Mon.’s Devo - The New Wine

Read: Numbers 36:1-Deuteronomy 1:46; Luke 5:29-6:11; Psalm 66:1-20; Proverbs 11:24-26 The heads of the clan of Gilead from the tribe of Manasseh came to Moses and explained that if the daughters of Zelophehad received their inheritance from their father then married a man outside their tribe, their land would eventually end up belonging to that tribe. So, Moses got the Lord’s counsel and told the daughters of Zelophehad that they must marry within their tribe so this wouldn’t happen, so they did. Moses made a command for all the tribes that they must marry within their tribe to maintain the integrity of the land given to each tribe. *** It had now been 39 years and 11 months since they had been told they would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief. They had defeated Sihon the king of the Amorites and Og the king of Bashan. God told them that it was time to go in and possess their land in Canaan. They had multiplied into a great nation and they would continue to grow. When they became too many for Moses to manage, he had told them to appoint wise, understanding and experienced men as their heads throughout their tribes, and they had. These men judged the people within their tribes. *** When they had come to the land the first time, they asked to send out spies to spy out the land first. Each tribe had sent one man. They brought back word that the land was good, but they were too afraid of the giants in the land to go in and possess it. The only ones who brought back a good report were Caleb and Joshua. *** God was angry with the people. They had forgotten all God had done for them and how he led them with his glory. God told them that they would not enter the land, but their children would. They were sent to the wilderness to die. Some sinned and decided to go possess the land without the Lord. They were humiliated and driven back. *** In Luke, Jesus had just called Levi (Matthew), the tax collector to follow him. Levi was so excited he had a great feast in his home and invited all his fellow tax-collectors to come. The Pharisees and scribe showed up and criticized Jesus for eating with such sinners. Jesus told them that it wasn’t those who are well who needed a doctor, but it was those who were sick. He had come to call the sinners, not the righteous to repentance. *** Then the Pharisees and scribes complained that John the Baptist’s followers fasted, but his disciples didn’t. Jesus explained that you don’t fast when you have the bridegroom with you. The day would come when the bridegroom will be taken away and then they would fast. *** He told them two parables. One was about sewing a new piece of fabric on an old garment. It wouldn’t work because it would shrink when it got wet and tear away from the garment. The next parable was about putting new wine in old wineskins which would break them. *** Jesus was the new material and the new wine. They would have to change their mindsets if they wanted to receive his new fabric and new wine. *** Jesus then demonstrated this in the next things he did. He allowed his disciples to do things their law did not allow because they were hungry. Then he healed on the Sabbath. All of these things upset the religious status quo. They were living in old mindsets - old wineskins and old garments. Jesus was there to do a new thing. *** Lord, may we put on the new man in Christ who is the new wine and the new garment. May we walk in truth and light. May you make our paths straight.