Article March 22, 1919 Issue

When Isaiah used the words, "strong drink," in a more...

The Christian Science Monitor

When Isaiah used the words, "strong drink," in a more pronounced way than Bible writers have perhaps usually used them, it is quite evident that he was not thinking of liquids. He was not thinking of innkeepers and sundry liquid intoxicants when he stated that woe should overtake sensually minded men who "mingle strong drink," for the prophet immediately makes the application as unto those who justify evil-thinking persons for selfish reward, while they deny the motives and rightness of those who do justly and love the ways of mercy. "Strong drink" to Isaiah was therefore mental, the stimulus of thinking, whereby mortals govern their judgments, opinions, and actions according to the ways of the world. This becomes quite clear as we find in one of this prophet's verses the words of the above subject used three times in the chapter wherein he rebukes "the drunkards of Ephraim," because they had badly erred and were out of the way, failing to discern the truth, and stumbling in judgment. But the ancient writer does not say that they were so because of liquid stimulation, for he goes on to say in his warning to those who trust in strength of intellect and physical courage that "they are drunken, but not with wine."

In almost every instance strong drink, to Isaiah, stood for mental stimulus through false education. Mortals were then, as now, willing to yield their thought to evil influences, under the belief that evil indulgences bring pleasure; and so the habit of yielding to a false desire for artificial liquids which produced intoxication was seen by Isaiah as one of the types of a mental condition. Drunkenness was then, and is now, the result of willingness to ignore God, to dwell in the five physical senses of the mortal body, and to be subject thereunto; obeying its caprices, bowing down to its whims, and finally paying the tolls in reactions of pain and woe. It all results from a willingness to do evil.

Then strong drink, considered metaphysically, signifies an influence seeming to operate as carnal mind, an educated belief in a power apart from God. It is mesmerism, hypnotism, claiming activity as human will, willingness to indulge vice and selfishness, and, by extension, a belief that one human being can control another human being from selfish and debased motives. Going further afield, strong drink is the same influence which claims that an organized society or association, or nation, can, through a belief in self-assertive human laws, dominate others mentally and physically to their harm, and violently if the purpose of the designing group require violence. Whether the person or group indulge in liquid intoxicants or refrain from them is not the measure of morality. Men may eschew all stimulating beverages and still be willing constantly to quaff the draughts of thought harmful to themselves and others. The morals of men are not built on what they abstain from, but on what they think and do. From all this toxicant of wrong thinking—the poison of human will—the world needs to be saved.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

When Isaiah used the words, "strong drink," in a more...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access