God Refuses

I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor will I take their names upon my lips. Psalm 16:4

Not Pour – God says, “No!”  We don’t think of God as the one who refuses to accept our offerings and supplications, but that’s due to our arrogance.  God makes it very clear that He refuses to engage in any activity that smears His character.  You’ll say, “Of course.  Of course God wouldn’t listen to these worshippers of false gods.”  But don’t be quite so quick.  There is a bit more here than you might imagine (there usually is, isn’t there?).

The Hebrew phrase bal-asikh comes from the root nasak.  Instructions about the drink offering (which was usually wine) are found in Numbers 28.  There are two unusual characteristics of the drink offering.  First, it was not consumed.  It was simply poured out on the ground.  Most human beings would consider this a waste.  After all, the Hebrew text indicates that this is to be “old” wine, i.e. high quality.  Who would take a bottle of Chateau Lafite and empty it on the ground?  No one in his right mind!  Except, of course, someone who was willing to pour out the very best as a symbolic representation of the nature of God (hold on, you’ll see).  The second characteristic is that the drink offering was always made in conjunction with another offering.  It was never done on its own.   The drink offering demonstrated consecration to the Lord but it was always connected with sacrifice.  (To see how Christians have interpreted this, click here.  And if you want to see a midrash application by Wilkerson, you can go here.)

With this in mind, we can look at the text.  The first thing that we notice is that the expression is backwards.  God says, “I shall not pour out.”  But the drink offering is not about God’s action.  It’s about human beings pouring out their offering before God.  God accepts the offering.  He does not make it!  So, why does this statement reverse the actors?  Think about it.  Those who worship false gods offer themselves to their gods by presenting their best to the god.  They hope that their offering will appease the god and they will be granted favor.  In other words, they strike a bargain.  They make a deal.  “I’ll give you my best effort and you reward me.”  Their goal is to gain, not to empty.  They act in direct opposition to the character and attitude of the Lord (see Philippians 2:6-8, which is God’s ultimate example of the drink offering).  God accepts the proper drink offering as a symbol of His ultimate offering.  He will pour out Himself for His chosen.  He will empty Himself on our behalf.  Our drink offering only hints at a much greater drink offering – the offering of God Himself.  The instructions concerning the drink offering always connect it with another sacrifice, just as Yeshua’s voluntary emptying is connected with His sacrifice.  God does not pour Himself out for those who do not worship Him.  He will not accept their symbolic representation of dedication and consecration because they are not His children.  They serve other gods, therefore, they have refused the drink offering that God Himself makes. They want their version of a drink offering to substitute for God’s drink offering.  In other words, they take on God’s role and, in the process, deny His character.

This verse displays biblical reciprocity (measure for measure).  Those who worship false gods reject God’s offering.  In so doing, they separate themselves from any action taken by God on their behalf.  God says, “No!” because they have already said, “We do not acknowledge You.”  They are guilty of precisely what Paul describes in Romans 1:21.

God pours Himself out for everyone, but not everyone receives His gift.  Those who think that sacrifice is a means of gaining God’s favor have insulted the God who empties Himself.  They reject God’s gift because they come to God with bartering on their minds.  God will not accept such arrogance.

Perhaps we would do well to re-examine our own motives.  Do we come ready to empty ourselves, in accordance with the character of the God we serve?  Or are we expecting God to do something for us since we have done something for Him?

Topical Index:  drink offering, pour out, nasak, Psalm 16:4, Philippians 2:6-8