All right, thank you very much.
First of all, I wish you the best.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Amazing Psalm 18.
four my god love and muggling called joy in serving Jesus boy does I English for
say my partner Nana person's a put I am I legal I am a crystal person's already
saying
Oh
I
Rara scripts reading, please. Open your Bibles to the book of Daniel Daniel chapter 5 Daniel chapter 5
And
As our custom we will be reading the entire chapter Daniel chapter 5, please same and if you're there
amen
Daniel chapter 5 verse 1
Bell shazara the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand
Bell shazara whilst he tasted the wine
Commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels with which his father and a bukkad nazar had taken out of the temple
Which is in Jerusalem that the king and his princess his wives and his concubines might drink therein
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God
Which was a Jerusalem and the king and his princess his wives and his concubines to drank in them
they drank wine and praised the gods of gold and of silver and brass of iron of wood and of stone and
The same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand and rode over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's
Palace and the king saw the part of the hand that roads
Then the king's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him
So the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another
the king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers to count the ends of the soothsayers and the king spake and
said to the wise men of Babylon
Whosoever shall read this writing and show me the interpretation thereof
Shall be cloth with scarlets and have a chain of gold about his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom
Then came in all the king's wise men
But they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof
Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled and his countenance was changed in them and his Lords were astonished
Now the Queen by reason of the words of the king and his Lords came into the banquet house
And the Queen spake and said, oh King live forever
Let not thy thoughts trouble thee nor let thy countenance be changed
There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods and it dates with thy father light and understanding
and wisdom
Like the wisdom of the gods was found in him
Whom the king of a goddess are thy father the king I say thy father made master of the magicians astrologers
Chaldeans and soothsayers for as much as an excellent spirits and knowledge and understanding
Interpreting of dreams and showing of hard sentences and the solving of doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the king named Belshazzar
You
We're not going to finish this chapter here today, we're only going to
You
Now
Alcohol gives boldness to do what is wrong
Alcohol gives you boldness to commit sins and to do wrong Daniel 5 verse 1
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand thousand of his lords and drank wine before the thousand Belshazzar while he
tasted the wine
Commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels, which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple
Which was in Jerusalem that the king and his princes his wives and his concubines might drink therein
So we see here in Daniel chapter 5 verse 2 that when Belshazzar is actually drinking wine
That is the point where he says let us bring the golden and silver vessels that we've taken from Jerusalem
And we're going to use them as part of our religious ceremony to basically desecrate them now
I want you to realize that when a country would take over another country in the past
Oftentimes various countries had a different religion. They followed they usually didn't harm the gods of those countries
you know, you can look back throughout history with various religions and
Oftentimes they would just merge those religions together and when they took these golden and silver vessels
They were taking them as part of their religious ceremony now now that's going to belong to them
They weren't desecrating them
But when he's drinking wine
He does something he knows that their God would not approve of meaning the true God that we worship and basically Belshazzar says
While he's drinking alcohol
Let us just get these golden and silver vessels and just use them for our purpose and he's basically going to desecrate
these golden and silver vessels verse 3
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God
Which is at Jerusalem and a king and his princes his wives and his concubines
Drank in them. So it'd be like for example if at our church, you know for the Lord's Supper
Let's say we had a specific like metal container small little metal cup cups or something that we used to take the Lord's Supper
And we use grape juice, right?
We don't use alcoholic wine
But they would use those and then basically put alcohol in them and drink out of them
They're basically desecrating those and using it for a sinful purpose now go to Proverbs 23 Proverbs 23
I'll give you a few references to this but realize he does this while he's drinking alcohol
This is not something he decided to do when he was sober
But when he's drinking he has boldness to commit sin and do wrong
Proverbs 23 verse 20
Proverbs 23 verse 20 and says in Proverbs 23 verse 20
Be not among wine bibbers among riotous eaters of flesh and you're gonna notice in the Bible that
Drinking alcohol and riot are often linked together
Because this is something people do when they're drinking right, you know just in the last couple years around the world
Really? There's been all these protests in rioting for a variety of different reasons
I know in America was like every single day
They were writing about black lives matter and all these other things and these people are getting drunk
They're doing drugs and then they're burning down buildings. They're rioting right but it's while they're drinking alcohol
They don't feel bad about committing these sins, right because alcohol gives you boldness to do what's wrong
Go to Ephesians 5 Ephesians chapter 5
Ephesians 5
When people get drunk they do things they would never do if they were sober
Ephesians 5 verse 19 or verse 18. I should say Ephesians 5 verse 18 and
In Ephesians 5 verse 18 the Bible reads and be not drunk with wine
Wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit now, let me just say this on a side point
Some people try to use this verse to justify drinking and what they'll say is don't drink wine that is in
Excess like too much don't get drunk, but it's okay to drink
Well, the reason why that doesn't make sense is because the Bible speaks about rioting in excess a little bit of riot is bad
Right, you know, it's like well, I only burned down one building. Oh, it's okay then I thought you burned down too
Right, no just a little bit of rioting would be wrong smashing one window with the rock would be wrong
You don't have to do too much rioting before it's already wrong. So any amount of drinking alcohol is gonna be wrong
Okay, it's gonna be sinful
But it says be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit and what you're seeing is a comparison
Between wine and the Holy Spirit you say what do wine and the Holy Spirit have to do with one another?
Well, they're basically the opposite right from a worldly standard what is the terminology they use for alcohol they use the word?
spirits
That's a term the world gives them and according to the world. Apparently there's a spirit attached to drinking alcohol
Hey for once the world is right
They're correct about that. They literally will call it spirits and there's literally an unclean spirit associated with drinking alcohol
Okay, but here's the comparison the Holy Spirit gives you boldness to do what is
right
That you would never do in your normal flesh
Alcohol gives you boldness to do what is wrong that you would never do in your normal flesh
Right. Look at our church. Most people at our church go soul-willing is
Everybody at our church outgoing is your natural personality just you know, very outgoing you love to approach random people
Look, I would have never thought I'd walk up to random people and start a conversation. That's just not who I am
Okay, I usually waited for people to talk to me. Okay, and yet when we go soul-willing, isn't that exactly what we do? I
Mean you become a new man as we talked about when you walk in the Holy Spirit
You're doing what's right you're changing and the Holy Spirit gives you boldness to do things you would never do in your normal flesh
Right, you know look when I was in college, you know, I didn't I didn't have to do too much public speaking
But I did from time to time for projects and I'm just being dead honest
I was not a good public speaker and I did not enjoy it. I
Was terrified to do public speaking. It was my biggest fear was public speaking. And what do I do for a career?
I mean I I
Publicly speak all the time, right and you say well
How is that possible because the Holy Spirit gives you boldness to do things you would never do in your normal flesh?
Alcohol gives you boldness to do things that are wrong that you would never do in your normal flesh
I mean so much of murder and all manner of sin is committed while people are drunk and it's something that wouldn't happen
If they weren't drinking right now turn your Bible to Esther chapter 1
I'll give you a long story that kind of explains this
Esther 1 I
Mean I use the example before of somebody I knew who died from my college Spanish class and
you know what he died because him and his buddies were getting drunk on the weekend at WVU and
basically, you know because it was a big trial case in West Virginia of exactly what happened because somebody got murdered and the question was
Was it self-defense or was it cold-blooded murder, right?
And basically, you know
They these two sides were like arguing with one another while they're drunk one side threw a snowball at the other side
And then all of a sudden they ended up coming in confrontation a knife's pulled out and the guy got stabbed to death
Look, they wouldn't have done that if they weren't drinking alcohol
I mean, how stupid do you have to be to try to stab someone to death?
But you know what when you're drunk you do things that you would not do if you were sober
Right
Even when you think of drinking and driving look people often drink and drive and it's something they weren't planning to do
But once you start drinking alcohol you start thinking no big deal
I can drive and it's something you wouldn't have done
But once you start drinking alcohol, it changes your judgment and you do not think clearly
Esther chapter 1 and you know
We'll be in this story for a little while to explain this but notice what it says in Esther 1 verse 10 on
The seventh day when the heart of the king was married with wine, so this is King has aware as he's drinking alcohol
He commanded my human bista
Harbona big thaw in a back the Zethar and carcass very good names for a baby
If someone doesn't have a name picked out yet
The seven chamberlains that served in the presence of a has aware as the king to bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown
Royal to show the people and the princes are beauty for she was fair to look on now. Let me just take a minute
I've preached through Esther before to say that a lot of people just kind of change this story
you know if you read Esther chapter 1 in the whole book of Esther a has it worse is not that bad of a guy and
If you actually read very closely when he picks a new queen
There's all of these women that are you know, he's considering to be the new queen
One of the requirements was for them to be virgins and he wanted a woman that was pure if you pay close attention
He's not sleeping with all these women. He waits to pick a queen and then that's who he picks
He's not like sleeping with all of them or anything. And so that's kind of how people often preach it
That's not what it says because it's clear at the end of the chapter. There's still virgins
Okay, once he picks his wife then obviously they come together as husband and wife now. I'm not saying it has worse was a good guy
Yeah, I understand. You know, he had multiple wives, but so did a lot of characters in the Bible
Okay, so I'm just saying he's not some sort of reprobate, you know
He's not the greatest guy in the world
But he's not some wicked guy and honestly all the Persian kings pretty much for decent guys in the Bible
you're looking at Cyrus and even the Medes as well, but
Here what he says in verse 11 is he wants his wife to come before and he wants to show off her beauty now
Here's the thing one thing that I've heard preached is that he's asking her to basically do a striptease and take off all of her
Clothes, I don't see that in Esther chapter 1
Right now it doesn't say anything about him telling her to take off all of her clothes and then show off her beauty in that
Since I think he's just saying, you know, my wife is very attractive
Beautiful face and he wants her to be shown before the people now
I do believe that what he's asking is kind of foolish and I do think he's doing it because he's drinking alcohol
But that's my point you do things that you probably wouldn't do in your normal flesh
But as he's drinking alcohol, he makes kind of a ridiculous sort of request, you know
Obviously she's hanging out with her friends and he asked her to come I want all my buddies to see how beautiful you are
Okay, and
So it says in verse number 12, but the Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his chamberlains
Therefore was the king very Roth and his anger burned in him
And so as the Queen refuses to come this surprises king it has a whereas you say why?
because normally she probably would have done what he asked and
The reason why it probably surprises him is because when she wasn't drinking alcohol or if she's not drinking alcohol
She probably would have done it
What he does is a little bit foolish
What she does is a little bit foolish
His request I think is a little bit foolish, but it's not the end of the world. He says hey, can you come here?
So everyone sees that I've got a really attractive wife. Okay, that's a bit foolish to do but it's not the end of the world
Okay, and then her she decides not to come
Which obviously is embarrassing the king the ruler of the world and she's obviously not being submissive to her husband
And what she does is a bit foolish as well
But alcohol is kind of that thing that's woven in there. We're basically that's probably the reason why they acted that way
So the king is very angry because he's embarrassed now go to verse 15
and it says what shall we do unto the Queen Vashti according to law because she hath not performed the commandment of the king of
has a whereas by the chamberlains and
Mameu can answer before the king and the princes
Vashti the Queen hath not done wrong to the king only but also to all the princes and all the people that are in all
Provinces of the king of has a whereas for this deed of the Queen shall come abroad unto all men so that they shall despise
Their husbands in their eyes when it shall be reported the king of has a whereas commanded Vashti the Queen to be brought in before
Him but she came not now. Here's the thing, you know a has a worse has his buddies
They're kind of giving bad advice
Okay, because they want to get on a has worse his good side. He's very angry
So they come up with this very strict sort of punishment in reality. Here's the right response. What do you do?
Just wait tomorrow when the alcohol wears off and have a conversation with your wife quietly. That's the correct answer
You're upset about what your spouse did. Well, don't say anything in front of other people deal with it one-on-one
Right. The reality is in marriage. Every marriage has fights, you know, how do you deal with that one-on-one alone?
Right not in front of other people and certainly not while you're still affected by alcohol, right?
Don't make judgments while you have alcohol inside your body
Okay verse 18
Likewise so the ladies of Persian media say this day unto all the king's princes which have heard of the deed of the Queen
Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath if it please the king let there go a royal
Commandment from him and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes that it be not altered or be not
Changed that Vashti come no more before king has worse and led to another that is better than she so essentially this is divorce
Happening in verse 19 and it says that it be not altered or that it be not changed basically
Here's the decree that you know what? She is no longer the queen. She's done with that
She is going to be replaced by another woman. Look
It's always wrong to get divorced
But while you're drinking alcohol, that is not the best time to make big decisions
You're making a decision that cannot be changed according to the law of means and persons
Because if you're familiar with Daniel chapter 6, there's a story where King Darius foolishly has
Daniel put to death by his decree about not praying and he couldn't change the law that was part of their culture
Right. It would be very foolish to make a life-changing decision that cannot be changed while you're drinking alcohol
Wait until you're sober
Better yet
Don't drink alcohol to begin with and you won't do something foolish
Because alcohol gives you boldness to do stupid things, right?
and
It says that it be not altered verse number 20 and when the Kings decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire
For it is great
all the wives shall give to their husbands honor both the great and small and
The saying please the king and the princes and the king did according to the word of my mucan now go to Esther chapter 2
I want you to notice verse 1 and pay close attention
Esther 2 verse 1
After
these things
So after all this has taken place after this this law has been made that it cannot be changed
After these things when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, so he's no longer angry
He remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her
The indication from this verse is that when he was drinking alcohol, he didn't really know what he was doing
Because it wears off his anger is gone and then all of a sudden he remembers his wife and it's like oh, wait a minute
I just divorced my wife and removed her as Queen
Because she didn't do something
I asked her to do now look of course the Bible teaches that men are the heads of their homes and wives are supposed to
Be submissive, but that's a pretty extreme thing to get a divorce
Because the fact your wife disobeyed you
It's like talk to them one-on-one and deal with the problem when no one else is around after the angers gone
By the way, this is true not just for alcohol, but with anger in general
I mean if you're really angry about something just let the anger wear off before you make big
Decisions and say a lot of mean and hateful things and just talk about it one-on-one
right, but the alcohol affects the judgment of Ahasuerus and
Vashti and it's like he forgot or didn't even realize what he was doing now turn to Daniel chapter 5
Daniel 5
Daniel chapter 5
And so point number one is that alcohol gives you boldness to do what is wrong
And I will say that this sermon will be a bit shorter. The first sermon was longer. We will still get done on normal time
But point number one alcohol gives you boldness to do what is wrong point number two false religions
They use alcohol and drugs as part of their religious ceremonies false religions use alcohol and drugs
Notice verse number four
they drank wine and
Praise the gods of gold and of silver of brass of iron of wood and of stone
They drank wine and then they're praising their false gods and it's like alcohol is part of their religious ceremonies
Right. I mean, can you imagine getting drunk and let's have our monthly prayer meeting? Okay, we drank alcohol now
Let's pray right now. Let's just praise the gods that we worship. It's like alcohol is part of their religious ceremonies
I mean for us the Bible says touch not the unclean thing
Alcohol is unclean. It's a sin. We should have nothing to do with it. And it's not just that people are doing it
They're mixing it in with their religion as if it's a good thing and you what there is nothing new under the Sun the same
Thing happens with religions today. Let me give you an example of this. What about the Catholic Church?
What about the big church here in the Philippines
What about the Eucharist? Here's what it says from this article
It is a definitive doctrine of the Catholic Church that only pure and natural grape wine
Can be employed as valid matter for transubstantiation into the blood of Christ
pure wine
Right pure wine. How about pure grape juice?
Right non fermented grape juice, why are you using alcoholic beverage as
Part of your religious ceremony because look in the Bible, you know
The word wine is used quite a bit and you know what the word juice is only used one time
because juice was not a very common word back when the Bible was written and
What you'll see is oftentimes the Bible uses the word wine
But it's referring to juice because wine can be fermented or unfermented
Okay
So here's the thing in the Bible oftentimes wine is just tough for example, Jesus turning water into wine
He didn't add another keg to a party and get people drunk
Right people want to read that story. Well when the men were well drunk, here's some more beer. That's ridiculous. Okay
He's giving them grape juice which was a very precious commodity back in that day without modern
Technology to make it even nowadays grape juice is very expensive how much more back in that day, right?
But with the Catholic Church they say well, you know what we want to represent the blood of Christ
So we're gonna take the sinless Jesus Christ and then use the sin of alcohol as part of our religious sermon
Does that make any sense?
Because for us we do the opposite
unleavened bread
Non fermented juice right grape juice
It says the 1983 code of Canon law declares the most holy sacrifice of the Eucharist must be celebrated in
Wine to which a small quantity of water is to be added
The wine must be natural made from grapes of the vine and not corrupt. Well, once again, it's corrupt when it's alcoholic
Right moreover the catechism of the Catholic Church asserts that one of the essential signs of the Eucharist sacrament is grape wine
so I guess if you don't use alcoholic wine, it doesn't count as
You know basically remembering Jesus Christ now, there's a thing that's Catholicism in general
But it goes more extreme for example in Mexico where it says that on the Day of the Dead
Christians leave tequila and mezcal as offerings on Day of the Dead owners
And so basically, you know, the Day of the Dead is like a hardcore
Halloween all Saints Day like to another level where they dress as demons and act really sinful
Well, I mean, it's appropriate you use alcoholic wine for that sort of celebration, right?
But it's like a Catholic holiday in Mexico and then it's like let's just leave tequila for our dead relatives
And of course the dead relatives are gonna come out of the graves at nighttime and just spiritually drink that tequila, right?
That's what they believe. Okay
Another example is the Eastern Orthodox religion now in Christianity. The biggest religion is Catholicism
Number two is the Orthodox religion. Basically, they have about 20% of the members that the Catholics have
There's like 260 million worldwide Russia and a lot of countries are Orthodox and the Orthodox faith in the Eastern Orthodox faith
particularly in Russia
Vodka is blessed by priests and imbibed at religious celebrations like Easter or poured onto the graves of loved ones
So basically you can't celebrate Easter without some vodka according to the Eastern Orthodox religion
Hey, you know what you go to a funeral just pour some vodka on your dead relatives on the graves
It's like this is ridiculous and they're mixing alcohol as part of their religious ceremonies, right?
I haven't even gotten to the best. Okay, or the worst depending on how you look at this in Judaism
I'll give you three more examples in Judaism wine is used more elaborately in Jewish rituals, especially in the kadush ceremony
Which takes place during Shabbat the Jewish Sabbath the participants bless kosher wine and then the chala before everyone drinks
They toast by saying IKEA which means to life
During Passover family step over the vinyl or wine and individually bless four cups of wine at the family center
So at their Passover celebration in 2022
Alcohol is a big part of it
Did I miss the part in Exodus 12 where they're getting drunk
Right me if you read the Old Testament, I mean Exodus 12 the big Passover chapter somehow I missed the part about them getting drunk
Apparently I go back and read that because I don't remember that part is being part of the pass
Oh and yet part of the Jewish ceremony now when they celebrate the Passover a religious ceremony
They're drinking wine and blessing the God that they worship right the false God that they worship
the best one we got two more but the best is this one Tibetan Buddhism and
You know think of the Dalai Lama is the head of Tibetan Buddhism, you know, if you know the Dalai Lama
that's his brand of Buddhism the most famous Buddhist in the world and
This is their ritual one of the most ancient rituals in Tibetan Buddhism is drinking from the kapala
They're drinking alcohol in what's known as the kapala which is a sacred sculpted cup made
from the top of an actual human skull
so basically
They take a human skull they pour alcohol in it and then they drink alcohol out of a human skull
it's like
How do you even come up with something like that and I'll explain why they do it here in a second
But I mean an actual human skull
Right, the skulls are carved and adorned with precious metals and jewels then filled with alcoholic beverages
Blood or dough cakes as offerings meant to appease wrathful deities
drinking from the skull is reserved only for the most experienced of llamas as
It supposedly transfers the knowledge and karma of the skull's former owner to the drinker
So what they're saying is that basically if somebody dies, let's say, you know, you have a relative that dies
make sure you keep that skull put alcohol in it and
Basically as you drink it you're gonna get all the knowledge that they had
The knowledge transfers via an actual human skull from that person and then he drink the alcohol in it
Right. So basically, you know somebody dies is very smart
They speak like 15 languages. Just get that human skull pour alcohol in drink it and you know what you're gonna be a polyglot
Right. That's the secret, right? How do you even come up with something like this, right?
But this is what and look this is the brand of Buddhism. This is not just a rare form of Buddhism
This is the brand of Buddhism of the Dalai Lama the most famous Buddhist on the planet and that is apparently what they do
I had no idea until I was preparing this sermon, but I was like man, right?
there's a lot of strange religious rituals, but it's tied in with a religious ceremony and
Lastly, I'll just mention on Shinto which is is kind of the main religion in Japan
Although it's kind of merged with Buddhism it says here in this article
There's perhaps no religion that loves alcohol as much as the Japanese Shinto religion
Which reveals sake as the most sacred of drinks the liquor of the gods and this is how much I know about alcohol yesterday
I pronounced that sake
Sake and then you're like sake I like all sake, okay
Right now turn your Bible back to Daniel 5 Daniel 5 and look it's not just these ones. I mentioned
There's a lot of brands of
religion like voodoo
I mean the voodoo alcohol is a big part of their religious ceremonies that they bring that if you go if you if you go
To a voodoo ceremony you're supposed to bring alcohol for the deities and then other religions
They don't use alcohol, but they'll use a type of drug which is basically the same right shamanism a lot of native religions
You know Rastafari is like against alcohol, but smoking weed is essential to being a Rastafari, right?
So they basically replace alcohol with drugs and a lot of these ones what they'll say is well when you take these out that these
Drugs and do this alcohol. It basically puts your mind into another state, right? You don't understand until you do it
Yeah, you know what? I don't understand right and you know what? I'm sure they're literally right
It literally makes you become a different person and they're basically just worshipping devils and it's part of their religious ceremonies
But that's what you see in Daniel chapter 5 and there's nothing new under the Sun drinking alcohol
while praising false gods
Point number one alcohol gives boldness to do what is wrong point to false religions use alcohol and drugs as part of religious ceremonies
point three alcohol brings on the wrath of God
Daniel 5 verse 5 in
The same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand and rode over against a candlestick
Upon the plaster of the wall the king's palace and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote
Then the king's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him
So the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another
So basically the king sees this writing on the wall and he's so afraid that his countenance changes and he starts to shake
But even to the point that his knees are hitting against one another so basically so afraid that you know
They're knocking against one another and I've been afraid before like, you know where you're shaking a little bit not to the point though
where you're like your knees are like
Knocking I mean that's pretty extreme right and so his knees are like smiting one another he's so afraid and look
I he's probably wondering at this point. Is that the alcohol or is this actually taking place?
I hope it's just the alcohol because I think I see you know a hand writing on a wall, right and
It says and you know what you're seeing is God even though this is a very bad guy a sinful guy
When he does this and desecrates the golden and silver vessels from the Lord
That's where God says it's too far and he says I'm gonna remove you. This is the end of Babylon, right?
this is the end of the Chaldean Empire reigning because of this event where God says we're gonna remove you and
The Persians and the Medes take over because of this event, right?
And it says in Daniel chapter 5 verse number 7 the king cried aloud
To bring in the astrologers the Chaldeans and the soothsayers when it says he cried aloud
It's not referring to tears tears is weeping in the Bible like luha
Crying is like yelling out
Okay, so he cries out he's yelling
You know bring in the astrologers the Chaldeans and the soothsayers and the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon
whosoever shall read this writing and show me the
Interpretation thereof shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom
So I personally believe that when the king cries out this is heard even outside the room where other people can hear
So basically if I were to yell out really loud and there's people around
People are gonna wonder what is going on in there, right?
They hear the king crying out and you know what they can hear the things that he's saying because notice what it says in verse
number eight
Then came in all the king's wise men now
This is very interesting because earlier in the book of Daniel Nebuchadnezzar has a request and nobody wants to come
But when they find out hey, I could be the third ruler in the kingdom then came in all the king's wise men
Why because there's a reward this time, right?
So I believe that this basically went viral so to speak back in that day where the king cried out
What was he talking about?
You know, he said that there's this writing on the wall if you can come in and interpret it
You'll be the third ruler everybody comes in right because they want to be the third ruler in the kingdom
No punishment if they get it wrong, but they're gonna get a reward
So I believe that's why it's specific when it says all the king's wise men
Okay, now realize this the one guy who doesn't care is Daniel
He just kind of ignores it because he could care less about being the third ruler in the kingdom
He's like, I really don't care. I hate this guy, right? I believe he believes Belshazzar is like a wicked reprobate
You know, he doesn't like him at all. And so him he's like, I don't really care about getting rewards for some wicked person
But all these false prophets they all come in because they want to be the king
I think that's why the wording is specifically like that
But they could not read the writing nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof
Verse 9 then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled and his countenance was changed in him and his lords were Astani
Now turn to Proverbs 31, you know, we'll continue next week and finish that story, you know
I just wanted to focus on alcohol because that's the theme there in those first verses
But there's nothing new under the Sun
I mean religions do the same thing today mixing alcohol with their religious ceremonies
And look alcohol will bring on the wrath of God
Especially because alcohol will cause you to sin and cause you to do wrong and alcohol will bring on God's judgment
Now I'll just close with you in Proverbs 31 and show you this passage and let me just say that Proverbs 31 is a very
misunderstood passage
Let me show you what it says here in verse 3 Proverbs 31 verse 3
Give not thy strength unto women nor that ways to that which destroy the Kings it is not for Kings o Lemuel
It is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strong drinks
So what you're seeing is and I believe this is Bathsheba talking to her son Solomon and what she's saying is you know what?
You're too good to drink alcohol
Because you're a king right? You're the ruler you are too good to drink alcohol
It's not for you now
Let me just say this that let's say something is a sin for me to do if it's a sin for me to do
It's also a sin for you to do
Right. I mean if it's a sin for me to drink alcohol. It's also a sin for you to drink alcohol
Right if it's a sin for me to do something. It's a sin for you to do something
It's not like there's different sets of laws for me versus you
Obviously if you're the one preaching the sermons, it's very important that you're right with God and things like that
But it's not like hey here are the laws that you have to follow but you know what?
I'm a pastor so I have like different laws, right?
You need to go soul winning but not me because I'm the one preaching right?
It doesn't work that way the same rules I have are the same rules that you have right?
And so if it's not for Solomon to drink alcohol, it's not for anybody to drink alcohol
What she's saying is you're too good to drink alcohol. And look I would say the same thing
We understand what the world does they drink they party they get drunk they commit these sins
You know what as a Bible believing Christian you are too good to do that
right verse number five
What's the problem with drinking alcohol lest they drink and forget the law?
So look when you're drinking alcohol, it's gonna make you forget the law and what is the primary law that's being used during that day
This book so essentially the law of God is what you could say
So look if you're drinking alcohol
You're gonna forget what God's law states and it says and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted now those verses are very clear
People get confused on verses six and seven though. Okay, and sometimes when you're reading the Bible you have to understand sometimes there's
Sarcasm sometimes there's mocking in the Bible and look this is hard for people sometimes to realize like for me
I if you know me well enough I tell a lot of jokes, right?
My philosophy is life is too serious to take it too seriously, right? I tell a lot of jokes
Yeah, I know when to be serious, but I know when to joke
I'm often very sarcastic in jokes and you know people often get it and other times it goes like straight over the head
They have no idea
It's like it was a joke, right? It's like all right. It's not funny anymore if I have to explain it, right?
But that's what's going on here in verses six and seven because she's basically mocking alcohol in these verses
It says here in verse six give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish perish means to die
So if someone's about to die give them strong drink give them alcohol. Okay is what she's saying and
Wine unto those that be of heavy hearts if somebody is depressed. Here's some alcohol
Okay. Now look people use these verses and they say well if somebody is, you know, like really depressed
Or you know, they're at the point of death
It's okay for them to drink alcohol or whatever and I've heard people use this for pain medication and stuff like that
Let me say this. I'm not a hundred percent against pain medication. I've used pain medication before in my life
I don't think that really has anything to do with this passage
but this
It just has nothing to do though with talking about pain medication or talking about giving somebody drugs when they're going through a surgery
Or anything like that has nothing to do with that
It says give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish
It would be like if I preach a sermon and I say hey
You know what as a Bible believing Christian don't drink alcohol. Let the losers that are destroying their lives get drunk
That's what she's saying. It's like it's not for you give strong drink unto those that are ready to perish
Well, why are they ready to perish because they're drunks?
Because they drink alcohol look drinking alcohol will destroy your body
Okay, it will cut a lot of years off your life if you're a drunk
okay, give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and
Wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Hey, here's the secret if you're depressed get drunk. Does that make any sense?
But here's the thing. Isn't that what the world does though?
They're depressed
Why because they drink and party and live for themselves and they get depressed as a result and what happens while they keep drinking
It's like well go ahead and drink away your life
Right Bible talks about the misery and sorrow associated with drinking alcohol
Look drinking alcohol. It might give them a temporary happiness. That's gonna wear off and they're gonna be miserable
Right if I was suggesting to someone how to be happy
I'd say obey God's laws because if you know these things happier you if you do
Walk in the Holy Spirit and you've got joy in your life not get drunk
Okay, if you get depressed do not drink alcohol. Okay, that's not
What's she saying? She's mocking it saying give alcohol to these people that are dying and depressed because of their alcohol
Let him drink. So basically let him drink let those people drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more
Well, why are they poor? Why do they have poverty because they drink alcohol
Look, if you're a drunk, you're not gonna be a good employee
You're gonna waste all of your money
Right. Like I'm always amazed we go soul winning everywhere
Sometimes you go so any in areas that are not the highest income areas very poor areas and you see people
That don't have a whole lot
But they drink and smoke all the time
All their money is spent on alcohol
It's like look if you have little you would think man. I need to save that up for something important
for groceries and
Yet they find money to buy alcohol and so what are they doing?
They're just trying to basically wash away their sorrows every single day
Right. Look obviously not all people do that
But I'm saying a lot you do see a lot of those people that do that. They gamble away their money
They smoke and they drink and it's like what are you doing?
Look as a Bible believing Christian. You are too good to do that
You're above that
That's what the Bible saying. That's what she's saying to her son son. I understand out there people get drunk
They're poor and miserable because of their alcohol not you
You say well, that's because he's the king but the Bible says that when you get saved you become kings and priests unto God
So in a spiritual sense, then this would still apply even if you want to just be stubborn about this. Okay, it's very obvious
What's being talked about in Proverbs 31? Let him drink let them drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more
Let him just drink away their lives and do whatever they want
Look I preach sermons on things all the time and I sometimes say things like hey, you know
What let the world do whatever they want to do?
But as for you don't listen to the rock music like they do
Right. Does that mean I'm saying it's okay for them to listen to rock music
No, I'm saying I'm not preaching to them. I'm not talking to them
I'm talking to people that want to follow what God says and
She's talking to her son and saying hey, you know what they can do whatever they want
We have no power over them. But for you don't drink alcohol, right?
That's what she's saying. So basically she's mocking alcohol in verses six and seven. She's not saying
Hey, if somebody's about to die just give him some alcohol to wear away the pain right now once again
This is nothing to do with pain medication. It's not what I'm talking about, but she's basically just mocking alcohol
Look alcohol will destroy your life and look here's the thing. You know what when it comes to the world
They don't understand what I'm preaching and talking about
People in the world a lot of them don't even realize that drinking alcohol is wrong
They might think it's wrong to get drunk and feel bad about that, but they don't think it's really wrong to drink a beer
But you know what the Bible says you say brother Stuckey. I don't know what the Bible says
Well, if you were paying attention to this sermon
You now do
Now you are without excuse
Maybe before you thought it was okay to drink, but what does the Bible say about that, right?
I mean it brings on the wrath of God
You know what the Bible says and here's the thing if you are aware of what God says about something God expects you to follow it
Now look if you sin due to ignorance, it's still a sin, but it's a sin of ignorance
it's worse when you specifically know something and
Yet you do it. Anyway, you make a willing free will choice to sin
Look, I hope that people at our church don't drink alcohol. You know, I'm not I'm not ignorant though a church this size
I'm sure there's people that drink from time to time. You know what? It's gonna destroy your life
It's gonna make you miserable
According to the Bible it's gonna make you poor
It's going to destroy your health as a Bible believing Christian. You are too good to drink alcohol
Let's close in a word of prayer dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for allowing us to be here in your house and ask you to help us apply the sermon our lives and you know
I hope that that people in this room are not drinking alcohol God
But if so help them to get that sin out of their lives
But even if that's not a sin we struggle with God help us maybe to think about other sins that we do struggle with that
Might bring upon your wrath and help us to get those out of our lives God. We just pray these things in Jesus name. Amen
You