SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/3/2019
8:27 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Is Wine the
Best Choice
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Eph. 5:18a
Message of the
verse: “And
don’t get drunk with wine, which /leads to/ reckless actions,” (HCSB).
We have been and still are looking
at Guidelines for Christians as far as drinking wine. I have mentioned that in John MacArthur’s
commentary on the book of Ephesians he writes fifteen pages on “Do Not Get
Drunk with Wine, which is Ephesians 5:18a.
About halfway through the commentary is where he begins the guidelines
for believers about wine drinking.
MacArthur beings this section by
writing “Because drinking of wine is not specifically and totally forbidden in
Scripture and because it is not a necessity for believers in most parts of the
world today, the drinking of it is a matter of choice. The next question is therefore, Is it the
best choice?”
I remember listening to an interview
done with candidate Donald Trump as he stated why he has never had a drink of an
alcoholic beverage, and his reason was that his brother had died because of his
drinking habit and he did not want to even take one drink because he was afraid
that he would not be able to stop. I
believe that some people cannot stop drinking once they start and this is a
good reason never to drink any alcoholic drinks. On the other hand as mentioned in MacArthur’s
quote believers have a choice, but is it the best choice.
We find in the OT Law that there
were higher standards for leaders in Israel, for instance the ordinary Jew had
to give certain kinds of sacrifices but leaders had to do more. The high priests were also given higher
personal standards by which to live.
Lev. 10:9 tells us “"Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you
nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting, so that you
will not die-it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations-.” As believers we too have higher standards.
Another
law that was voluntary in Israel was the Nazirite vow as seen in Numbers 6:2-4 “1
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to
them, ’When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to
dedicate himself to the LORD, 3 he shall
abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from
wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried
grapes. 4 ’All the days of his
separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the
seeds even to the skin.” When Elisabeth
was pregnant with John the Baptist she was told not to drink any wine and that
once her son was born he too was not to drink any wine as it seems to me that
he followed this Nazirite vow all of his life.
Samson and Samuel, along with John the Baptist had this Nazirite vow for
their entire lives, only three men in all of the Scripture.
MacArthur
adds “In Jeremiah’s day the entire clan of Rechabites had taken a vow not to
drink wine, and had remained faithful to that vow. Because of their faithfulness, the Lord had
Jeremiah set them up as a standard of righteousness living, in contrast to the
corrupt unfaithfulness of Judah, on whom He as about to bring judgment (Jer.
35:1-19).
“God
did not lower His standards for New Testament saints, who are greater, Jesus
said, even than John the Baptist. In
both the Old and New Testaments drinking wine or strong drink disqualified a
person from the leadership of God’s people.
Christian leaders, like those of the Old Testament, are held to
specially high standards. Overseers, or
bishops, who are the same as elders and pastors, must not ‘be addicted to wine,’
which, as mentioned above, translates one word (paroinos) and literally means ‘at, or by, wine.’ A leader in the church is not even to be
beside wine. ‘Must’ (1 Tim. 3:2) is from
the Greek particle dei, and carries
the meaning of logical necessity rather than moral ought. Paul is therefore saying that leaders in the
church of Jesus Christ not only ought but ‘must be...not addicted to wine’ (vv.
2-3)”
In
closing we have mentioned that Paul told Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:23 to drink a
little wine for his stomach, and we can conclude that this drinking of wine for
Timothy was for medical reasons. I
mentioned earlier that my former pastor stated you must have Timothy’s stomach
to drink Timothy’s wine.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am convinced by the writing of John
MacArthur that there is no need for me to drink any wine or strong drink in my
life, other than an occasional, and mean not at all often to have a glass of
wine to aid me in my sleep.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to
think, and learn about humility.
Today’s quotation is from Corrie Ten
Boom: “There is no pit so deep that God
is not deeper still.”
7/3/2019 9:05 AM
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