I only visit with my brother about once or twice a year. He is kind to let my wife and I stay in his house when we come to town for family functions. It was Thanksgiving week and we sat reading in the living room, and my daily reading was Psalm 116. When I read verse 13, “I shall lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord,” I mused that I did not know what the psalmist was referring to. Up to this point in the psalm there is not the least context hint of what the psalmist is doing or where he is. The rest of the psalm does give hints but could be taken several ways. So, I asked my brother if the cup of salvation was a celebratory cup at a feast or a cup of oblation before the altar. He whipped out his laptop and went commentary hunting on his Bible software. A number of commentators offered both possibilities as explanation, but there began to be a weight of evidence from the cross-references to other Scripture passages that leaned heavily toward cup of oblation. Scripture is always the best way to interpret Scripture, because it never contradicts and always tells the truth. Psalm 16:4-5 says, “
“The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor will I take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.”
David gives hint at two types of cup here, both the drink offering of idols he will not sacrifice and the cup of abundant supply he has been allotted by God. A quick survey of the uses of cup throughout the Bible reveals that cup is a symbol for God’s provision. The majority of its uses are for the provision of wrath and judgement for the wicked. Other uses include drink offerings of idols, abundant provision of health and supplies for living, and soul salvation.
In Leviticus 17:11 it says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” Here God is explaining why the blood is drained out of a sacrifice and why He commands that blood be drained out of a slaughtered animal before cooking and eating it. The priest would lift up the cup of blood collected from the sacrificed animal, sprinkle some of it on the sacrifice on the altar, and pour most of it at the base of the altar. (ex. Leviticus 4:7,18,25; 5:9) Some small amounts were used for various ceremonies of sanctifying (setting apart) by sprinkling or rubbing some the blood on the the person or object (ex. Leviticus 1:5, 9:12, 14:14, 16:14). This cup of blood is very significant to the understanding of the sacrifice and its symbolic nature. God clearly explains why a sacrifice is accepted in place of the death of the sinner: “to make atonement for your souls” (v.11). God is accepting a life sacrifice in place of the life of a guilty sinner.
But, “Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” (Hebrew 9:9-10) Old Testament sacrifices were temporary “sweeping sins under the carpet” as it were. A better sacrifice was needed.
David mentions the context of the cup. He is fulfilling a vow in a certain place and way, in the temple:
“in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.” (Psalm 119:18-19)
It seems that His vow is to publicly thank and worship God as David raises the “cup of salvation”, the blood to be sprinkled by the priest on the offering.
And this cup of salvation has its fulfillment in Christ, who “not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”(Hebrews 9:12) The blood of Christ is an abundant supply that satisfies the wrath of God for everyone who believes. At the Passover meal, the Last Supper, Jesus “took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Jesus raised the cup of salvation which He explains symbolizes His blood.
Our worship is a raising of the cup of salvation in thanksgiving for what He has accomplished. David raised it before the fact. Jesus raised it just before the fact, then raised it by His own sacrifice. We raise it in memoriam of what Christ did for us.
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