April 28, 2024 – Proverbs 20; 23; 31

Lesson Date: April 28, 2024

Focal Scripture Passage: Proverbs 20:1; 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-9

AIM: To lead students to discover and describe the dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages, and if necessary to confess their sins and completely turn away from alcohol.

Before class: Read the notes on Proverbs 20; 23; and 31 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Print the following scripture references on index cards or small pieces of paper: Habakkuk 2:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18.  Give them to some of your students who are comfortable reading aloud.  Ask them to locate those scriptures and be prepared to read them when called upon.

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Ask: “Have you ever seen a commercial or advertisement for beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages?” (everyone has).  Ask: “Have you ever watched a professional or college sporting event on TV or in person?” (they probably have).  Ask: “Were there any commercials or ads for alcoholic beverages?” (yes, many).

Tell the students that we can’t watch a sporting event on TV or online without being bombarded with beer and wine commercials; the same is true for other types of programming.  Tell them that alcoholic beverage manufacturers spend billions of dollars each year on advertising because they want more and more people to drink their drinks so they can make more money.  Tell them in America today, young people and adults see literally thousands of beer and wine ads each year.

Ask: “How are the people in beer, wine, and liquor commercials portrayed?” (they are always happy, confident, and having fun, and the men are usually surrounded by beautiful women).  Ask: “Is that the complete truth about drinking alcoholic beverages?” (no, they never show the lives and families that are ruined by drinking).  Tell the class the commercials only show the world’s idealized view of drinking; but for us, the most important issue is not what the world says, but what God says about drinking alcoholic beverages.

Tell the students the title of today’s lesson is Dangers of Drinking.  Tell them we will discover some of what the Bible says about the many dangers of drinking alcoholic beverages.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the students that we are studying the Old Testament book of Proverbs.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Dangers of Immorality; we discovered some of the dangers of immorality and ways to protect ourselves from it).
   • Ask if anyone would recite last week’s memory verse (Prov. 6:32).
2. Alcohol is Dangerously Deceptive.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Proverbs 20.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 20:1.
   • Ask: “What does the Bible say about wine and strong drink?” (they mock and make fools of people, and lead to raging and brawls).
   • Explain the following:
     • We enjoy safe, purified drinking water, but that was not the case in ancient times.
     • Ancient people would add a little wine to their drinking water to make it safe to drink.
     • This is what is usually referred to as wine in the Bible.
     • Strong drink was undiluted and much more intoxicating.
   • Ask: “What does this verse say alcoholic beverages do?” (they deceive people).
   • Ask: “Drinking is usually portrayed as cool, sophisticated, and fun, but how does the Bible describe someone who is deceived by alcohol?” (unwise; in other words, they are fools).
   • Ask everyone to turn to Proverbs 23.
   • Read Proverbs 23:20-21.
   • Explain that winebibbers are those who drink to excess (drunks), and riotous eaters of flesh are gluttons.
   • Ask: “What does verse 20 warn us not to do?” (don’t hang around with drunks and gluttons).
   • Ask: “What does verse 21 say will happen to drunkards and gluttons?” (they will come to poverty).
   • Summarize: Alcohol is deceptive and dangerous. It is foolish to drink and wastes money.  The Bible warns us to stay away from alcoholic beverages and those who drink them.
3. Alcohol is Dangerous to the Drinker.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 23:29-30.
   • Ask: “What problems are named in verse 29?” (woe, sorrow, contentions, meaningless babbling, unexplained injuries, and redness of eyes).
   • Tell the class that verse 29 is a series of questions, asking who experiences those problems.
   • Ask: “According to verse 30, what is the answer to all those questions?” (those who drink alcoholic beverages).
   • Remind the students that alcohol advertisers never show people experiencing woe, sorrow, contentions, babbling, wounds, or red eyes, because that wouldn’t sell their product.
   • Ask: “The world presents one image and the Bible presents a completely different image; which is true, the alcohol ads or the Bible?” (the Bible).
   • Read Proverbs 23:31.
   • Ask: “What does the Bible warn us not to do?” (we shouldn’t even look at or contemplate wine because it might become appealing to us).
   • Tell the class that many church people, and even pastors, participate in social drinking.
   • Ask: “In light of the warning in Proverbs 23:31, how can any believer justify social drinking, or any kind of drinking?” (they can’t).
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 23:32-35.
   • Ask: “According to verse 32, what is alcohol compared to?” (a poisonous snake).
   • Ask: “Would you play with a poisonous snake?” (not if you have any sense).
   • Ask: “According to verse 33, what will you see if you drink?” (strange, wicked things).
   • Ask: “What does alcohol cause people to say?” (perverse, ugly things).
   • Explain the following:
     • Verse 34 says drinking makes people do stupid and harmful things; things as foolish as lying down in the midst of the ocean or on the top of a flagpole.
     • Verse 35 describes the foolish babbling of a drunk.
   • Ask: “What does the drunk want to do as soon as he wakes from his alcoholic stupor?” (find more alcohol to drink).
   • Summarize: Alcohol is dangerous because it causes many problems to those who drink. The Bible warns us of these consequences and tells us not to even look at it.
4. Alcohol is Dangerous to Others.
   • Ask everyone to turn to Proverbs 31 (which we usually only read on Mother’s Day).
   • Explain that ancient Jewish tradition identified “King Lemuel” as Solomon.
   • Read Proverbs 31:4-5.
   • Ask: “Why shouldn’t kings and those in authority drink alcoholic beverages?” (it will ruin their judgment, causing them to forget the law and make perverse, unfair decisions).
   • Explain the following:
     • This truth does not speak well of most of our elected leaders.
     • In addition to the harm caused to the one drinking, drinking always hurts others.
     • Excuses such as, “I’m not hurting anyone else,” or “It’s my body and I can do with it whatever I want,” are the devil’s lies.
     • Sin, including drinking, always hurts others.
   • Read Proverbs 31:6-7.
   • Explain the following:
     • The tone of verses 6-7 is sarcastic.
     • Those verses say if alcohol is good for anyone, it is only good for those who are dying.
     • Some people use these verses and 1 Timothy 5:23 to justify drinking, but that argument is faulty.
     • Just as we now have clean water and don’t need to mix wine into it to kill germs, we have medicines that can sedate someone who is terminally ill or help someone who has stomach problems.
   • Ask a volunteer to read Proverbs 31:8-9.
   • Ask: “Rather than being intoxicated and rendering poor judgments, who should those in authority speak up for?” (those who can’t speak for themselves, the poor, and the needy).
   • Summarize: Alcohol is dangerous because it even hurts those who aren’t drinking.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Remind the students that the title of today’s lesson is Dangers of Drinking.  Ask: “What are some of the dangers we have discovered?” (allow time for some responses).  They should name the following:

• Alcohol makes a fool of people and leads them into tumultuous behavior (Prov. 20:1).
• Drunkards and gluttons waste their money and ruin their lives (Prov. 23:21).
• Drinking brings woe, sorrow, contention, babbling, wounds, and red eyes (Prov. 23:29).
• In the end, alcohol is as bad as being bitten by a poisonous snake (Prov. 23:32).
• Drinking causes people to see strange and wicked things, say bad things, and act like complete fools (Prov. 23:33-35).
• Drinking clouds the judgment so people forget what is right and wrong (Prov. 31:5).

Tell the class the Bible has much more to say about the dangers of drinking, in addition to the verses we have read today.  Ask the previously enlisted volunteers to read Habakkuk 2:15; 1 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 5:19-21; and Ephesians 5:18 to the class.  State that those verses specifically warn us not to drink, tell us that drinking is a fleshly characteristic of lost people, and even tell us that drunkards won’t be in heaven.

Ask the previously enlisted volunteer to read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.  Tell the students those verses say if we are Christians our bodies belong to the Lord, so we don’t have the right to do anything we want, such as drink alcoholic beverages.

Tell the students the alcohol industry wants to deceive people into thinking they’ll have fun and be accepted if they drink, but this is a lie!  Stress the fact that drinking is FOOLISH and it will HURT you.

Ask: “Do you want to be a fool, or would you rather live wisely?”

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Say: “If you’re involved in drinking, stop it right now. Confess your sin, pour out your alcoholic beverages, and ask God to enable you to resist alcohol’s temptations.  Don’t go to bars or befriend drinkers.  If you’re sympathetic to alcohol, confess that as sin.  Confess your sin and change your behavior.  Your future will be better if you do.  If you know someone who is a drinker, ask God to deliver them.”

Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Encourage everyone to memorize Proverbs 20:1.  Urge them to follow through on any commitments they have made this morning.  Tell them if they have a friend or loved one who drinks or is sympathetic toward drinking, to ask that person if they would like to hear what the Bible has to say about drinking.