by Jefferson David Tant<\/p>\n
If you have ever studied world history, you have probably become acquainted with the world conqueror named Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedon in 356 B.C. His parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympias. He was well educated under the tutelage of one of the best-known philosophers of the Greek world, who was Aristotle.<\/p>\nHe spent most of his ruling years conquering the surrounding territories and was unsurpassed in his military skills and conquests. You may wonder why he was called “The Great.” Between the ages of 21 and 32, he conquered the world. His large empire stretched from Greece to India and thus became an empire on three continents – Europe, Asia, and Africa. He never lost a battle.
\nIn October of 331 B.C. Alexander entered Babylon, the old capital of the ancient Near East. He died there in 323 at the age of 33. Babylon was a great world empire and was a part of Daniel’s vision of four kingdoms in Daniel chapter 2. The kingdoms were Babylon (605-539 B.C.), Persia (539-331 B.C.), Greece (331-168 B.C.), and Rome 168 B.C.-476 A.D.)\n
So, how did this great warrior and ruler die at such a young age? The truth is that while Alexander conquered the world, he did not conquer himself. History tells us that he was subject to frequent fits of rage, drunkenness, and lack of emotional control. In fact, during a banquet honoring his close friend and army commander, he got into an argument with Cleitus, who had once saved Alexander’s life. Fueled by alcohol, Alexander, in a rage, took a spear and killed Cleitus. He was remorseful after that but obviously could not bring Cleitus back to life.<\/p>\n
Alexander not only could not control his temper but also had little control over his alcohol consumption at the celebration parties following his conquests. They would drink well into the night. If Alexander had given heed to the wise words of Solomon written hundreds of years earlier, his life would have been quite different. “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city<\/em>” (Proverbs 16:32).<\/p>\n “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper<\/em>” (Proverbs 23:29-32).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Truthfully, I have never known anyone who is addicted to alcohol who intended to become an alcoholic. Satan is very subtle in his enticements. But there is an absolute and sure way to avoid becoming an alcoholic – don’t take the first drink!<\/strong><\/p>\n Young people will face some important decisions in their lives. Day by day, they must choose whether to control their actions or give in to unwise and sinful pursuits. Some think they will enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and then turn to God when they get older. There are two things wrong with such reasoning.<\/p>\n “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’<\/em>” (Ecclesiastes 12:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Jefferson David Tant If you have ever studied world history, you have probably become acquainted with the world conqueror named Alexander the Great. Alexander was born in Pella, Macedon in 356 B.C. His parents were King Philip II and Queen Olympias. He was well educated under the tutelage of one of the best-known philosophers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[371],"class_list":["post-66508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-alcohol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2809,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-historical-political-background-of-the-new-testament\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":0},"title":"The Historical-Political Background of the New Testament","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Russell H. Dunaway Jr. via Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 9 p14 \u00a0May 4, 2000 Beginning in 606 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon launched the first of three successive attacks upon the city of Jerusalem and the people of Judah. During the second attack (597 B.C.) Ezekiel, Daniel, and about 10,000\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14742,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-there-any-prophecies-about-julius-caesar-and-cleopatra-in-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":1},"title":"Are there any prophecies about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Are there any prophecies about Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in the Bible? Answer: People claim to see Julius Caesar and Cleopatra in Daniel 11:17-19, \"He will set his face to come with the power of his whole kingdom, bringing with him a proposal of peace which he will put\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":26346,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/proclaimed-in-all-creation\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":2},"title":"Proclaimed in All Creation","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 7, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant via\u00a0Biblical Insights, March 2011, page 9. Some thirty years after Christ's death, Paul wrote to the Colossians. A year later, an earthquake destroyed Colossae along with Laodicea and Hierapolis. Among the interesting things in Paul's letter is the statement in Colossians 1:23, wherein he urges them\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Extends_of_the_Tabula_Peutingeria-1024x715.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Extends_of_the_Tabula_Peutingeria-1024x715.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Extends_of_the_Tabula_Peutingeria-1024x715.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Extends_of_the_Tabula_Peutingeria-1024x715.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":91681,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-jesus-a-fictional-character-then-so-is-history-itself\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":3},"title":"Is Jesus a Fictional Character? Then So Is History Itself","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton People say, \"Jesus was a made-up story for control.\" Yet the same people believe Napoleon fought wars, Socrates taught philosophy, and Alexander conquered nations - all without demanding proof. So, let's compare the evidence: Historical Double Standard Socrates never wrote a single word. Everything we know\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58428,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-fullness-of-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":4},"title":"The Fullness of Time (Tant)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jefferson David Tant In two passages, the apostle Paul uses the expression \"the fullness of the time,\" and this expression is very \"full\" in its meaning. Among other things, it shows God's wisdom in preparing the world for the coming of his Son, and as we look at the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":88256,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/alexander-the-coppersmith\/","url_meta":{"origin":66508,"position":5},"title":"Alexander the Coppersmith","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wilson Adams We don't know much about Alexander the Coppersmith except his name, profession, and the harm he did to Paul. Did he at one time co-labor with Paul in teaching the gospel? Don't know. Personal vendetta? Unsure. At the least, they knew each other and had a connection.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66508\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n