Notes on Alcohol
There is more Scripture condemning the use of alcoholic beverages than will be found on the subjects of lying, adultery, swearing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, or even blasphemy.
- Genesis 9:20-27 - Noah became drunk; the result was immorality and family trouble.
- Genesis 19:30-38 - Lot was so drunk he did not know what he was doing; this led to immorality
- Leviticus 10:9-11 - God commanded priests not to drink so that they could tell the difference between the holy and the unholy.
- Numbers 6:3 - The Nazarites were told to eat or drink nothing from the grapevine.
- Deuteronomy 21:20 - A drunken son was stubborn and rebellious.
- Deuteronomy 29:5-6 - God gave no grape juice to Israel nor did they have intoxicating drinks in the wilderness.
- Deuteronomy 32:33 - Intoxicating wine is like the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps.
- Judges 13:4, 7, 14 - Samson was to be a Nazarite for life. His mother was told not to drink wine or strong drinks.
- I Samuel 1:14-15 - Accused, Hannah said she drank no wine.
- I Samuel 25:32-38 - Nabal died after a drunken spree.
- II Samuel 11:13 - By getting Uriah drunk, David hoped to cover his sin.
- II Samuel 13:28-29 - Amnon was drunk when he was killed.
- I Kings 16:8-10 - The king was drinking himself into drunkenness when he was assassinated
- I Kings 20:12-21 - Ben-Hadad and 32 other kings were drinking when they were attacked and defeated by the Israelites.
- Esther 1:5-12 - The king gave each one all the drink he wanted. The king was intoxicated when he commanded the queen to come.
- Psalm 75:8 - The Lord’s anger is pictured as mixed wine poured out and drunk by the wicked.
- Proverbs 4:17 - Alcoholic drink is called the wine of violence.
- Proverbs 20:1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging.
- Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
- Proverbs 23:21 - Drunkenness causes poverty.
- Proverbs 23:29-30 - Drinking causes woe, sorrow, fighting, babbling, wounds without cause, and red eyes.
- Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.
- Proverbs 23:32 - Alcoholic drinks bite like a serpent, sting like an adder.
- Proverbs 23:33 - Alcohol causes the drinker to have strange and adulterous thoughts, produces willfulness, and prevents reformation.
- Proverbs 23:34 - Alcohol makes the drinker unstable
- Proverbs 23:35 - Alcohol makes the drinker insensitive to pain so he does not perceive it as a warning. Alcohol is habit-forming.
- Proverbs 31:4-5 - Kings, princes, and others who rule and judge must not drink alcohol. Alcohol perverts good judgment.
- Proverbs 31:6-7 - Strong drink could be given to those about to perish or those in pain. Better anesthetics are available today.
- Ecclesiastes 2:3 - The king tried everything, including intoxicating drink, to see if it satisfied. It did not.
- Ecclesiastes 10:17 - A land is blessed when its leaders do not drink.
- Isaiah 5:11-12 - Woe to those who get up early to drink and stay up late at night to get drunk.
- Isaiah 5:22 - Woe to "champion" drinkers and "experts" at mixing drinks.
- Isaiah 19:14 - Drunken men stagger in their vomit.
- Isaiah 22:12-13 - The Israelites choose to drink; their future looks hopeless to them.
- Isaiah 24:9 - Drinkers cannot escape the consequences when God judges.
- Isaiah 28:1 - God pronounces woe on the drunkards of Ephraim.
- Isaiah 28:3 - Proud drunkards shall be trodden down.
- Isaiah 28:7 - Priests and prophets stagger and reel from beer and wine, err in vision, and stumble in judgment.
- Isaiah 28:8 - Drinkers’ tables are covered with vomit and filth.
- Isaiah 56:9-12 - Drinkers seek their own gain and expect tomorrow to be just like today.
- Jeremiah 35:2-14 - The Rechabites drank no grape juice or intoxicating wine and were blessed.
- Ezekiel 44:21 - Again God instructed the priests not to drink wine.
- Daniel 1:5-17 - Daniel refused the king’s intoxicating wine and was blessed for it along with his abstaining friends.
- Daniel 5:1 - Belshazzar, ruler of Babylon; led his people in drinking.
- Daniel 5:2-3 - The king, along with his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from the goblets which had been taken from God’s temple.
- Daniel 5:4 - Drinking wine was combined with praising false gods.
- Daniel 5:23 - God sent word to Belshazzar that punishment would be swift for the evil he had committed.
- Hosea 4:11 - Intoxicating wine takes away intelligence.
- Hosea 7:5 - God reproves princes for drinking.
- Joel 1:5 - Drunkards awake to see God’s judgment.
- Joel 3:3 - The enemy is judged for selling girls for wine.
- Amos 2:8 - Unrighteous acts of Israel included the drinking of wine which had been taken for the payment of fines.
- Amos 2:12 - Israel is condemned for forcing Nazarites to drink wine.
- Micah 2:11 - Israelites are eager to follow false teachers who prophesy plenty of intoxicating drinks.
- Nahum 1:10 - The drunkards of Nineveh will be destroyed by God.
- Habakkuk 2:5 - A man is betrayed by wine.
- Habakkuk 2:15 - Woe to him that gives his neighbor drink to lower his inhibitions.
- Habakkuk 2:16 - Drinking leads to shame.
- Matthew 24:48-51 - A drinking servant is unprepared for his Lord’s return.
- Luke 1:15 - John the Baptist drank neither grape juice nor wine.
- Luke 12:45 - Christ warned against drunkenness.
- Luke 21:34 - Drunkenness will cause a person not to be ready for the Lord’s return.
- Romans 13:13 - Do not walk in drunkenness or immorality.
- Romans 14:21 - Do not do anything that will hurt your testimony as a believer.
- I Corinthians 5:10-11 - If a Christian brother is a drinker, do not associate with him.
- I Corinthians 6:10 - Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God
- I Corinthians 15:34 - Be sober-minded and stop sinning.
- Galatians 5:21 - Acts of the sinful nature, such as drunkenness, will prohibit a person from inheriting the kingdom of God.
- Ephesians 5:18 - In contrast to being drunk with wine, the believer is to be filled with the Spirit.
- I Thessalonians 5:6-8 - Christians are to be alert and self-controlled, belonging to the day. Drunkards belong to the night and darkness.
- I Timothy 3:2-3 - Bishops (elders) are to be temperate, sober, and not near any wine.
- I Timothy 3:8 - Deacons are to be worthy of respect and not drinkers.
- I Timothy 3:11 - Deacons’ wives are to be temperate and sober.
- Titus 1:7-8 - An overseer is to be disciplined.
- Titus 2:2-3 - The older men and older women of the church are to be temperate and not addicted to wine.
- I Peter 4:3-4 - The past life of drunkenness and carousing has no place in the Christian’s life.