Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
The social consequences of alcohol abuse around the world are immeasurable. Over thousands of years, the abuse of alcohol and drugs has brought unspeakable misery to untold billions of people. For example, the number of children born with fetal alcohol syndrome has exploded in recent years, and it is now the “leading known cause for mental retardation.” Between 40% and 60% of automobile accident fatalities are alcohol-related. Child abuse, family disintegration, economic distress, and deleterious health conditions are just a few other sad consequences of this cursed sin. Recently, nations like Russia have faced drunkenness at epidemic proportions, where the average man or woman drinks a quart of vodka every week. Incredibly, some of their cities have lost a quarter of their populations to alcohol-related illnesses and accidents over just the last fifteen years!
Outfitted with attractive labeling like “Southern Comfort,” a bottle of hard whiskey lures the hapless victim in for the kill. The first sip seems to provide a little comfort, so why not a second? As soon as the poor wretch embraces the bottle, it then proceeds to beat him senseless. Promising more sweet comfort the following day, the drunkard swallows the hook again, only to repeat the same process. Thus, alcohol always promises something that it cannot deliver. Those who are deceived by it will eventually find their families in shambles, their children suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome, and their bodies ravaged by cirrhosis of the liver and other diseases. Often this sin of drunkenness leaves a generational curse on a man’s children and grandchildren. The sad stories told of Noah and Lot in their drunkenness remind us of how incredibly damaging this sin can be—as it opens the door for the visitation of other sins and curses upon future generations.
Hard liquor is raging like a storm. It has the potential to do much damage, especially if it is ingested by a human being in large quantities. Alcohol is also a deceiver, and in this sense it can be dangerous. But so is parachuting out of an airplane or rappelling down sheer mountain cliffs. Obviously, one must be very careful when feeding lions in the zoo or swimming with sharks. Even the most accomplished lion tamers have been mauled by their big cat “friends.” While Paul does remind us that “all things are lawful,” this is not to say that all things are equally “safe” and “profitable.”
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provokes him to anger sins against his own soul.
Christians are counter-cultural. When we bring the Gospel to a foreign country, it is important that we do not go out of our way to pick a fight with the government. While He was here, Jesus paid His tax to the authorities at the time, “lest we offend them.” Paul encourages us to, as much as lies in us, live at peace with all men. Yet, both Jesus and Paul were executed by the Roman magistrate. For a time, we may be able to “fly under the radar” as we attempt to replace the kingdoms of the devil with the kingdom of God. Indeed it is a delicate game to play. It would be easier to avoid confrontation altogether, but God calls us to disciple the nations. Should a household, a city, or a nation utterly refuse to hear the Gospel, it may be better to leave and take the message elsewhere, where it would be better received. These verses are placed here to give us wisdom as we interact with the world around us.
For related commentary, reference Proverbs 16:14 and Proverbs 19:12.
1. Describe the sort of destruction that alcohol can bring to a family or to a society. Would it be better to stay out of the lions’ cages altogether? Would it be better to stay away from alcohol entirely (except for medicinal purposes, cleaning purposes, etc.)?
2. How can we best maintain a friendly relationship with our governments without compromising our message?