Psalm 116:13

Psalm 116:13

The Cup of Salvation

This verse is by way of an answer to the question previously posed, “What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?” One answer, is to lift up the Cup of Salvation, but this is where things get complicated, because there is more than one contender for the title of “cup of salvation.” At Passover, it is traditional for 4 cups of wine to be drunk during the annual festivities, one of these is the Cup of Salvation that celebrates the deliverance of God’s people from Egyptian slavery and captivity. The writer of this Psalm has already made it clear that he is rejoicing on account of his salvation from the cords of death and the anguish of the grave. 

However, it was also common practice to lift up a cup of salvation as the climax of the ritual meal that accompanied a Thank Offering or a Fellowship Offering. These were voluntary sacrifices that were made to the Lord and the priests were allowed to take part of the offering for themselves. The one who made the offering would take back some of the meat and hold a celebratory feast for his family and friends, it was during this time that the Cup of Salvation would be drunk. Obviously, the purpose of the whole ritual was to give thanks and recognition to the Lord for His deliverance and protection, and drinking this cup was a recognised part of the ceremony. 

It seems that the latter offerings are in view here, this is borne out by later verses in the Psalm that specifically mention these events and we will comment on them again at verses 17-18. This begs the question, “What is the modern, Christian equivalent of the Cup of Salvation?” No doubt, we have already worked it out, it is, of course, the cup that we raise when we regularly give thanks to the Lord at the Communion table or Breaking of Bread. To do this as often as we can, with others, is one way of answering the question this Psalm poses, “What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me?” His answer is to invite us to His table and to drink the cup and as often as we drink, we do it “in remembrance of me!”

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