Did you know that in Bulgaria there is an association called “The League of the Moderate”? On their website they answer the question, “Why do we exist?”
- The problem of alcohol is recognized in only about 10% of those who are dependent, and in an even smaller share of them help is sought before an acute medical incident sets in.
- There is no clinical pathway covered by the health fund for the treatment of such conditions.
- Around every person dependent on alcohol, another 5–8 of their loved ones suffer.
- Once affected by the problem, most people are never cured.
- Places for treating alcohol dependence are extremely few.
According to data from a survey conducted by “The League of the Moderate” among representatives of socially significant professions:
- 1/3 of men and 1/10 of women in Bulgaria consume a dangerously high amount of alcohol on a weekly basis.
- Nearly 35% of respondents have no clear criterion for what counts as NON-RISKY consumption of alcohol.
- 91% of respondents would not limit their consumption of alcohol.
- More than half of the respondents believe that the problem of alcohol dependence is neglected and downplayed.
STORIES OF ALCOHOL ABUSE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
The abuse of alcoholic drinks has caused untold grief throughout human history. The Old Testament contains a whole series of accounts of the sad consequences of alcohol abuse.
ALCOHOL — A CAUSE OF IMMORAL BEHAVIOR
Noah withstood the force of the flood, but he could not withstand the force of alcohol. Genesis 9:18–29.
18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth. 20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.” 26 He also said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem. 27 May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.” 28 After the flood Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died. (Genesis 9:18–29)
Lot survived the fire and burning sulfur that rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah, but under the influence of alcohol he was led into incest. Genesis 19:30–38.
30 Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.” 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. (Genesis 19:30–38)
This account shows us that when a person is under the influence of alcohol, he simply does not know what he is doing. And because of that, under the influence of alcohol a person is far more susceptible to manipulation.
ALCOHOL — A CAUSE OF DIVORCE
When a person is under the influence of alcohol, he stops respecting other people’s feelings and taking them into account. An example of this is the Persian king Xerxes. Under the influence of alcohol he commanded that Queen Vashti be brought and shown off to his friends as a kind of special attraction (Esther 1:10–11).
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas— 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. (Esther 1:10–11)
Sadly, this did not please the queen. To be put on display before others was, for her, a humiliation. She refused to come, and this led to a divorce in the royal household.
ALCOHOL — A CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF LIFE
Alcohol has been used as an intoxicant that disarms a person and leaves him defenseless. An example of this is David’s firstborn son, Amnon. He no doubt deserved to be punished for raping his sister Tamar. But his half-brother Absalom decided that Amnon deserved death. And since Absalom did not dare to attack Amnon while he was sober, he struck him and killed him once alcohol had disarmed him and left him defenseless (2 Samuel 13:23–29).
23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?” 25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons. 28 Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” 29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. (2 Samuel 13:23–29)
Why did Absalom order his men to strike precisely when Amnon’s “heart was in high spirits from the wine”? Why did he not order them to attack while Amnon was sober? You see, alcohol may lift a person’s mood for a while, but at the very same time it makes him weak and defenseless.
Clearly, using alcohol as a tool to disarm and weaken people was a widespread practice in Old Testament times. For Amnon was not the only one who lost his life while under the influence of alcohol. Elah, the fourth of the kings of the Northern Kingdom, fell victim to a conspiracy while he was getting drunk in the house of his palace administrator in Tirzah (1 Kings 16:8–10).
8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years. 9 Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the palace administrator at Tirzah. 10 Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king. (1 Kings 16:8–10)
ALCOHOL — A DANGER IN THE CARRYING OUT OF MINISTRY
Alcohol poses a danger even to the priests, to those who have dedicated their whole lives to the Lord. Leviticus 10:1–2 tells us about two priests — Nadab and Abihu.
1 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10:1–2)
A little further down in the same passage, God gives the Israelites the following command (vv. 8–9):
8 Then the Lord said to Aaron, 9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. (Leviticus 10:8–9)
This command, given to us immediately after the account of the death of Nadab and Abihu, leads us to think that the reason they offered “unauthorized fire” before the Lord was that they were not sober when they came to carry out their priestly duties.
In conclusion, we could say that the abuse of anything God has created is sin. This applies to a large degree to the abuse of alcohol as well, since it causes serious problems in the social, moral, and spiritual realms.
WARNINGS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ALCOHOL
The book of Proverbs reminds us of the terrible human suffering that results from the abuse of alcoholic drinks, and it warns us of the danger of losing control to alcohol. In days of widespread alcoholism and of alcohol as a factor in countless crimes — including the crashes and accidents caused by drunk drivers and workers — we ought to take the warnings of the Scriptures more seriously than ever.
In a poetic way, Proverbs 23:29–35 paints for us a picture of the life of a person whose life has fallen into the slavery of alcohol dependence — and of the danger of a moderate drinker turning into an alcoholic.
Proverbs 23:29–30 is actually a riddle with six questions and one answer.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. (Proverbs 23:29–30)
Notice that the answer to this riddle is not “the alcoholic,” but rather those who linger over wine and those who go merely to “sample” the mixed wine. This underscores the danger of simply tasting, of simply sampling. For no alcoholic became one in a single day. Every one of them began with nothing more than a taste, nothing more than a sample.
Where is the line between a person drinking and getting drunk? When does drinking turn into drunkenness? According to the definition of the World Health Organization, harmful alcohol consumption is present when 1 of 2 criteria is met:
- Quantity — the total amount of alcohol consumed:
- 21 standard drinks per week — for men
- 14 standard drinks per week — for women
- Frequency:
- More than 5 days per week (regardless of the type and quantity)
A single standard drink is taken to be:
- a small glass of beer (330 ml)
- a glass of wine of moderate strength (150 ml)
- one small rakia at 40 proof (50 ml), or 20 ml of pure alcohol
Moderate intake of alcohol is the consumption of no more than 20 ml, or 16 g, of pure ethanol per day, which means one 150 ml glass of wine, or one 330 ml beer, or 50 ml of a concentrated alcoholic drink. Because of differences in metabolism according to sex, for women moderate intake means roughly half of that amount of alcohol per day.
THE LIFE OF THE ALCOHOLIC
The life of the alcoholic is marked by “woe,” “sorrow,” “strife,” “complaints,” “needless bruises” — wounds — and “bloodshot eyes” (v. 29).
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? (Proverbs 23:29)
The alcoholic gives his money for alcohol — whether vodka with tomato juice, mastika, “cloud,” homemade rakia, or wine. Left without money and without alcohol, he falls into self-pity. When he is confronted about his bad behavior, he begins to defend himself and to quarrel. Under the influence of alcohol, he may make mistakes and injure himself for no reason. His eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep and from the accelerated aging that comes under the influence of alcohol.
The alcoholic loses the greater part of his time either in searching for alcohol — and some of them in producing it — or in a long lingering around the alcohol once it has been found, made, or obtained (v. 30).
30 Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. (Proverbs 23:30)
DO NOT GIVE IN TO THE TEMPTATION
After the riddle comes a warning. The alcoholic lives in a make-believe world in which the only thing he thinks about is the qualities of the alcohol. What color it is, how it looks in the glass, what it tastes like, and so on (v. 31).
31 Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! (Proverbs 23:31)
One of the translations of the second part of this verse is that the wine “winks” at you from the cup. It is trying to seduce you. So flee from it.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF OVERDOING IT WITH ALCOHOL
Verses 32–35 describe the consequences of the excessive use of alcohol.
The morning after getting drunk, the alcoholic wakes up with the feeling that he has been bitten by a snake (v. 32).
32 In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. (Proverbs 23:32)
The first line of this verse speaks of a snake that bites. The second line speaks of a “viper” — in other translations an “adder” or “asp” — in other words, a venomous snake. The bite of a snake damages the tissues. The bite of a venomous snake attacks the nervous system of the body.
Alcohol is a poison. That is why we speak of alcohol poisoning. Acute alcohol poisoning passes through 4 stages:
- First stage. It shows itself in mild psychomotor agitation, euphoria, and talkativeness.
- Second stage. It is characterized by staggering, reddening of the face, and strongly expressed agitation.
- Third stage. Lethargy, vomiting, drowsiness, and stupor bordering on coma set in. Convulsions and delirium (madness, clouding of consciousness, hallucinations) are possible.
- Fourth stage. The poisoned person is in a deep coma, with areflexia; breathing is irregular; there is cyanosis of the lips (a gray-bluish color resulting from a lack of oxygen in the tissues); there is a fairly strong smell of acetone. A severe circulatory collapse (shock) sets in. The skin of the face grows pale, covered with cold, clammy sweat; the pulse is soft; there is hypothermia. Death comes from paralysis of the breathing and asystole. (In medicine, asystole is a condition in which there is no electrical activity of the heart and therefore no blood flow in the body. Asystole is one of the conditions required for a medical professional to be certain that death has occurred in a given patient.)
AN ATTRACTIVE BEGINNING WITH A TRAGIC END
The alcoholic hallucinates and says things he does not mean (v. 33).
33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. (Proverbs 23:33)
According to some, this verse contains a description of “delirium tremens,” or so-called “alcoholic delirium.” Alcoholic delirium is a state characterized by clouding of consciousness, confusion, and hallucinations that arise after the person stops drinking. Alcoholic delirium is marked by symptoms of insomnia, trembling, fear, and even convulsions.
The onset usually comes after alcohol is stopped, whether deliberately or for some other reason (for example, being admitted to a hospital, the development of an intercurrent illness, and so on). The typical preceding symptoms are: insomnia, trembling, and fear; convulsions are also possible. The classic symptoms in a state of delirium include: clouding of consciousness and confusion (as to time and place, with orientation as to one’s own identity comparatively well preserved), vivid hallucinations and illusions (moving, tiny), and pronounced tremor of the hands, tongue, and body. Psychomotor agitation is common (in connection with the visual hallucinations). Delusions are usually present as well (of an interpretive character, likewise a result of the hallucinations), along with raised temperature, sweating, and insomnia or a reversal of the sleep-wake cycle. The sufferers are highly suggestible. In the evening and during the night (when the lights are off) the hallucinations intensify and the sufferers become much more restless. Alongside the visual hallucinations, tactile hallucinations (relating to the sense of touch) are very often found, and, more rarely, auditory ones. This alcoholic psychosis is observed in people who abuse mainly hard liquor. The delirium lasts from 3–4 days to a week, and in rare cases longer. After the psychosis subsides, the dependent persons have only a partial memory of what happened. The delirium may be observed both during prolonged intoxication and during withdrawal. Alcoholic delirium is one of the most frequent causes of death among those who are sick with alcohol.
The alcoholic is recklessly bold (v. 34).
34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. (Proverbs 23:34)
On top of the mast a person is in danger of being thrown into the sea and injured or drowned at any moment.
THE MONOLOGUE OF THE ALCOHOLIC
The alcoholic is without feeling (v. 35).
35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt! They beat me, but I don’t feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?” (Proverbs 23:35)
Despite all the pains and hardships he has been through, he goes looking for the alcohol again.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR A LIFE OF FREEDOM FROM ALCOHOL
Everyone who has lived with an alcoholic knows all too well how destructive alcohol can be — not only for the alcoholic himself, but also for everyone around him. This is why the Bible shows us not only tragic examples and stern warnings, but also gives us detailed instructions concerning alcohol.
Often in ancient Israel a vow of abstinence was made by a person who took on significant responsibility. For example, the priests were not permitted to drink while they served (Leviticus 10:9).
9 “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. (Leviticus 10:9)
Even so, the prophet Isaiah lists drunken parties as a contributing factor in the downfall of the Israelites and the Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 5:11–12).
11 Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine. 12 They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands. (Isaiah 5:11–12)
A little further in the same chapter, in Isaiah 5:22, Isaiah adds:
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks. (Isaiah 5:22)
In fact, so many priests and prophets were so often drunk that they could not carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them by God (Isaiah 28:7–8).
7 And these also stagger from wine and reel from beer: Priests and prophets stagger from beer and are befuddled with wine; they reel from beer, they stagger when seeing visions, they stumble when rendering decisions. 8 All the tables are covered with vomit and there is not a spot without filth. (Isaiah 28:7–8)
Abstinence was also part of the Nazirite vow. The aim of the Nazirite vow was to dedicate oneself to service, even if one was not part of the tribe of the Levites (Numbers 6:1–4).
1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. (Numbers 6:1–4)
Rulers, too, are warned not to drink, lest under the influence of alcohol they pervert justice and forget the ways of God (Proverbs 31:4–5).
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, 5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. (Proverbs 31:4–5)
In the New Testament, drunkenness appears in almost every list of vices. In Luke 21:34 it says:
34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. (Luke 21:34)
Paul lists revelry and drunkenness alongside sins such as debauchery, lust, quarreling, sexual immorality, coveting, idolatry, slander, robbery, and envy (Romans 13:13).
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (Romans 13:13)
The apostle Paul warns believers to exclude from their fellowship people who call themselves Christians and yet persist in sinful behavior (1 Corinthians 5:11).
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. (1 Corinthians 5:11)
Notice that among those with whom the apostle Paul expects us to have no fellowship are drunkards. Although the word “drunkard” is missing from some of the Protestant translations, it is present in the original. And notice that the apostle Paul places the “drunkard” on the same level as the sexually immoral person, the greedy person, the idolater, the swindler, and the slanderer.
In Galatians 5:19–21 the apostle Paul includes drunkenness among the “acts of the flesh.”
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19–21)
The apostle Paul also warns that the consumption of alcoholic drinks can contribute to the downfall of younger and weaker believers (Romans 14:19–21).
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. (Romans 14:19–21)
The apostle Peter includes drunkenness together with the kinds of sins described by Paul, but at the same time he points out that drunkenness is part of the way of life of the unbeliever, which squanders a person’s health and character (1 Peter 4:3–4).
3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. (1 Peter 4:3–4)
Notice that here the apostle Peter uses three actions connected with alcohol — drunkenness, orgies, and carousing. In the light of these words, it seems strange for some modern Christians to justify drinking and revelry by appealing to their “personal freedom.”
The Bible does not humiliate people who are in trouble. In fact, it encourages us to find ways to help those who have fallen into the trap of alcoholism, not to condemn them or cast them aside. Among us are people who were serious drinkers or who were dependent on alcohol, as well as on other addictions, but who have been set free from their dependence by Jesus Christ and now rejoice in freedom from the vice and in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Let us, then, take to heart what the Bible says about alcohol — the accounts of the tragic consequences of alcohol abuse in the Old Testament, the warnings about the dangers of the use of alcohol in Proverbs and the prophets, and the instructions to live free from drunkenness and intoxication, which we find both in the Old Testament with respect to people in positions of leadership, and in the New Testament.
Bibliography:
Thomas Nelson Publishers. (2001). In What does the Bible say about… The ultimate A to Z resource fully illustrated (pp. 15–16). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
Media sources:
http://dreal.net/wiki/index.php/Delirium_Tremens
http://umereni.bg/za-nas/zashto-ni-ima
http://www.arsmedica.bg/zabolyavaniya/toksikologiya/otravyane-s-etilov-alkohol-etanol