This study is part of the Bible study The Lavish Banquet Of The Lord which is based on Isaiah 25:6-9;
Isaiah 25:6-9 – See the original study for more on the “lavish banquet” of God prepared for all nations.
6 The Lord of hosts [6635- “what goes forth, an army, warfare, a host”; see Rev.19:14 ] will prepare [6213- “to do or make, to fashion, to accomplish, to press, to squeeze”] a lavish [8081- “fat, fatness, oil, olive oil; fig. richness”] banquet [4960- “a feast, a banquet”] for all peoples on this mountain [Mount Zion; Isaiah 24:23]; a banquet of aged wine [8105- “something preserved; wine matured by resting undisturbed on the lees”], choice pieces [8081- see def. for “lavish”] with marrow [more on the significance of marrow further below], and refined [2212- “to purge, refine, purify, strain, distil”], aged wine [8105].
7 And on this mountain He will swallow up [1104- “to swallow, to engulf, to be ended”] the covering [3875- “a veil, a covering, an envelope”] which is over all peoples, even the veil [4541- “a web, a veil, a covering”] which is stretched over all nations.
8 He will swallow up [1104] death for all time, and the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. [See Revelation 21]
9 And it will be said in that day, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited [6960- see def. above in Genesis 1:9-10] that He might save [3467- “to save, to be delivered, to help”] us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited [6960]; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation [3444- “salvation, deliverance, aid, victory”]."
NASU
Aged Wine; “wine matured by resting undisturbed on the lees” (v.6)
In ancient Palestine;
Wine was left on the lees to increase its flavor and strength. (More below on what lees are.)
Before drinking, wine was strained to remove the lees, and was then called “well refined.”
Wine left on its lees for too long can become thick and syrupy, losing its intended flavor and quality [see Matthew 5:13 right below]. Similarly, individuals or nations that become “settled on their lees” are depicted as spiritually lethargic, resistant to change, and lacking in spiritual vitality [such as foolish virgins and lukewarm Laodiceans]. [taken from the article below]
The process of refining wine by pouring it from vessel to vessel is symbolic of the trials and challenges that God uses to purify and strengthen His people [see Jeremiah 48:11 below]. [taken from the article below]
Matthew 5:13 – From what Jesus taught, it seems that salt becoming tasteless is a description of an “insipid,” foolish virgin (i.e. “tasteless,” lukewarm Christian) that is left out/thrown out of the wedding feast, only to be “trampled under foot by men.” The reason they will be “trampled under foot by men” is that they “trampled under foot the Son of God,” insulting the Spirit of grace by sinning willfully after “receiving the knowledge of the truth” (i.e. receiving Christ; see Hebrews 10:26-31), without repenting. (See 1 Samuel 2:29-30; the definition for “kick at” is “to trample down; i.e. (figuratively) to despise.”)
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless [3471- “to become insipid [see def. below], to make flat and tasteless, to be foolish, to act foolishly”], how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out [“cast out”] and trampled under foot [2661- “to trample down; to treat with rudeness and insulting neglect”] by men.”
NASU
“Insipid”
lacking flavor
not having a strong taste or character
having no interest or energy (i.e. life-less)
Articles About “Lees”
“…what does ‘settled on their lees’ mean? As one may have guessed, it is an expression derived from winemaking. Lees are what we call ‘dregs,’ particles of solid matter that fall to the bottom of the vat or jar or bottle during fermentation. Back in ancient Israel, they liked to leave their wine on the lees to make it stronger, but there was a time limit to how long they could leave it there. Good wine left on its lees becomes stronger and more flavorful, but if left too long, it can become thick and syrupy—to put it bluntly, it will be ruined. So, a diligent winemaker would periodically pour the wine from one vat to another, straining off the lees.
The illustration shows that a person settled on his lees was at least slothful, maybe even complacent, indifferent, and apathetic. Bad wine left on the lees becomes harsh and bitter. We can certainly understand the metaphor here. What happens to a person who lives with his sins? Does he not become worse? Sin's addictive quality causes him to plunge deeper and need more or worse sin to satisfy him. For example, a person who broods in smoldering anger over some supposed offense eventually becomes bitter and hateful.”
(https://bibletruthpublishers.com/lees/ljm21430#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWines%20on%20the%20lees%E2%80%9D%20are,Isaiah%2025%3A6)
“‘Wines on the lees’ are wines left undisturbed on their sediment to mature (Isaiah 25:6). The expression ‘settled on the lees’ is used figuratively of Moab, which had not been disturbed as other nations (Jeremiah 48:11). Also for those who in Jerusalem remained in the Jordan valley indifferent and undisturbed amidst the evils upon which punishments were threatened (Zephaniah 1:12). A very significant type of the poor apathetic world, and of the self-satisfied and unconcerned spirit of Christendom.”
“Lees, also known as dregs or sediment, refer to the solid particles that settle at the bottom of a container of wine during the fermentation process. In biblical times, the term “lees” was used metaphorically to describe various spiritual and moral conditions, often carrying a negative connotation.
Biblical References
1. Jeremiah 48:11 – “Moab has been at ease from his youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile. So his flavor has remained unchanged, and his aroma is unspoiled.” In this passage, the prophet Jeremiah uses the imagery of wine left on its lees to describe Moab's complacency and resistance to change. The nation is likened to wine that has not been disturbed, suggesting a lack of growth or refinement due to an absence of trials or challenges.
[Wine being poured from one vessel to another is a picture of moving from one place to another, not remaining in the same place, spiritually speaking. We can become very comfortable in a certain place, whether it be physically, mentally, or spiritually. But while in the Holy Spirit’s process of being refined in Christ (i.e. “sanctification”), we must be ready and willing to move forward, with Him, as He directs. I’m sure that many of the children of Israel became, at times, quite comfortable in one of their 41 encampments in the wilderness while on their way to the Promised Land. Like us, they might have felt very “settled” at times, not desiring to move again per the Holy Spirit’s timing, but they had not yet arrived at the desired destination of the Lord.]
2. Zephaniah 1:12 – “At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.’” The Hebrew word translated as “complacency” can also be understood as “settled on their lees.” This metaphor highlights the spiritual indifference and self-satisfaction of the people, who have become stagnant in their faith and dismissive of God's active role in their lives.
Symbolism and Interpretation
In the biblical context, lees symbolize stagnation, complacency, and a false sense of security. Wine left on its lees for too long can become thick and syrupy, losing its intended flavor and quality. Similarly, individuals or nations that become “settled on their lees” are depicted as spiritually lethargic, resistant to change, and lacking in spiritual vitality.
The process of refining wine by pouring it from vessel to vessel is symbolic of the trials and challenges that God uses to purify and strengthen His people. Just as wine is improved by being separated from its lees, believers are called to undergo spiritual refinement, shedding complacency and embracing growth in their relationship with God.
Theological Implications
The imagery of lees serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and the dangers of a stagnant faith. It underscores the importance of remaining vigilant and responsive to God's guidance and discipline. The metaphor encourages believers to seek continual renewal and transformation, avoiding the pitfalls of self-satisfaction and indifference to God's work in their lives.
In a broader theological sense, the concept of lees can be seen as a call to spiritual maturity. Just as wine is meant to be enjoyed at its best, Christians are called to live out their faith with vibrancy and purpose, allowing God to refine and shape them into vessels of His grace and truth.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Hebrew shemarim), from a word meaning to keep or preserve. It was applied to “lees” from the custom of allowing wine to stand on the lees that it might thereby be better preserved (Isaiah 25:6). “Men settled on their lees” (Zephaniah 1:12) are men “hardened or crusted.” The image is derived from the crust formed at the bottom of wines long left undisturbed (Jeremiah 48:11). The effect of wealthy undisturbed ease on the ungodly is hardening. They become stupidly secure (Comp. Psalm 55:19; Amos 6:1). To drink the lees (Psalm 75:8) denotes severe suffering.”
The Fatness Of God
The “fatness/richness” of God, part of the Hebrew definition for “lavish” back in Isaiah 25:6-9, is used figuratively in the Bible to describe the abundance of God’s goodness (Psalm 36:8). It can also refer to the “best part” of something (Numbers 18:12). This, I believe, is pictured, in type, by the “best wine,” or “choice wine” that was saved for last in the wedding feast that Jesus and His disciples went to (John 2:1-11). Jesus and His followers (i.e. the “friends of God”) will also be at a wedding feast, His wedding feast, at the end of this age where He will, once again, manifest His glory to them, “lavishly” pouring out His “best/choice wine” for all who will attend. (Lavishly: “in a very generous or extravagant manner; in profusion”; See the Bible study Gethsemane; The Oil Press Of God.)
In the beginning of the book of Esther, we are told that King Ahasuerus, in the third year of his reign, held a banquet/feast for all those who served in his presence (see the Bible studies The Third Day, and The Third Day Gathering);
“And he displayed the riches [6238- “riches, wealth, abundance”] of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet [4960- “feast”] lasting seven days for all the people who were present [4672- “to come forth, meet or be present”] at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.”
(Esther 1:4-5/NASU)
I see the banquet of the Lord at the end of this age being revealed to us, in type, through this. It’s not for everyone, but for those who “come forth” at His command, and willingly serve in His presence. I believe the seven days are representative of the seven-year period on earth known as the tribulation that the faithful servants of the Lord will be removed from, into their King’s presence. They will see the riches of His royal glory, and the splendor of His great majesty.
The Significance Of The Location Of Susa
Daniel 8:1-2 – While describing his vision, Daniel reveals that the citadel of Susa was in the province of Elam [5867- “hidden, i.e. distant; eternity”], by the Ulai [195- “my leaders (mighties)”] canal. It appears that Ulai, through its name, also has a connection with oil;
Meaning
Unclear but perhaps Muddy Water or Clear Water
Well-Olived, Well-Oiled [see the Bible study Gethsemane; The Oil Press Of God]
Protruder, Front Runner, Foolish
Etymology
From resembling Farsi or Arabic terms.
From the Greek noun ελαια (elaia), olive (tree), or ευελαια (euelaia), well-olived (rich in olive oil or trees).
From the Hebrew verb אלל ('alal), to stick out.
Related names
Via ελαια (elaia): Olivet
“In the Bible, rivers invariably refer to the culture they supported (from Egypt's Nile to Babylon's Euphrates and Israel's Jordan) and the Ulai is firmly connected to the Persian government from whence sprang the Pharisaic tradition, the rabbis and thus modern Judaism and Christianity…”
Etymology of the name Ulai
What the original name u-la-a may have meant to the original speakers is no longer clear… The Greek name Ευλαιως (Eulaios) obviously resembles the noun ελαια (elaia), meaning olive (tree), or the adjective ευελαια (euelaia), which means rich in olive trees:
The noun ελαια (elaia) means olive and refers to both the fruit and the whole tree. It may be akin to the verb ελαυνω (elauno), to impel or urge on, and ultimately to the Latin word elate, from which we get our adjective “elated.”
The Hebrew name אולי (Ulai) clearly relates to the noun אול ('ul), belly or front runner, from the verb אלל ('alal), to stick out (both positively and negatively):
The root אלל ('alal) predominantly describes a protruding or sticking out. This may be positive (when one leads a collective), neutral (when one is a tree), or negative (when one fails convention). The latter sense in particular describes foolishness, or at least a failure to live up to cognitive standards or common codes of conduct.
Nouns אלון ('allon), אלה ('alla) and אלה ('elah) refer to oaks or terebinths but note the similarities with the demonstrative pronoun אלה ('elleh), “these,” and אלה ('eloah) meaning god or God.
Nouns אליל ('elil) and אלול ('elul) mean worthlessness or a worthless thing (a thing that sticks out of the economy of useful things). Adjectives אויל ('ewil) and אולי ('ewili) mean foolish, and noun אולת ('iwwelet) means foolishness or folly. Noun אול ('ul) may mean belly or leading man.
Nouns אולם ('ulam) and אילם ('elam) mean porch. The former is identical to an adverb that means “however” or “but.” Another adverb אולי ('ulay) means “perhaps.”
Noun איל ('ayil), “protruder,” refers in the Bible to a ram, a pillar, a chief and, yet again, a terebinth. Noun איל ('ayyal) means stag or deer — hence the panting deer of Psalm 42 also describes an ignoramus longing for instruction — and its feminine counterpart אילה ('ayyala) means doe.
The verb יאל (ya'al) means to be foolish, gullible or even simply compliant and pleased to go along in no particularly negative way.
“Ulai” meaning
It's no longer clear what the name Ulai may have meant to the original name givers, but to the Greeks it referred to a wealth in olives and olive oil (and thus light), which in turn would have reminded Greek-speaking people with a Hebrew background of their anointed kings (the word for “anointed one” is Christ in Greek and Messiah in Hebrew).”
What I see being revealed through the location of the Citadel of Susa in the province of Elam, by the Ulai canal, is that in the stronghold of the Lord, the faithful servants of the Lord will be hidden in the day of His wrath on the wicked (Zephaniah 2:2). Though the world will be plunged into great misery and despair, they will be immersed in the joy and glory of the Lord. It is a place filled with the vast richness of the Holy Spirit.
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