The Cross and its Shadow

Chapter 19-The Drink-Offering

The drink-offering was celebrated long before the sanctuary service was instituted at Sinai. After the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel and said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob [a supplanter], ¹ but Israel [a prince of God]” “shall be thy name,” ² Jacob felt so grateful to the Lord that he set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, and poured out a drink-offering thereon, ⁴ showing his willingness to pour out his life, if necessary, for the cause of God. The drink-offering was wine, but was never drunk by either priest or people; it was poured out before the Lord. No doubt wine was chosen for the drink-offering for the same reason that it was used in the celebration of the Lord’s supper, as an emblem of the life of Christ, who “poured out His soul unto death,” to redeem a lost race. CIS 136.1

The drink-offering, like the meat-offering, was offered with burnt-offerings, for “an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord.” ⁶ When Israel departed from the Lord, the drink-offering was often used in their idolatrous worship. ⁷ Drink-offerings were never poured on the altar of incense, ⁸ but always in the court, for they typified things which transpired in the antitypical court-the earth. CIS 136.2

The pouring out of the drink-offering was no doubt an emblem of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. ⁹ Paul used the beautiful type of pouring the drink-offering upon the burnt-offering, and the consuming of all upon the altar, as an illustration of his life fully surrendered to God’s service. “Holding forth the word of life;” he said, “that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain.... Yea, and if I be poured forth upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy; and rejoice with you all.” ¹⁰ When the three mighty warriors for the love they bore David risked their lives to bring him a drink from the well of Bethlehem, David considered the water too sacred to drink, for they had “put their lives in jeopardy” to obtain it; therefore he “poured it out to the Lord.” ¹¹ CIS 137.1

The drink-offering was a type of Christ’s life poured out for us, and the antitype can be repeated in the life of every one who, like Paul, rejoices in being poured forth upon the sacrifice and consumed upon the altar. CIS 137.2

The drink-offering is no doubt referred to in Judges 9:13 where wine is said to “cheer God and man.” It is not the wine drunk at the table with friends, but wine used at the altar. CIS 138.1

The wine of the drink-offering truly gladdened the heart of God and man; for like the water of Bethlehem poured out by David, it represented, when offered in sincerity, the pouring out of the heart or life of the sinner before God. CIS 138.2

When Hannah gave Samuel to the sanctuary, she brought a bottle of wine with the animal for a burnt-offering. It was after she had expressed the full surrender of her only son to the Lord by her burnt-offering and the wine of the drink-offering, that she could fill the temple court with her voice of praise and thanksgiving. ¹² CIS 138.3

Type	Antitype
Genesis 35:14. The drink-offering was poured out before the Lord.	Isaiah 53:12. Christ “poured out His soul unto death.”
Numbers 15:10. It was poured over the burnt-offering on the altar, and consumed. The burning was a sweet savor, acceptable to God.	Philippians 2:16, 17, margin. The one who fully surrenders his life for the Lord’s service, pours his life upon the sacrifice of Christ, to be spent for the glory of God, as His life was spent.