Wine is a mocker

Introduction

1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” We should be aware that the devil is always on the prowl to destroy our lives.

One of the most serious thing that destroys the lives of the youth and our people today is the problem of drinking. Many good families have been destroyed and have come under the spell of drinks.

As such, believers today have a lot of responsibilities to fight against this menace. For this, let us look into that the Bible tells us about it and then try to see what we can learn from it.

The Bible and drinking

Palestine had been known to produce wine because of its vineyards since ancient times (Num. 13:23; Dt. 6:11). 2 Kings 18:32 says, “until I come and take you to a land like your own–a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’” Wine was made from grapes and they were used in religious ceremonies (Lam. 2:11; Zek. 9:17; Jdg. 19:19; Ruth 2:14; 1 Sam, 10:3; 16:20; 25:18; Am. 6:4-6). As such, wine was never seen as something bad. But they knew that drunkenness is a sin. We saw in the Bible many warnings about drunkenness (Am. 4:1; Hab. 2:5; Hos. 4:11; Is. 5:11; 28:7).

In the book of Proverbs, the negative effects of drunkenness is widely treated. It said, “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise” (Prov. 20:1). We can also see the following main points:

1. Wine will bring about poverty: Proverbs 21:17 says, “Whoever loves pleasure will become poor; whoever loves wine and olive oil will never be rich.” It also says, “Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat, for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags” (Prov. 23:20-21).
2. It destroys lives: Wine brings about quarrels, worries and destruction. Those going to such places are beset with these things (Prov. 23:29-30). Proverbs 23:31-35 nicely puts it: “Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” Though it might look pleasing to the eyes, but it bites like a snake in the end! Therefore, we are warned not to even look at it (Prov. 5:3-5; 6:24-26).
3. It is not for people who rule and in power: The thing about the world today is that every person in power tend to think that they should drink. But the Bible says, “It is not for kings, Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights” (Prov. 31:4-5).

Drunkenness and the Christian

Now, let us see what Christians should learn from what we have seen from the passages above:

1. A person who is drunk is like someone who is in the night. Christians should behave as ones who is in the light (Rom. 13:11-14).
2. The apostle Paul also added drunkards among people who will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21).
3. He tells us not to even associate ourselves with such people (1 Cor. 5:11-13). But we need to be careful about this. Since Paul was talking about Church discipline, we need to understand the need to bring such people back into the fold.
4. We need to dissociate ourselves from such drunkenness (1 Pet. 4:4).
5. Being Christians, we always need to be careful about what we eat and drink (Rom. 14:21).
6. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” We have been bought.

Conclusion

As Christians, we need to be aware of all the dangers that we are facing. Let us not allow anything to rule over us except Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:15 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!”