Introduction: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." (Proverbs 20:1) One of the most hotly contested subjects in all the Bible is that of alcoholic drink. Some insist that the Bible encourages the use of alcoholic beverage for personal pleasure while others insist that the Bible condemns it altogether. Which position is correct?
Rehoboam would one day become king of Israel. Even though Solomon may not have practiced this as he should have, he still knew the truth that his mother, Bathsheba, taught him when he was young and wanted his son to know the same truth. Bathsheba taught Solomon that wine and strong drink were the destroyers of kings. "Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted." (Proverbs 31:3-5)
Let's define some key words in Proverbs 20:1 and 31:3-5:
- Wine = the Hebrew word is yayin, and it means wine of every kind, fermented and unfermented. It is used 142 times in the Old Testament, and its meaning is determined entirely by its context. Most often, it is used of alcoholic wine.
- Strong drink = the Hebrew word is shekar, which comes from a root word which means to get drunk. It is a very intoxicating drink made from barley, honey, or dates.
- Mocker = scoffer.
- Raging = a brawler.
- Is deceived = to err or to go astray. It means to lie.
I want to divide this Bible study into two studies. This week, I want to show you how people were deceived by wine. In our next study, I want to take the Bible and do a study on wine and strong drink.
Are there examples in the Bible of those who have been deceived by strong drink thereby becoming unwise?
1. Noah was deceived and became unwise. - Genesis 7:1; 9:20-21
"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation...And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent."
- This is an instance in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word yayin is translated as fermented wine, for the Bible says, "...and [he] was drunken."
- Alcoholic beverage possesses the mind, and causes an individual to be released of their own common sense. Ephesians 5:18 says, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit," indicating that wine has the ability to control you just as the Holy Spirit does.
- Most folks today deny the fact that alcohol has the ability to impair the brain, but the Bible, as well as scientific study, proves otherwise.
- Noah became drunk and got naked. All too often, this is the case.
- All too often, immorality and a lack of common moral sense is connected to the intake of fermented wine. One of the most vivid illustrations is found in Genesis 19:30-38 concerning Lot and his two daughters. "And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day."
- As you can see, the consumption of alcoholic beverage certainly impaired Lot's wisdom.
2. Nabal was deceived and became unwise. - 1 Samuel 25:36
"And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light."
- Nabal certainly lived up to his name which means churlish, or foolish. "Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb." (1 Samuel 25:3)
- Not only was he churlish, he was also a man who consumed a lot of wine. The Bible says "he was very drunken."
- As morning light dawned upon Nabal, Abigail told him how she saved his life from the hand of King David. It wasn't long after that that Nabal's heart died within him, and he became as stone. Simply put, he lost all purpose for living, and the Bible says ten days later, the Lord smote him, and he died. "But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died." (1 Samuel 25:37-38)
3. Elah was deceived and became unwise. - 1 Kings 16:8-10
"In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead."
- The sad thing about this story, more than anything, is that Elah was drunk and had no idea that his life was about to be taken.
- Alcohol had deceived him into believing that everything was okay.
- This is one of the great lies told by alcohol to its slaves, that is, everything seems better than it is. Perhaps this is why people drink away their sorrows and go to "happy hour" at the neighborhood bar. It's a lie!
4. Nineveh was deceived and became unwise. - Nahum 1:10
"For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry."
- Nineveh was, at first, a center of heathenism and ungodliness.
- God sent a prophet named Jonah to preach to them, and revival broke out. The Bible indicates in the book of Jonah that everyone in the city, who was old enough to know their left hand from their right, turned to the Lord. Everyone in the city either got saved or got right with God during one preaching service. Jonah told them to repent or God would destroy them, and they repented.
- However, only 150 years after the greatest revival the world had ever known, a prophet by the name of Nahum prophesied against Nineveh once again.
- This time, there was no revival. This time, there was only judgment. But what was one of the main reasons that judgment fell this time? Nahum 1:10 tells us it was because they were drunken as drunkards.
Conclusion: Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, knew full-well what would destroy a king. Notice again his words in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise." If a king can be deceived, that is, led astray because of wine, then surely the rest of us can be also. I think it is interesting to restate here that the word deceived also means a lie. Alcohol is a liar and will convince you that what it is telling you is the truth. The Bible says that whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Perhaps this is why there is an old saying which says, "You can never reason with a drunk." Why? Because they've been lied to, and rather than believe the truth, they choose to believe a lie.
As a Christian, you ought to have a conviction, down in the depths of your soul, that alcohol is wrong. The Bible says that wine is a mocker and that strong drink is raging and that anyone, who believes their lies, is not wise. Have you been fooled?