Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news, and messages by Steve Martin.
“Nor do people put new wine
into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the
wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine
into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17, NASB
My good wife Laurie and I love visiting vineyards in Israel,
primarily in the northern Golan, where they are plentiful. We led a group of nine
from our home group on a visit in May 2023, and it was one of the best times we
had together.
Vineyard in the Golan, Israel, May 2023
They liked the wine. I liked the Land where it grows most of
all.
When we went to a major winery and took the tour, I was
fascinated by the huge, very huge barrels where the grapes continued their
journey, beginning with the harvest, through pressing and crushing, then
fermentation, aging in oak barrels, and bottling.
Most interesting of all was the way they would pour the
liquid from one vat into another, leaving sediment behind that would spoil the
drink if this step were omitted. (I am not a winemaker, so if I get this
process wrong, please appreciate my attempt!)
You know where I am going. This is what we can visually see
in nature, which teaches us a bit about the spiritual. Our Lord gives us these
things to show us more of His Ways.
Paul primarily speaks of the resurrection of the Messiah
Yeshua (Jesus Christ) in the following Scripture, but we can see it elsewhere
as well. “However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the
spiritual.” 1 Corinthians 15:46. NASB
So, as the juice moves through this processing, so it is in
our lives as the Lord directs our steps, leading us, changing us, leaving the
old behind so we can walk in the new.
“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the
wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they
put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17, NKJV
It is a necessary process. If we are to go on with the Lord
as His Holy Spirit leads, we best be available and open to the changes He presents
before us.
Nobody likes sour wine. Me especially.
Ahava and shalom,
Steve Martin
Message #7, 2026, “Sour Wine or Change” Feb. 24, 2026
“And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, making the face brighter than oil, and bread that stayeth man’s heart.” (Psalms 104:15)
If you have ever been interested in tasting the wine drunk by King David or Jesus, now may be your chance. Following a growing interest in resurrecting the ancient winemaking practices of the region, winemakers at Recanati debuted a wine called marawi, made with grapes indigenous to the region, The New York Times reported.
The Recanati marawi is a crisp white wine released by the winery in October. The grapes were procured from Palestinian farmers, and only 2,480 bottles of the 2014 marawi were produced. They are available at just 10 restaurants in Tel Aviv. However, some 4,000 bottles of the 2015 marawi are aging currently, and the company hopes to plant its own vineyard of the varietal to expand and refine the brand.
The story begins with a groundbreaking project out of Ariel University in the Samaria region of Israel, which aims to to identify – and potentially recreate – the wines mentioned in the Bible. According to Eliyashiv Drori, the Ariel oenologist leading the research, marawi (also called hamdani) and jandali grapes can be traced to a reference in the Babylonian Talmud, dating back to 220 CE.
“All our scriptures are full with wine and with grapes — before the French were even thinking about making wine, we were exporting wine,” Drori told The New York Times. “We have a very ancient identity, and for me, reconstructing this identity is very important. For me, it’s a matter of national pride.”
The goal is to develop a unique Israeli wine, one that expresses the uniqueness of the region, rather than offering variations on wines of foreign origin, such as the French chardonnay.
Winemaking has a long history in Israel. Ancient presses have been discovered dating back as far as Biblical times. The local practices were lost, however, when the production of wine was outlawed by conquering Muslims in the 7th century. The industry was only restored in the 1880s, when Baron Edmund de Rothschild arrived, bringing French grapes with him. To this day, Israeli wines, which have become quite competitive in recent years, have been made from varietals brought in from other countries.
Drori, who has a PhD in agriculture, opened a small winery in 2005, called Gvaot, near his home. He noticed a neglected vine with small, very sweet white grapes and surmised they might make a tasty wine.
In 2011, he and a team of a dozen researchers began identifying local grape varieties with DNA profiles unique from imported grapes. Since then, they have identified 120 different local varieties, of which 50 were domesticated and 20 suitable for wine.
Winemakers in Israel. (Photo: Aviram Valdman/ The Israel Project/Facebook)
In addition, researchers have used DNA testing and a three-dimensional scanner on burned and dried seeds found at archaeological sites, revealing 70 unique varieties. The goal is to match the ancient seeds to living grapes or, failing that, reproduce the ancient varieties using genetic engineering.
Drori’s other task is demonstrating that the grapes he’s identified were used for wine, not snacking. For example, seeds found in donkey droppings in Timna, the site of King Solomon’s copper mines, were likely from pomace, the residue left from winemaking, since fresh fruit would not have been fed to animals.
But the Recanati marawi is not the only ancient wine gaining new life. Israeli vintner Avi Feldstein plans to debut another variety, called dabouki, along with his new winery, in the next few months. And Drori himself, with graduate student Yaakov Henig, has made his own wines at the university from the grapes the team has discovered.
The new wines are not without controversy, like anything in Israel. Palestinians claim the wines are their heritage, despite the fact that wine production is banned by Islam. However, Recanati vintner Ido Lewinsohn sees things differently. He told The New York Times his product is “clean and pure of any political influence,” adding of the grapes: “These are not Israeli; they are not Palestinian. They belong to the region — this is something beautiful.”
LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE FEATURED BOOK
Why Israel? Why not?
This little booklet consists of messages previously written in my books, which of themselves contain many various themes. I wanted to devote one book to just Israel and the Jewish people, and so this small booklet was compiled.
As you read the following, consider the truth contained in Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, which spell out the commitment of God the Father to choose a people who will be a light to the nations. He chose the Jews, and gave them the Promised Land of Israel.
It does not matter what other national governments try to say, do, or accomplish apart from the plans and purposes of the Lord. They will fail. His Word is true. It is eternal. He is the same, yesterday, today and forever, and thus His commitment in keeping His promises made to the Jewish people will be fulfilled. I hope you stand with them in these last days.
