In the book of Proverbs Solomon asked, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has babbling? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not you upon the wine when it is red, when it gives his color in the cup, when it moves itself aright. At the last it bites like a serpent, and it stings like an adder. Your eyes shall behold strange women, and your heart shall utter perverse things”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse thirty-four of Proverbs Solomon said, “you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea” where we read,
Yes, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea,
or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.
The verse begins, “Yes, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, ...” Solomon began with the words, “yes, you shall be as he that lies down” or “even so and indeed, you, Solomon's son and readers, will exist similar and in likeness to the person whether male or female who lodges, relaxes and rests” “in the midst of the sea” which means “within the middle of a large body of water like the mighty Nile river or the Mediterranean Sea”. Solomon shared how the person who imbibes fermented wine and mixed drinks will exist similar to the person who relaxes and rests within great bodies of water.
The verse continues, “... or as he that lies upon the top of a mast.” Solomon added the words, “or as he that lies” or “similar and in likeness to the person who lodges, relaxes and rests” “upon the top of a mast” which means “on the summit, upper part, height and tip of a lookout-basket or mast-head of a ship”. Solomon said the person who drinks fermented wine and mixed drinks will act similar to the way a person rests and lodges upon the “tall upright pose, spar or other structure on a ship or boat”.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Solomon how the person who over-indulges in fermented wine and mixed drinks can become out of control of their faculties which causes them to “lie down” on restless waters and make their bed lounging upon the tall upright “mast” upon a ship. In other words, they lie down and make their bed in precarious places. God loves us, and He wants to protect us from the foolish mistakes that can be made when a person is intoxicated. He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and when we yield our lives to Him as our personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and keep us from the foolish ways committed by those who over-indulge in fermented wine and mixed drinks.
Next time Solomon says, “they have stricken me … and I was not sick”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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