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”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse thirty-three of Proverbs Solomon said, “your eyes shall behold strange women” where we read,
Your eyes shall behold strange women,
and your heart shall utter perverse things.
The verse begins, “Your eyes shall behold strange women, ...” Solomon began with the words, “your eyes” or “your, Solomon's son and his readers and listeners', physical eyes for vision and seeing” “shall behold strange women” which means “will see, consider, look upon and observe estranged women who are foreign, loathsome, prostitutes and harlots”. Solomon shared how his son and the person who is reading and listening to his words concerning drinking fermented wine and mixed drinks will gaze upon and observe “women” who are estranged prostitutes and harlots.
The verse goes on to say, “... and your heart shall utter perverse things.” Solomon continued with the words, “and your heart” or “and your, Solomon's son and readers', soul, mind, will, desires, living being, conscience and seat of emotions and affections” “shall utter perverse things” which means “will declare, proclaim and speak fraudulent, froward and headstrong words and statements”. Solomon said drinking fermented wine and mixed drinks would cause the soul, mind and will of a person to proclaim fraudulent and immoral words.
When we think through Solomon's words in this verse, we learn how imbibing fermented wine and mixed drinks causes a person to look upon harlots and prostitutes and makes them speak lies and immoral statements. So many lives have been destroyed because of decisions made when a person was intoxicated, and the words spoken by them has caused damage that sometimes lasts for all their lives. God wants to protect us from these things because He loves us. He proved His love to us when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to be crucified 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 protect us from the harms, temptations and words that indulging in alcoholic beverages can bring.
Next time Solomon says, “you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea”, 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".
No comments:
Post a Comment