Moab has been at rest from youth,
like wine left on its dregs,
not poured from one jar to another--
she has not gone into exile.
So she tastes as she did,
and her aroma is unchanged.
The Israelites had been defeated by their enemies and sent into exile on a number of occasions. Why? We know it was because they were disobedient to the covenant they had with God. But there was another, closely related, reason: God was decanting them!
The Moabites had enjoyed a relatively secure history. As a result, they had never changed. Over time they had simply become a stronger and more pungent version of who they were - and who they were did not bring glory to God.
Perhaps this is what God is doing when we suffer hardship and "exile"; he is decanting us. He is straining out the "dregs" - those characteristics that do not glorify him, and which if left undisturbed will continue to flavour our lives. If we submit to the process and allow him to pour us into a new day without bringing the dregs with us, will we not become a more drinkable, useful wine?
It is not just age that makes a good wine. It is also the decanting!
Have a nice day .....
