Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Reading through the 31 chapters of Proverbs each month can give us an understanding of how to serve God.

Proverbs 20:1; I Kings 20:13-16 ESV

Proverbs 20

¹ Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler,
and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

I Kings 20

¹³And behold, a prophet came near to Ahab king of Israel and said, "Thus says the LORD, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the LORD."

¹⁴And Ahab said, "By whom?" He said, "Thus says the LORD, By the servants of the governors of the districts." Then he said, "Who shall begin the battle?" He answered, "You."

¹⁵Then he mustered the servants of the governors of the districts, and they were 232. And after them he mustered all the people of Israel, seven thousand.

¹⁶And they went out at noon, while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the booths, he and the thirty-two kings who helped him.

In the instance of Proverbs 20:1 there are a number of questions that need an answer before the writer’s intent can be determined.

A. Why does he use personification?

B. Is 20:1A a synonymous parallel?

C. Are the beverages of 20:1A the same or are they of different categories? This will depend on question B.

D. What is it to be deceived as it is stated in 21:1B?

E. What is the antecedent of the pronoun “it” in 20:1B?

F. What is “wise” in 20:1B? We can answer this from the use of this term which we bring with us. To be either “wise” or “not wise” is to have or not have upright conduct in our public life.

Questions A. Personification is used to show the importance and the public character of the subject. Mockery and brawling are public acts.

Question B. Yes, the subjects are synonymous and therefore the same. “Strong drink” is a description of wine in comparison to other ordinary drinks.

Question C. Answered in B.

Question D. To be deceived, the person who drinks must think that the place, the amount, and the result of sinful indulgence is not important nor a testimony of an upright relationship with God.

Question E. The antecedent of “it” is the beverage in 20:1A. The singular of pronoun is another indicator of the one drink the writer is describing, “wine”, that is, “strong drink.”

A puritan - I don’t remember the name – commenting on I Timothy 5:23 said, “Nature needs little, grace none.”

5:23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

Habakkuk 2:15

¹⁵ Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—
you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,
in order to gaze at their nakedness!