A drink offering, also referred to as a libation, is an act of pouring out wine or another liquid as an offering to God. It was a common practice in the Old Testament, often accompanying animal sacrifices or grain offerings. Here is an overview of what the Bible teaches about drink offerings:
Origin and Purpose of Drink Offerings
Drink offerings appear early in the Bible. In Genesis 35:14, Jacob sets up a pillar and pours a drink offering on it. Exodus 29:40-41 prescribes drink offerings to accompany the regular burnt offerings. The purpose was to acknowledge God’s provision and dedicate a portion back to Him (Deuteronomy 12:17). It expressed thankfulness, dedication and consecration to the Lord.
Drink offerings were a form of sacrifice and worship. The liquid was poured out at the altar as a symbolic act of pouring oneself out before God. The offering was not meant to quench God’s thirst, but to honor Him (Psalm 50:13). The LORD instructed drink offerings to remind Israel of their covenant relationship with Him (Exodus 25:29, 30:9).
Instructions for Drink Offerings
The Bible provides instructions for drink offerings:
- They were to be made of wine (Numbers 15:5, 7, 10). Usually red wine.
- No intoxicating drink was permitted (Leviticus 10:8-9).
- They were poured out at the base of the altar (Deuteronomy 32:38).
- They were often accompanied by grain and animal sacrifices (Numbers 15:1-16).
- Specific amounts were prescribed, usually a fraction of a hin of wine (Exodus 29:40, Numbers 28). A hin is about one gallon.
- Music and singing sometimes accompanied the offering (Isaiah 24:9).
- They were made by priests on behalf of the people (Joel 1:9, 13).
Drink offerings were part of Israel’s ceremonial worship system. The details and instructions showed the importance of making the offerings according to God’s guidelines.
The Significance of Drink Offerings
Drink offerings held deeper spiritual significance:
- They represented devotion and sacrifice to honor God.
- Pouring out the wine was symbolic of pouring out one’s life to the Lord with a willing, obedient heart.
- The wine, representing blood, pointed to atonement and redemption through sacrifice.
- They prefigured Jesus’ blood poured out on the cross as a drink offering (Luke 22:20).
The drink offering was more than a ritual – it was a picture of consecration and redemption. The prophet Isaiah used wine and drink offerings as symbols of judgment, redemption and salvation that would come through the Messiah (Isaiah 25:6, 62:8-9).
Drink Offerings in the New Testament
In the New Testament, drink offerings took on new meaning:
- Jesus alluded to his death as a drink offering (Matthew 20:22-23, Mark 10:38-39, Luke 12:50).
- Paul spoke of his life as a drink offering poured out to God (Philippians 2:17, 2 Timothy 4:6).
- Peter taught that priests were no longer needed to offer sacrifices and offerings (1 Peter 2:5).
- The book of Hebrews explains that Christ’s sacrifice made other sacrifices and offerings obsolete.
While literal drink offerings are no longer practiced, the principles behind them remain relevant. Believers are called to live as “living sacrifices” devoted to God (Romans 12:1). Their worship involves offerings of praise, doing good, generosity and service to others for the sake of Christ (Hebrews 13:15-16).
Examples of Drink Offerings in the Bible
Here are some biblical examples of drink offerings:
- Genesis 35:14 – Jacob poured a drink offering on a pillar and anointed it with oil.
- Exodus 29:38-41 – Daily drink offerings of wine were prescribed to accompany lamb offerings.
- Leviticus 23:12-13 – Burnt offerings were made along with corresponding grain and drink offerings.
- Numbers 15:1-10 – Laws regulated the proper amounts of grain, animals and wine for offerings.
- Numbers 28:7 – Drink offerings were made with the regular morning and evening sacrifices.
- 2 Samuel 23:15-17 – When David craved water from a well, he poured it out as an offering rather than drinking it.
- Psalm 16:4 – Pagans offered drink offerings of blood to their idols.
- Isaiah 57:6 – God refused drink offerings from deceitful people.
- Jeremiah 7:18 – Offerings made to the Queen of Heaven provoked the Lord’s anger.
- Hosea 9:4 – Offerings became meaningless and unacceptable because of Israel’s unfaithfulness.
These passages give examples of drink offerings in historical accounts, worship settings, poetry and prophecy. They illustrate how drink offerings were a regular part of Israel’s worship and could either please God or provoke Him based on the offerer’s heart.
Lessons from Drink Offerings
Though no longer required, drink offerings in the Bible teach valuable lessons:
- God deserves honor, worship and wholehearted commitment.
- Offerings express love, gratitude and dependence on the Lord.
- Sacrifice involves pouring oneself out in service to God.
- God cares about obedience and the condition of the offerer’s heart.
- All offerings foreshadow Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.
Drink offerings remind believers today to offer their lives as living sacrifices, serving God with pure motives and wholehearted devotion. Though external rituals are no longer required, the principles behind them remain guiding lights.
The theme of pouring out one’s life as an offering to the Lord culminates in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He poured out his blood that people might find redemption. Believers now make offerings of praise, doing good and generosity – not ritual drink offerings.
While literal drink offerings are obsolete in Christian practice, their symbolic lessons still instruct and inspire worshipers today to pour themselves out in love and service to the Lord.
Controversies Surrounding Drink Offerings
There are some controversies surrounding drink offerings in the Bible:
- Alcohol use – Some believe the wine used in offerings contained low alcohol or was essentially grape juice. Others argue it was fermented, alcoholic wine.
- Pagan parallels – Drink offerings were common in pagan religions, raising questions about their origin for Israel.
- Health concerns – Pouring wine on altars may have attracted insects that spread disease.
- Waste – Some view pouring out wine as wasteful since it could have been drunk.
- Blood prohibition – Animal blood was forbidden, yet wine symbolized blood in offerings.
There are reasonable counterarguments to these concerns. God permitted wine in moderation. Similar practices in other religions do not negate God establishing the ritual for Israel. There were safeguards against disease. The symbolic act was supreme, despite the waste. Finally, wine was acceptable as a symbol but actual blood was still prohibited.
Common Questions about Drink Offerings
Here are answers to some common questions about drink offerings:
- Why wine? Wine was prescribed since it was the common drink of the time. As a fruit of the earth, it was a fitting offering representing the drinker’s life.
- Were other liquids used? While wine was the liquid specified in the law, there were some instances of other liquids like water being poured as offerings.
- Who could make drink offerings? Priests made official drink offerings on behalf of the people. But individuals also made personal vow offerings.
- When were they made? Daily offerings accompanied the regular morning and evening sacrifices. More were offered on Sabbaths, festivals and with personal offerings.
- Should they be practiced today? No, the New Testament makes clear that Christ’s sacrifice fulfilled and ended the sacrificial system.
Gaining background about historical and biblical details helps answer common practical questions about this form of worship.
Conclusion
Drink offerings were an integral form of Old Testament worship, prescribed by God to represent devotion and thanks. The offerings looked forward to the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. Though no longer mandated as ritual worship, drink offerings illustrate essential spiritual principles of sacrifice that still apply today. Believers can honor God through Christ-centered living and kingdom service.