verses 29-35: “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly, At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper, Your eyes will see strange things, And your mind will utter perverse things. And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast. “They struck me, but I did not become ill; They beat me, but I did not know it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink.””
I have never been drunk…I don’t drink alcohol. I think the closest I’ve been to such a feeling was when I was on a prescription painkiller for post-surgical pain recently. I made the mistake of taking a dose of that medicine on an empty stomach. It wasn’t 30 minutes later, my head was swimming, and I couldn’t think straight. Make no mistake, the pain was gone alright! I managed to get into bed, and didn’t remember anything until next morning. I reflected later to my wife on what a weird feeling that was.
Solomon speaks on strong drink several times. The proverb here paints the picture of the drunkard…one who falls for the lure of the wine, regardless of what happens: how it numbs his perceptions, how it loosens his mental faculties, how he remembers nothing of what happens during his stupor, and how he wants only another drink when coming out of it. There are a lot of temptations in this world; alcohol is just one of them. Be on guard against the addictiveness of the world’s version of respite from your problems. Instead, seek the living water offered by the Great Physician. Jesus is the answer.
Have a better day in the Lord!
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