Isaiah 5:22
22 Woe [howy] unto them that are
mighty [gibbowr] to drink [shathah] wine, [yayin] and men ['enowsh] of strength [chayil] to
mingle [macak] strong drink: [shekar] KJV-Interlinear
22 Woe
to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing strong
drink; NASB
Verse eleven defined
those who drink all day out of habit, while disregarding their normal daily
obligations of life.
Here, the drinking takes
on a different attitude, that which is one of boasting about being above or
better than the intoxication effects of alcohol or drugs.
Drinking refers to alcoholic
beverages, and to mingle with strong drink means to do that which is necessary
to make the drinks even stronger than normal, but mixing other things such as
drugs that have a narcotic affect, or even stronger versions of alcoholic
beverages are all meant to lead to higher highs or more elevated adventures as
perceived by the individual.
Mighty and strength both
refer to the warrior self-image of the drinker, and the army or force to be
reckoned with as the drinker sees himself.
Arrogance sends the
person off into a realm of invincibility as well as legitimizing any excuses
they might have for never being wrong, justifying their actions and behavior.
This is the ultimate
mockery against authority, against respect, against society’s moral standards.
Confidence and bravery
are found in boasting over ones ability to consume, to defeat the intoxicating
affects, to be better than drugs and alcohol.
It is a boasting in vanity of one detached from reality.
‘I can handle it. I can control it. It does not affect me. It makes me better. It helps calm my nerves. It does not hurt anyone.’
And so the reasons and
excuses and rational go.
And this is a woe,
because of its disastrous results. Deviations
from truth are the same as deviations from being sober. Drug addiction and drunkenness are separations
or escapes from reality. Negative volition
toward Bible doctrine is likewise a separation or escape from reality.
Drunkenness affects the
here and now and is the worldly example of a dysfunctional life. Spiritual separation affects all of eternity
and is far, far worse and is the reality of a dysfunctional life.
In drunkenness life's priorities
are upside down, life's courage is misplaced, life's values are distorted, and
ones life is in a sorry state. And worst
of all, the person does not care, and does not acknowledge their error.
They reject reality and
replace it with their own version of truth.
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