The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 18, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 38.

The Sunday School

INTERNATIONAL SERIES

LESSON 12.—SEPTEMBER 22.—TEMPERANCE LESSON.

Lesson Scripture, Prov. 23:29-35, R.V.

29 “Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it giveth its color in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly: 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder. 33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thine heart shall utter froward things. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.”

Golden Text.—“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Prov. 20:1.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What pointed questions are asked at the beginning of this lesson? Verse 29. Note 1. (2) What is the inspired reply? Verse 30. Note 2. (3) What warning is given in regard to abstinence from intoxicating wine? Verse 31. Note 3. (4) What fearful result is pointed out? Verse 32. (5) What is the effect upon the morals of those who thus indulge? Verse 33. Note 4. (6) With what dangerous position is such an indulgence compared? Verse 34. Note 5. (7) To what extreme of unconsciousness may the drunkard be led? Yet what is his first inclination on awaking from his stupor? Verse 35. Note 6.

NOTES.

1. “Oh!” and “Alas!”—In the margin of the Revised Version these interjections take the place, respectively, of the words “woe” and “sorrow.” With this variation the text would read, “Who hath, oh! who hath, alas! who hath contentions?” etc. The Spirit seems to have contemplated the condition with a horror that words could hardly express.

2. The prolonged debauch causes a loss of desire for anything but that which keeps up the intoxication. As that wears away, the terrible reaction in the system brings on a most debilitating condition, a feeling of unfitness for duty, and a remorse that, in the absence of genuine will power, is unendurable. But the longer the strain of intoxication is continued, the more difficult it is to keep up the tension which the drinker desires; hence the resort to a variety of liquors, because a mixture will arouse the benumbed nervous system to enforced action, when that which produced the first sensation would be slow to act, often being repulsive. So they that “tarry long at the wine,” that “seek out [margin, “try”] mixed wine,” add sorrow to sorrow, suffering to suffering, and woe to woe.

3. The danger lurking in the fermented wine, the “manufactured” article, is here emphasized. We see a strong contrast between this and the wine used by Christ when He instituted the Lord’s Supper—that being at the Passover time, when no leaven—fermentation, decay—of any kind was permitted to be even in the houses of the people. Ex. 12:15, 19; 13:7. For it “goeth down smoothly,” as in the R.V., the margin, as also the Common Version, has “moved itself aright.” Inasmuch as this is a condition that is pointed to as dangerous, we know that it is unnatural to the pure juice of the grape in its primitive state.

4. The delusion of intoxication is here tersely expressed. The victim is unable to see things in their true light, even material objects are not properly discerned. Therefore the heart, or mind, is confused; and as “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh,” the utterance will be according to the foolish or confused condition of the mind.

5. On verse 34, Adam Clarke says: “He is utterly regardless of life; which is expressed very forcibly by one in a state of intoxication ascending the shrouds, clasping the mast-head, and there falling asleep; whence, in a few minutes, he must either fall down upon the deck and be dashed to pieces, or fall into the sea and be drowned.”

6. The intoxicated man may receive much abuse and hardly be conscious of it at the time. He may fall and receive injury, yet not feel the effect at the time. But when he awakes, or becomes sober enough to realize his condition, he will instinctively seek relief in a return to the intoxicating beverage. Such is the tendency of indulgence in strong drink. (See also article entitled “Satan’s Favorite Medium,” on page 7 of this paper.)