The Curse of Alcoholic Drink - part 3
Proverbs 20:1
“1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
Jesus Christ did not destroy any of the Old Testament. He fulfilled many Old Testament types and prophecies. Others will be fulfilled yet in the future. He did not destroy any of it. The Old Testament is very clear on the nature of alcoholic drink and there is no point in humanistic arguments on this or any other matter. God’s Word settles all arguments. The wise person will humbly submit to God’s Word and know His blessing.
The first mention of alcoholic drink in the Bible is found in Genesis 9:21.
Genesis 9:21
“21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.”
Wine Is a Mocker
The context here is of Noah after the flood. God had provided the only means of escaping the flood for Noah and his family. Noah was a man whom God described as a “just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9). In spite of this and in spite of the fact that Noah had just come through a time when God poured out His wrath upon wicked mankind and all of Creation, yet Noah made a wrong choice after the flood. He proved that we have a sin nature that is capable of leading us into many and various types of sin.
The result of Noah’s drunkenness, was that he was naked and defenceless. He put himself where he could be mocked and where he was mocked. Wine is a mocker. It affects the capacity of man to use his mind as God intended him to. It affects the very heart of man. It causes man to look at sin in a good light rather than in a bad light. None can blame alcohol for their sinful actions. No one is forced to take a drink of liquor. It is a choice that a person makes. It is a foolish choice that many make. The province of Alberta has so many liquor stores it is amazing that anyone is sober at all in this province. Thank God for those few who are truly born again and know that the liquor industry is poison and stay away from it.
Wine is a Deceiver
Again this is what God says about it. There are far too many people who would argue that a glass of wine is good for your health. Or they would suggest that a glass of wine is good for business. God says wine is a deceiver. The consumption of alcohol may cause a person to forget about their physical ailments for a short time, but after they sober up those ailments are still there. They have not vanished. All that the consumption of alcohol did was add further trouble into the mix. The answer to man’s troubles is not alcohol, it is salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.