6.14 - The Allure of Alcohol

Generations upon generations have noted and commented on the allure of alcohol. Join us as we look to the wisdom of the Proverbs to consider what is so enticing about alcohol and what warnings we should keep in mind.

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Paul and Noah both preach and teach with the Cedar Park church of Christ in Cedar Park, TX. You can visit our site at: https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/

Transcript

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Well, good morning and welcome back to the Stan strong podcast. We're here for, if my count is correct, episode 14 of season six, where we're doing the Proverbs project, Paul, I'm looking forward to our discussion today. One, because I think it's a relevant one and to our society and our time. But also secondly, because it's a, it's a topic that gets to. pretty substantial sections of Proverbs commenting on it. And so it gives us the opportunity to kind of dive into the text a little bit more directly without having to span the whole book of Proverbs and see what some of the wisdom literature has to offer. And as you know, if you listened last week, we're going to be talking today about the allure of alcohol. The allure of alcohol, I thought was an interesting title selection, Paul. As I recall, it was your idea and I'm glad that we went with it because one of the things that first comes to mind is what makes alcohol alluring in the first place. We can observationally talk about that from just looking around at the culture. But Proverbs also comments on the allure of alcohol. What is it about alcohol? That's appealing. What what causes people to want to be a part of it? So I thought it might be helpful to start there and, and think about what we see not only in our culture, but also in scripture that the selling points of alcohol. Why do people want it in the first place? Yeah. You know, that's the, the allure. I mean, if you just went and looked at that word. It carries with it the idea of something that is extremely, powerfully attractive or appealing in some way. Charm, it's, it's tempting. And like you said language in Proverbs, especially 23, Proverbs 23. Right. We'll see that. It talks about the sparkle, the smooth taste. So, there's something that we see, there's a taste, all of these things. In the alcohol that make it both deceptive enticing, alluring. And so he warns about that. So he doesn't just warm about being intoxicated. He says, this is what can cause you to become intoxicated. You become deceived by it. Right. Right. And there is certainly a lot of deceptive marketing, I would say in, excuse me, in our culture. I mean, you think, you know, you watch a sports game, football or whatever you know, Superbowl commercials are a big, a big thing every year when those come around and a large number of them are from some sort of alcoholic beverage. And they invest a huge amount of money in telling you This is a product that you want because and and there's all sorts of different reasons that they'll give because it tastes good or you know I know that with wine there's There's a lot of talk about health benefits and and that there's there's a culture that surrounds every type of alcohol, right? You know I'm a coffee guy. You know that I like coffee. And so I can understand the appeal of, of wine culture to some extent. You know, there's a discussion about, Oh, where was this sourced from? And how was it aged and all of these things that people, you know, there's an appeal there. These, these are all things. It goes deeper than just, Oh, that looks like a, a yummy drink, or there's an in group, there's an out group, there's a creation of community around these things there's a social appeal there's a sense of fitting in, and all of those things play into the commercials, you know, that we see, the way that we see it marketed and advertised. So it has an appeal of its own, but then there's also an appeal that's put onto it by the people we're with and the culture that we're a part of. And that, I think, is also part of what Proverbs is warning about. Right. I mean, we all know, I mean, we're smart people. Most of the time We do realize that that commercial is intended it's marketed to sell a product It's about the dollar. It's about making money. And so how do I sell the product? They know the experts that are in marketing. They know what sells they know what attracts they know what convinces And so their job is to do whatever we have to do, create whatever illusion we need to create, so that you'll say yes to our product and buy our product. We all know that. Right. But you don't, you don't see the commercials where someone is having a car wreck and, and people are over at a cemetery, a grave site, grieving and mourning because, you know, somebody got drunk and a life was lost. Right. You don't see the commercials where someone's hugging, not trying to be graphic here the toilet and is sick. Right. I mean, all of those things. And we know, but yet we know those are realities. Right. And the deception in regards to this and a lot of other things is, I won't be that guy. That won't happen to me. I won't drink to this level. I'm not going to get drunk. I won't get intoxicated. Well, It's, it's very tempting. Right. And so that's, that's, that's why I like the allure of alcohol, because I think that's what the Proverbs does in trying to paint the picture to show us that whoever is deceived by it, intoxicated by it, is not wise. Right. And it explicitly states, what you're referencing there is from Proverbs 20, verse 1. You know, wine is a mocker, strong drink, a brawler, and whoever's led astray by it is not wise. That's a pretty strong statement, but it Proverbs, I think something that's so valuable about what Proverbs has to say about the subject is that it acknowledges the allure of it, it acknowledges the appeal of it. In the context of saying, just be aware that's not even half the story of alcohol. So, like, we already referenced Proverbs 23 and we'll probably read more extensively from it here in just a moment. But, I mean, it recognizes the appetizing nature of it when it's red and it's sparkling in the cup. It recognizes that it's enjoyable to consume, right? It goes down smoothly. The other larger section of Proverbs that talks about it is in Proverbs 31. Proverbs 31 And it talks about it's you know, it's ability to numb and distract to cause forgetfulness. And some people want it for that reason, right? When it says things like give beer to one who is dying so that he can remember his trouble no more, that there are proverbs is acknowledging. There are reasons people want this, right? But then it puts it in a, in a broader context. And I think that's what we want to get into with most of our time is, so here's the allure. We're not denying the allure. Scripture doesn't deny the allure, but what does Scripture have to say? What, what warning does it have to offer as we see alcohol from this perspective? Right. Well, do you want to jump into Proverbs 23? Yeah, I think it would be good if nothing else to just go ahead and read. That kind of that section try to read the whole context 29 through 35 I I know there are some things earlier in the in the chapter That we might we might bring in to the discussion as well But that main chunk versus 29 through 35, I'll go ahead and read that and this is from the esv Who has woe who has sorrow who has strife who has complaining Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? You Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine, do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. Your eyes will see strange things and your heart utter perverse things. You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink. You know, I was, I was looking at a few different translations of this because there are some, you know, like we don't use the word adder very often and some translations say Viper there. But one of the things that I thought was so interesting was that last line, I must have another drink. It's describing the addictive nature of alcohol, even though that's not, most of this doesn't have to do with the addiction of it. That last line just really puts that into perspective. The, the addictive nature of it. I must have, when will I awake from my drunken stupor so that I can consume more alcohol? That's a pretty devastating picture to be painted right off the bat. Yeah, it is. I mean, to get to a point the drunkard forgets the fact that they got drunk. Whether it's the next day or a couple of days, but they're going to come out of their drunken stupor. He paints that picture. And when they do, they're going to forget either all of the foolish things they did or said, or how they hurt themselves or hurt other people. Everything that they did for the last 12, 24, 36 hours. It's just, if they hit their race button, it's as if they never hit it. Did that or went through all of that, forgot that they passed out, forgot this, that, and the other. And he says, look, it's, it's so alluring. It's so enticing. It's so addictive that the brain gets to a point where it just says, all I'm thinking about is I've got to have another drink. Not what happened to me. Well, what I did, I mean, we know this, somebody can get drunk, drive their vehicle off the side of the road. Total their car, walk away from it, go to the ER and get arrested by the police. I mean, all of these things that are happening, all the financial burden, all of the headache and heartache. And then here they are. It's like, well, I'm going to go drink again. And you look at that. That's the dumbest thing in the world. Well, but all they're thinking about is the next drink, the next drunk. Right. And, and that probably feels like. the extreme, right? That's kind of the extreme or the fringe. But what I think is really important to notice in this context is most of what the author, what the author of Proverbs here writes about is not extreme. What he describes as something that has a good, big, good beginning, right? It sparkles in the cup and it goes down smoothly. But it has a bad end. That's that the you know, the analogy to a serpent, to a Viper. But look at like the specific things that he calls out. This is not extreme stuff. This is not like, Oh, well, every time I take a drink, I'm going to go and drive my car off the road. Who has woe, who has sorrow, who has strife? I mean, he's talking, what is he talking about? He's talking about how alcohol can ruin relationships. Not because you're a deadbeat drunk, but because it inhibits your ability to think and communicate and reason. It causes strife, it causes discord, it leads to sorrow, it leads to difficulty. It impairs your senses and your mind that that's not an extreme case. That's just, I mean, that's a scientific fact of what alcohol does. We don't have to go to the extreme to see the wisdom of what the Proverbs writer is saying here. In the end, he says, it will master you. It will, it will overcome you. And I think that's part of why, if we back up in the chapter verses 20 and 21, He says be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat. It's interesting that those two things are put together. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags. The picture is just someone that is mastered by their appetite for food and for alcohol. Right, right. I mean, if you look, you said we might bring up something earlier in Proverbs 23. Proverbs 23 it's just something worth thinking about. I mean, in the context of Proverbs 23, he is trying to make the point about the person who is allured by the alcohol. And then as they go to the alcohol and give themselves to the alcohol, they get drunk. And as a result of this, they don't think in the beginning that at last, verse 32 of Proverbs 23 it bites like a serpent, it stings like an adder at last, but they don't think about the end. Result. Right. They just, they're deceived and allured by the, the sight, the taste on and on. Earlier in Proverbs 23, before he ever brings up the person who drinks and gets intoxicated or drunk, he had already said things like Proverbs 23 verse 17, live in the fear of the Lord always. I think this is a fair question. What is true reverence and respect for the Lord? What does that look like? influence the way I think? How should that influence the way that I live? And he says, listen, in the fear of the Lord, it's, it's an always kind of thing. Then verse 20 of Proverbs three, do not join those who drink too much wine. The point is don't make a drunk your friend. Right. Don't hang around the drunks. And, and then he says, why verse 21, the drunkard, whereas you mentioned will come to poverty. Lots of bad things are going to happen, right? And you're going to inherit that if you make the drunkard your friend. But really verse 23 of Proverbs 23, by the truth, do not sell it. And he says, get wisdom, discipline, and understanding, I mean, get it, go after it, seek it, see the value in wisdom, discipline, understanding. Yeah. So concepts of discipline, concepts about what is wise, that's why he said in Proverbs 20 verse 1 whoever is led astray or intoxicated by the wine or the strong drink is not wise. Yeah. And you know, this is where the rub comes in. People say, well, I don't get drunk. I'm not the drunkard. I don't get drunk. Therefore, these principles don't have application to anybody except the drunkard. I would disagree with that. And I think, no, I know Solomon would disagree with that in the book of Proverbs. Clearly, the drunkard are the people who are getting drunk or dressed. But you asked two questions, what is the allure? And then the second question was, what is the warning? So why do we have so much warning against drinking the alcohol? Because of where it will lead. Not all the time. Right. But most of the time. Well, that, that, yes, that verse that you just referenced there, 20 verse 1 wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. It, I don't know the correct you know, I don't think it's a synecdoche, but some, it's some imagery here where it says wine is a mocker. Strong drink is a brawler. This is a double, there's a double meaning there. Wine, you know, being intoxicated by strong drink will make you a scoffer. It will cause you to be a scoffer, and it will get you into fights. I mean, that's part of what it's talking about, but the double image of that is it. It's mocking you and it's fighting you. And therefore whoever's led astray by it is not wise. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Right. So here's the question when it comes to the idea of wine and alcohol and inebriation mocking us as people who are trying to commit our ways to the Lord. We see the effects, we see the damage, either from personal experience, or if we just, you know, go out, go to downtown, the, you know, the square on a weekend evening, we can see the effects of inebriation and the effects of alcohol. Fool me twice, shame on me. If we're, if we're going to be mocked by wine and we're going to fall. Pray to its temptations again, that I feel like I believe there in verse in Proverbs 20 verse one, that it says something very profound when it's, when the idea is communicated, it's mocking you. And if you give into it, you are giving up wisdom. You're becoming the fool. You're playing the fool. Yeah. You know, I remember years ago I read this and I thought, this is, This would challenge me I don't drink in any amount. I've stated that before I state that without any shame, right? I don't state that to boast in some way or even put it in the face of those that I have respect for That drink socially, they don't get drunk, they drink socially. So I, and I have respect for people who do that. I disagree strongly with them and their judgment. But when I'm, when I read this, it got my attention. What is the surest path to temperance? And then the author answered the question, it's abstinence, right? And, and I think that's what Solomon is trying to get us to see. Now, again, we've read those passages, Proverbs 23, clearly he's talking about in Proverbs 20, don't get intoxicated, don't get drunk at last, it bites like a serpent, it stings like a viper and adder. But if I were to put something in front of you, a product in front of you and say, Hey, look, now there's a chance that in drinking this, you could drink too much. And because you drank too much, you could start saying really stupid, crazy things that would hurt your reputation and hurt others. You could, it could cost you your job. You could, you could tweet something, text something, get on social media and lose your job because you just did a really stupid, foolish thing. Or you could, you could get to a point where you weren't thinking clearly and you started hallucinating, hallucinating, and you started seeing things that weren't, weren't, weren't really true, not really there. Or, you know, you could, you could get to a point where you just outright reject what's sensible and honorable behavior. And it can so cloud your judgment that you could get in a fight, you know, and I'm describing like the marker and the brawler. I'm describing Proverbs 23 about your eyes seeing strange things. And you'll be like the one who lies down in the middle of the sea or the one who lies down on the top of a mass. I mean, it's, you're not thinking clearly who does that. And I would put all those things before you and say, now, if you overdo it and you get drunk, Then at last, here's, there's going to be the bite and here's going to be the sting. Yeah. Yeah. And then say like, well, that's not me. I wouldn't do that. Right. I think we could even make it a little more personal when he talks about who has strife, who has woe, right? Because, okay. So maybe I'm, I'm not out there in a public place and I keep away from my phone or my computer when I'm. Consuming alcohol just in case, you know, I go, I, I, I get a little inebriated just in case, you know, that way I don't do anything dumb. I don't ruin my reputation. Okay, where's where's strife and woe? Most critical. It's in your home. So again, you set that before me and you say, okay, you can have this, but if you go too far with this. You're going to say things to your spouse that you never intended. Right. You're going to, you're going to say things to your kids. You're going to do things in front of them. You're going to set an example for them that you never intended. That, that ought to challenge us. Very much so. I I have a healthy respect, you know, fear of the Lord. Well, let me equate a healthy respect for something other than the Lord. I have a healthy respect for snakes. Look, I, I know people, I go to church with people that pick up rattlesnakes, right? Hey, that's, that's bravery, right? But we, a person can look at the alcohol A Christian can look at the alcohol and say, Okay, clearly drunkenness is condemned. To get drunk is a sin. I agree with that. I get what y'all are saying from Proverbs. We need to be careful. He's warning us, and I'm not the drunk guy. I'm not going to take it too far. Okay. Well, you may be the snake handler. And you may be able to handle you. You're, you're trained. Well, you've disciplined yourself. You know what to do and you can pick up a venomous snake and not get bit. That's very true. Right. But what about you kids? Would you tell your four or five year old, here is a den of rattlesnakes and they're poisonous. Go play with them. No, they're not prepared for it. They're not ready for it. And we get that. Okay. My concern with the alcohol is what I may discipline myself to say, hey, just the one glass with, with, with dinner or just a little bit amount over in this situation. What about other people, especially my children? And I'm concerned about that and I think there's a, there's a lot of wisdom in scripture. Again, I'm going to answer for me, not anyone else. People that listen to me, they're going to answer for themselves and not me. And I'm not saying that. And some kind of backhanded way to take delight in someone who's listened to this as a parent who drank in moderation and now their kids drink in excess. I'm not trying to say to you in some subtle way, Hey, it's all your fault. That's so insensitive. I would not do that. But I feel obligated to warn because I think scripture does pay attention to what you choose to do because what you may do in moderation, how do you know your kids or someone else might not do it in excess? Have they been influenced by me? What's, what's a wise course? Yeah. Yeah. Well, and the fact is that scripture has its warnings for a reason and we, we ought to understand that and we ought to reason through that. I know that we've already gone a little longer than we normally do on these episodes, but there is one more passage that I think we have to bring up if we want to do justice in 31. When Lemuel his mother is addressing him and giving him wisdom. This is Proverbs 31 is, is full of the description of the worthy woman in the later portion, and we're familiar with that. But one of the first things she says to her son beginning in verse three, don't spend your energy on women or your effort efforts on those who destroy Kings. It is not for Kings, Lemuel. It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer. Otherwise, he will drink, forget what is decreed, and pervert justice for all the oppressed. Give beer to one who is dying and wine to one whose life is bitter. Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more. And then, she says, speak up for those who have no voice. For the justice of all who are dispossessed, speak up, judge righteously and defend the cause of the oppressed and the needy. I think it is really valuable to see this whole address from Lemuel's mother because she says to a king, it's not for kings. Notice she doesn't say it's not for kings not to, to not get drunk. She says, it's not for kings to desire this. Or to imbibe in this It's not for kings. Why? Because you are you have too much that you are responsible for and the pitfalls are not worth it That's essentially what she says you risk perverting justice for your kingdom because of If you if you do this and the contrast that she gives there The give beer to one who is dying and wine to one whose life is bitter Alcohol is an easy way You When abused to escape pain and difficulty. And she acknowledges that, but she says those with great responsibility have a higher calling than to drown their sorrows in alcohol. The risk is too great perverting justice for all, for all the oppressed. It's interesting to me that she draws a direct line from the allure of alcohol. To poor decision making and from poor decision making to the abdication of responsibility She draws that line Well said yes, and and I think that that's why in this same context She then follows up with speak up and judge righteously. She's reminding him. This is your duty people who have Responsibility in their lives who have positions of authority in their lives And i'm as a father i'm especially thinking of myself as a father We've got to keep in mind that when we impair our judgment, we're not just affecting ourselves. We are affecting those who are under our care and under our responsibility. And Lemuel's mother says it's not for kings. Right, right. I think that's well said. No, I'm not going to even try to add anything to that. That was very well said. Think about, we started with the allure and think where we're going with this as we end is just how all of us, self concluded, self included can, can be desensitized by the culture around us and, and the marketing strategies of the world that are just trying to sell a product. Here's one of the strategies. We're told to drink, how? Responsibly. What a mother says to her son is not drink responsibly, be responsible. And I think that's the message. It's not drink responsibly, it's have integrity. Be responsible. Think these things through. Yeah, that's a, that's an excellent way of putting it. And I appreciate that. And I appreciate you bearing with me as I went on a little monologue there about Proverbs 31. I, I wanted to be efficient with our time. So I, I kind of ran through my thoughts on that quickly, but I know that we've already gone long. I appreciate if you're still listening, I appreciate your patience as we've gone through Proverbs and discussed the allure of alcohol. It's a, it's a powerful thing. It's an appealing thing. It's something that has been that way for, for generations and will continue to be that way. And so we just want to go to scripture. We want to go to Proverbs and see what is the wisdom of God? What does fear of the Lord instruct us in this regard? And I know that this discussion has been helpful for me in that regard, and I hope it has been for you as well. Well, so we're, we're, we're going next. Noah in the Proverbs project to some passages, scriptures throughout Proverbs, they're laced all the way through. A lot of'em are there that are telling us some things that the Lord hates. Mm-Hmm. some things that the Lord hates and he's wanting us to see that we're to hate what he hates. Hate what the Lord hates. That can be a tricky and and difficult message to receive, but the Proverbs has something to say about that, and I'm looking forward to going over that with you next week. So until next week, our prayer for you is that you will continue to walk with God, that you will grow stronger in the faith, and that together we can stand strong.