Drinking Cups

"Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup." (Psalm 11: 6)

"For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them." (Psalm 75: 8)

We all have our cups for daily use in drinking. Some have favorite cups, special cups that are favored for daily use and also cups favored for their connection with past memeories. Kings also have their royal cups. Physicians also have their "cups" for the giving and dosing out of concoctions for healing remedies.

The word "cup" is sometimes used for the container itself, while other times the word "cup" speaks primarily for the liquid drink the container holds. Sometimes the cup will contain that which is good, healthy, and delightful to the taste. Othertimes, the cup will contain poison, that which is as awful tasting as gall and vinegar.

The Bible speaks of two primary cups that the Lord has prepared for all to drink. One is the cup of judgment and the other the cup of salvation. The first of these cups is thus described in the opening verses above. All the wicked will be forced to drink of the cup of God's wrath. Notice these other verses that speak of that coming day when all the wicked of the earth will be made to drink of the cup of the Lord's fury.

"For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it...And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them. Then took I the cup at the LORD's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me: To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day." (Jeremiah 25: 15-18)

"Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out...Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over." (Isaiah 51: 17, 21-23)

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." (Revelation 14: 10)

"...and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." (Revelation 16: 19)

"I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much...Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria." (Ezekiel 23: 30-33)

"Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD's right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory." (Habakkuk 2: 16)

Oh the awful destiny involved in drinking of such an awful cup! The good news is - Jesus has drank that cup for every sinner who comes to him! Sinners thus are spared personally having to drink of this cup of divine wrath! In its place, the converted sinner is given a new cup to drink, the cup of salvation. But, notice these verses on Jesus having to drink the bitter cup on our behalf.

"But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup..." (Matthew 20: 22, 23)

"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt...He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." (Matthew 26: 39, 42)

"Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18: 11)

"And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves...Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22: 17, 20)

Thus, for the believer in Jesus, the cup of misery was drank by Christ in order that sinners might not have to drink of it, and in order that he might receive the cup of salvation in its stead. What good news! Christians memorialize this cup, and the wine within it, as emblems of both the New Covenant (Testament) and of the blood of Jesus, the blood that saves and atones, in the ordinance of the "Eucharist" or "Lord's Supper."

"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?...Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils."
(I Corinthians 10: 16, 21)

"After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me...For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come...Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." (I Corinthians 11: 25, 26-28)

Which are you drinking? The cup of devils? Or, the cup of the Lord? At who's table are we eating, spiritually, the table of the world, or the table of the Lord? Are we sipping of the cup of God's wrath even now? Are you in great adverse circumstances because of your sins? Is this not a bitter cup? But, thankfully, the Lord has provided another cup for you, the cup of joy and peace, the cup of salvation. Oh how sweet and delicious is this heavenly gospel elixir!

"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot." (Psalm 16: 5)

"What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. " (Psalm 116: 12, 13)

In the day of judgment, it will be so harsh on the wicked, the Lord not even giving to those in Hell the smallest refreshing drink (Luke 16: 24), promising that the judgment will be so hard, the cup so bitter, that "neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink (to ease their pain) for their father or for their mother." (Jeremiah 16: 6, 7)

Will you, my friend, "take" the "cup of salvation" and "call upon the name of the Lord"?