Quenching Thirst

"Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise."

Proverbs 20:1

I've been reading through the NIV Bible as my evening portion, and given the use of parallelism in Hebrew poetry it is a very pertinent and accessible translation that speaks to the heart.  The KJV and NKJV put "strong drink" where the NIV says "beer."  There are a lot of beer drinkers who do not drink whiskey or other distilled spirits, and such may miss the point because their drink of choice is not expressly mentioned.  The concept is that all beverages that contain alcohol have the potential to lead people astray from God's wise ways.

"Wine is a mocker," Solomon says, and alcohol has a way of blunting kindness and tact.  Drinking to excess can make people seem very funny and clever (at least to themselves) and influences them to say things which ought not to be said.  A person who is gentle and kind in their right mind can be a mocker when under the influence.  In addition to mockery, alcohol can make people combative and violent.  Mild-mannered people after a few beers can be prompted to start arguments, contentions and even land blows.  I remember many years ago giving a patron of a pub a ride home to his hotel.  "I could fight right now," he said.  Motioning to a man at random walking along the street he demanded, "Pull over, I'm going to beat up that guy."  This was not a man in his right mind, but he couldn't see it.

Another application of the passage is to consider how alcohol makes a mockery of a person by leading them astray:  by drinking to excess a man's folly is put on display.  Alcohol wars and fights like an enemy against the better judgment of people, and it is always seeking to undermine their mental and physical well-being.  Even when it does not lead to poverty, drunkenness always leads to spiritual poverty.  By the fear of God the wise will not be led astray by strong drink, though it has left many wounded and ashamed.  Mocking and brawling are a blight upon fools--and how much more so upon those who claim to know and follow Christ!

Rather that toeing the line of sobriety, the child of God is guided by Christ to be led by the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18-21:  "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  Debauchery can be defined as "habitual lewdness; excessive unlawful indulgence of lust" that is not limited to those who abuse alcohol.  Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, the outflow of God's presence results in speaking and singing praise to God, giving thanks to God for everything.  The Living Water of the Holy Spirit is more than sufficient to quench the thirsty soul.