What
The Bible Teaches
about
Wine and Strong Drink
A.
The
Bible has never been unclear about the important issues in life - the problem
has always been that people play ignorant instead of taking the time to "search the
Scriptures"
(John 5:39) for the right answer
about how to live, and what is right
to do. This is true with what we are about to study.
B.
Wine, and strong drink have plagued mankind from the time of Adam and
Eve’s fall in Genesis 3 up to today. It has affected even the best of people -
see Genesis 9:20-22, where "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. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father."
So began the sad tale of alcohol's warped
influence!
C.
This study will show that the correct use of wine and strong drink is not
to be “in moderation” but only as a
medicine - it is definitely not for social entertainment or pleasure --
"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that
loveth wine
and oil shall not be rich"
(Proverbs 21:17).
D.
From the very start of this study, let the Scriptures make it very clear
that "Wine
IS a mocker, and strong drink IS
raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
(Proverbs 20:1). It is not an issue of whether wine can "become" a
mocker when abused, but that its very nature IS mockery to the Christian life,
and that it deceives all who think they
can handle it!
E.
This study has been designed to present God's
view of wine and alcoholic drink. You will need to fill-in the answers to
the questions from the Scriptures presented. Every
Scripture verse has been written out for you. Please study all the
Scriptures presented, and then fill in the blanks.
II. A Brief Outline of the Subjects this Study Will Cover
•
The
Different Kinds of Wine and Strong Drink
•
The
Results of Drinking
•
What
About Beer?
•
Biblical
Warnings About Liquor
•
The
Usual Reasons for Drinking
•
The
LIE About Drinking "in Moderation"
•
Some
Questions from Other Scriptures
•
How
to Overcome the Addiction, and Attraction to Liquor
These
are not the ideas of someone living in an "ivory-tower," but someone
who has worked with those who have hit "rock-bottom" both physically,
and spiritually, and found the pathway back out has been laid-out perfectly by
the Lord Jesus Christ as presented in the pages of God's perfect word, the
Bible! Take this honest look at both yourself, and alcoholic drink in the mirror
of God's word, and see if you can ever be the same again! What you will find is
that real life is found in Jesus Christ, not in a bottle!
A.
The
Different Kinds of Wine and Alcoholic Drinks
1.
Did you know that there are TWO
types of "wine" in the Bible?
a.
_____
wine
- squeezed from the grape - grape juice (Lk 5:37)
"And no man putteth new
wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled,
and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and
both are preserved." (Luke 5:37,38).
b.
_____
wine
- fermented - alcoholic grape drink (Lk 5:39).
"No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better"
(Luke 5:39).
The
word “wine” in the Bible can refer to either fermented
(alcoholic), or unfermented (pure)
grape juice. The
word 'wine' is a general term. It is the surrounding context of each
verse that tells you which kind of wine God is talking about.
2.
There is also a drink referred to as “__________ drink”
(Prov 20:1).
Wine is a mocker, strong
drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
3.
Let’s look in detail at each of these three drinks:
a.
The
Fruit of the Vine
- called, “New Wine” - the
juice of the grape.
1)
It is not found in the “vat” but in the “_________”. It is fresh
from the grape - simple grace juice - with nothing added!
"… new wine is found in the cluster (of grapes)…"
(Isa 65:8)
2)
God’s people never drank alcoholic wine!
"Ye
have not eaten bread (they ate Manna), neither
have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the LORD
your God."
(Deut 29:5,6)
"…thou
didst drink the pure blood of the grape."
(Deut 32:14).
3)
God’s blessings are found in “new” wine, not in drinking fermented
drinks. We will study fermentation a little later on.
"Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the
firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and
thy presses shall burst out with new
wine."
(Prov 3:9,10)
4)
Wine is compared to “blood”
in the Bible, and God's people are supposed to only drink the “… ________ blood
of the grape” (see Dt 32:14 above). There should never be anything added
to the grape juice.
5)
New
wine is a refreshing beverage, not an intoxicating drink!
"O LORD my God, thou art very great: thou … causeth the
grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring
forth food out of the earth; And wine
that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and
bread which strengtheneth man's heart."
(Psalm 104:1,13-15). All
of the above was "natural" and unleavened,
6)
Jesus drank “new” wine at His last supper.
Jesus never drank alcoholic wine, or any strong drink!
"But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit
of the vine, until that day when I drink it new
with you in my Father's kingdom"
(Mt 26:29).
b.
Fermented
Wine
- called “Old Wine” - what we call 'Liquor'
1)
Old wine is made by man. It is not natural. Let’s look at how fermented
wine is made, and what makes it “old”:
a)
It must be allowed to “decay” or spoil (the natural starches in the
juice are allowed to break-down into sugars and alcohol).
b)
The temperature, and sugar content must be regulated. If the decaying
process is not carefully controlled, then it will sour, and be bitter, and
therefore not enjoyable.
c)
Yeast (“leaven” in the Bible) is added to enhance the decaying
process. This is referred to as “mingling” wine with additional ingredients.
Mingled wine may have sugars and other seasonings added during the fermentation
process to enhance the flavour for those "special meals."
"Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out
her seven pillars: She hath killed
her beasts; she hath mingled her wine;
she hath also furnished her table." (Prov 9:2)
"Who
hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath
wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."
(Prov 23:29,30)
d)
When kept under pressure, the resulting carbon
dioxide from the fermentation is retained in the liquid until opened,
producing a “pop” and resulting in all the carbonated bubbles, as well as
the “head” on beers.
2)
Old wine in the Bible is only used as
a drug, not a refreshing beverage:
"Drink no longer water, but USE a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities."
(1 Tim 5:23)
Emphasis mine.
"But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he
was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound
up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine,
and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
(Luke 10:33,34).
3)
It is referred to as an “intoxicating” beverage because it has the
power to render someone senseless, or with less sense. Notice Paul tells Timothy
to “____ a little wine”, not drink a little wine. Use
it like you would a modern medicine. Old wine cleanses cuts and bruises, and can
be used to purify water under extreme circumstances. People kept it around
for “using”, not drinking. You would NEVER take glass-fulls of
medicines, yet people do with alcohol, and they do it to their hurt!
4)
Fermented wine is only the beginning of a path that leads to stronger
liquor! Alcoholic drink is never satisfying!
"Yea also, because he transgresseth (sins)
by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire
as hell, and is as death (that is what he looks like and smells like
after his "night out"), and cannot
be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all
people"
(Hab 2:5)
5)
Old wine is only permitted to be drunk (which is the past tense for of
the word "drink") in the following situations:
a)
When about to _____ - in order to not worry, and be able to ignore pains
and past haunting memories.
"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. Give strong drink unto him
that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him
drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."
(Prov 31:4-7)
b)
As medicine, alcoholic wine can be used as:
i)
A psychological drug (Prov 31:6,7) to calm the overburdened mind - like
using a sleeping tablet.
ii)
A physical drug (1Tim 5:23; Lk 10:34) to ease pains, and clean out
wounds.
"Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities."
(1Tim 5:23)
"But a certain Samaritan… bound up his wounds,
pouring in oil and wine, and set him
on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."
(Luke 10:33,34).
"And they gave him (Jesus on the cross) to
drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not."
(Mk 15:23). Jesus was NOT going to allow anything to be used to numb the pains
He was experiencing!
6)
The love of old wine is wrong
(Prov 21:17), and is therefore a fleshly lust that “______ against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11) - it keeps the person from ever
conquering sin and self, and being able to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18).
"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that
loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
(Pr 21:17)
"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain
from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul" (1
Peter 2:11)
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be
filled with the Spirit" (Eph
5:18)
c.
Strong
Drink
1)
Strong
drink (like whisky and rum) is harder drink than alcoholic wines and beers.
These drinks have been referred to as “spirits” due to all the “extra”
alcohol that is added to them for a greater “punch.”.
2)
Hard liquor is a picture of God’s wrath
and judgment on a nation - IT
IS NOT AS A BLESSING!
"For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup,
and the wine is red; it is full
of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the
wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them."
(Ps 75:8)
"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and
prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou
wilt."
(Mt 26:39).
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud
voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into
the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in
the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb"
(Rev 14:9,10).
1.
If you drink New Wine - It
refreshes, and makes a person’s heart and health good (Ps 104:15, "And wine that maketh glad the heart of man"). Grape juice is good for digestion,
variation (variety is the spice of life), supply of vitamins, natural sugar and
extra energy intake.
2.
If you drink Old Wine and Strong
Drink:
a.
It numbs the brain making the person “think” that things are great.
It is Satan’s counterfeit of new wine, and of the joy of the Lord that comes
from enjoying natural foods.
b.
It impairs your ability to make right decisions:
"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." (Prov
31:4,5).
c.
Liquor and immoral sex always
go hand in hand (Gen 9:20-24; Hab 2:15,16; Lam 4:21). It enhances the domination of the flesh!
"And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness
of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a
garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered
the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not
their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his
younger son had done unto him." (Gen 9:20-24)
Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that
puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness! Thou art filled with shame
for glory: drink thou also, and let thy
foreskin be uncovered (nakedness): the
cup of the LORD'S right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing (vomiting)
shall be on thy glory." (Hab
2:15,16)
"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that
dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup (of God's wrath) also shall pass through unto thee: thou
shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked." (Lamentations
4:21)
d.
Liquor and _________ go hand-in-hand.
"Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he
is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and
is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and
heapeth unto him all people… For the violence
of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid,
because of men's blood, and for the violence
of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein." (Hab 2:5,17)
Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that
they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine
inflame them! (Isaiah
5:11)
e.
Watch how the Lord in Proverbs
23:29-35, describes the life of someone who spends their time enjoying a few
drinks:
1)
They have troubles (woe), and ___________, and arguments (contentions)
"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions?"
2)
They don't make sense when they talk (they babble).
"Who hath babbling? …"
3)
They have wounds from fights that they don't remember.
"Who hath wounds without cause? …"
4)
They look terrible - not healthy and robust!
"Who hath redness of eyes? …" They
that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
5)
Alcoholic drinks have a hypnotic affect When you stare at it for a while, it moves in
the cup drawing you into its attraction.
"Look not
thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup,
when it moveth itself aright."
6)
Ultimately,
the drinker finds themselves in all sorts of trouble
(Pr 23:32-35):
a)
Bitten
with addiction to its poison!
Its effect is disastrous, not beneficial!
"At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth
like an adder.
b)
Lustful,
and remorseful
for all the things you end up doing and saying when you drink!
"Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine
heart shall utter perverse things."
c)
Physically
sick:
dizzy and unable to stand or walk straight.
"Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the
midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast."
d)
Emotionally
sick:
blaming everything and everyone around you instead of blaming yourself! You will
wish it was all a bad dream
(Pr 23:35)!
"They
have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake?"
e)
Addicted
- dependant upon it, and not able to escape its hold on you
(Pr 23:35)!!
"I will seek it yet again."
f.
Liquor and self-centeredness
go hand-in-hand. Drinking has the habit of becoming more important than even the
welfare of your own children (Joel 3:3) - people will end up selling almost
anything in order to get a drink!
"And they have cast lots for my
people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink." (Joel 3:3)
g.
Liquor and religion
go hand-in-hand (Isaiah 28:7,8; Deut 32:31-38) - almost all the world’s
religions use either drugs or alcoholic drink to enhance their
“spirituality” in the worship of their god.
"But they also have erred through wine, and through
strong drink are out of the way; the
priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are
swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in
vision, they stumble in judgment. For all tables are full of vomit and
filthiness, so that there is no place clean." (Isaiah 28:7,8)
"For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies
themselves being judges. For their vine
is of the vine of Sodom, and of the
fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: Their
wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.
… For the LORD shall judge
his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power
is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and
drank the wine of their drink offerings (to
false gods)? let them rise up and help
you, and be your protection." (Deut 32:31-38)
h.
Drinking in moderation is possible,
but rarely maintained, and always ends in disaster! Just as with anything, it IS possible
to do something, and it not hurt you (1Cor 6:12). But that is not the way to
tell if you should do it or not! We have to do what is RIGHT by God's standards,
and not what we can get away with!
"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are
not expedient:… I will not be brought under the power of any." (1
Corinthians 6:12)
i.
Drinking liquor drives you away from your _______ and family (Hab 2:5)
because it never can satisfy the emptiness of the heart!
"Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he
is a proud man, neither keepeth at home…
and (he)
is as death, and cannot be
satisfied…" (Habakkuk 2:5)
j.
Drinking liquor is usually pushed upon people (Hab 2:15). People don’t
normally go after the drink unless it is greatly advertised and pressured upon
them (see any conversation at a pub between someone who is drinking and someone
who is just sitting at the bar).
"Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest
him drunken…" (Hab 2:15)
1.
Beer is made using basically the same process as that of wine, except,
instead of using grapes, barley grain is used.
2.
The purpose of drinking beer is the same as that of wine - to help a
person “relax, and unwind.” A
normal Christian does not need a beer or a glass of wine to help them end a day,
anymore than a child does. An adult who looks to ANY drink for help at the end
of the day (to calm, and relax) is only looking for a cheep substitute to prayer
and fellowship with God. They are carnal,
and backslidden, and need to repent!
3.
Even though the alcoholic content of beer is low, that is not a reason to
drink it - most people who do drink beer,
drink a lot of it - not just a sip or two. At the end of the evening, the
beer drinker is full of alcohol, and is usually unfit to drive - and
is unfit to be a Christian!
D.
Biblical
Warnings about Liquor:
1.
Beware how drink becomes like a “god” to people.
They live for it!
“Woe unto
them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that
continue until night, till wine inflame them!”
(Isa 5:11)
2.
Drink
is made out to be a proof of your manhood and strength.
“Woe unto
them that are mighty to drink wine,
and men of strength to mingle strong
drink.”
(Isa 5:22)
3.
Drink
is not to be a social event in your home or anywhere.
“Woe (trouble) unto
him that giveth his neighbour drink,
that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest
look on their nakedness!”
(Hab 2:15)
4.
God
says that wine and drink will make a mockery out of you. In other words, the
person who drinks, is dumb, dumb, DUMB!
“Wine is a mocker,
strong drink is raging: and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise."
(Prov 20:1)
5.
Drink
is not a disease, but an act of the will against God - a sin!
E.
The
Usual Reasons for Drinking
- why people drink intoxicating liquors:
1.
To
forget troubles and heartaches - Sometimes God wants
you to have your troubles, to get you to see you are only "reaping
what you
______" (Galatians 6:7,8). To try to remove God’s payback for your sin is
to ignore God, and to reap more troubles. Then there are the times when you are
called upon to suffer for being in the right (Philippians 1:29). Who would run
to a bottle to "cope" with God's blessing (Mt 5:11,12)?
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting."
(Galatians 6:7,8)
"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,
not only to believe on him, but also to
suffer for his sake." (Philippians 1:29)
"Blessed are
ye, when men shall revile you, and
persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake." (Mt 5:11)
For
a Christian to try and use anything other than Christ to cope with problems, is like a married man running to a harlot
to help him cope with his life's problems! It
is just as wicked in God's eyes!
2.
Because
they don’t have anywhere else to turn
a.
All humans are sinners by nature - we sin naturally. The core of our
being is sinful in God's eyes. We are not pure, and holy.
b.
Our sinfulness is the source of our emptiness, and lustful desires for
wrong things.
c.
The desire for Drink, is just one of many many sins that can take over a
person's life.
d.
So many have been presented with religion
as the answer to their sins, and sorrows, only to find it too is empty. So they
turn to drink. But only Christ will
satisfy when we turn to Him for the real help we need (Isa 53:4-6).
"Surely he
(Jesus)
hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own
way; and the LORD hath laid on him
the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)
3.
Because
they would rather take the risk with
drink, than with drugs
- they shouldn’t take either risk,
when there is a sure help with Christ (John 10:10)!
"I am come that they might have life,
and that they might have it more abundantly."
4.
Because
of pressure -
friends and family are too important to you if THEY can pressure you into doing
what God condemns (Mt 10:37)! What if they talk you into stealing, or lying - it
is all the same - you have no excuse, no
matter how much pressure you feel!
"He
that loveth father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more
than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37)
F.
The
Lie about
Drinking in “Moderation”
1.
Nobody can “handle” fermented liquor in moderation unless the
following conditions can be met:
a. &n