With respect, you are completely mis-representing the sense of that passage.
God called His people to party - as Deut14:26 - and many other texts - clearly teach.
First of all, Deuteronomy 14:26 was given to Israel and not to the church. Yes, "God's Eternal Moral Laws" have remained unchanged (since the "Fall of Adam" like do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, etc.) but we have to be able to rightly divide the Word of truth in what applies and what does not apply to us Christians today. Deuteronomy 14:1-2 deals with copying pagan customs like cutting yourself and shaving bald spots on your head for the dead (Which I believe still applies today because 3 John 1:11 says we are not to imitate evil but we are to imitate that which is good - Sort of like not imitating those who celebrate Halloween because it is a holiday that celebrates darkness). Deuteronomy 14:3-21 deals with the laws to Israel on clean and unclean foods (Which no longer applies to the believer under the New Covenant because God told Peter to eat unclean animals - See Acts of the Apostles 10:9-16). Deuteronomy 14:22-29 deals with tithes involving worship. So the feast in Deuteronomy 14:26 is a celebration of worshiping God and in tithing. So it is not just a party.
Second, Deuteronomy 14:26 is in reference to the purchasing of these items and it is not in reference to the immediate ingestion of these things. It says, "And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,." (Deuteronomy 14:26). This is important to understand because they bought wine and strong drink whereby they would have diluted it with water so as to be drinkable. How so?
Well, the Bible mentions that there are three types of wines.
#1. Fermented Wine (Strong in alcoholic content).
#2. Fermented Wine Diluted by Water (Low in alcoholic content)
#3. Unfermented Wine or Freshly Squeezed Grape Juice (A non intoxicating beverage).
I believe the wine during Bible times that the Old Testament saints drank was Wine Type #2, whereby it was a wine mixed with water and was lower in alcoholic content (Which was the wine seen at the Wedding of Cana before Christ made Wine Type #3, which was non intoxicating grape juice or unfermented wine); In other words, the wines commonly drank by the OT saints was not like the strong wines of today; And Jesus made grape juice that made was considered the “best wine.” Wines of today (By wine tasters) are considered the best by their taste and not how much they can intoxicate you.
Wine mixed (diluted) with Water Verses (Wine Type #2):
Revelation 14:10 says,
"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." (cf. Psalms 75:8).
1 Timothy 5:23 (NASB) says,
"No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments."
Proverbs 9:2 (NLT) says,
"She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table."
Proverbs 23:31 - "Do not look at wine when it is red."
John 19:34 (Blood and water mingled together from Christ's side; And Scripture essentially says the wine in the Lord's supper is representative of Jesus's blood - See Matthew 26:27-29).
Isaiah 1:22 NIV says,
“Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.”
Pure silver, which would be too soft to be durable, is mixed with 5-20% copper in an alloy known as sterling silver.
How silver is made - material, making, history, used, processing, industry
If one were to take note: One has to mix copper in silver in order for it to be durable so as to be used. Just as one must use water in their mixture of wine to use it.
So the idea here is that the silver (mixed with copper) they use has become so dross (or watered down it is then cheap. Just as the wine (mixed with water) is diluted even more whereby it is cheap wine (for the times).
Wine could be carried in an undiluted state within leather skin like bottles and then later mixed with water for use. Timothy was told to use a little wine in his water because of the infirmities in his stomach. Paul was telling him to use Biblical wine so as to resolve a medical issue.
Extra Biblical Sources on how wine was mixed with water:
Three, if you were to keep reading in Deuteronomy, it says,
"Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I
am the LORD your God" (
Deuteronomy 29:6).
So it looks like they did not drink of wine and strong drink in Deuteronomy. They did this as a part of showing that they might know the Lord their God. So I am sorry to inform you that Deuteronomy 14:26 is not a license for you to party. That would be ignoring the context and the rest of the Bible.
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