He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”
Luke 5:36-39
Every new visitation of God is like new wine. It will not go into old wineskins, as it would destroy the old wineskins. God always wants to visit us with new wine. This He wants to do frequently. We do not always want the new wine immediately.
The process of making a wineskin: The goat gets skinned and get washed while it is still wet. Then it get rubbed, inside and out, with oil to seal it. The opening get closed and it is filled with new unfermented wine. This is when the fermentation process starts. Its moves quickly and gives off gas that causes the skin to puff up and seems as if the skin is alive. It has to be washed and rubbed with oil constantly to keep it flexible.
An old wineskin can only be used for new wine if it is still flexible, or else the movement will destroy it. If it is not flexible anymore it can be made flexible by rubbing oil and by working it until it is flexible again.
Signs of old wine:
- Comfortable
- Smoother
- Accustomed to it
- Mature
- Predictable
- Familiar
- Sophisticated
Signs of new wine:
- Rough or sharp taste
- Bit quick
- Move rapidly
- Movement
- Immature
- Explosive
- Pressure on the wineskin
- Unsophisticated
How to renew the old wineskin?
- Empty the old wineskin of the old, stale and rotten wine. That means forgive, confess and repent. Dump old stale ‘pet’ theologies and re-align to walking according to the Bible and in the fear of God.
- Soak in water or water and salt. We need the Holy Spirit to cleanse us of things that has made us structurally rigid and hard.
- Rub with oil and work it until it is soft and pliable again. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring healing, wholeness and pliability back to us with desire to know more of Him and allowing our pre-conceived ideas removed. Also allow the Holy Spirit to restore an expectation of a fresh filling of new wine with all the dynamics, privilege and challenges that will come.
What keeps us from renewing the wineskin or receiving the new wine?
Fear of man, losing comfort and financial security, lack of desire, etc.