It's Foolish to Drink

A few weeks ago, I preached a 45-minute sermon on the issue of drinking that was well-received by the congregation. In that lesson, I clarified the exact meaning of biblical "wine," showed that fresh grape juice (i.e. wine) was viewed as a blessing and source of joy by the Hebrews of old, and that they not only preferred fresh wine over fermented wine (and had many ways of preserving it fresh), but actually opposed the social/recreational use of alcohol. I also spent a lot of time in the New Testament, defining terms and showing that more is condemned than our modern-day concept of "drunkenness."

 

This article isn't intended to regurgitate all that I said in that sermon several weeks ago, but I would like to revisit one point from that sermon on drinking. This is something I noticed just today that I failed to mention in that sermon.

 

Of course, the Old Testament is not our "law" today (Gal. 5:1-4; Col. 2:14-16), but as Paul says in Romans 15:4, it's there for our learning, and most of us understand this. In books such as Proverbs, God is giving advice to us that we might live wisely, and we often go to Proverbs in search of this advice. Solomon had much to say about financial prudence, gossip, our response to rebuke, to temptation, etc. Why do so many of us believe that it's appropriate to spank our children? Because of verses like Proverbs 13:24 where Solomon writes, "He who spares his rod, hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly."

 

Likewise, God has given us advice regarding the social/recreational use of alcohol.

 

In Proverbs 23:29-35, we read the following:

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly; at the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. 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."

Solomon summarizes all of the negative effects of alcohol in this passage and then provides us with a solution in verse 31. What is that solution? Does he, by inspiration, instruct us to "drink in moderation" or to "drink responsibly?" No! He tells us plainly not even to look at the stuff! In other words, don't even consider it...and certainly don't drink it! At all! In my humble opinion, the entire debate is settled by this one passage...at least for those who respect God's wisdom and desire to make positive spiritual choices.

 

Many respond to this argument, however, by saying that Solomon is only condemning the abuse of alcohol, or even alcoholism. After all, he's clearly describing the drunken state throughout this passage. And so the admonition to "not look on the wine" is given to those who are pondering drunkeness, or who are alcoholics. The implication of this viewpoint is that Solomon is speaking to the alcoholic or drunk and not to the responsible drinker. Is this true? Not at all...

 

Throughout this book, Solomon, by inspiration, imparts godly wisdom to his son. Even here in Proverbs 23, he writes "my son" three times (vs. 15, 19, 26). What's the point? The point is that Solomon is NOT writing to drunks and alcoholics and telling only them to "not look on the wine." The wise king Solomon is actually speaking to his son, and by extention ALL of us, about all the negative effects of recreational drinking and encouraging total abstinance. So the command to "not look on the wine" is given more broadly to ALL people, not just to those who are tempted by it, or addicted to it.

 

With this in mind, IF God says that drinking is foolish, should we drink?

 

Let's take this a step further and relate this point to other scriptural points...

 

Would Jesus (the Son of God) have produced alcoholic wine at the wedding in Cana if He (being God), through Solomon years earlier said to "not look on the wine?" Would God inspire Solomon to call social/recreational drinking foolish and then inspire other men such as Paul and Peter to encourage or allow moderate drinking? Of course not. "God is not an author of confusion, but of peace" (1 Cor. 14:33).

 

There may be many complicated points concerning drinking, and there may be arguments that are harder (not impossible) to address, but it is always proper to interpret the more difficult passages in light of the easier ones. Solomon's point in Proverbs 23 is about as plain as it gets. Furthermore, instead of arguing intellectually and academically about moral issues such as this, we should take to heart the words of Paul in Romans 16:19: "I want you to be wise in what is good, and innocent (simple) in what is evil."

 

As was inferred in the first paragraph of this article, there is more to this issue than Proverbs 23, and this article was never intended to be exhaustive. If you disagree or have any questions, please contact me at queenwaycoc@yahoo.com. Or to hear a more thorough address of this issue, click here to listen to my recent sermon on drinking.