Does the Bible encourage drinking away your sorrows?

[Homie]

I know this verse has probably been brought up before, but I have not read any compelling answers to these 2 verses. Here they are:
Proverbs 31:

6Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

Yes, I have read it in context, and even though it is contrasted against a king that needs to stay sobour to rule justly, it still tells people to hit the bottle to forget our sorrows. Not a very good advice in my opinion.

Any explanations?

 

[paulnoel]

I don't think it is telling people to hit the bottle. What it may be saying is Drunkenness might be understandable among dying people in great pain, but it is inexcusable for national leaders.(Read vs 4 & 5) Alcohol clouds the mind and can lead to injustice and poor decision making. Leaders have better things to do than get drunk.
(see prov 23 vs20-21) And (Isaiah 5 vs 11-12 & 22-23)

 

[HypnoToad]

I believe Paulnoel got it right - it is a comparative situation, not an absolute instruction for all people. This passage is more concerned about drunk rulers than rules for the general populace.

 

[Homie]

Yes, verse 4 and 5 makes sense to us all, but I have no worries with them. Yes, we must read them in context. Nonetheless, the verse doesn't say it is understandable that perishing men drink, but that we should give strong drink to them. And not only to dying men, but to those with a bitter heart, the poor and those filled with misery.

This is probably a linguistic thing though, like most Biblical problems. Like if we read Hebrew and lived in that day it would make complete sense to us.

 

[daveleau]

It is speaking allegorically about helping those in need. It is not telling people to drink. We are to be drunk in the Spirit, not drunk on spirits.

 

[Homie]

It is speaking allegorically about helping those in need. It is not telling people to drink. We are to be drunk in the Spirit, not drunk on spirits.

You can't say that though. It is literally telling people to drink, and you claim it is not? If this was any other text than the Bible, you wouldn't doubt for a second that it tells people to drink.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Is there something else you can do to help the person? If so,do it.

If not - having spent some time in a hospice ward - give them alcohol if they want it, or morphine.

 

[Homie]

Playing the devil's advocate here, the verses speak not only of dying people but of people of a bitter heart, the poor and the miserable.

 

[DailyBlessings]

I think you have to look at this in terms of intent in order to understand it. As Liz says, we should give people what they need. Recently, my brother went through a terrible and traumatic personal tragedy. A few days afterward, I went out and had a drink with him on the back porch, while we tried to talk through the issues that were tearing through his mind. Now, I'm sure the alchohol was not healthy, strictly necessary, or (for me) even legal. But, it allowed me to help him in a way I couldn't have otherwise. Was my choice morally reprehensible? Or was I following the instruction of this verse in heart and in action?

 

[dsided4him]

IMHO

Taken completely in context and read literally Proverbs 31:1-9 is advice on how a king is to act.

v6 is indicating what should be done. It was common practice during that time in history to offer hard drink to the dying and condemned. Wine was considered a stimulant and good for lifting the spirits of the depressed (v7).

Also, you can see this directive in v6 played out in Matthew 27:34. They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. You could also argue that Jesus took heed of Proverbs 31:4 by refusing the offer.


Regards

 

[daveleau]

You can't say that though. It is literally telling people to drink, and you claim it is not? If this was any other text than the Bible, you wouldn't doubt for a second that it tells people to drink.

You can't remove one passage and treat it outside of the overall context of Scripture. Scripture teaches that drinking outside of moderation is sinful. There are many verses that outside of the context of the rest of the book would seem to mean something that it doesn't. Seeing the rest of Scripture helps with this.
Comparing Scripture to "any other text" is difficult because of the special source that Scripture came from. Scripture is the inerrant Word of God. No other book can make that claim. So, it must be treated differently and apparent contradictions researched, which is what I think you are trying to do here.
God bless,
Dave

 

[Homie]

I agree with all of this, as you would see from the other posts in this thread. But the text says what it says, no matter how much you read it in context.

 

[tru_believer]

I am not sure but doesnt Paul tell timothy to drink because of some kind of stomach problems????I think maybe it can be used like medicine. I dont think drinking is good but I think you have to search your heart and Gods to find the truth.

 

[daveleau]

My church teaches that the wine injested in the NT by the Jewish was not fermented. I do not agree. I beleive drinking is fine as long as it is done in moderation and not to get drunk. Most studies have shown that the creation of wine in this area at this time was fermented, and Jesus drank wine with dinner and in ceremonies.

 

[InTheFlame]

I see it as saying:

'leave drinking alcohol to those who are in pain, and those who have no hope left in life'

Bitter

1. Having or being a taste that is sharp, acrid, and unpleasant.
2. Causing a sharply unpleasant, painful, or stinging sensation; harsh: enveloped in bitter cold; a bitter wind.
3. Difficult or distasteful to accept, admit, or bear: the bitter truth; bitter sorrow.
4. Proceeding from or exhibiting strong animosity: a bitter struggle; bitter foes.
5. Resulting from or expressive of severe grief, anguish, or disappointment: cried bitter tears.
6. Marked by resentment or cynicism: “He was already a bitter elderly man with a gray face” (John Dos Passos).

( www.dictionary.com )

Are we as Christians meant to be 'bitter of heart'? Do we have only alcohol to offer the hopeless, the bitter at heart, the poor, of this world?

 

[N67896]

I think you have to look at this in terms of intent in order to understand it. As Liz says, we should give people what they need.... Recently, my brother went through a terrible and traumatic personal tragedy. A few days afterward, I went out and had a drink with him on the back porch, while we tried to talk through the issues that were tearing through his mind. Now, I'm sure the alchohol was not healthy, strictly necessary, or (for me) even legal. But, it allowed me to help him in a way I couldn't have otherwise. Was my choice morally reprehensible? Or was I following the instruction of this verse in heart and in action?

DB, i think you done good.

without getting all bitter about this, some friends disappear quicker'n a grape snow cone in the desert when a person has problems. i had two different churches stop returning my calls when i really needed somebody to talk to. i'd have given them a special dispensation regarding P31, and would have settled for a coffee, black.

and to get back to the o-p: there are ample references on how nice this "stuff" is...as well as no-holds-barred mocking of those who overdo it. i would suggest that the P31 verses do not encourage "self-medication," (trust me: "remember his troubles no more" never happens) but instead encourage compassion...
...and altho there is nothing scriptural to back this up, it just occurred to me: what if *compassion* was the wine that Our Lord created in never-ending supply? how cool would *that* be.

Also, anybody ever notice the coincidence? first, Mom tells her son to put away the bottle. second, she describes the perfect woman. any chance it was because the young man just got his heart tromped on by an *imperfect* woman?

 

[ghs1994]

I believe if I read this for what it is, not adding anything and knowing the purposes of alcohol in those days and hopefully understanding God's character in this.

This king was told not to fool around with women or or strong drink (meaning drunkeness). These two things were not or should not be characteristics of a leader or king, for how can they rule or judge soberly.

Giving strong drink to those perishing. Those perishing are those who are dying. They are more than likely in pain and everyone knows that alcohol was used back then to numb pain.

We know God would never tell anyone to go out and get somebody drunk. It is not His character to do so. Put this passage up against other scripture concerning alcohol. See what you come up with. You should end up coming to this conclusion. That giving strong drink is not a commandment, but strong drink, the intent of it was for numbing of pain. Of course, there were those who abused it. Today, we obviously don't need alcohol as we have medicine.