Pro 31:4 | KingComments | STEP | The other danger, often associated with the danger of women, is becoming dependent on drink ( ; ; ). Wine in itself is not wrong ( ; ). It is wrong to drink too much of it. For a king this applies even more emphatically. He should neither drink it nor ask for it. It is about the excessive use of alcohol or the need for it because of the constant pressure on him. Anyone who wants to be able to rule a people well must first of all be able to rule himself. In this Noah failed when he was given the government over the cleansed earth ( ). The mother holds out to him the consequence of excessive drinking: then he “will ... forget what is decreed” ( ). He will forget the king’s law, in which God has told him how to behave to be a good king ( ). Drink clouds the mind. Those who are drunk no longer see things clearly and cannot make just judgments in disputes. A drunken king is repugnant ( ). As for speaking justice in a trial, he will do no more than “pervert the rights of all the afflicted”. None of the afflicted will receive his right because the king is clouded in his mind. In addition, the rich who exploit the afflicted can manipulate him (cf. ). They will surely predict to him what judgment he should make. are most likely meant to be sarcastic. It cannot be a serious advice that strong drink is better given to people who are in agony (“who is perishing”), who are severely depressed (“whose life is bitter”), or who are in “poverty” and “trouble”. The advice would then be: Just give them so much spirits and wine that they get drunk. Then they will forget their misery and stop thinking about it. This advice cannot be meant seriously because the problems have not disappeared, but are still very much alive when the intoxication is over. Then they just have to drink again. In this way it becomes an addiction. It is much more so, that people who are perishing or bitter sorrow need God’s Word, understanding and practical help. For a king who is under high pressure, who is looked up to and from whom justice is expected, the use of alcohol is not an option. He must not shirk his responsibilities or seek relief from them by ‘drinking’. A king who knows that his task has been given to him by God will expect everything from God for the performance of that task. Then he will get what he needs. The advice King Lemuel receives from his mother is also important for us. We are kings and may reign with the Lord Jesus ( ). We do not reign as kings yet, but we do have the dignity of a king. We forfeit that dignity through wrong dealing with sexuality and drink. When we give in to the lust for these, we lose the purity and simplicity of our devotion to the Lord (cf. ) and become objects of contempt and manipulation.

‏ Proverbs 31:4

Warning Against Wine

The other danger, often associated with the danger of women, is becoming dependent on drink (Pro 31:4; Hos 4:11; Rev 17:2). Wine in itself is not wrong (Jdg 9:13; Psa 104:15). It is wrong to drink too much of it. For a king this applies even more emphatically. He should neither drink it nor ask for it. It is about the excessive use of alcohol or the need for it because of the constant pressure on him. Anyone who wants to be able to rule a people well must first of all be able to rule himself. In this Noah failed when he was given the government over the cleansed earth (Gen 9:1-7 ; 20-24).

The mother holds out to him the consequence of excessive drinking: then he “will ... forget what is decreed” (Pro 31:5). He will forget the king’s law, in which God has told him how to behave to be a good king (Deu 17:17-20). Drink clouds the mind. Those who are drunk no longer see things clearly and cannot make just judgments in disputes.

A drunken king is repugnant (1Kgs 16:8-9 ; 1Kgs 20:16). As for speaking justice in a trial, he will do no more than “pervert the rights of all the afflicted”. None of the afflicted will receive his right because the king is clouded in his mind. In addition, the rich who exploit the afflicted can manipulate him (cf. Hos 7:5). They will surely predict to him what judgment he should make.

Pro 31:6-7 are most likely meant to be sarcastic. It cannot be a serious advice that strong drink is better given to people who are in agony (“who is perishing”), who are severely depressed (“whose life is bitter”), or who are in “poverty” and “trouble”. The advice would then be: Just give them so much spirits and wine that they get drunk. Then they will forget their misery and stop thinking about it. This advice cannot be meant seriously because the problems have not disappeared, but are still very much alive when the intoxication is over. Then they just have to drink again. In this way it becomes an addiction. It is much more so, that people who are perishing or bitter sorrow need God’s Word, understanding and practical help.

For a king who is under high pressure, who is looked up to and from whom justice is expected, the use of alcohol is not an option. He must not shirk his responsibilities or seek relief from them by ‘drinking’. A king who knows that his task has been given to him by God will expect everything from God for the performance of that task. Then he will get what he needs.

The advice King Lemuel receives from his mother is also important for us. We are kings and may reign with the Lord Jesus (Rev 1:6). We do not reign as kings yet, but we do have the dignity of a king. We forfeit that dignity through wrong dealing with sexuality and drink. When we give in to the lust for these, we lose the purity and simplicity of our devotion to the Lord (cf. Rev 14:4-5) and become objects of contempt and manipulation.