Back to THE TORAH CONNECTION Table of Contents<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n permitted but discouraged<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Lev 10:8-11 And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be<\/i> a statute for ever throughout your generations: And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Num 6:1-4 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves<\/i> to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves<\/i> unto the LORD: He shall separate himself<\/i> from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Deu 14:24-26 And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or<\/i> if the place be too far from thee, which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it<\/i> into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Drinking alcohol in Bible history–<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Gen 9:20, 21 Noah made wine and got drunk<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Gen 19:30-36 after Lot fled Sodom, his daughters made him drunk and committed incest with him<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jdg 13:3-14 an angel told Samson’s mother that neither she nor he should drink wine (he was to be a Nazarite)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Sa 1:12-16 Eli thought Hannah was drunk when she prayed silently for a son<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Sa 25:36-38 Nabal was drunk when David threatened him but Abigail waited until he was sober to tell him<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jer 35:1-14 the Rechabites were faithful to the charge of their ancestor and never drank wine<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Dan 1:5-20 Daniel and his three friends would not drink Nebuchadnezzar’s wine<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Psa 104:15 And wine that<\/i> maketh glad the heart of man, and<\/i> oil to make his<\/i> face to shine, and bread which<\/i> strengtheneth man’s heart. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pro 4:14, 17 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.<\/i> . . . For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pro 20:1 Wine is<\/i> a mocker, strong drink is<\/i> raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n (This verse could literally be translated \u201cWine makes one say foolish things, strong drink makes one violent . . .\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n Pro 21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be<\/i> a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pro 23:20, 21 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man<\/i> with rags. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pro 23:29-32 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when<\/i> it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Pro 31:4-7 It is<\/i> not for kings, O Lemuel, it is<\/i> not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Isa 5:11, 12 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that<\/i> they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till<\/i> wine inflame them! And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Isa 5:22 Woe unto them that are<\/i> mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Isa 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in<\/i> judgment. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jer 51:7 Babylon hath been<\/i> a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Eze 44:21 Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Hos 4:11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Joe 3:3 And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Amo 2:11, 12 And I raised up of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for Nazarites. Is it<\/i> not even thus, O ye children of Israel? saith the LORD. But ye gave the Nazarites wine to drink; and commanded the prophets, saying, Prophesy not. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Mic 2:11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying,<\/i> I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Mar 15:23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it<\/i> not. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Luk 1:15 For he (John the Baptist) shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Joh 2:1-10 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.<\/i> And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.<\/i> When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but<\/i> thou hast kept the good wine until now. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Act 2:13-15 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye<\/i> that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but<\/i> the third hour of the day.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Ti 3:2, 3 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Ti 3:8 Likewise must<\/i> the deacons be<\/i> grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Ti 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tit 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tit 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be<\/i> in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 1Pe 4:1-5 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his<\/i> time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our<\/i> life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them<\/i> to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:<\/i> Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rev 14:8-10 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his<\/i> mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rev 17:1, 2 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The wine which Christ provided for the feast, and that which He gave to the disciples as a symbol of His own blood, was the pure juice of the grape. To this the prophet Isaiah refers when he speaks of the new wine “in the cluster,” and says, “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it.” Isaiah 65:8. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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. It was He who enjoined similar abstinence upon the wife of Manoah. And He pronounced a curse upon the man who should put the bottle to his neighbor’s lips. Christ did not contradict His own teaching. The unfermented wine 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.<\/i> DA 149<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n He who puts the intoxicating cup to his lips makes himself responsible for all the injustice he may commit under its besotting power. By benumbing his senses he makes it impossible for him to judge calmly or to have a clear perception of right and wrong. He opens the way for Satan to work through him in oppressing and destroying the innocent. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Proverbs 20:1. Thus it is that “judgment is turned away backward, . . . and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey.” Isaiah 59:14, 15. Those who have jurisdiction over the lives of their fellow men should be held guilty of a crime when they yield to intemperance. All who execute the laws should be lawkeepers. They should be men of self-control. They need to have full command of their physical, mental, and moral powers, that they may possess vigor of intellect, and a high sense of justice.<\/i> DA 222<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n No argument is needed to show the evil effects of intoxicants on the drunkard. The bleared, besotted wrecks of humanity–souls for whom Christ died, and over whom angels weep–are everywhere. They are a blot on our boasted civilization. They are the shame and curse and peril of every land. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And who can picture the wretchedness, the agony, the despair, that are hidden in the drunkard’s home? Think of the wife, often delicately reared, sensitive, cultured, and refined, linked to one whom drink transforms into a sot or a demon. Think of the children, robbed of home comforts, education, and training, living in terror of him who should be their pride and protection, thrust into the world, bearing the brand of shame, often with the hereditary curse of the drunkard’s thirst. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Think of the frightful accidents that are every day occurring through the influence of drink. Some official on a railway train neglects to heed a signal or misinterprets an order. On goes the train; there is a collision, and many lives are lost. Or a steamer is run aground, and passengers and crew find a watery grave. When the matter is investigated, it is found that someone at an important post was under the influence of drink. To what extent can one indulge the liquor habit and be safely trusted with the lives of human beings? He can be trusted only as he totally abstains. <\/i> MH 331<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n (also Temperance<\/i>, pp. 24-55, Section II, \u201cAlcohol and Society\u201d)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n