Poured Out as a Drink Offering

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

In the text above, Paul is wrapping up this letter to Timothy, his true child in the faith. He is in prison in Rome, and expects his Christian race to end. Verse six says that Paul has been poured out as a drink offering. The Old Testament has nearly four dozen references to drink offerings, and the New Testament has two (the above passage and Philippians 2:17, also wrote by Paul).

When described as to their function before God, drink offerings are described as having a “pleasing aroma” (Leviticus 23:13, 23:18; Numbers 15:1-10) to the LORD. Drink offerings were consumed in the fire of the altar as they were either wine or a stronger alcohol (Numbers 28:7). They were offered not for atonement, but rather for peace, grain, and burnt offerings. Paul used this language to describe this: He has been poured out by the Lord Jesus Christ, led by Christ and enabled by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel. Paul was a man consumed by His Master’s love, freely offering himself as a sacrifice and exhorting believers to do the same (Romans 12:1-2). The result was a life lived constantly being poured out as drink offering by the Lord Jesus Christ, constantly producing a pleasing aroma to the Lord. The text says he was already being poured out, and there isn’t a sign this condition would change while in prison even though his time for death had come.

Verse six gripped me a couple of weeks ago and I desire to know the fullness of its implications for Christians. What does it mean for us to be poured out as a drink offering? It means there is no room for “us” as slaves of Jesus Christ. There is no room for what we want if it is outside of diligently praying and seeking the will of God through the Word of God. There is no room for compromising what the Scriptures say for what is easier for us to do or less challenging. We have been bought with a price, Jesus’ very own blood has secured redemption in that we are no longer enslaved to sin but enslaved to Him. He is the King of Glory. We are dust.

Lord willing, by the end of the week I will write about what took place in Dallas on Saturday and Arlington yesterday. Thank you for all of your prayers!