THE EVIL OF DRINK A BRIEF SUMMARY OF BIBLE REFERENCES
ON THE EVIL OF DRINKBy W. Albert Smith Too long we have listened to the pious expression,
heard from many quarters, which says, "Let the
preacher stick to his Bible and leave the liquor
question to laymen and politicians."
One has only to examine the Bible to find abun-
dant references condemning the drink evil. In fact, if
the preacher is to preach the whole truth, and be fair
with the Word of God, he must preach against sin.
I have taken Young's Concordance and other
helps, and have made a study of the Bible on the
subject. It is indeed revealing! Here one finds
scores of direct references comprising one hun-
dred and sixty-two verses of Scripture. This is more
Scripture than one will find on any of the subjects of
lying, adultery, swearing, stealing, sabbath-break-
ing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, or even blasphemy.
Below is a summary of these Scriptures for handy
reference:
1. Gen. 9:20-26. Here is the first mentioned
drunkenness in the Bible. Note the concomitant
immorality, - behaviour ever since inseparably
associated with alcohol consumption.
2. Gen. 19:30-38. In this instance drinking
resulted in Lot's debauchery of his own daughters.
3. Gen. 27:25. Isaac was drinking wine when he
blessed Jacob.
4. Lev. 10:9. Here is an express command not to
drink.
5. Num. 6:3. No Nazarite should ever drink wine
or liquor.
6. Deut. 21:20. Drinking leads to stubbornness,
rebellion, and gluttony by young men; and brings
dishonour to parents.
7. Deut. 29:2-6. Abstinence assures better know-
ledge of God.
8. Jud. 13:4,7,14. Samson's mother; an example
to all womanhood, was commanded to drink no wine.
Was alcohol recognized even then as a protoplasmic
poison, injuring posterity in the parents?
9. I Sam. 1:14-15. Hannah, an example of all
honoured motherhood, practiced total abstinence.
10. I Sam. 25:36-38. Nabal, a rich but churlish
man who opposed David, died at the end of a
drunken spree.
11. II Sam. 13:28-29. Amnon, while in a drunken
brawl, was murdered by his brother Absalom.
12. II Sam. 11:13. Only by strong drink could
David lead Uriah into a trap.
13. 1 Kings 16:8-10. While a king was "drinking
himself drunk" in his own home, one of his captains
conspired against him and slew him.
14. 1 Kings 20:13-21. No drinking army can hope
to win battles. While Ben-hadad and thirty-two other
kings were drinking themselves drunk in their
pavillions, a small band of Israel's men fell upon the
Syrians and put them to flight.
15. Esther 1:5-22. Drink wrecks homes and
separates man and wife. At a drinking party which
lasted a week, King Ahasuerus drunkenly subjected
his queen to the beastly gaze of inebriated nobles
and thus brought on the separation of the royal
husband and wife.
16. Job 1:13-19. The children of Job were drink-
ing wine when blown away in a great wind.
17. Prov. 4:17. Through drinking the wicked
become violent. They are bad enough at best, but
drink leads them to violence.
18. Prov. 20:1. No wise man will take wine or
liquor.
19. Prov. 21:17; 23:21. Strong drink leads to
poverty.
20. Prov. 23:19-21. Young men should shun the
company of drunkards.
21. Prov. 23:29-30. Strong drink produces woe,
sorrow, contentions, babbling, wounds without
cause, redness of eyes.
22. Prov. 23:31. We are urged not to look upon
intoxicants.
23. Prov. 23:32. The Word of God says it hurts
every one who drinks: it bites like a snake and stings
like an adder.
24. Prov. 23:33. It fills men's minds with
adulterous and impure thoughts.
25. Prov. 23:33. It produces vain talk "every idle
word" of which must be accounted for at judgment.
26. Prov. 23:34. It brings on insecurity.
27. Prov. 23:35. It brings on insensibility, which
paves the way for every evil and dangerous act of the
drunkard.
28. Prov. 23:35. It is habit-forming, one drink
always calls for another.
29. Prov. 31:4-5. It is not for Kings, nor
presidents, nor officials to drink.
30. Prov. 31:6-7. The only sanction given in Old
Testament times for the use of strong drink was that
it might be used as a medicine or anesthetic for those
about to die. Let not one construe this as a command
to take strong drink. We now have far better medi-
cines and anesthetics than whiskey, wine or beer.
31. Eccl. 2:3. The writer of Ecclesiastes tried
strong drink, but in the end was forced to
acknowledge that it, too, is vanity.
32. Eccl. 10:17. Blessings are promised to the
temperate and abstaining nation.
33. Isa. 5:11-12. Woe to the drunkards.
34. Isa. 5:22. More woes to them that drink wine.
35. Isa. 22:13. Drinking and carnality go together.
36. Isa. 24:9. Strong drink bitter to them that
drink it.
37. Isa. 28:1. Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim.
38. Isa. 28:3. The pride of drunkards will be
trodden down.
39. Isa. 28:7. Prophets and priests erred through
drink.
40. Isa. 28:7. Prophets and priests put out of the
way by drink.
41. Isa. 28:7. Prophets and priests finally
swallowed up by wine.
42. Isa. 28:7. Drinking brings on spiritual blind-
ness.
43. Isa. 56:9-12. Rebuke to drinking church
leaders.
44. Jer. 35:5,6,8,14. Total abstinence of the
Rechabites cited as an example of obedience on the
part of God's people.
45. Ezek. 44:21. Priests are not to drink wine.
46. Dan. 1:5,8,16; 10:3. God honoured Daniel be-
cause he abstained from the king's wine. Daniel, the
man, was true to the home training he had received
as a boy.
47. Dan. 5:1. Belshazzar exhibited an example of
a leader who drank and taught his people to drink.
What of America's leaders?
48. Dan. 5:2,23. What becomes of a nation when
its women resort to drinking?
49. Dan. 5:5-9, 26-29. Ruin and downfall is certain
to come to nations when their rulers and leaders
cause them to drink.
50. Dan. 5:3. Belshazzar's sacrilege in using
sacred temple vessels for liquor glasses.
51. Amos 2:8. Wine of the condemned.
52. Amos 2:12. Sin to give liquor to the priests.
53. Amos 4:1. Oppressors of the poor and needy
call for their liquor.
54. Amos 6:6. Drinkers are not concerned about
God, nor about the welfare of the people.
55. Hosea 3:1. Part of the degradation of Hosea's
wife was induced by drink.
56. Hosea 4:11. Strong drink and immorality go
hand in hand.
57. Hosea 7:5. King and people reproved because
of their drinking.
58. Joel 1:5. Drunkards called to awake from
their drinking.
59. Joel 3:3. Young womanhood sold for the price
of strong drink.
60. Nah. 1:10. Drunkards to be destroyed.
61. Hab. 2:5. Strong drink is a transgression
against God's law.
62. Hab. 2:15. It is wrong to give one's neighbour
strong drink.
63. Hab. 2:16. Strong drink leads to shame and
humiliation.
64. Matt. 24:49. Drunkards warned against the
return of Christ and His judgment.
65. Luke 1:15. Greatness of John the Baptist
linked with his total abstinence.
66. Luke 12:45. Christ warns against becoming
enmeshed in drink evils.
67. Luke 21:34. Warning against drunkenness
and the cares of this life.
68. Rom. 13:13. All are admonished to walk
honestly and not in rioting and drunkenness.
69. Rom. 14:21. Drinking will cause one's brother
to stumble.
70. 1 Cor. 11:22. The Lord's Supper no place for
feasting and wine drinking.
71. 1 Cor. 6:10. No drunkard shall inherit the
Kingdom of God.
72. Gal. 5:21. Revelers in drunkenness shall not
inherit the Kingdom of God.
73. Eph. 5:18. Here is a direct command not to
become drunk.
74. I Thess. 5:7. Sobriety, as opposed to drunken-
ness, is enjoined upon the Thessalonians.
75. I Tim. 3:8. Deacons must not drink.
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