Hmmm, “Lees?” If you know what it means then you’re unlike most. November 4 God downloaded a Scripture for me and directed me to write about it. It’s from KJ version of Jeremiah 48:11 where it’s talking about Moab, asleep on her lees, and how that is problematic.
If wine is left on its dregs (or lees) and never been emptied from vessel to vessel the flavor and aroma remain stagnant. This passage discloses how Moab and the Moabites had lost site of God and entered in to spiritual complacency. Cross reference: Zephaniah 1:12 is speaking to Jerusalem who has been stagnant in spirit (thickened on her lees), or spiritually polluted.
When wine allowed to ferment too long on the lees a hard crust forms and the wine becomes bitter and unpalatable. Wine not left on the lees means a generous, full-bodied, well-refined wine because it was strained off lees. In making wine, first the grapes were stomped, then the juice was placed into bottles or skins and allowed to ferment. During this time the sediment (lees) would settle to the bottom. After 40 days it would be carefully poured in to another container to separate it from the lees so it wouldn’t spoil. Like God telling Moab not to be complacent, He is saying the same to us. Don’t let what is already ours, the fruit He has given us, go to spoil.
I believe this has everything to do with today! We look for God in 2020 but He seems to be uninvolved and silent – even when having been in fervent, diligent prayer. When prayers seem to be unanswered we tend to disengage from him. He didn’t intervene when we thought, or the way we thought, so we go dormant. Key: God may still be working, but we give up. “Ah! What good does it do! I’ll just settle with things the way they are.” This leads to us becoming sediment, and eventually stagnant in spirit. Holy Spirit doesn’t wade in stagnation, nor can He refine there!
We must remember that God is working at all times. It could be a season of picking; a season of stomping, or a season of fermenting! If we want results right away and it doesn’t happen we may decide to sink to the bottom and remain there. Becoming a hard crust . Maybe even bitter .
He is always giving us opportunities and now He is giving opportunity to recognize if we’re in the lees. If so we are not fit to pour out to another. This is the greatest time ever to encourage one another! I believe He is intentionally causing delay so that we have the opportunity to recognize if we, like the Moabites, will settle for the dregs rather than poured out wine. Indifferent to the Lord.
We would like to drink the wine right now, rather than wait for God’s Divine providence. Instead, let us persevere, believing God for His timing so that we will become fragrant and smooth.
As a warning, Jeremiah went on to say (vs.12) that if Moab does not begin to pour out from flask to flask the Lord will send troublemakers to pour her out and smash her jar. Moab made wrong choices and became spiritually polluted. What choices are we making?
If we are asleep in our spirit, then Holy Spirit cannot activate there, and we tend to settle for the lesser rather than the BEST. If we are awake let’s become “tiltlers.” In other words, when we are being tilted, poured out, and emptied, then it’s time to encourage others to pour out and model how that it is done.
“The thief comes to rob, to kill, and to destroy,” (John 10:9a). The exact assignment of Satan is to keep us rotting in the lees; without faith in God when things seem to be at their worst! “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and spiritual poverty will come in like a bandit; like an armed man” (Prov.6:10). Thank Him that He wants to pour you out and experience being emptied.
“Awake, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph.5:14). He is there to bring us out of slumber. He wants to disclose where we have a hard crust, or a hard heart of unbelief in this season. If we chose to strain off from our “lees” we will retain strength and body. Full-body sweetness of Holy Spirit….for this season LouiseZ