Diluted wine……………

“Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city has become a whore!
She was once all justice, everyone living as good neighbors, And now they’re all
at one another’s throats.
Your coins are all counterfeits.
Your wine is watered down.
Your leaders are turncoats who keep company with crooks.

They sell themselves to the highest bidder and grab anything not nailed down.
They never stand up for the homeless, never stick up for the defenseless.”            Isa. 1: 21-23  Message Bible

 

Knowing the cycle of disobedience to God and the loss of blessings that Judah and the people of Isaiah experienced time and time again, it would not seem like much of a risk in predicting that the very same fate awaits this nation of ours. There will be suffering ahead for all of us, regardless if we are being obedient, because we cannot help but be affected by the lost blessings of our nation as a whole.

I believe it is clearly made plain to us and the text out of Isaiah is as applicable today as the day that it was brought forth to Isaiah’s people.

There is one thing to be said for Old Testament Scripture reading, it does not mince words and it definitely falls outside of what we would look at as political correctness.

Let’s read, again the words that describe Judah’s relationship with God in verses 21 and 22:  “Oh! Can you believe it? The chaste city has become a whore!
She was once all justice, everyone living as good neighbors, and now they’re all
at one another’s throats.   Your coins are all counterfeits.
Your wine is watered down. Your leaders are turncoats who keep company with crooks.”

The Word of God pronounced to the chosen people, where you were once faithful in your relationship to God Almighty you now spend your time “whoring” around. 

Now, that is a serious allegation!  It is however, very fitting because they went from a people that were dedicated to God to a people that worshipped in the places of false gods.

One of the greatest factors in some of the rituals in the temples of idolatry were the services of the temple prostitute.  The people were told, “If you want a fertile field for the crops – see the temple prostitute. You want a greater harvest – see the temple prostitute.  Is there anything that you desire – see the temple prostitute.”

Not only was there the running to false gods, they were defiling their very bodies in the process.

The chosen people were once righteous and now they are murderers.  Instead of being like silver, a very precious metal, they are like the slag that is burned off of it in the purifying process. You can see the concept of opposites at play in this text.

Isaiah goes on to describe their situation as diluted wine.

Let me put this into perspective for today –our communion wine is diluted! 

False gods, disobedience and religious spirits can make us a diluted vessel for God’s kingdom.