What other scriptures warn against drunkenness and its effects on leadership? Isaiah 28:7 — A Snapshot of Faltering Leaders “Even these stagger from wine and reel from strong drink: Priest and prophet stagger from strong drink, they are confused by wine, they stumble from strong drink; they reel while seeing visions, they totter when rendering judgment.” Old-Testament Echoes: Kings, Priests, Prophets Called to Clarity • Proverbs 31:4-5 — “It is not for kings, O Lemuel— it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers to crave strong drink— lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.” • Leviticus 10:8-11 — “You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you enter the Tent of Meeting, lest you die … so that you may distinguish between the holy and the common.” • Proverbs 23:29-32 — Lingering over wine ends with a bite “like a snake” and a sting “like a viper.” • Proverbs 20:1 — “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.” • Hosea 4:11 — “Promiscuity, wine, and new wine take away understanding.” • Habakkuk 2:15 — “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor … so that he may gaze on their nakedness!” New-Testament Standards for Church Shepherds • 1 Timothy 3:2-3 — “An overseer … must be … temperate … not given to drunkenness.” • 1 Timothy 3:8 — “Deacons are to be … not given to much wine.” • Titus 1:7-8 — “An overseer … must be … not given to drunkenness … self-controlled.” • Titus 2:2 — “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled.” • Ephesians 5:18 — “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” • Romans 13:13 — “Let us behave decently … not in carousing and drunkenness.” • Galatians 5:21 — “Drunkenness … those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” • 1 Peter 4:3 — “You have spent enough time … in drunkenness, orgies, carousing.” Why Intoxication Undermines Leadership • Blurs discernment — leaders “forget what is decreed” (Proverbs 31:5). • Twists justice — the oppressed lose protection. • Dims spiritual vision — “they reel while seeing visions” (Isaiah 28:7). • Endangers people — Aaron’s sons stand as sober-minded warnings (Leviticus 10). • Opens doors to further sin — drunkenness sits in a list that bars inheriting the kingdom (Galatians 5:21). • Damages witness — believers are called to the clarity of daylight, not the haze of late-night revelry (Romans 13:13). Living the Call to Sobriety • Seek the Spirit’s filling rather than counterfeit stimulation (Ephesians 5:18). • Guard judgment so no one under our care is deprived of justice (Proverbs 31:5). • Maintain the holy/common distinction in every decision (Leviticus 10:10). • Lead by example; a clear mind honors the Lord and protects His people. |
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