Should we drink wine and strong drink?

Just as priests under the Old Covenant abstained from wine and strong drink in the tabernacle of God (as God instructed), it would seem that the priests under the New Covenant should abstain from wine and strong drink in the temple of God (thereby glorifying God in your body).

Let me explain. A passage often used to show that we may drink wine and strong drink is found in Deuteronomy 14 where the people in Old Testament Israel were told...

Deuteronomy 14:22-26
22: Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year. 23: And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks; that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always. 24: And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: 25: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: 26: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,

This says that the people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to drink wine and strong drink. However, these people were also told...

Deutoronomy 21:15-17
15: If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: 16: Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn: 17: But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

This says that the people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to have multiple wives but they were to give the double portion to the firstborn son, regardless of which wife is his mother. And they were told...

Deutoronomy 21:10-14
10: When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive, 11: And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife; 12: Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails; 13: And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. 14: And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

This says that people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to take a wife from among their captives and divorce her if she does not delight them. And they were told...

Deutoronomy 24:1
1: When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

This says that people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to divorce their wife if she finds no favour in their eyes, as long as she is given a letter of divorcement. In contrast, Jesus said...

Matthew 19:4-6
4: And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5: And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6: Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Why were the people in Old Testament Israel allowed to do something that Jesus forbids? We are told...

Matthew 19:7-8
7: They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8: He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

There are two main reasons that we should not use the ceremonial law in Old Testament Israel as the ultimate guide for our actions. One reason is that the people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to do some things because of the hardness of their hearts and not because it was God's original design.

The second reason is that we should not relate with the Israelites in Old Testament Israel. Rather, we should relate with the priests in Old Testament Israel. Under the New Covenant...

1 Peter 2:5-9
5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7: Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8: And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Whereas the people in Old Testament Israel were allowed to drink wine and strong drink, the priests were not allowed to drink in the tabernacle...

Leviticus 10:8-10
8: And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, 9: Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Under the New Covenant, we are priests and our bodies are the temple of God...

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17: If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19: What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Just as priests under the Old Covenant abstained from wine and strong drink in the tabernacle of God (as God instructed), it would seem that the priests under the New Covenant should abstain from wine and strong drink in the temple of God (thereby glorifying God in your body).

Praise God that under the New Covenant the hardness of our hearts has been changed…

Ezekiel 36:26-27
26: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27: And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

...