When Moses preached to God’s church of the Old Covenant, the Israelites, he delivered no less than four sermons. To read Moses’ manuscripts, you may start with Deuteronomy chapter one, and read through Deuteronomy chapter thirty. For the purpose of this brief study, we’ll be looking at Moses’ second sermon to Israel, found in Deuteronomy chapters five through twenty-six.
In particular, I’d like to focus on a statement that Moses made in Deuteronomy 14:26. The writer states, “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, then, and thine household,…”
A discussion took place at Freed-Hardeman University during lectureship week with respect to the consumption of alcohol. The moderator of the 2010 Open Forum, brother Ralph Gilmore, was asked to deal with a question about social drinking. In addition to his comments, a number of other brethren came to the microphone to voice their thoughts about the subject. Brother Gilmore is to be commended for addressing the issue, and for stating that Christians should not engage in social drinking. However, there were comments made by some brethren that were regrettable.
While all agreed that we should not drink alcohol, some voiced that it could not definitively be condemned. Some of my brethren condemned social drinking with respect to parties and the club scene, but did not condemn social drinking on other levels, such as the drinking of alcoholic beverages after dinner.
Respectfully, how can one say it’s okay to drink after dinner in one’s home or at the home of a friend, or in a restaurant, but then turnaround and say it’s wrong to have some drinks at a larger gathering of people where music happens to be playing (i.e. a club). It would seem to me that if it’s okay to drink at home after dinner, “as long as you don’t get drunk,” then you should be able to drink anywhere, “as long as you don’t get drunk.”
The Bible gives sufficient evidence that Christians should abstain from alcoholic beverages all together, whether it leads to full blown drunkenness or not.
It's Wrong to Look Upon Alcohol with Want
The Proverbs writer said, “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 it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder” (Prov. 23:29-32; emph. mine). Drinking beverage alcohol is wrong because of what it does—it causes hurt, and it takes away one’s good judgment.
It’s Wrong to Drink Alcohol Because We’re Children of the Light
Paul told his brethren in Thessalonica that, “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:4-8, emph. mine).
I appreciate the scholarship of the brother at the Open Forum who pointed out the difference between the two Greek words for “drunken” used in this passage. According to the Majority Text, the first word used is methuskomenoi. It is a Greek word meaning to make drunk, or the process by which one becomes drunk. We understand that a process implies a beginning point and an ending point. The beginning of the process is the first drink—methuskomenoi. The end of the process is the second Greek word in the text here. It is the word, methuousin. It means to be drunk with wine.
Most agree that it’s wrong to “get drunk” (Eph. 5:18). However for those who argue, “you can drink so long as you don’t get drunk,” must appreciate the simplicity of Paul’s writing when he said that even the process (methuskomenoi) was wrong.
May I Drink My Wine in Front of the Lord?
During the Open Forum, brother Gilmore challenged the audience to come up with an answer for Moses’ statement in Deuteronomy that at first glance seems to permit and even encourage social drinking. The text says, “And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,…for wine, or for strong drink,…and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household” (Dt. 14:26).
Admittedly, no one seemed to have an answer for this, and I appreciate brother Gilmore for encouraging us to examine this Scripture.
The first thing we need to keep in mind is that Scripture must always be looked at contextually—both the immediate and overall Bible context. In this short study we’ve already observed that there are general principles and specific commands that tell us we should abstain from beverage alcohol. So, we know that the Holy Spirit is not going to have Moses write something that contradicts the general tenor of Bible teaching.
With that thought in mind, here’s what Moses is saying: Moses is dealing with the social aspects of God’s law. In Deuteronomy 14:22-29, we learn that Israel was to give 10% of their crops each year. They were to then bring that revenue to the Tabernacle. Add to that, the Israelites were to support the priestly tribe (Levi), the foreigners, widows, and orphans whom they shared their community with (cf. Dt. 26:12-15).
According to verse twenty-six, the Jews were to take a tithe and use it to purchase whatever his soul desired, and then partake of it all before God. In the list of items, we find the words “wine,” and “strong drink.” Contextually, Moses was not being permissive, rather he was discussing fellowship. First, fellowship is to be with God. Second, there are benefits in enjoying fellowship with one’s physical and spiritual family. Furthermore, Moses says that there is some expense involved in enjoying this fellowship—the purchase of the food, wine, strong drink, etc. However, the togetherness and fellowship these brethren enjoyed was worth the cost.
So, the immediate context is fellowship, not divine approval for social drinking. Since the general tenor of Bible teaching does not permit social drinking, what could Moses be meaning when he says to take the wine and strong drink and consume it before the Lord? First, the term “wine” is the Hebrew word yayin. It means fruit from the grape and may or may not be referencing an intoxicant. The term “strong drink” is the Hebrew word sekar. It is often used with yayin. Like the word “wine” it too can refer to both fermented and unfermented fruit from the vine. Moses is not condoning drinking. To do so would be to violate the overall will of God.
Admittedly, this has been a challenging study. When we study topics like these, we must keep in mind that the Bible is to be understood in its overall context.
In particular, I’d like to focus on a statement that Moses made in Deuteronomy 14:26. The writer states, “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, then, and thine household,…”
A discussion took place at Freed-Hardeman University during lectureship week with respect to the consumption of alcohol. The moderator of the 2010 Open Forum, brother Ralph Gilmore, was asked to deal with a question about social drinking. In addition to his comments, a number of other brethren came to the microphone to voice their thoughts about the subject. Brother Gilmore is to be commended for addressing the issue, and for stating that Christians should not engage in social drinking. However, there were comments made by some brethren that were regrettable.
While all agreed that we should not drink alcohol, some voiced that it could not definitively be condemned. Some of my brethren condemned social drinking with respect to parties and the club scene, but did not condemn social drinking on other levels, such as the drinking of alcoholic beverages after dinner.
Respectfully, how can one say it’s okay to drink after dinner in one’s home or at the home of a friend, or in a restaurant, but then turnaround and say it’s wrong to have some drinks at a larger gathering of people where music happens to be playing (i.e. a club). It would seem to me that if it’s okay to drink at home after dinner, “as long as you don’t get drunk,” then you should be able to drink anywhere, “as long as you don’t get drunk.”
The Bible gives sufficient evidence that Christians should abstain from alcoholic beverages all together, whether it leads to full blown drunkenness or not.
It's Wrong to Look Upon Alcohol with Want
The Proverbs writer said, “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 it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder” (Prov. 23:29-32; emph. mine). Drinking beverage alcohol is wrong because of what it does—it causes hurt, and it takes away one’s good judgment.
It’s Wrong to Drink Alcohol Because We’re Children of the Light
Paul told his brethren in Thessalonica that, “Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:4-8, emph. mine).
I appreciate the scholarship of the brother at the Open Forum who pointed out the difference between the two Greek words for “drunken” used in this passage. According to the Majority Text, the first word used is methuskomenoi. It is a Greek word meaning to make drunk, or the process by which one becomes drunk. We understand that a process implies a beginning point and an ending point. The beginning of the process is the first drink—methuskomenoi. The end of the process is the second Greek word in the text here. It is the word, methuousin. It means to be drunk with wine.
Most agree that it’s wrong to “get drunk” (Eph. 5:18). However for those who argue, “you can drink so long as you don’t get drunk,” must appreciate the simplicity of Paul’s writing when he said that even the process (methuskomenoi) was wrong.
May I Drink My Wine in Front of the Lord?
During the Open Forum, brother Gilmore challenged the audience to come up with an answer for Moses’ statement in Deuteronomy that at first glance seems to permit and even encourage social drinking. The text says, “And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after,…for wine, or for strong drink,…and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household” (Dt. 14:26).
Admittedly, no one seemed to have an answer for this, and I appreciate brother Gilmore for encouraging us to examine this Scripture.
The first thing we need to keep in mind is that Scripture must always be looked at contextually—both the immediate and overall Bible context. In this short study we’ve already observed that there are general principles and specific commands that tell us we should abstain from beverage alcohol. So, we know that the Holy Spirit is not going to have Moses write something that contradicts the general tenor of Bible teaching.
With that thought in mind, here’s what Moses is saying: Moses is dealing with the social aspects of God’s law. In Deuteronomy 14:22-29, we learn that Israel was to give 10% of their crops each year. They were to then bring that revenue to the Tabernacle. Add to that, the Israelites were to support the priestly tribe (Levi), the foreigners, widows, and orphans whom they shared their community with (cf. Dt. 26:12-15).
According to verse twenty-six, the Jews were to take a tithe and use it to purchase whatever his soul desired, and then partake of it all before God. In the list of items, we find the words “wine,” and “strong drink.” Contextually, Moses was not being permissive, rather he was discussing fellowship. First, fellowship is to be with God. Second, there are benefits in enjoying fellowship with one’s physical and spiritual family. Furthermore, Moses says that there is some expense involved in enjoying this fellowship—the purchase of the food, wine, strong drink, etc. However, the togetherness and fellowship these brethren enjoyed was worth the cost.
So, the immediate context is fellowship, not divine approval for social drinking. Since the general tenor of Bible teaching does not permit social drinking, what could Moses be meaning when he says to take the wine and strong drink and consume it before the Lord? First, the term “wine” is the Hebrew word yayin. It means fruit from the grape and may or may not be referencing an intoxicant. The term “strong drink” is the Hebrew word sekar. It is often used with yayin. Like the word “wine” it too can refer to both fermented and unfermented fruit from the vine. Moses is not condoning drinking. To do so would be to violate the overall will of God.
Admittedly, this has been a challenging study. When we study topics like these, we must keep in mind that the Bible is to be understood in its overall context.