Restoring God's Image: Turning Grains and Fruits into Poisons

While the specific wording mentioning "barley" is not used in this context, it is a firm truth that the grains and fruits given by God for our sustenance are often converted into poisons that bring misery and ruinMH 337.3. Behind the liquor traffic stands the mighty destroyer of souls, who employs every art to draw human beings under his power and foster a desire for intoxicantsMH 338.3. This work of destruction perverts God's blessings into a curse, using the greed of gain and the lust of appetite to create beverages that result in the downfall of the soulMH 337.3+1. The mission of Christ is to restore the image of God in humanity and reshape the character after His own beautiful pattern, which is the direct opposite of the debasement caused by intoxicating drinkMH 504.2+1.

...turns His blessings into a curse. It is through the greed of gain and the lust of appetite that the grains and fruits given for our sustenance are converted into poisons that bring misery and ruin— MH 337.3 (1905)

...Like the mystic Babylon of the Apocalypse, he is dealing in “slaves, and souls of men.” Behind the liquor seller stands the mighty destroyer of souls, and every art which earth or hell can devise is employed to draw human beings under his power. In ...— MH 338.3 (1905)

...hat He would not have all this travail for nought. By giving His life for the life of men, He would restore in humanity the image of God. He would lift us up from the dust, reshape the character after the pattern of His own character, a...— MH 504.2 (1905)

...at his children are hungry and naked. By legalizing the traffic, the law gives its sanction to this downfall of the soul and refuses to stop the trade that fills the world with evil— MH 344.2 (1905)

The Perversion of God's Blessings

• A Divine Provision Turned to Curse: God has bestowed His blessings with a liberal hand, providing grains and fruits for our health; however, human wickedness and the lust of appetite convert these gifts into destructive poisonsMH 337.3.

• The Influence of the Destroyer: Every art devised by hell is employed to create a thirst for intoxicants, placing traps for the unwary in every corner of society, from places of business to the medical dispensaryMH 338.3.

• The Bitterness of the Vine: While Christ provided pure, unfermented juice of the grape as a blessing, the intoxicating wine of the world is a mocker that at the last bites like a serpent and stings like an adder Proverbs 20:1+1MH 333.1.

Restoring the Divine Image

• The Mission of Restoration: Christ’s earthly life was a sacrifice of toil to lift humanity up and restore the image of God that has been marred by sin and self-indulgenceMH 504.2.

• True Temperance as a Remedy: To regain self-control and purity, one must follow the principles of true temperance, using the foods God originally appointed—grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetablesMH 295.3+1.

• Victory Through Divine Power: Good resolutions made in human strength cannot break the power of evil habits; only when hearts are renewed by divine grace can men practice true temperance in all thingsMH 179.4.

The Responsibility of Stewardship

• Preserving God's Gifts: All powers of mind and body are gifts from God and are to be preserved in the best possible condition for His serviceMH 130.3.

• Choosing the Original Path: Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator, imparting a vigor of intellect not found in a stimulating diet Genesis 1:29MH 295.3.

• The Reward of Obedience: If we hearken to the voice of the Lord and observe His ways, He promises to bless the fruit of our body and the fruit of our ground Deuteronomy 28:2-4MH 284.2.