Wine Is a Mocker
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life. It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel. The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man? The righteous man walks with integrity; blessed are his children after him. A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes. Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”? Differing weights and unequal measures —both are detestable to the LORD. Even a young man is known by his actions—whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both. Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food. “Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer, but on the way out, he gloats. There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure. Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner. Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel.
Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance. He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips. Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.
An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end. Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you. Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.
A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way? It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows. A wise king separates out the wicked and drives the threshing wheel over them. The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being.
Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king; by these he maintains his throne. The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old. Lashes and wounds scour evil, and beatings and beatings cleanse the inmost parts.”
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise. The terror of a king is like the roar of a lion; whoever provokes him forfeits his own life. It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel. The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.” At first we might wonder why these statements are grouped together; however, think about the consequences of alcoholism. Many people are “mean drunks;” that is, when they get drunk, they want to beat up on someone verbally, physically, or both. Remember the story of Esther: nobody was supposed to approach the king without an invitation. And Nehemiah feared for his life when he couldn’t present a smiling face as he carried out his duties as cup bearer to the king. Kings could issue death sentences on a whim, so what might happen if someone blundered into the king’s presence while drunk? And an alcoholic farmer might neglect his work, resulting in an empty harvest.
“The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out. Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?” “Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?” “Even a young man is known by his actions—whether his conduct is pure and upright… Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.” Yesterday we spoke about integrity, and today’s proverb continues that discussion. It takes a man-or woman-of understanding to discern people’s motives. There’s an old saying that “Actions speak louder than words,” and that saying still holds true.
“Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both. Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food. “Worthless, worthless!” says the buyer, but on the way out, he gloats. There is an abundance of gold and rubies, but lips of knowledge are a rare treasure. Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner. Food gained by fraud is sweet to a man, but later his mouth is full of gravel… Unequal weights are detestable to the LORD, and dishonest scales are no good.” Forget technology! People have been conducting business ever since the human race began, and the writer is sharing wry and perceptive observations about business people so sharp that they might cut themselves. Bottom line: God detests cheaters!
“Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance. He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips. Whoever curses his father or mother, his lamp will be extinguished in deepest darkness.” Seeking wise counsel is only sensible, but why mention gossips or those who hate their parents in the same context? It’s not enough to consult someone; you must ensure that your advisors are truly wise and virtuous. Solicit advice from the wrong person, and everybody in town will know your business. Solicit advice from someone so evil that he will curse his own parents in defiance of God’s commands, and you are trusting the wrong person. Someone so hateful that he will curse his own parents will not hesitate to betray you.
“An inheritance gained quickly will not be blessed in the end. Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.” Few things can cause as much acrimony in a family as wills and inheritances, particularly in dysfunctional families. When children have grown up unsure of their parents’ love, they want to grab as many of their parents’ things as possible to reassure themselves that their parents truly loved them. In one situation, a brother and sister refused to speak to each other for five years after disagreeing over the things left by their grandmother.
“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being.” Is this statement always true? Each of us has a conscience that helps tell us right from wrong; however, many of us attempt to stifle that conscience. But it’s a funny thing about your conscience-even when you think you have it completely stifled, it still pops up to confront you. That persistence is from God.
“Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king; by these he maintains his throne. The glory of young men is their strength, and gray hair is the splendor of the old. Lashes and wounds scour evil, and beatings and beatings cleanse the inmost parts.” Unfaithful counselors can bring down a ruler, and the virtue of a ruler can be measured by the quality of his/her supporters.
There is a saying that “Youth is wasted on the young.” Young people take their beauty and strength for granted, never realizing that both are ephemeral. One Christian humorist once penned a book entitled Will Jesus Return Before My Body Parts Go South? Live long enough, and gravity begins taking over; your body parts do begin to slide downward. Without exercise, you might wind up as a blob. As for the statement about lashes and wounds, I am reminded of the story of the little boy who misbehaved and whose mother sent him to sit on a chair in the corner facing the wall. Defiantly, the little boy announced, “I might be sitting down on the outside, BUT I AM STANDING UP ON THE INSIDE!” Discipline can improve us if we allow it; however, if we remain defiant, it will have little effect.
APPLICATION: Once more we have a chapter of Proverbs that appears to be a bit of a grab bag with statements ranging from warnings about alcohol to business advice to advice about wise counselors. But there are some recurring themes. Integrity remains a critical component of any solid relationships. God reminds us that He hates cheaters and He is fully aware of all the ways business people can defraud others. We are encouraged to seek wise counsel and to be careful not to entrust our secrets to gossips. And there is plenty of advice for those in authority.
Once more, we realize that different parts of a chapter will speak to you on different days, depending on your circumstances. When my beloved 10 ½ year-old Samsung tablet finally fell apart (sniff! sniff!) I pulled out my hard cover Bible. This book has been rebound twice because I have used it so much. Reading the comments, I remember the trials and struggles that moved me to write them. I have sections highlighted in various colors. The ink has faded from some of the comments, but my Bible remains proof that the Word of God is living and will speak to anyone who will listen and apply it to their lives.
Go back and read today’s chapter, asking God to show you what He has for you today. I don’t know what you will find, but I am confident that God has something specially for you that will speak to whatever situation in which you find yourself.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, open our eyes that we might see wonderful things in Your Law. Thank You that Your Word will always be a lamp for our feet and a light for our paths. Thank You that Your Word will always cut through confusion if we allow it to do so and that You will always guide us if we will allow You. We thank You and bless You in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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