“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.”
~ Proverbs 20:1 (KJV)

The book of Proverbs is broken down into 31 chapters, written primarily by King Solomon with two other named writers, Agur for chapter 30, and King Lemuel for chapter 31.

Women

Solomon was not short on advice for his son on how to deal with the women in his life. And he was a man who certainly knew women! According to the biblical account, King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. The wives were described as foreign princesses, including Pharaoh’s daughter and women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon and of the Hittites.

Wine

At first the advice on the use of wine from the book of Proverbs is mixed. The wise person in Proverbs 3:9-10 is rewarded with overflowing barns and wine presses bursting with new wine. The wicked in Proverbs 4:17 drink the wine of violence. In Proverbs chapter 9, Wisdom is inviting guests to partake in specially prepared wine.

The later references to wine in the book of Proverbs are all negative:

• Proverbs 20:1 – wine is an agent of deception and destruction;
• Proverbs 21:17 – the lover of wine is destined to poverty;
• Proverbs 23:20 – counsel if given to avoid the winebibbers’ fate; and
• Proverbs 23:31 – wine is compared to a serpent and leads to delusion.

Woe

A woe anywhere is not a good thing and a woe in the Bible is an especially unpleasant thing. Jesus pronounced several woes on the scribes and Pharisees for participating in practices that kept those who were seeking access to the kingdom of God from entering there. See Mathew 23:13.

A woe is pronounced in Proverbs 23:29-30 on those who indulge in wine. The drinking results in sorrow, strife, self-pity, and leads to the eyes beholding strange women. After coming out of a drunken stupor, the drinker returns to the bottle like a dog returning to its vomit in Proverbs 26:11.

In the book of Revelation, a solemn warning is given to the reader to avoid the wine of the harlot of Babylon. Those who drink from her cup of wine (Revelation 17:4) will drink from the cup of God’s undiluted wrath (Revelation 14:10) and will be left out of His eternal kingdom. Women, wine and woe!

Personal Application

Today is the day of self-examination, to ask yourself these questions: Am I indulging in any physical practices that are dulling my senses? What about spiritual habits that are impairing my ability to decide between truth and error? Have I invited any proverbial strange women into my house?

Let’s accept a drink from the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord today. ~ Psalms 116:13.