle, and that from his best friend, from that man’s parents, and so on and so on. The lineage would go back to Europe and then back to the Middle East to one of those first believers.
Who is in heaven right now rejoicing over the faith which lives in your heart? Was it a person who witnessed a great miracle of Jesus? Could it have been a pilgrim who sat and listened to Jesus as He preached the sermon on the mount? Or maybe it was one of those who looked on from afar and saw Him die! It might even be Mary who sat outside the tomb and wept on Easter Sunday morning, who became the first witness of Jesus and the first to proclaim the Gospel of the resurrection. Would your lineage trace back to Peter or even to Paul himself? The point is that the line of faith in which you stand has come to you from some person who was there in the day of Jesus. Your faith did not simply pop up out of nowhere! You are part of a long history of the Gospel ministry and there is someone in heaven who is rejoicing that their labor has born fruit in your life.
May we have ample reason to rejoice as we stand in eternity and celebrate Jesus!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Today we come to a very interesting text from the Apostle Paul. He draws our attention to an Old Testament practice and makes application to his own life of service. Hear what he says and let us seek to understand how his words can apply to our own lives.
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Philippians 2:17-18
The understanding of a “drink offering” is found in the worship practices of God’s Old Testament people. It is first found in the life of Jacob. Immediately after God changed his name from Jacob to Israel, he set up a pillar which was common to mark a significant event. Having set up the pillar he poured on wine and oil, and the Old Testament declared that it was a drink offering (Genesis 35:14).
Then as the worship life of the Old Testament people was set forth in the book of Numbers, drink offerings are prescribed as part of the sacrifice of any animal upon the altar of God. Different amounts of wine were prescribed depending on the size of the animal. This is seen in the amount of wine poured into the fire when a lamb is sacrificed versus a ram, and then what is required when a bull is sacrificed. If we are to understand it correctly, the smoke of the sacrifice rising to God is a pleasing aroma to Him. Part of what makes it pleasing is that when the wine is poured into the fire and mixed with the sacrifice itself the smoke takes on a different aroma. This would make no sense to anyone other than the people of God for whom it was prescribed.
The words of Jesus in Luke 22 when He institutes the Lord's Supper say this, “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” If we are to understand this aspect of what Jesus is saying in light of the Old Testament sacrifices, then as the Lamb of God is offered in the fire of judgment as He hangs up on the cross, the wine poured out as a drink offering makes the sacrifice a sweet smelling aroma and acceptable to the Father.
With this understanding as our context, Paul is saying that his work and labor in the Gospel ministry is an offering to God and that as he is poured out as a drink offering all will be acceptable to God. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, is an allusion to his own death as a martyr of the Gospel. Paul understood clearly the cost which was being paid by many who named Jesus as Lord, and he understood his life would be one of sacrifice both in service and in death.
Paul continues with the words, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Paul has just spoken of his life being poured out as a drink offering to God in service of the Gospel. How can he follow this idea with the word “rejoice”? Is it even possible to look upon your own death with a since of joy? Should we not rather be apprehensive and fearful?
Paul shows us the truth of faith as he speaks of his life and service to God. He understands, as should we, that we are given a very limited time in this world, and we should use our time wisely for the things which bring glory to God. Paul would be the first to say that death is always the enemy. Death was never part of God’s plan or desire for His people. Death came into existence through sin, and it has spread through all creation. But Paul would also be the first to declare that death is a defeated enemy. The moment Jesus was “quickened” in the tomb, death was overcome and its days became numbered.
The fear of death has been replaced with the joy of salvation. Every believer in Christ knows the day will come when our mortal life in this world will come to an end. And while we may fear the mode of death we face because none of us wants to suffer, we do not fear death itself! We know that death is but a doorway to the presence of God. This is the promise we have received from our Savior and He is faithful.
So, what is Paul asking of his readers and us when he says You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me? What is Paul’s joy? That he has labored in the lives of the Philippian people for the glory of God in Christ. Because they have come to faith in Christ and now share with him in salvation, he has reason to rejoice.
What is he asking of them? Paul wants them to know the joy which is to be theirs as they give themselves in service to God on behalf of others. The work of the Kingdom is to continue well beyond Paul himself. And it is to the glory of God that it has!
Think about it! You may be one for whom Paul is continually rejoicing now. Even as one seed gives way to a new tree, which in generations to come will give way to many more trees, so the Gospel has come down to us from all who have come before us.
If you could possibly trace your lineage of faith, who would it take you back to? Trace it back in your mind. Your parents, from their parents, then possibly a great uncle, and that from his best friend, from that man’s parents, and so on and so on. The lineage would go back to Europe and then back to the Middle East to one of those first believers.
Who is in heaven right now rejoicing over the faith which lives in your heart? Was it a person who witnessed a great miracle of Jesus? Could it have been a pilgrim who sat and listened to Jesus as He preached the sermon on the mount? Or maybe it was one of those who looked on from afar and saw Him die! It might even be Mary who sat outside the tomb and wept on Easter Sunday morning, who became the first witness of Jesus and the first to proclaim the Gospel of the resurrection. Would your lineage trace back to Peter or even to Paul himself? The point is that the line of faith in which you stand has come to you from some person who was there in the day of Jesus. Your faith did not simply pop up out of nowhere! You are part of a long history of the Gospel ministry and there is someone in heaven who is rejoicing that their labor has born fruit in your life.
May we have ample reason to rejoice as we stand in eternity and celebrate Jesus!
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Recent
Archive
2024
February
May
June
August
September
October
2023
January
March
May
June
July
August
October
November
December
Categories
no categories
No Comments