The concept of the drink offering, or libation, is deeply rooted in the sacrificial practices of ancient Israel, as prescribed in the Mosaic Law. It was a ritual act of pouring out wine or other liquids as an offering to God, symbolizing the dedication and consecration of the worshiper. However, throughout the history of Israel, there were instances where the drink offering was misappropriated and offered to idols, drawing the stern reproach of the prophets and the judgment of God.

Biblical Context and Reproof

The practice of offering drink offerings to idols is explicitly condemned in the Hebrew Scriptures. The prophet Isaiah, for instance, reproves the people of Israel for their idolatrous practices, which included the offering of drink offerings to false gods. In Isaiah 57:6 , the prophet declares, "Your portion is among the smooth stones of the valley; indeed, they are your lot. Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. Should I relent because of these things?"

Jeremiah also addresses this issue, highlighting the spiritual adultery of the people who turned away from the LORD to serve other gods. In Jeremiah 7:18 , the prophet laments, "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger."

Theological Implications

The offering of drink offerings to idols was not merely a breach of ritualistic law but a profound act of unfaithfulness to the covenant relationship between God and Israel. It represented a turning away from the worship of the one true God to the worship of created things, which is a fundamental violation of the first commandment: "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).

The prophets' reproofs serve as a reminder of the seriousness with which God views idolatry. The drink offering, intended as a symbol of devotion and gratitude to God, became a symbol of Israel's infidelity when misdirected toward idols. This misappropriation of sacred rituals underscores the broader theme of Israel's struggle with idolatry throughout its history.

Consequences and Call to Repentance

The consequences of offering drink offerings to idols were severe. The prophets warned that such actions would lead to divine judgment and the eventual downfall of the nation. Jeremiah, in particular, calls the people to repentance, urging them to return to the LORD and abandon their idolatrous practices. In Jeremiah 44:25-26 , the prophet conveys God's message: "This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands your words, saying, "We will surely perform our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings to her." Go ahead, then, do what you have promised! Keep your vows! But hear the word of the LORD, all you Jews living in the land of Egypt: I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that never again will My name be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "As surely as the Lord GOD lives."'

The call to repentance is a recurring theme in the prophetic literature, emphasizing God's desire for His people to return to Him with sincere hearts and abandon their idolatrous ways. The drink offering, when offered to idols, becomes a poignant symbol of the need for spiritual renewal and fidelity to the covenant with God.Isaiah 57:5,6
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 65:11
But you are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering to that number.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 19:13
And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings to other gods.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 20:28
For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up my hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet smell, and poured out there their drink offerings.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Second Commandment
... earthquake 350 persons, while they were offering sacrifice to ... to have established
the kingdom by idolatrous worship, but ... of bread we cat; we never drink but in ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 2 the second commandment.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... deaf, and dumb deities, might have their idols rising upon ... is the altar of the
burnt-offering for Israel ... but see how God catched the idolatrous Jews, by this ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

Concerning Salutations and Recreations, &C.
... commands us, That whether we eat or drink, or whatever ... so old an origin as tithes,
and the offering of the ... that they might abstain from the idolatrous oaths of ...
/.../proposition xv concerning salutations and.htm

Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion ...
... did all eat of that spiritual bread, and drink of that ... That of Aaron, who let the
offering for sin ... as profane Esau and rejected, as idolatrous Ephraim because ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/differences in judgment about water.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... openly, but secretly, though at other times He spoke openly to the Jews, who in ... This,
too, is condemned by the eternal law, which allows meat and drink only as ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

part ii
... unto Thee; inasmuch as by the mysterious act of Thine, offering Thyself through ... it
clings to earthly delights: to food, drink, carnal pleasures; to money, to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

Is “eat, drink, and be merry” a biblical concept? | GotQuestions.org

What did Jesus mean when He said we must eat His flesh and drink His blood? | GotQuestions.org

What is a drink offering? | GotQuestions.org

Drink: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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