The king‟s participation with alcoholic spirits
did not quench the work of the Spirit in telling
David what is right and wrong. “For in the
hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine
is red; it is full of mixture; and He poureth
Like father, like son, David‟s offspring
continued in his spirit-abusing and often sinful
footsteps: “Now Absalom had commanded
his servants, saying, “Mark ye now when
Ammon’s heart is merry with wine [yayin fermented] and when I say unto you, Smite
Ammon; then kill him.” [2 Sam 13:28] Amnon,
brother of Absalom, was obviously a pattern
drinker of fermented wine. Ammon‟s
vulnerability through drunkenness preceded his
jealous murder by his own brother.
KING SOLOMON
Solomon‟s reign was stained with the use of
spirits. Alcohol abuse peaked during the
apostasy of Solomon. Under his leadership,
seeds were planted for the eventual break up of
the kingdom of Israel, from which she never
recovered. How much alcohol was a factor in
Israel‟s demise we can only speculate but there
can be no doubt that alcohol was steeped in the
extravagant lifestyle of the world‟s wealthiest
king. In the building of the temple, Solomon
poured his generosity through wine: “Behold, I
will give to thy servants, the hewers that cut
timber, twenty thousand baths of wine.”
[yayin - fermented] [2 Chron 2:10]
The Song Of Solomon, apparently written for
one of Solomon‟s beloved wives, is interpreted
as the picture of pure love, an allegory of the
relation between Christ and His church. In
Solomon‟s poetic verse he continually uses wine
[yayin - fermented] as an illustration to show
his love. “Thy love is better than wine.”
[SS 1:2]
10
It is wondered how the shepherd boy, a man
after God‟s own heart, could commit adultery
and murder, then lust after wives and
concubines. The following verses establish
David‟s pattern of drinking fermented spirits,
devilishly designed to loosen any man‟s morals.
“The servant of Mephibosheth met him with
a bottle of wine [yayin - fermented] that such
as be faint in the wilderness may drink.”
[2 Sam 16:1,2] “And [David] dealt the whole
multitude of Israel bread, and a good piece of
flesh, and a flagon of wine” [yayin - fermented]
[2 Sam 6:19] By the time of David‟s ascent to the
throne, wine and feasting were an established
way of life for most of the chosen nation. “And
all the rest of Israel were of one heart to make
David king. And there they were with David
three days, eating and drinking.” [shathah drunk] [1 Chr 12:40] “And over the king‟s
treasures and over the vineyards was Shimei:
over the increase of the vineyards for the wine
cellars was Zabdi.” [1 Chr 27:27] David was
overseer of the world class wine cellars at
Jerusalem. “That He may bring forth wine
[yayin - fermented] that maketh glad the heart
of a man.” [Ps 104:15]
out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the
wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and
drink them.” [Ps 75:8] “Thou hast shown Thy
people hard things: Thou hast made us to
drink the wine of astonishment.” [Ps 60:3] The
NAS version reads, “Thou hast given us wine
to drink that makes us stagger …Then the
Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a
mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.”
[Ps 78:65] Anyone who has ever witnessed a
drunken man awake in a rage knows how fearful
a sight this can be.
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KING DAVID