GC, go with "metaphorical" instead. Nothing Ellen wrote about it was metaphorical. Proverbs, on the other hand, is chock full of symbols and metaphors. Do you really believe Jesus would advice a guy down on his luck to - Get drunk and forget about it!

These texts prohibit alcohol consumption for specific people (Levites) or at specific times (going into the temple, Nazarite vows.) It is not a general prohibition on alcohol consumption. The clear implication is that alcohol was consumed generally by the Hebrews and was not considered a sin.

Whether or not the implication is "clear" is unclear. Nevertheless, basing a belief on a perceived implication is, as you know and agree, unbiblical. We are left, then, as I see it, with Deut 14:26 and Prov 31:6-7. I do not believe they clearly advocate getting "inebriated" (your word) is "acceptable" (your word) in the eyes of God under certain situations. If they are referring to literal alcohol, then I think it stands to reason to believe God did not envision people drinking enough to cause drunkenness.

Luke
21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares.

Romans
13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

Galatians
5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

It might be "metaphorical" to say "His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk" (Jacob's blessing to Judah); perhaps it is "metaphorical" to say "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture" (Psalm 75:8); it might be "metaphorical" to say "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder" (Proverbs 23:31-32); and it might be "metaphorical" to say "In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. I the LORD do keep it; I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day" (Isaiah 27:2-3); but...

...honestly, I do not see anything "metaphorical" about Proverbs 31:6-7. It is not written in the style of a metaphor at all. It is written in the form of counsel or of advice.

The chapter starts with the following: "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him." This is a prophecy. Not even a proverb, actually. It is a chapter set apart from the rest of the book in both style and target audience. It may even be a different author (we do not know if "Lemuel" were a nickname of Solomon, or if it were someone else, and it is the only chapter with this name in the Bible). The audience for these verses is that of princes and kings; royalty. Taking the target audience into account, it actually becomes even more significant, for this is counsel given to one who was or would become a lawmaker and ruler. When the king commands, people tend to obey. If the king gives the strong drink to the poverty-stricken man at the gate, it might even be considered offensive for him to refuse it. Furthermore, the influence of a king is tremendous. People generally tend to emulate their king.

By the way, the statement, Mike, that you made earlier about the wine recommended to Timothy for his stomach's sake being pure grape juice--that cannot be proven. The Greek word "wine" encompasses both grape juice and strong drink. Any time the word is used, it could be one or the other, or even both. There is simply no possibility of proving that the wine recommended to Timothy would have been understood by Timothy himself to mean only grape juice, and nothing more.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

GC do you really believe Jesus would advice a guy down on his luck to - Get drunk and forget about it!

JAK, what is "drunk"? Is it only with a blood alcohol content of .08 or greater?

Was all that was recommended to Timothy, should that be recommended to us?

And, how much wine was dosed to treat stomach disorders? Did it cause drunkenness?

God's instructions in the case of adultery were stoning, not divorce.


Jesus gave permission for divorce in such cases in the NT, not in the OT.


Divorce is a sin because it leads to remarrying, which is adultery (except in the case of marital infidelity). And polygamy is a sin because it is adultery. If you are already married, having sexual relations with someone else is adultery.

(However, divorce has always been allowed in cases of infidelity, OT or NT. Secondly, it is harder to find texts that condemn multiple marriages than it is to find ones that condemn drinking. Virtually all the patriarchs had multiple wives. This practice didn't seem to end until somewhere around the intertestimental period. It was never commented on, pro or con.)