THE QUESTION OF WINE AND INTEGRITY

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PROVERBS 20:1-15
Lesson #33
THE QUESTION OF WINE AND INTEGRITY

• Memory verse: Pro 20:5
• “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (1)
  • Key words: wise (believer in Christ).
  • The use of alcohol has been argued over the centuries. Therefore, the believer in Christ needs to discover the Biblical view in order to make his own decision, especially when this proverb says that the wise believer in Christ who is walking in obedience will not be deceived.
  • Alcohol has destroyed more nations, more businesses, more homes, and more personal lives than anything else. No child, when asked what he wants to be when he grows up, says that he wants to be an alcoholic. No person that starts drinking intends to be an alcoholic.
    • Background:
      • In Biblical times everyone drank wine because water was not pure. You could not be sure the water you drank was pure without harmful bacteria. Therefore, drinking wine was a commonly accepted practice among all people.
      • In the Bible there are two types of wine:
        • “strong drink” = as mentioned in this verse had a high content of alcohol.
        • “wine” = as mentioned in this verse was watered down so as to contain less alcohol to as much as 8 to 1.
      • In the Old Testament in a period of Law:
        • Sometimes we see the Old Testament tell us not to drink wine or strong drink.

Lev 10:9 says not to drink either if you are going into the tabernacle to worship.

Num 6:3 says that a person taking a special Nazarite vow must not drink either wine or strong drink during the period of his vow. (Luk 1:15 John the Baptist was under a Nazarite vow for his whole life.)

These were special religious restrictions during a period of Law under the covenant of Law with Moses.

• • • • • Sometimes we see the Old Testament tells people to drink wine.

Isa 55:1 If you don’t have money buy wine and milk.

This is speaking figuratively about the milk and wine of the word of God and the flow of the Holy Spirit.

A symbol of the Holy Spirit is new wine. (Joel 3:18)

• • • • We see something different in the New Testament during a period of grace:
        • Joh 4:46 Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water to wine at a wedding.
        • 1Tim 5:23 Paul counsels Timothy to stop drinking water but to take a little wine for his stomach.
    • Therefore, in the period of grace, the believer in Jesus Christ has the freedom to drink a little wine in the privacy of one’s home. However, it is not always wise as there are restrictions:
      • Because no alcoholic starts out saying, “I think I will become an alcoholic.” the believer should be very careful exercising this freedom.
        • If alcoholism exists in his family, he should not start drinking wine.
        • If he indulged in alcohol before his salvation and had a habit of drinking alcohol, he should not now begin drinking wine.
        • If a believer is with someone that once had a problem with alcohol, he should not drink wine in front of his brother in Christ.

A believer should never tempt a brother in Christ to sin.

Love for your brother in Christ is the guiding principle. (1Cor 8:12-13)

• • • • • If alcohol is becoming a habit in your life, you should not be drinking it.

The believer in Christ should be concerned about his own intimate relationship with God.

Love for your own soul and your relationship to God is the guiding principle. (1Cor10:6-12)

Paul tells the believer to be filled with the Spirit of God instead of being drunk with wine. (Eph 5:18)

• • • • • If alcohol mars your testimony for Christ as a believer you should not be drinking in public.

Because non-believers are always observing Christians and their behavior, we need to be careful what liberties we use.

Love for God and the non-believer is the guiding principle. (1Cor 9:12,18)

• • • • Because the believer is a model to his children, the believer should not drink in front of his children who are weak and impressionable.
  • Biblical prohibitions:
    • The Bible is clear to forbid “strong drink” or drink with high alcohol content like hard liquor.
      • This proverb says that “strong drink is raging.”
      • The meaning of raging is that it arouses brawling or fighting. Loud, uncontrolled behavior and violence describes the person that constantly indulges in strong drink.
    • The Apostle Paul says that a requirement of church leaders is that they should “not (be) given to wine” in other words, not to excess as 1Tim 3:8 indicates. (1Tim 3:3,8 Tit 1:5,7)
    • Drunkenness is forbidden in the New Testament. (Rom 13:13 1Cor 6:10 Gal 5:21 Eph 5:18).
• ^“The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.” (2)
  • In this proverb the “fear of a king” is the focus.
    • If you have the fear of the king, you will not provoke him to anger because your life will be in danger.
    • However, your eternal soul is not in danger.
  • Therefore, the underlying concept parallels the “fear of the Lord” that Proverbs mentions.
    • It is God who has authority over life and death.
    • Read Mat 10:28
  • The believer in Jesus Christ should have respect for any and all authority and especially an awesome reverence for God.
• Moral Principles of Integrity:
• ^“It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.” (3)
  • Key words: fool (no God for me).
  • The believer in Christ is supposed to be a peacemaker. He is supposed to cease from causing relationship problems with others. As he changes his attitude to one of peace instead of strife, God will bless him and honor him.
  • The believer in Christ should not attempt to get even with someone that hurts him. God said that vengeance belongs to God. (Rom 12:19)
  • The fool that does not know God will not only elevate his own actions in adding to strife in his relationships, but he will meddle in other people’s relationships causing more strife.
  • God requires believers to walk in “peace”.
• ^”The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.” (4)
  • Key words: sluggard (lazy).
  • Plowing the ground is done when there is moisture in the soil so it is not too hard and dry to break the plow. Therefore there is an opportune time to plow and plant, just as there is an opportune time to harvest.
  • A lazy person will find all kinds of excuses for not working. Then he will expect economic help in the end because he has nothing.
  • God requires believers in Christ to “work” for a living.
• “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.” (5)
  • Key words: counsel (advice); heart (soul/inner man); understanding (discernment of good from evil).
  • The counsel in the heart is the word of God that the believer has placed there.
    • When you study the word of God daily you bury its principles in your soul.
    • When you memorize verses you hide the words of God in your inner being.
    • When you meditate on the word of God you bury God’s word into your spirit.
  • Then, when you need help and encouragement, the water of the word of God will flow out of you. (Eph 5:26)
  • God requires believers in Christ to “study” His Word every day.
• ^“Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” (6)
  • Most people think they have integrity and a good character that includes faithfulness.
  • However, man always seeks ways to excuse himself, to put himself on the right side, to appear better than he really is. This is the flesh nature at work.
  • As Jesus Christ told a Jewish man in Mat 19:16 and 17, “…there is none good but one, that is God, but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
  • Faithfulness to obedience to God is what is rare.
    • Because man excuses himself, that makes him violate God’s standards of holiness and obedience.
    • The believer in Jesus Christ knows that he lacks goodness in many areas of his life.
    • For this reason the believer will trust in the Holy Spirit to convict him of sin and to encourage him to repentance.
    • It is only through this constant work of the Holy Spirit inside of the believer can the believer stay faithful to the holiness and obedience that God requires.
  • God requires “goodness” and “faithfulness” by surrendering your life to Christ and letting Him live His life through you. (Gal 2:20)
• ^“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” (7)
  • Key words: just (righteous/believer); integrity (moral soundness).
  • Only the believer in Jesus Christ is “just” before God. He is justified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
  • As the believer walks with Christ, permitting the Holy Spirit to change his character, then he will walk in the integrity of moral soundness.
    • What is moral soundness?
    • Moral soundness is holiness, to be holy as God is holy.
    • Holiness is a broad and a deep subject with many facets that only the Holy Spirit knows how and when to convict the believer.
  • The result of walking in moral soundness (integrity) is that his children will learn moral soundness by example and by teaching. God blesses those that live in holiness.
  • God requires “integrity” by being justified by the blood of Jesus Christ.
• “A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.” (8)
  • Key words: judgment (discernment).
  • The only king that can discern and take away evil is Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate King of kings.
  • This proverb speaks about the millennial reign of Jesus Christ when He comes a second time to this earth to establish His kingdom for 1000 years.
    • He will judge the nations.
    • Read Mat 25:32-34
  • The eyes are symbolic of discernment. Only Jesus can discern the full intent of man’s heart.
  • God requires that his children “eliminate evil” from their lives.
• “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (9)
  • Key words: heart (soul/inner man).
  • To the believer in Jesus Christ it is obvious that no one can say he has a clean heart free from sin except for Jesus Christ who was without sin.
  • The Bible is very clear to tell us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)
  • Therefore, the only remedy for man is repentance from sin and the reception of Jesus Christ into his heart to change his life and give him the forgiveness of sins.
    • After a person receives Christ he is a new creation with his sins forgiven.
    • Then he can say he has a clean heart and is pure from his sin.
    • However, he needs to maintain that purity by letting the Holy Spirit convict him of sin continually so that he can continually repent and walk in that purity.
  • God requires a “clean heart” devoid of evil by means of the forgiveness of sin through Christ
• ^“Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.” (10)
  • Key words: divers (diverse); abomination (hated).
  • We have discussed God’s perspective on weights and measures before in our study of Proverbs.
  • Because God’s basic nature is truth, He values honesty in all aspects of life.
    • Honesty in business is the focus in this proverb.
    • “Divers weights and divers measures” are a dishonest standard of weights and measurements in business. In other words, any weight or measurement that deviates even slightly from the true standard is a diverse weight or a diverse measure.
  • This proverb tells us that both the business owner and his customer are harmed by dishonesty.
  • God requires “honesty” in all of our dealings with others.
• “Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.” (11)
  • Man’s basic nature is evil. You can see it in even the smallest child that gets angry.
  • This proverb is relevant in a period of Law. Solomon wrote this proverb under the Law of Moses.
  • Parents and schools determine a child’s character by his works.
    • Many years ago the schools in the United States used to have two different aspects to a child’s report card, a grade for academic excellence and a grade for conduct.
    • While man grows up with a performance-based system where he is constantly judged by how well he performs what is expected of him, God does not operate on a performance-based system.
  • The Bible tells us that our “good works” are nothing but filthy rags in his sight. (Isa 64:6)
    • In this age of grace, God honors faith. (Heb 11:6)
    • Today a believer’s works should be initiated, guided, and supported by the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • The believer is responsible for his obedience to the Holy Spirit. Only through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit will a person’s work be pure and right.
  • God requires “pure works” that are only achieved by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.” (12)
  • Of course God made both the physical ear and the physical eye as part of His creation.
  • This proverb is not speaking about the physical ear and the physical eye.
    • There is a spiritual ear and a spiritual eye to which Jesus Christ referred many times.
    • Read Mat 13:43 (Mat 11:15 Mat 13:9)
    • Read Joh 12:40 (Rom 11:8)
  • Through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit man can discern spiritual things.
    • How does that occur?
    • Joh 14:26 tells us that the job of the Holy Spirit is to reveal truth to the believer that has received Christ in his heart. By receiving Christ the believer also receives the indwelling Holy Spirit.
    • The Holy Spirit inside of the believer gives spiritual discernment to the believer that studies the Word of God.
  • God requires “spiritual discernment” that is only achieved by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• ^“Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.” (13)
  • Laziness leads to poverty. The believer in Christ that understands how God functions in cooperation with man will have his spiritual eyes open. He will know that God wants him to work before God will bless him with the provision that he needs.
  • God expects his children to be “industrious”.
• ^“It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.” (14)
  • The businessman that runs down another person’s product so that he can buy it cheaper, and then he boasts of how good it is when he resells it to another person. He is not honest.
  • This is the practice of a dishonest business man without integrity.
  • God requires “humble honesty” in believers that walk like Jesus walked.
• The Final Result of Integrity:
• ^“There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.” (15)
  • Key words: knowledge (power to know truth).
  • More precious than gold and precious stones is the power to know truth.
  • How does man know truth?
    • There is only one way to know truth and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
    • We have learned in Proverbs that only God has truth. No other religion or philosophy in the world has the truth.
    • The truth of God is written in the Word of God and imparted to man by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
  • The believer in Jesus Christ that speaks the truth of God’s Word has the “lips of knowledge”.
  • God requires an “oral testimony of the truth of God” for how else will the unbeliever hear the truth?

Homework
Proverbs 20:16-30

• Application of Pro 20:1-15
  • What do you think is a valid Biblical approach to alcohol for a Christian? (1)
    • It is better not to indulge in alcohol even though the believer has the freedom to drink wine privately in his own home. He must consider his public testimony, his love for weaker believers, his own spiritual growth, and the model that he presents to his children.
  • What is the Biblical answer to Pro 20:9?
    • • No one except Jesus Christ can say his heart is clean and without sin.
  • What does Pro 20:11 teach you about man’s basic nature?
    • Man’s basic nature is evil. This is obvious even in children that demonstrate anger and selfishness.
  • What is a precious jewel in verse 15? Why?
    • The lips of knowledge are a precious jewel. Only the believer has the power to know the truth and to speak truth to an unbelieving world.
• Preparation for Pro 20:16-30
  • Read Pro 20:16-30
    • Read Gen 38 to understand Pro 20:16. Explain the proverb in your own words.
    • Explain the meaning of verse 17.
    • Find one proverb in this section of scripture that relates to your life and explain it.
• Memory verse: Pro 20:27