In Psalm 60:3, the judgments of God are described as making Israel drink the “wine of astonishment.” That astonishment was the result of seeing God shake everything. God makes the earth tremble and shake, and those who observe are undone.
The wine we drink here at this Table is also the wine of astonishment. The Scriptures tell us that this is the cup of the new testament, and the new covenant is established among men, we are told, through the work of God shaking down all things that can be shaken—so that what is unshakeable may remain.
God is establishing His city. Abraham looked forward to this city, the city whose make and builder is God. But before He establishes the new, He bulldozes the old. And as He does, He wants us to be drinking the wine of astonishment.
But there are two kinds of astonishment. The first is astonishment and dismay, as is described in Psalm 60. The second is astonishment and gladness, which is what we are privileged to participate in. That which God removes was in terrible and needed to come down. That which He is building will result in the everlasting restoration of heaven and earth, and with all things united through Christ, in a glorious and unending harmony. We drink the wine of astonishment because of what He has done, and one of His instruments for doing all this includes drinking this wine.