Shalom,
Scripture references are from,
the SET (Stone Edition Tanach) or the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) for the OT
and the PNT (Power New Testament) for the NT unless otherwise specified.
Psa 119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet] do I not forget thy statutes.
In the midst of the longest Psalm we find this verse.
Have you really ever questioned what David was saying about himself here?
Psalm 119 is many things but one thing that it is, is an over-view of David's life. In providing this he presents many other things that are often applied to The CHRIST but what is he saying here?
Let's step back in time a bit first so that we can get a grasp of this!
Before I go too far with this let me make a comment about wine and water. Most scientist now agree that the wine in the day of Y'SHUA was about 1% alcohol. That is not a typographical error, I said 1%. That is about the same as your average grocery store non-alcoholic grape juice. The preserving process used to make grape juice allows for just a bit of fermenting but not enough that the FDA classifies it as "alcoholic." That however, was the average wine of the day! Average because most people did not have cellars in which to store wine and allow it to ferment. They did not make glass bottles either.
Water was the drink of the day!
We have often heard that water was not very clean back then but I beg to differ. Every city was built upon a spring. A clean water source. They may have also been built "near" a lake, river or sea but that was not for a supply of drinking water but for other purposes such as sanitation, defense or commerce.
When a shepherd would make a "bottle", he did not make it out of plastic or glass. He made it out of the skin of an animal, a spiritually clean animal. Under normal circumstances a sheep was the perfect fit for this. He would take an average to slightly undersized animal and kill it. In the process he would circumcise the legs just above the ankles and then make a cut that united these circumcisional cuts with as few other cuts as possible. He would also circumcise the neck as far forward as possible but this would not be connected to the other cuts. This skin would then be cleaned to remove all bacteria, hair and possible bugs in a liquid compound. Once cleaned the connected cuts would then be sewn together and a belt would be tied between the two front and the two rear legs, thus connecting the four via the one belt. A stopper would be placed in the neck area and this then was a "bottle." A bottle that could be hung by the belt over the head and possibly one arm of the shepherd.
In the desert it gets hot - duh! Also, we know that it doesn't rain all that much, therefore there are generally not many clouds in the sky. Clouds aid the earth in retaining heat. Thus without the clouds, as night falls the desert losses all of it's daytime heat and it simply gets cold! It is not uncommon to have a 70-85 degree swing in temperatures from daytime to night. Because of this, when traveling one would put up their tents at night and more often than not they would build a fire inside the tent. The tent generally was built with a center pole. At the top of this pole is where all the heat and smoke would rise to and then recirculate down the outstretched tent skin until the smoke could escape out the door. Water is also a very important commodity to possess while traveling in the desert and therefore these "bottles" were cared for. Generally in order to keep them where they could be seen and not sat upon these were hung on the center pole. As noted this is where the smoke rises to and thus the connection to our Psalm 119 where David says...
Psa 119:83 For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; [yet] do I not forget thy statutes.
Armed with just this basic knowledge of the tent and the bottle there still seems to be something lacking in the connection David is trying to make. The picture he is attempting to draw still seems to be incomplete, don't you think?
Remember that along with the smoke rises the heat. Have you ever seen meat that has been smoked over heat for a very long time? The "Bottle" is an animal skin or basically a meat-like substance so essentially it reacts just like meat smoked over heat. It dries until it becomes 'Beef Jerky', basically! These skins that are made into "bottles" are not all that thick but even a thick one that has become jerky is of little to no use as a 'bottle'. In the dried state if a liquid is poured inside of it, the skin will start to stretch as the weight of the liquids starts to pull upon it. If they happen to be adding wine to the 'bottle' then the slight fermenting state will stretch it through expansion. In either case, the results are the same. The dried skin will crack and leak or crack and then burst. Armed with this little bit of knowledge you can now appreciate...
Mat 9:17. And no one puts new wine into old wine skins: otherwise the wine skins burst and the wine spills out and the wine skins are lost: but they put new wine into new wine skins, and both are preserved.
Now take a moment to consider yourself to be this "bottle." You are to contain the life of YHVH growing (if you will) within you if you are a CHRISTian, if you are CHRIST-like!
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. KJV
In Gen 1:2 when it reads that the earth was "Void" and without form, the word "Void" is speaking of the SPIRIT of YHVH. The earth was already here but it was in a state that had no structure and without The SPIRIT of YHVH or the power or authority of YHVH acting within it. YHVH said that HIS SPIRIT was hovering upon the waters. See it as a Helicopter, a Harrier Jet or a Humming Bird hovering. It is in a momentary suspended state waiting to act, waiting to be told to move. Then as YHVH says for it to move, it moves or influences the waters of the earth and YHVH has now taken an active role in the life of the planet.
This is further portrayed in Gen 2:7 when man becomes a "living creature" because YHVH breathes HIS SPIRIT into mankind. And one other quick explanation is found when YHVH is giving man the prohibition or his one and only commandment at that point, of not touching the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for at that point when he does he would die. He would not die physically but SPIRITually for at that point YHVH's SPIRIT could no longer reside within mankind. YHVH's SPIRIT could not reside within a "Bottle" that contained sin, a.k.a. disobedience. HIS SPIRIT cannot grow within a old smoked or dried "bottle."
Gal 4:6. And because you are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying �Abba, Father
Within you, as a CHRISTian is The SPIRIT of Y'SHUA! It is growing you into the image of the FIRSTBORN of many brethren (Rom 8:29).
Continuing to look at the analogy that is being used by David of...
For I am become like a bottle in the smoke
...we need to first see that "wine" is a Biblical reference that is often used to mean 'The blood". The two things that were primarily carried in these "bottles" was 'wine!' thus within the "bottle" or within David himself is being carried "The Blood or wine". Also carried is the water. In addition, we know from Gen 2:7 that YHVH breathed HIS SPIRIT, The HOLY GHOST into man. Therefore in a person being used by YHVH we would find The SPIRIT, the Blood and the Water...
1Jo 57. There are three who bear testimony,
8. the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in the One.
This was directly said of Y'SHUA but if we are being conformed into HIS image, if we are being made into HIS likeness then this is also to be applied to our being.
Remember after Y'SHUA had given up The HOLY GHOST...?
Jhn 19:34. but one of the soldiers pierced His side with his spear and immediately blood and water came out.
Within Him were The Three! Emmanuel.
Within you, if through Him you have been made a New Creature (2 Cor 5:17), if you are made in His image are The Three, Emmanuel!
Another example for us to see is that when YHVH speaks it is HIS SPIRIT that is being put into motion thus when we read...
Gen 1:3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
... it was HIS SPIRIT that was acting or placed into motion. It is important for us to see this correlation so that when we see Moses acting as YHVH's agent and read...
Ex 4:9 But if they aren't persuaded even by both these signs and still won't listen to what you say, then take some water from the river, and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land."
...we see all Three acting on behalf of YHVH's people.
The water in the Laver, the blood on the altar and The SPIRIT in the Holy of Holies were also all present in The Temple.
The Three were also present in the Pesach or Passover ceremony and then also given to the Disciples at the final Seder when...
26:26. And as they were about to eat, Jesus, after He took bread and praised God, broke it and when He gave it to the disciples He said, �You must take this and you must now eat, this is My body.� 27. Then having taken a cup, after He gave thanks He gave the cup to them saying, �You must all drink from this, 28. for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.
When a "Bottle" was hung in the smoke for a bit the normal procedure was to renew it. This was done by bathing it first in water and then in olive oil. This procedure was then repeated until the skin became supple again. If it had been hanging too long then a new bottle had to be made. Do you see what has happened?
Adam was the first "Bottle" YHVH used and when he gave up the SPIRIT that YHVH had breathed (Gen 2:7; Gen 3:6) into him YHVH had to make a new "Bottle." The New "Bottle" was the nation of Israel. When they too dried up in their "traditions" (Mk 7:13) YHVH had to make another New "Bottlle"; a New Creature...
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. KJV
HE had to cut out of the vine the useless branches and graft into it new ones in order to keep the plant alive.
Rom 11:17. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, since you are a wild olive, were yourself grafted into them, then you would be a participant for yourself of the richness of the root of the olive tree. 18. Stop boasting of the branches: but, if you do boast, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19. Therefore you will say, �Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.� 20. Just so: they were broken off by unbelief, but you have stood by faith. Do not be proud, but you must continually fear for yourself: 21. for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He in any way spare you. 22. You must now see the goodness and severity of God: on the one hand severity upon those who fell, but on the other hand goodness of God upon you, if you would remain in the goodness, otherwise you would be cut off. 23. And even these, if they would not remain in unbelief, they will be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. 24. For if you were cut off from the naturally wild olive tree and contrary to nature you were grafted into the cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted into their own cultivated olive tree.
11:25. For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, lest you become conceited, because dulled perception in part has come upon Israel until the fullness of the heathens would come in (Lk 21:24) 26. and in this way all Israel will be saved, just as it has been written,
�The One Who rescues will come out of Zion,
He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27. and this is the covenant for them with Me,
when I would take away their sins.� (Is 59:20,21)
28. On the one hand regarding the gospel they are enemies on account of you, but on the other hand regarding the election they are beloved because of the Fathers: 29. for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30. For just as you yourselves were once disobedient to God, but now you have been shown mercy by their disobedience, 31. then in this way now they have become disobedient, so that also they could now receive mercy themselves because of the mercy shown to you. 32. For God will completely shut up together all those who are in disobedience, so that He could be merciful with them all.
Please take care to note...
if you would remain in the goodness, otherwise you would be cut off.
... don't ever let someone lie to you and tell that, "once you are saved you are always saved." Just because you have been grafted into the vine that does not mean you are "saved!" you are a part of the plant but you could still be cut out if you become unproductive for YHVH. All three parts of your being, your spirit, soul and body; your SPIRIT, water and blood" must all still be supple, they must all still be useful for YHVH. you must not become a "Bottle in the smoke!"
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. KJV
Are you still of use to YHVH or are you conformed or like the rest of the world that has been hanging in the smoke and become dried, brittle and useless?
Have you become dried by your religious "traditions drawn or inferred from The Word of YHVH?
Are you a new skin or an old one?
Are you a Bottle in the smoke?
