“They also follow a lot of other teachings, such as washing cups, pitchers, and bowls.” Mark 7:4 (CEV)
Sometimes Bible words that seem quite insignificant can carry great meaning with them. We might say that about the simple drinking cup. In Bible times most of the cups were made of clay or metal. The cups that King Solomon drank from were made of pure gold. First Kings 10:21 (ESV) tells us, “All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold.” In Persia during the days of Queen Esther, we read, “The guests drank from gold cups, and each cup had a different design” (Esther 1:7 CEV).
But as with so many Bible words, the cup also has much more significance than we see on the surface. In the Psalms, an overflowing cup is a way of saying that God’s children are truly blessed. We enjoy the words of Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Elsewhere we read of God pouring out his cup of wrath on evil nations and people. “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it’” (Jeremiah 25:15).
We also read of the cup of pain that Jesus willingly drank for us. In his prayer in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). The cup of his suffering is mirrored in the cup of wine and the bread we receive in the Lord’s Supper. There we see with our eyes the love that Jesus has for us!
From Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer