Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. While God's children are
nowhere in the Scriptures prohibited from drinking wine, they are
given ample exhortations and warnings concerning the misuse
and overindulgence of it. Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Whether
therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to
the glory of God. Give none offense, neither to
the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God. Wherefore,
be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with
the Spirit. Wine is a mocker, strong drink
is raging." While these warnings do indeed exist in the Scriptures,
the predominant consideration of wine in the Scriptures speaks
to the blessing of the Lord's people. After the account of
Noah's misuse of wine, the next mention of it is when Abraham
was returning from engaging in battle with Chedder Lamer. Melchizedek,
king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine, and he was the
priest of the Most High God. Is this not a picture of that
which Christ has set forth for his children to remember his
death until he comes? For I have received of the Lord
that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the
same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given
thanks, he broke it and said, Take eat, this is my body, which
is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped,
saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye as often
as ye drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat
this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till
he come. We would desire to be found encouraging
the saints of God to remember Him who was crucified in our
behalf. Is this not the cup of blessing which we bless? Often
in the Old Testament the house of Israel was told of the blessings
which awaited them by the promise of wine in abundance. And He
will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee. He will also
bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy
corn, and thy wine. and thine oil, the increase of
thy kind, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which ye swear
unto thy fathers to give thee. Yet the carnal blessings of this
world, wine included, are not to be compared to that greater
blessing which the wine is given to portray. When Jacob blessed
his sons from his deathbed, he singled out Judah as that one
from whose house would come the one who is the lion of the tribe
of Judah. The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh
come. And unto him shall the gathering
of the people be, binding his foal unto the vine, and his asses
cold unto the choice vine. He washed his garments in wine,
and his clothes in the blood of grapes. His eyes shall be
red with wine, and his teeth white with milk. He is the same
one of whom we read. Who is this that cometh from
Edom with thy garments from Basra? This that is glorious in his
apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I that speak
in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine
apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press
alone. Each time that a cup of wine
is set before the sons of God, their eyes ought to be turned
not upon the cup itself, but upon him who poured out his life's
blood in their behalf. He who loved not his own life,
but laid it down as a ransom for those whom he loved. This
wine is the grandest of blessings for those who are athirst. "'Its
power to quench that thirst is not diminished. "'He is that
one who is mighty to save. "'None who drink from it shall
ever perish, "'for it is a life-giving elixir "'to all who are given
the privilege to taste it. "'This cup is in the hand of
the Lord. "'He giveth it to whomsoever
he will. "'Some might ask who such a people
are "'who are so privileged. "'They cannot be known except
in one fashion, "'for there such is called upon his name. "'For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord "'shall be saved.
They are such as believe on him. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. This is also
a cup that is full of mixture, and he poureth out the dregs
for the wicked to drink. Who are these wicked? They are
such as will not come to him that they might have life. Christ
is that one who is the chief cornerstone of the kingdom of
God. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken,
but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
His mercies are new every morning for those who are His, while
His judgment awaits those who will not drink this cup of red
wine. Have you drunk thereof? For a
free CD containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email
to forthepoor at windstream.net.