Temperance and the Ten Commandments

MEMORY VERSE: “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” —Luke 21:34

LUKE 21:34; EPHESIANS 5:15-18; PROVERBS 23:31-33; DEUTERONOMY 5:16-21

THE improper use of alcohol is one of the great curses upon the world today. The Scriptures refer to this evil practice, and use it as a symbol in warning against all forms of intoxication. In our lesson, Paul writes, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

One can become intoxicated with pride, or with the love of pleasure or of riches. Others may become intoxicated with music, or with sports. The spirit of the world is intoxicating. The Lord is not displeased with wholesome pleasure, neither with music. It is just that a follower of the Master could become so absorbed in these things that there would be no time and no inclination to serve the Lord and his people, which should be the chief concern of all Christians.

Paul says that we should “redeem” the time. Before we entered the narrow way of sacrifice, our time was taken up with the ordinary affairs of life and with worldly pleasures of one sort or another. We may have had hobbies. No matter what our former way of life may have been, in order to have time to devote to Bible study and to serving the Lord, the truth, and the brethren, adjustments had to be made. Time had to be “redeemed” or taken away from other things. Willingness to do this becomes one of the true tests of a genuine consecration to do the Lord’s will.

A certain exhilaration results from drinking wine, and Paul uses this to contrast with the enthusiasm which comes from being “filled with the Spirit.” The Spirit of the Lord reaches us through his Word, and when we empty ourselves of the spirit of the world, and, instead, fellowship with the Lord’s people in the great truths of the Word, we should receive more and more of the Holy Spirit.

In further contrasting worldly methods of stimulation with the Lord’s provision to fill us with his Spirit, Paul wrote, “Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Eph. 5:19,20

Our memory verse contains a timely admonition. We are to “take heed” to ourselves, lest our hearts be “overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life.” There are certain cares of this life which are obligatory upon the Lord’s people, but we are not to become anxious over them. We would be overcharged with these cares if we allowed them to take the place of the Lord in our lives, and to interfere with the carrying out of the vows of our consecration to do his will.

This admonition by Jesus is related to the time of his return and second presence; the “last days” period of the plan of God. Paul wrote that one of the characteristics of this time would be that men would be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. (II Tim. 3:4) If we allow the spirit of this pleasure-mad world to captivate our minds and hearts, then we are “overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life.”

Moses’ account of the Law as set forth in Deuteronomy, chapter 5, is similar to the record given us in Exodus, chapter 20. In connection with the commandment to honor father and mother, an incentive is given: “That thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Deut 5:16; Exod. 20:12) While not mentioned in connection with each commandment, God’s promise with respect to the entire Law was that those who obeyed it fully would gain life; that is, they would not need to die. “The man which doeth those things shall live by them.”—Rom. 10:5

Born imperfect, as were the remainder of mankind, the Israelites could not gain life by keeping the Law. Thus it was demonstrated that only through the redeeming blood of Christ, the Redeemer, can everlasting life be attained.

QUESTIONS

Are there ways of becoming intoxicated other than through the use of strong drink?

What does Paul mean by “redeeming” the time?

How do we become filled with the Spirit?

To what period in the plan of God is the memory text particularly directed?

What reward did God offer for keeping the Law?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |