Proverbs 31:4-7 says,...

Today our verses are Proverbs 31:4-7 which read,

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, for they will drink and forget what is decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.  Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life is better.  Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his trouble no more.

The wise mother instructed King Lemuel or as tradition says, King Solomon, first of holiness in the area of sexual purity to the definition of marriage and now is onto sobriety in the area of alcohol use.  This sounds like a mom to give the extreme about this subject.  She says it is not for and out of the question for kings to drink and rulers to desire alcohol that brings about injustice for others.  

One of the effects of alcohol is that it weakens our reason and judgment.  For the king and the rulers that would mean the possibility of not remembering the pertinent laws and ruling unjustly especially to the greater downfall of help to the victims.  I remember being a part of a home owners association and the first meeting of the new members to the board.  This was a totally secular organization and the announcement was made that there should be no drinking prior to the meeting so that judgments where not made under the influence.  I hadn't even thought of that because alcohol is not a part of my life but there were some pretty upset people in the room.  Those who were opposed to such a statement proceeded to tell the group that they could have a couple beers and it would not impair their judgment.  It sounded like they should hear the wisdom of a mother to her king son about this very issue when dealing with times to administer judgements and justice.  

We typically think we can handle more than we can.  We put ourselves up on a little pedestal about knowing this principle but we are in control and can handle more than the average person.  We are the exception to the rule.  This is a dangerous position to be in because Satan loves to hear that kind of language.  He can work with those who know God's words but have made some seemingly "holy" excuses not to obey them or that they are for others and good for others but not themselves.  I always shutter when I hear someone rationalize any behavior as "not that bad" or as I heard recently "well it is not like real pornography."  At that point our judgment is compromised and God's word is not supreme to be used for its fullest potential.  

The wise mother is helping her son king to set aside anything that hinders his duties and alcohol is one of those things that has gotten in the way many times over history.  Is there anything that has gotten in the way in your life from following God's words and clouded your judgement to follow His ways and start cutting corners on God?

The wise mother then goes to the instruction on what alcohol should be used for.   Strong drink was to be used for those perishing in pain and to those whose actions have put themselves in a place where there troubles are now being realized, like jail and on death row.  We see these practices today with the administration of morphine to those in the end stages of life on hospice.  We give them something to comfort or dull the pain they are going through.  We also see this practice in the Bible when the sour wine is offered to Jesus on the cross to dull the pain of hanging there.  

The wise mother restricts the use of alcohol to the aiding of others in pain and misery who are most likely be watched over closely by others.  The dying person has loved ones by their side and administering this alcohol to aide their pain.  The one suffering from poor decisions that have landed him in jail is watched closely by the jailer and preparing him for his judgment.  Alcohol has a place as Paul told Timothy to take some for his stomach problems.  1 Timothy 5:23 says,

Don't continue drinking only water, but use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.

So mom gives us a lesson on alcohol today.  We all have our responsibilities that need our judgment and we need to make sure that nothing is hindering us from following God's word or forgetting God's word that applies to it.  We keep others in the forefront of our concern as the two greatest commandments say in loving God and loving others.  We also are to understand the physical properties of alcohol that can be used to aide others in extreme circumstances.  It is what they had in their day and of course we have other prescriptions to do the same and like alcohol, those modern prescriptions can also be abused and used for the wrong reasons.  Thanks mom for making it clear again to us.  Let us pray.

"Lord, thank You for the instruction You give us for our every day life.  Help us to see that what You have created has a place and that we need to exercise self-control in light of Your wisdom.  May our judgments be untainted by anything other than the remembering of Your words and the acting upon them.  All this we ask in Your wonderful name of Jesus, our Savior and Christ.  Amen."

Pastor Adam