Proverbs 9:5-6 Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
‘Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.’ The invitation of wisdom to eat her bread and drink her wine is a symbol of life through proper wisdom and understanding. In the New Testament bread and wine symbolize the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ, which give life to all who appropriate their benefits by faith (Matt. 26:26-30; 1Cor. 10:16-17; 11:23-30).
No justification of using alcoholic beverages can be justified by using any Scripture. The word wine was the common word for the product of the grape (grape juice) and was taken from ‘fruit of the vine’ and fermentation (the process of rot that causes alcohol production) was not always clearly stated. Scripture, however, is clear on being sober (1Thess. 5:6,8; 1Tim. 3:2; Tit. 2:2,4,6; 1Pet. 1:13; 5:8) and the sin of drunkenness (Pro. 20:1; 21:17; 23:29-35; Isa. 5:11; Hab. 2:15; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:18; 1Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7) that refers to the user and not only the state of the user as most people interprets.
‘Wine which I have mingled.’ Among Jews, Greeks, and Romans, wine was rarely used without mixing with water. Some mixed 3 parts water with 1 of wine, and others 5 to 1. The common mixture was 3 parts water and 2 parts wine.
‘Forsake the foolish, and live.’ Four examples of forsaking things to live: Moses (Heb. 11:24-27); Rahab (Jos. 2:9-13; 6:25; Heb. 11:31); Ruth (Rth. 1:16; 2:11-12); Disciples (Matt. 4:18-22; 9:9; etc.).
Living the Word 