Topical Bible: Drunkenness: Lot

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Drunkenness is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as leading to moral and spiritual downfall. One of the most notable instances of drunkenness is found in the account of Lot, a patriarchal figure in the Book of Genesis. Lot's experience with drunkenness serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of alcohol and the potential for compromised judgment and sinful behavior.

Biblical Account

The account of Lot's drunkenness is recorded in Genesis 19:30-38. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his two daughters fled to the mountains and settled in a cave. Isolated and fearing the end of their family line, Lot's daughters devised a plan to preserve their lineage. They decided to intoxicate their father with wine and engage in incestuous relations with him, each on successive nights.

Genesis 19:32-33 states: "Come, let us get our father drunk with wine, so that we can sleep with him and preserve his line." The daughters executed their plan, and Lot, unaware due to his inebriation, became the father of Moab and Ben-Ammi, the progenitors of the Moabites and Ammonites, respectively.

Moral and Spiritual Implications

Lot's account highlights several moral and spiritual implications associated with drunkenness. Firstly, it underscores the loss of self-control and impaired judgment that often accompanies excessive alcohol consumption. Lot, who had previously been a man of righteousness, was rendered oblivious to the actions of his daughters due to his drunken state.

Secondly, the narrative illustrates the potential for sin and moral compromise when under the influence of alcohol. The incestuous acts committed by Lot's daughters were facilitated by Lot's inability to discern right from wrong while intoxicated. This incident serves as a stark reminder of how drunkenness can lead to actions that are contrary to God's commandments and moral law.

Consequences and Legacy

The consequences of Lot's drunkenness were far-reaching. The offspring from these illicit unions, Moab and Ben-Ammi, became the ancestors of nations that would later be in conflict with Israel. The Moabites and Ammonites are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as adversaries of the Israelites, highlighting the long-term impact of Lot's moment of weakness.

The account of Lot and his daughters is a sobering reminder of the destructive potential of alcohol when misused. It serves as a warning to maintain vigilance and self-control, emphasizing the importance of sobriety in preserving moral integrity and spiritual fidelity.

Nave's Topical Index

Genesis 19:33
And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Whether Drunkenness Excuses from Sin?
... On the contrary, According to Augustine (Contra Faust. xxii, 43), Lot was
to be excused from incest on account of drunkenness. I ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether drunkenness excuses from sin.htm

The Heinous Sin of Drunkenness
... against his own body." And may not I as justly cry out, Flee drunkenness, my brethren ...
earth, as though God intended to set them up, as he did Lot's wife, for ...
/.../selected sermons of george whitefield/the heinous sin of drunkenness.htm

Table of Contents
... The Heinous Sin of Drunkenness. [53]53. The Power of Christ's Resurrection.
[54]54. Intercession Every Christian's Duty. [55]55. Persecution Every Christian's ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/table of contents.htm

The Prophets were Sent from one and the Same Father from whom the ...
... lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and
cares ... came and destroyed them all; as also it was in the days of Lot, they did ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxvi the prophets were sent.htm

But when Ye See Jerusalem with the Army Compassing it About...
... heed to yourselves, that your hearts become not heavy with inordinate desire, [2919]
and drunkenness, and the ... 2932] And as it was in the days of Lot; they were ...
/.../hogg/the diatessaron of tatian/section xlii but when ye.htm

The General Conference of 1832
... the obligation is made equally binding: Neither shall the priests drink wine when
they enter into the inner court.' The drunkenness of Noah, Lot, Nadab, Abihu ...
/.../chapter 11 the general conference.htm

To Defend the Weak, or to Help Strangers, or to Perform Similar ...
... [536] Thou seest that Lot received the ... Wherefore one reads: "Wine is wasteful,
drunkenness is abusive." [543] It is wasteful to spend one's own wealth merely ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xxi to defend the.htm

Of a Private Fast.
... the vineyard. By fasting Lot quenched the flame of Sodom, whom drunkenness
scorched with the fire of incest. Religious fasting and ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bayly/the practice of piety/i of a private fast.htm

The Scriptures.
... sin, loves to give it its own name; drunkenness must be drunkenness, murder must ...
Noah was drunken; Lot lay with his daughters; David killed Uriah; Peter cursed ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/iii the scriptures.htm

Requiting God
... His whole lot in life appears to him as a cup full of tender goodness, loving
faithfulness, delivering ... We should then drink for strength, not for drunkenness. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/requiting god.htm