1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. 2  The terror of a king is like the growling of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger forfeits his life. 3 It is an honour for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarrelling. 4 The sluggard does not plough in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing. Proverbs 20:1-4 English Standard Version

A well known book of the past by Lewis Carroll called 'Through the Looking Glass', told the adventure of a lass named Alice who entered a fantasy world where she met, and even had to do battle with, some weird characters. Today's short reading from Proverbs tells of another ‘glass’ that also takes people into a fantasy world, and many battles! What does the writer warn in verse 1 about wine and strong drink?

It could be that too much wine leads to people mocking others, which often happens when they've had too much; or that it's as if alcohol itself taunts the user. Later in this book the writer gives another warning and says: “Don’t gaze at wine because it is red, and because it gleams in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.” (Proverbs 29:32) Alcohol can be served in so many tempting ways, but it can lead to bitter results. In the case of stronger drinks (even beer) it can lead to brawls and bruises. Proverbs 23:29-30 paints the picture well when it says: “Who is always in trouble? Who argues and fights? Who has cuts and bruises? Whose eyes are red? Everyone who stays up late, having just one more drink!” (From a paraphrased version). So does all this mean that alcohol is sinful and Christians shouldn't drink it at all?

The Bible doesn't teach that. Jesus once told a crowd that “it’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth. What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart - and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.” (Matthew 15:11, 18-19) So wine and beer and other alcoholic drinks are not ‘defiled’ and having a drink is not a sin. But the Bible does clearly warn of real dangers associated with alcohol. It easily results in drunkenness, and that often leads to brawls. (vs 1) What else does it often lead to? (vs 3)

It can lead to arguments and quarrels. Intoxicated people often lose all sense of dignity and honour and are quick with rash and foolish words. Verse 2 could well be a warning of how words spoken when drunk could lead to trouble with those in authority. In those days it would be the King. But I wonder how often unkind and aggressive words spoken by a drunk person have led to the end of a friendship or a marriage. What is another danger that drunkenness can lead to? (vs 4)

Not all lazy people are drunks, and not all drunks are lazy. But when alcohol becomes more important to a person than normal daily duties there’s a real danger that business may suffer. Autumn was a time to plough fields and begin to plant for the year ahead in Israel, and if someone had been too lazy to do that they would end up with empty fields. People who spend more time in the Pubs than in the fields (or the office) are often the ones who don’t sow for the future. So in Proverbs 23:20-21 the writer warns: “Don't be with those who drink too much wine or eat too much meat. For the man who drinks too much, or eats too much, will become poor; and much sleep will dress a man in torn clothes.”

It's no surprize that the apostle Paul said to Christians in Rome: “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.” (Romans 13:11-13) If drunkenness gets the upper hand in a believer's life then wine and strong drink have indeed become a mocking glass. Don't be drunk with wine, but be filled rather with Spirit of God!