Proverbs 23:20
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Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
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America is a land of plenty. There is an abundance of everything. But this is not always a blessing, for it can also be a temptation. Young men, filled with the folly and vanity of youth, abuse things designed for their profit. They have drinking contests and habits that promote drunkenness; and they have eating contests and habits that promote gluttony.
Solomon warned his son against drunkenness and gluttony (23:19), for they will destroy a man and bring him to poverty (23:21). Here is wise advice to young men. The party animals exalted by this wicked nation, which see drunkenness and gluttony as harmless sport and rites of passage, are a sure symptom of the moral depravity of a sick society.
What is a winebibber? A person who drinks too much wine; a drunkard! The parallelism shows a drunkard under consideration (23:21). Young men should reject any companions who drink to drunkenness, and godly parents must help them do so. Jesus was falsely accused of being a winebibber, or drunkard (Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34), because He drank wine moderately, different from John the Baptist (Mark 14:25; Luke 1:15; John 2:1-11).
What is a riotous eater of flesh? A person who eats too much meat; a glutton! The context indicates clearly by its parallelism that a glutton is under consideration (23:21). Young men should reject any companions who eat to gluttony, and godly parents will help them reject such fools. Jesus was falsely accused of being a glutton (Matt 11:19; Luke 7:34), because Jesus ate ordinary food that John the Baptist did not eat (Matt 3:4).
Drunkenness and gluttony are common sins in America. When was the last time you heard a sermon against gluttony? How can you from a 300-pound pastor, with his 300-pound wife sitting in the choir? They might rail against beer and wine, while they eat another whole cherry pie topped with whipped cream and guzzle a quart of sugared soda!
College fraternities are notorious for eating and drinking parties - called drunkenness, excess of wine, revellings, rioting, surfeiting, and banquetings in the Bible (Luke 21:34; Rom 13:13; I Pet 4:3). America is drowning in the deep end of the moral cesspool when her institutions of higher learning promote both vices, contrary to Scripture and reason.
God is holy; life is sober. Food is for strength; wine is for relaxation (Ps 104:14-15; Eccl 10:16-17). Food is not for gorging; wine is not for chugging. Drinking and eating contests are the marks of fools. Godly young men avoid and reject such asinine excess, no matter what ridicule they have to endure, for they know God is coming in judgment for just such sins (I Pet 4:4-5). Drunkards, similar to sodomites, will not be in heaven (I Cor 6:9-11)!
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