Fri.’s Devo - New Wineskins

Read: Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2
Sin is sin and has to be atoned for whether you are ignorant of your trespass or not. In the Old Testament they had sacrifices to atone for their sin but they could only appropriate them when they realized they had sinned. In the New Testament, Jesus became our final sacrifice for all the sins we would ever commit. When we realize we have sinned all we have to do is confess it before God and apply the blood of Christ to that sin.
In the Old Testament, the offender was to lay their hand on the head of the animal passing his sin on to that animal. Then he was to burn it on the burnt altar which stood for the cross. The blood was to be poured out at the base of the altar. That blood was the proof that the sacrifice had atoned for the sin and the person offering it was forgiven. It is the blood that has the power to take our sins away.
In Mark, the teachers of the law could not get over the fact that Jesus seemed to be breaking all their laws. He ate with sinners and tax collectors making himself unclean. He didn’t fast which broke the law and he healed or “worked” on the Sabbath. Jesus answered their accusations with two parables. The first was about putting a new patch on an old garment and the other was about pouring new wine into old wineskins. He was referring to them and the law when he talked about the old and he was referring to himself and the new covenant when he talked about the new. He was looking for new wineskins to pour his new wine into and they couldn’t make the switch.
God is still looking for new wineskins to pour his new wine into. This wine is ever changing and recharging. We have to be pliable and teachable because God is revealing more and more of himself and his eternal plan to us. It is all hidden in the Word and remains hidden until the time God is ready to reveal it. He is opening these mysteries in our day more than ever. If we stay grounded in the Word and in Him we won’t be deceived by sensationalism or false doctrine.
Lord, May we find refuge in the shadow of your wings and feast on the abundance of your house. Give us water from your river of delights. In your light, we see light.