Alcoholism

Merry—and Sad—with Wine

The misuse of fermented beverages has caused untold grief throughout human history. Absolom's strategy of getting Ammon drunk and then murdering him (2 Sam. 13:28) was yet another sad tale involving wine. The Bible often reports on the sad effects of alcohol abuse.

• Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28–29), David's oldest son, was murdered by his half brother Absalom while drunk.
• Ahasuerus (Esth. 1:10), the Persian king, commanded Queen Vashti to display herself while he was drunk at a royal feast. When she refused, he had her removed.
• Elah (1 Kin. 16:9), the fourth king of Israel, was murdered while drunk.
• Lot (Gen. 19:32–33), having survived the fire of brimstone that fell on Sodom, was seduced by his daughters to commit incest while drunk.
• Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1, 9) may have been intoxicated when they offered “profane fire” to the Lord; afterward, the Lord prohibited the priests from drinking on duty.

The misuse of anything in God's creation is sin, and the misuse of alcohol causes especially serious problems socially, morally, and spiritually.

The Dangers of Alcohol

The Book of Proverbs reminds us of the tremendous human suffering than can result from the abuse of alcoholic beverages and warns us about the dangers of losing control to alcohol (Prov. 23:29–35). In a day of widespread alcoholism, and with alcohol consumption a factor in countless crimes, including accidents caused by drunk drivers and workers, the warnings of Scripture need to be taken more seriously than ever.

Proverbs paints a picture of the person whose life has come under the control of alcohol:

• He is marked by woe, sorrow, contentions, complaints, wounds, and red eyes (23:29).
• He wastes most of his time either looking for a drink or lingering over it when he finds it (23:30).
• He lives in a fantasy by glorifying the properties of drink (23:31).
• He comes off his time of drinking with the feeling that he has been snakebitten (23:32).
• He hallucinates and says things he doesn't mean (23:33).
• He becomes numb and foolish (23:34–35).

Anyone who has ever lived with a person like that knows all too well how destructive alcohol can be, not only to the person, but also to everyone else in his world. That is why the Bible shows us tragic examples and gives careful instructions and strong warnings about alcohol:

• In ancient Israel, vows of abstinence were sometimes taken when a person assumed a significant responsibility. For example, the priests were not allowed to drink on duty (Lev. 10:9). Abstinence was part of the Nazirite vow (Num. 6:3).
• Rulers are admonished to not drink lest they pervert justice and forget God's ways (Prov. 31:4–5).
• Isaiah included drinking parties as a contributing factor in the Israelites' downfall (Is. 5:11–12). In fact, many priests and prophets were so frequently inebriated that they could not fulfill their God-given responsibilities (28:7–8).
• Paul listed revelry and drunkenness with sins such as lewdness, lust, strife, sexual immorality, coveting, idolatry, slander, extortion, and envy. He warned believers not to associate with professing Christians who persisted in such behaviors (Rom. 13:12–13; 1 Cor. 5:11). He also warned that drinking alcoholic beverages can contribute to the downfall of younger and weaker believers (Rom. 14:19–21).
• Peter included drunkenness with the kinds of sins listed by Paul, pointing out that heavy drinking is part of a lifestyle of unbelief, which dissipates people's health and character (1 Pet. 4:3–4).

The Bible does not demean people in trouble. In fact, it encourages us to find ways to assist people in the grip of alcohol, and not just condemn or reject them.