Tuesday, March 18, 2014

“SIH’s Think On These Things: Proverbs 23:29-35”


He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous (Prov 2:7)

Sources Of Ruin For Our Lives: Giving Attention To The World: Proverbs 23:29-35
29) Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30) They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33) Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34) Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35) They have stricken me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.



Solomon now shares with us teachings on many different sins that can ruin our lives…

EXPOSITION:
To conclude the chapter, Solomon now addresses the sin of drunkenness…

29) Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
Solomon gives us a quick list of several results of excessive alcohol consumption:
1. woe – to express grief due to loss
2. sorrow – excessive lack
3. contentions – arguing and brawling
4. babbling – to converse with yourself (others unable to understand)
5. wounds without cause – splits in the flesh gotten for unknown reasons
6. redness of eyes – blood shot eyes

30) They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Who exhibits all the above symptoms?
1.  Those who delay their departure from drinking fermented wine
2.  Those who actively pursue the possession of spiced, fermented wine
Who exhibits those symptoms?  Anyone who longs for wine and, therefore, drinks it excessively.

31) Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, [when] it moveth itself aright.
Because of the results of the abuse of wine, Solomon now instructs his students…. Do not gaze longingly upon fermented wine:
1. when it is blood red (the deeper the red color the more attractive to the eye)
2. when it shows it deep color while it stands in the cup (when it is deep red when it stands in the cup it was a sign of a very rich wine.)
3.  when it is highly carbonated (a crucial part of the fermentation process is the release of CO2 gas.)

In this verse, Solomon is describing a very desirable intoxicating wine.  His point is for us to not give into temptation by allowing these characteristics to cause us to lust after it due to its superior quality. 
If we give ourselves over to this wine, there are very harmful results…

32) At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. 
When all is said and done it…
1.  bites like a snake
2.  wounds like a viper (poisonous snake)

Overt time, it will be transformed from a pleasurable satisfying experience to an experience that causes great pain and harm

33) Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
1.  Your eyes will look longingly (lust after) on women that are profane, adulterous
2.  Your desires will speak of fraudulent things

It will lessen your resistance to temptation to sinful thoughts and acts

34) Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
1.  You will choose to sleep while your boat is in the midst of the sea
2.  You will rest at the top of the mast where you should be watchful and can easily fall.

It will give you a false sense of security when vigilance and great care is needed due to impending danger


35) They have stricken me, [shalt thou say, and] I was not sick; they have beaten me, [and] I felt [it] not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
1.  You will say you have pain and aching as if someone has beaten you but you were not sick
2.  You will say you were beaten and yet you did not remember the beating.

It will give you physical pain and suffering along with loss of memory

But, in spite of these results, due to addiction, you will still actively search for it and partake of it.


SUMMARY:

Anyone who longs for wine and, therefore, drinks it excessively is committing the sin of drunkenness. This results in:
1. grief due to loss
2. excessive lack
3. arguing and brawling
4. others unable to understand speech
5. unable to remember actions
6. blood shot eyes
7. eventually it goes from being a pleasurable experience to an experience that causes great pain and harm
8. it lessens resistance to sinful thoughts and acts
9. it gives a false sense of security and ease when impending danger is close
10. it gives physical pain and suffering

But, in spite of these results, due to its addictive nature, it is continued to be sought after and partaken of.  What a horrible sin is drunkenness.  Sadly this sin not only affects those who partake of the alcohol, but also those who are their spouses, family, friends and acquaintances.   

By God’s grace, let us all study these proverbs diligently, giving them the value that they deserve.

May the Lord bless us as we receive this sound wisdom and then “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org


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