The Remnant Of Her Seed
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“Wine is a mocker”
Proverbs 20:1
A.
Lesiapeto
Unfermented wine
“Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the
cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do
for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” Isaiah 65:8. The Old Testament
was written in Hebrew, and the word “wine” in this passage is “תִּירוֹשׁ” in Hebrew
pronounced “tiyrowsh” or “tee-rosh” meaning fresh grape juice. It is found 38
times in the Old Testament e.g. “All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of
the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them
have I given thee.” Numbers 18:12. These passages clearly describes
wine as grapes or the fresh juice of the grape and therefore it is unfermented
and is a blessing from God as shown in Isaiah 65:8. And as shown in Numbers
18:12, it can be made as an offering to God because it is pure grape juice and
not an intoxicant or a drug that will paralyze the nerves.
Sometimes,
however, the Hebrew writers used the more common word for wine, “yayin,” to
refer to unfermented wine i.e. grape juice, or fermented wine i.e. alcohol.
Therefore, when “yayin” is used, the context is crucial. And
this is what is used in the following passages:
“And gladness
is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there
shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread
out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.”
Isaiah 16:10. This passage speaks of wine as something treaded out in the
presses, directly from the grape and therefore in a nonalcoholic state. When
available in the vineyards, it was a blessing in that it brought joy because it
was a refreshing alternative to water.
“Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured
upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the
children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. They say to their
mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the
streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.”
Lamentations 2:11-12. Again the wine spoken of in this passage is one that can
be drunk by children and therefore not an intoxicant.
Fermented wine
“Wine is a
mocker. Strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise”
Proverbs 20:1, NKJV. Wine is this fermentation form is a depressant that has
adverse effects on our mind, our judgement, and our health. And again we read.
“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow
strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!…. Woe unto
them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:” Isaiah 5:11,22. These verses clearly
refer to a wine that we should have nothing to do with as it invokes woe from
the Lord himself.
“Do you not
know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be
deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers (slanderers), nor extortioners (swindlers),
will inherit the kingdom of God” 1 Corinthians 6:9,10, NKJV
These verses
clearly shows that drunkards, i.e.
those that drink fermented wine or intoxicating beverages are listed among
those that will not inherit the kingdom
of God. As we have seen, the Bible can refer to wine as both fermented or
unfermented beverages. Therefore we should be careful not to assume the
alcoholic content in every context where the term “wine” is employed and
attempt to use that as justification for drinking alcohol.
Jesus Christ turns water to wine
All the the
New Testament writers were also Hebrew except Luke, but they wrote in the Greek
language because that was the language spoken by people all over the world at
that time therefore making it possible for people of all nationalities to
understand the Gospel. And as we have seen in the Hebrew culture from the Old
Testament the word “wine” can refer to unfermented wine i.e. grape juice or
fermented wine i.e. an alcoholic drink.
Some justify
their drinking achohol by pointing to the miracle performed by Jesus when He
turned water into wine (John 2:1-10). But it was Christ who in the Old
Testament gave the warning to Israel, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1. And
He Himself provided no such beverage.
Satan tempts
men to indulgence that will becloud reason and benumb the spiritual
perceptions, but Christ teaches us to bring the lower nature into subjection.
His whole life was an example of self-denial. In order to break the power of
appetite, He suffered in our behalf the severest test that humanity could
endure.
It was
Christ who directed that John the Baptist should drink neither wine nor strong
drink (Luke 1:15). It was He who enjoined similar abstinence upon the wife of
Manoah (Judges 13:14). And He pronounced a curse upon the man who should put
the bottle to his neighbour’s lips. Christ did not contradict His own teaching.
The unfermented wine i.e. grape juice which He provided for the wedding guests
was a wholesome and refreshing drink. Its effect was to bring the taste into
harmony with a healthful appetite.
Power in Jesus Christ
There is power in the blood of Jesus Christ to enable us feeble,
helpless human beings to overcome our natural inclination to sin and drink
alchohol. The Bible describes our nature like this, “The carnal mind is emnity
against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be”
Romans 8:7
In other words, the reason why we as human beings want to drink alcohol
or commit any other sin, is because the “carnal mind, i.e. our natural
inclination, our natural corrupt propensities want something that God has
forbidden. If we do not allow God through His Holy Spirit, to convert our
“carnal mind” into a mind that will be “subject to the law of God”, then no
matter how much scripture evidence is produced showing that God does not want
us to drink alcohol, we will keep on drinking alcohol and will at last be
destroyed with all the wicked in the lake of fire.
Christ says
he came into this world to save sinners. It does not matter what sin it is that
Satan has fastened upon us, whether it’s drunkardness, adultery, pride, etc. If
we surrender our lives to Jesus and accept Him as our Saviour and confess our
sins and forsake them, the Bible promise is that “He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” and
that “As many as received him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” 1 John 1:9; John 1:12.
He who
declares, “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life,”
also gives the invitation, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Revelation 2:10; Isaiah
55:7. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner. “I will heal their backsliding,”
He declares; “I will love them freely.” Hosea 14:4.
So there is power in Jesus Christ to break
away from the bondage of sin and Satan by first cleansing us from all
unrighteousness and then imputing His righteousness upon us so that we may
overcome sin and forsake it. This will be a daily thing because the Bible says
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be” Deuteronomy 33: 25. Every day we are to seek strength from
Christ.