XI. Drunkenness

by Jared
(Kalamazoo, Michgian)

This was the command to the Priests who were entering the Temple
“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:” (Le 10:9 AV)
New Covenant President
“18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1Co 6:18-20 AV)
Kingdom implication
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” (Heb 12:28 AV)
Notice the word “fear” what is a result of our fear and reverence to God?
“And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28 AV)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Ps 111:10 AV)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Pr 1:7 AV)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Pr 9:10 AV)
“The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.” (Pr 15:33 AV)
What then does drinking do to us who are a part of the kingdom who are commanded to fear God for wisdom, and to keep our physical temple’s pure, what then if we do drink?
“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Pr 20:1 AV)
“Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:” (Isa 5:22 AV)
How about a direct commandment to all saved Israel today?
“4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.” (Pr 31:4-5 AV)
New Covenant
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (Re 1:6 AV)
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” (Re 5:10 AV)
We shouldn’t buy it, we shouldn’t sell it, we shouldn’t even look at it.
“Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” (Hab 2:15 AV)
“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” (Pr 23:31 AV)
Not only are we now Kings, and Princes, but we are now preists.
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1Pe 2:5 AV)
“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1Pe 2:9 AV)
Now what is it that drinking did to the Kings, Princes and Priests of old?
“But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.” (Isa 28:7 AV)
So, back to the first verse, and question, what should be the law, and what should be the punishment when someone breaks the law.
“Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:” (Le 10:9 AV)

For a better study of Bible wines, and the two different kinds, and everything you wanted to know about it, read “Bible Wines” "The Laws of Fermentation and the Wines of the Ancients" (1871) by by William Patton.

For my blog on Theocracy go to www.governmenttheocracy.blogspot.com