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When people in ancient times worshipped YAHWEH it usually
involved wine. For example, when Melchizedek, King of Shalom,
worshipped in Genesis 14, he brought out "bread and wine". This
theme is repeated centuries later when Jesus is sitting around
the table with his disciples sharing the Pesach. The ritual has
since become the celebration of the Eucharist, the Communion of the
Christian Church.
The abundance of "new wine" was a blessing of the LORD as
pronounced by Isaac on Jacob in Genesis 27. In turn Jacob
blesses Judah with these words: "He will tether his donkey to a
vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments
in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes" in Genesis 49:11
This exact imagery is later used on several occasions of
messianic prophecy.
In the Law, wine was used as a drink offering in the
consecration of the priests (Ex 29:40) and in the offering of
the firstfruits (Lev 23:13).
Not all were to participate in the blessings, however. In
Numbers 6, the vow of the Nazirite made him to be separate,
an abstainer as a special symbol of his service to the Lord.
The Nazirite must also be unshaven and leave hair uncut under
the same vow of separation. Under special circumstances the
Nazarite was required to cut hair and permitted to drink wine.
Under normal circumstances, however, lack of wine was a result
of the failure by the LORD to bless. A removal of the LORD's
blessing is specifically cited in Deuteronomy 28:51 when
foreigners devour Israel's new wine.
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