SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
3/26/2013 9:31 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Drunkenness
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Studies in
Proverbs
Message of the
verses: Today we begin the next to
the last chapter in our study of the book of Proverbs that is from the
commentary we have been looking at by Dr. Warren Wiersbe. He entitles this twelfth chapter “Popular
Sins (Drunkenness, Disrespect, Illusion, Greed, and Pride).” We will be looking at the first section on
drunkenness in today’s SD. I realize
that we do not have the time to do an extended study on alcohol abuse, but we
will look at what the Bible, including the book of Proverbs has to say about
this subject.
Before we look at drunkenness I want to quote something
from Dr. Wiersbe’s book that is from the introduction of this chapter. “Movies and TV are instructing generation
after generation of children how to ridicule virginity, laugh at sobriety,
challenge authority, and reject honesty.
Actors, actresses, and advertisers have convinced them that ‘having
fun,’ ‘feeling good,’ and ‘getting away with it’ are now the main goals in
live.
“The book of Proverbs has something to say about popular
sins that are weakening our homes, threatening the peace of our communities,
and destroying lives.”
Drunkenness
The
first thing we must realize is that alcohol is a narcotic, and not a food. We find from different portions of the book
of Proverbs warnings about the abuse of alcohol. Alcohol is a very big problem in the United
States and other countries as it costs many billions of dollars in care and
also in lost wages. Many people are
killed due to alcohol related car accidents and on the job related
accidents.
Wine and Israel: Since we
are looking at the book of Proverbs we better find out what it says along with
other books of the Bible, about wine and other alcoholic beverages. We will first look at Genesis 27:28 “Now may
God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance
of grain and new wine,” this is a blessing Isaac gives to Jacob and it includes
new wine. Let us now look at Psalm
104:15 “And wine which makes man’s heart glad, So that he may make his face
glisten with oil, And food which sustains man’s heart.” The people of Israel considered wine a gift
along with oil and bread. Not unlike
meat, wine was not present at all meals, but it was more like something done on
special occasions. Wine was not
prohibited to the people of Israel except with certain priests and those who
were performing a Nasserite vow. It was
said of John the Baptist that no wine or hard drink was to be given to
him. I take this to mean that even when
his mother was pregnant with him she could not have any wine or strong
drink.
Wine and wisdom: Proverbs
20:1 says “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated
by it is not wise.” This is the first of
seven passages in the book of Proverbs that talk about the abuse of
alcohol. The verse tells us that wine is
a mocker; the more people drink it the more they want it even though it does
bad things to them. Dr. Wiersbe quotes a
Japanese proverb that says “First the man takes a drink; then the drink takes a
drink; then the drink takes the man.”
We
see in Proverbs 21:17 that addiction to alcohol can lead to poverty “He who
loves pleasure will become a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not
become rich.” I wish now to quote
Proverbs 23:29-35 “29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has
complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those
who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. 31 Do not look on
the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down
smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper. 33
Your eyes will see strange things And your mind will utter perverse things. 34
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one
who lies down on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me, but I did not become
ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek
another drink.’” This is vivid
description of the tragic consequences of drunkenness.
Let’s
look at Proverbs 31:1-9 to see that alcohol and civic responsibilities don’t
mix. In his commentary on this section
Dr. Wiersbe stated that a person from Washington D.C. told him that the United
States had three political parties, the Democratic, the Republican, and the
Cocktail party. “1 The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught
him: 2 What, O my son? And what, O son
of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? 3 Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which destroys kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It
is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, 5 For
they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the
afflicted. 6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose
life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble
no more. 8 Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted
and needy.”
Wine and today’s believer: The
following are verses from the NT that clearly warn today’s believers about the
sin of drunkenness. “Let us behave
properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual
promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy (Rom. 13:13).” “For those who sleep do their sleeping at
night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night (1Thes. 5:7).” “"Be on guard, so that your hearts will
not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life,
and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap (Luke 21:34).” “envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Ga. 5:21).” “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers
to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul (1Peter
2:11).” Peter picks up on what Paul
wrote in Galatians concerning the works of the flesh.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: The Bible
makes it clear that we as believers are not to do anything that can cause
another believer to fall into sin, and if that means that as believers we have
a drink once in a while then we are not to do it around a weak believer that
could cause him to fall. The church I
belong to states in its constitution that its members are not to use any type
of alcohol as a beverage and I desire to stick to that.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Follow what is in our church constitution.
Memory verses for the week: Psalm 32:1-8
1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is
the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is
no deceit! When I kept silent about my
sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon
me; my vitality was drained away like the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, and my
iniquity I did not hide; I said “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You when You may be
found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the
way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
Question: “The Southern kingdom
(Judah).”
Today’s Bible
Question: “What did Moses do that won
favor with the Priest of Midian?
Answer in tomorrow’s SD.
3/26/2013 10:35 AM
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