Fill my cup, please

 

What does a cup teach us about Jesus? One of the things I do in my Hebrew classes is to present studies on my students' vocabulary words. We sometimes look at how a single word is used in the Bible and observe how it supports the theology taught by the biblical authors. Recently we looked at the word for "cup."

"Cup" is often used to refer metaphorically to one's destiny in life. In the story of Joseph, both he and Pharaoh had special cups that spoke of their important position. Joseph's brothers and Pharaoh's cupbearer each found themselves at a crucial crossroads as a result of their interaction with these cups. (Genesis 40-44) The symbolism goes deeper in other verses where we are told that "Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance and my cup" (Psalm 16:5 LSB) and "Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup" (Psalm 11:6 LSB). God controls our destiny, whether positively or negatively. He even uses his cup to make the wicked drunk with his judgment:

Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,           You who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of His wrath;           The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs. (Isaiah 51:17 LSB) These and similar verses are all in the mind of Jesus when he asks the Father to take his cup from him (Matthew 26:39). But because Jesus was willing to drink the cup of God's wrath, God offers to remove from us his cup of wrath (Isaiah 51:22; Revelation 16:1) and replace it with a cup of blessing (Psalm 23:5; 116:13). Our cup of salvation would not be possible without the work of our Savior. I'm very happy with the advances of those of my students who are working hard to learn Hebrew and see Jesus in all of the Bible. Even those who get tired and decide to quit get a good introduction to the language and a better understanding of how the scriptures all fit together. Our celebration of Christmas gets richer every year as we grow in our understanding of all Jesus is and does. My students are going to get a break in their studies for much of December and the first part of January. Kristi and I are going to the States to spend some time with our kids and grandchildren. Kristi will also undergo a minor surgical procedure during our break. I'm continuing to struggle with digestive issues. I have a tentative diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which apparently can only be diagnosed by ruling everything else out. (It's taken a while, hasn't it?) I've started taking some medication that might prove to be helpful if I indeed have IBS. Unfortunately, it might take weeks or months to be sure, and I may have to experiment with several different medications. Kristi is going to be very busy at school for the last few days before we leave, combining normal classes with additional activities due to local holidays and Christmas break. Her life is also greatly complicated by one specific student who is manifesting serious behavioral issues. Pray for resolution and growth in this child's life. Above all, pray that he would see his need for exchanging his cup for the one that Jesus is offering him. We are very, very thankful for each one of you. God is using you to fill our cup with blessings and to fill the cups of our students as well.