Do you think its ok to drink? Proverbs 31:6 Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; (KJV) And what constitutes anguish?

PREAMBLE:

The condition of being intoxicated because of excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages. A drunkard is a person who habitually overindulges in strong drink to the point of drunkenness. To get to the stage of being termed a drunkard does not start one day. It is possible that one may have decide be excessively drunken. However, it is crystal clear that a little leaven, leavens the whole lump.

DISCUSSION:

Gen. 9:20-27 Noah’s account on drinking alcoholic beverages

Gen. 19: 30-38 Lot’s account on drinking

The earliest records of drinking alcoholic beverages were that of Noah and Lot. Noah after the deliverance from the flood became an husbandman. He planted vineyard and got himself drunk and he was naked. One of his children saw him naked and spoke about it to others and to the effect Noah cursed Canaan his son. But who caused it? Noah did. The consequence of shame was his and remaining under curse became the inheritance of his children.

Lot’s daughters after escaping from Sodom made their father drunk and he was made to lie with the two of them. Drinking of alcoholic beverages caused these two bad incidences.

It should be observed from the above two personalities that they engaged in drinking after the Lord has granted them victory or released favor unto them. That is not the order of God. Any favor granted man should result to praising our God and not destroying the temple where God is supposed to be living.

In Africa and other parts of the globe, people take to drunkenness when things have been proved good to them. Examples of occasion that calls for the use of beverages are, marriage, christening, house warming ceremonies etc. People say that they are celebrating. Noah did but the consequence was bad not only for him but for his children that were involved in his action. Whether good or bad, blessing is far better than a curse.

Through out the scripture there are warnings against drunkenness. Let us note a few of them for our admonition:

Hosea 4:10-12 “They will eat but not have enough; they will engage in prostitution but not increase, because they have deserted the Lord to give themselves to prostitution to old wine and new, which takes away the understating of my people”

I have discovered in my ministerial experience that those who engage in drinking alcoholic beverages are also prone to adultery. From statistics, about 50% of those who drink alcoholic beverages also smoke. Many of those who are still there started by taking little which eventually tantalized them to take much they cannot control now. Why drinking alcoholic beverages. To receive boldness to misbehave. To join their friends who do not walk in the counsel of God. Some people engage in it in order to conform to social norms of the society in which they belong. This is absolutely unchristian and unacceptable to the Almighty God.

Proverbs 23:21 “For drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags”

Can you see that? I have ministered to a few people in the past who don’t have anything to show for their labor. This is because they set aside a particular amount of money for drinks at the end of the month even before the family budget. They are retched, without future and purpose. That is why we rebuke the demon behind alcoholic beverages. Many times, these demons have spoken out to our hearings that they are out to destroy, make poor the person they inhabit. Some of the people engaged in drunkenness die before their time.

I remember before I gave my life to Christ. I used to drink alcoholic beverages. I started from little. From this little I graduated to drinking strong wine. One day, I got so drunk to the extent that I did not know where I was. I was washing my dress in a terrible gutter very close to our family house. I was very young them. My mother, without too much knowledge of God, did not like it. She was sobbing like a baby on me. I was not ashamed until when I was told of my actions of the previous day. One’s focus will tend towards joining drinking mates. I was poor academically then. There was not much to show for my effort. There is demon behind drinking. Thank God I got my deliverance, Jesus came into my heart and I renounced the spirit behind drinking, fornication, lying, deceit, inordinate affection and all kind of social vices I had then.

I Cor. 6: 9-10 “Do you know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterer nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the king of God”

The above is the list of those who will not enter into the Kingdom of our dear God. Yes, God has the list of those who will get to his Kingdom just like you will not like just “anybody” to enter your bedroom. If your bedroom is sacred, heaven is more sacred than your bedroom.

Daniel 1:8″ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”

Israelites considered food from Nebuchadnezzar’s table to be contaminated because the first portion of it was offered to idols. Likewise, a portion of the wine was poured out on a pagan altar. Ceremonially unclean animals were used and were neither slaughtered nor prepared according to the regulations of the law. He asked. not define himself. He demonstrated the courage of his convictions. God enabled the official to show favor to Daniel.

You do can decide today to refrain from what your mates are doing. The grace that Daniel had in his days is not different from the one you also have now. To refrain from alcoholic beverages calls for self-determination, which Daniel exhibited and prospered. The power of Jesus can help your determination if you will allow Jesus into your heart. Confess your sins to him today and be you will be saved. He will give the power to become a child of God. Becoming a child of God will deliver you from every vices including drunkenness.

2 Samuel 11:13 “At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his mater’s servants; he did not go home.

Based on personal determination David would have through drunkenness deceived Uriah unto lying with his wife after she was pregnant. That is what drunkenness can do.

Job 12:25 “They grope in darkness with no light; he makes them stagger like drunkards. This is talking about a drunken man that is also a staggering man. He is not normal. He misbehaves. He loses his senses because he has so much indulged in alcoholic beverages.

Proverbs 31:6 “Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish. Why must you perish? You should refrain from beer and alcohols and be good instruments in the hands of our God. Let no demon or alcohol destroy your body. It is medically unfit for you to continue to indulge in drinking alcohols.

CONCLUSION:

It is important to say that all these talked about drunkenness. But we need to remember that not many people can discern when they will reach the point of drunkenness. And every drunken man must have started from little drinking. Even juices that have been fermented should be abstained from!.

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

Rev. Debo Adeyemo

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The Bible is clear in its teaching against the use of alcoholic wine for non-medicinal purposes. Wine that has been allowed to ferment is not condoned! Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”

Luke 21:34 says, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”

Romans 13:13 says, “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

I Corinthians 6:10 says, “Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”

I Thessalonians 5:21,22 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.”

Now, many people will try to take the Bible’s word and twist it around and make it okay to drink within moderation. BUT, we are to hold our bodies holy as a temple. Alcohol is a drug, just as cocaine, marijuana, amphetimines, and others are. Would you take THOSE in moderation for social purposes? NO! We know that is not right. So what makes taking the drug of alcohol anymore right? Nothing! Nothing at all. The divided opinion on whether or not drinking is Biblically alright or not will go on forever I’m sure, but if one TRULY studies and follows the word of God and doesn’t try to twist it around to suit their own desire, I think they’ll land on the side of it not being okay! MAY ALL BE BLESSED!

Love And Blessings

DeeDee

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My answer to this is that we can make the Bible say whatever we want it to say by taking a text out of context. In this way the Bible can be made to completely contradict itself. If we read the whole of Proverbs chapter 31, we see that strong drink is condemned, it is not for Kings or Rulers, it perverts the rights of the afflicted and helps us to forget the Law. Prov.31:4-5 and verse 6 is written tongue-in -cheek and means if we give it to those who are perishing it won’t make any difference to them as they are perishing anyway. It doesn’t remove the trouble it just makes the mind forget.

So…! What the Bible really says It is not OK to drink alcohol, to do so removes all sense of righteousness and we forget God. Proverbs 31

God bless Noeline

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Yes, its ok to drink but not unto drunkenness. Jesus himself made wine, but there is a time and a place for everything. If drinking in front of your sister or brother will hinder there faith then do not drink. If it will offend a person then do not drink. If you can not drink in moderation then you should not drink at all. You don’t want to do anything that will cause you to sin. So the answer yes and no.

Frederick Liggins

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A rule of Bible interpretation states that every passage must be understood within its context. Proverbs 31:6 is part of a larger context that extends from verses 4-9. Here is the full context:

4 “It is not for kings, O Lemuel- not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, 5 lest they drink and forget what the law decrees, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. 6 Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; 7 let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.

8 “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

The passage is saying that rulers have a responsibility to uphold the law and not abuse their subjects. It is not addressing whether drinking alcohol is right or wrong.

There are, however, several passages which indicate that Christians shouldn’t drink alcoholic beverages. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise” (NIV). In this section of Proverbs, each verse is a complete thought by itself. A brief search through Proverbs on the word “wine” reveals that it is usually used with a negative connotation.

In the New Testament, Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (NIV). However, the New Testament stops short of an absolute proscription of alcohol. One must consider, however, that we are to take care of our bodies, and any health benefit to be gained from alcoholic beverages is offset by several serious risks, such as liver and brain damage and addiction (usually addicts are the last ones to realize they’re addicted, and for some people it only takes one drink to become addicted to alcohol). The best course is to avoid alcoholic beverages altogether.

Scott Severance

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In the time of Christ, I believe it was normal to drink of wine. I think the scriptures refer to ‘excess’. Did Jesus drink wine? Probably. My father died homeless in the streets from drinking and for a long time I would never consider drinking. However, I realize that in moderation, wine is good for the heart, cholesterol. It is a tool given us. Use it wisely, or it will use you.

BJ Cassady

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According to Ecclesiastes and Jesus making wine and Paul telling Timothy to take wine for his stomach, yes.

According to Ephesians 5, it is getting drunk that is the problem.

I have found out recently that everyone has a different definition of “drunk”. Especially alcoholics. I recommend what the state law is for drinking and driving (ex: .08% blood alcohol).

What matters is your motive. Are you drinking 1 glass or can or bottle with dinner & friends or are you using beer (or food or sex) in place of God? In other words, beer is not the best thing for peace, joy or love. God is.

Todd Shilt