The Bible & Alcohol Use Volume 1 | Page 19

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Passover . Yet , even in the church on the sacred Communion table , Satan ‟ s traps are fulfilled whenever fermented alcohol is used during the Communion service . Satan leaves nothing undone to create and foster the desire for fermented intoxicants . Passover wine sold in Israel accounts for over 25 % of its annual sales . The Jews do not consider grapes for Passover fermented unless they are made from a particular mould grown on bread . Therefore , Jews do not restrict themselves from drinking alcohol on their annual Passover feast .

THE NAZARENE VOW

There is an object lesson given in the Book of Jeremiah of the sons of Jonadab and their descendents . There is reason to believe that they partook of the Nazarene vow , or at least the portion regarding the grape . The Lord uses the faithfulness of the descendants of Jonadab , also known as the house of the Rechabites , to illustrate faithful obedience during the toughest of times . Jonadab had commanded his descendants ( probably of the tribe of Jethro , Moses ‟ father-in-law ) to observe three things : ( 1 ) they should drink no product of the vine ( 2 ) they should never build a house ( 3 ) they should dwell in tents . Clarke ‟ s Commentaries on these commands : WINE - “ Ye shall preserve your bodies in temperance , shall use nothing that would deprive you of the exercise of your sober reason at any time ; lest in such a time ye should do what might be prejudicial to yourselves , injurious to your neighbor , or dishonorable to your God .” HOUSES - “ Ye shall not court earthly possessions ; ye shall live free from ambition and from envy , that ye may be free from contention and strife .” TENTS - Ye shall imitate your forefathers , Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob , and the rest of the patriarchs , who dwelt in tents , being strangers and pilgrims upon earth , looking for a heavenly country , and being determined to have nothing here that would indispose their minds towards that place of endless rest , or prevent them from passing through temporal things so as not to lose those that are eternal .” “ The Lord sends Jeremiah to tempt these descendants when they are at their lowest ebb , having been forced by Nebuchadnezzar to take refuge in the ruined city of Jerusalem . “ Go unto the house of the Rechabites and give them wine to drink ... But they said , “ We will drink no wine for our father commanded us , saying , Ye shall drink no wine , neither ye , nor your sons for ever .” [ Jer 35 : 2-5 ] “ The Lord uses this illustration of faith to rebuke the citizens of Judah who have chosen to disobey their heavenly Father , “ The words of Jonadab are performed but ye hearkened not unto Me .” [ Jer 35:14 ] “ Then Jeremiah declares unto the faithful Rechabites , “ Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father , and kept all his precepts , and done according unto all the he hath commanded you : therefore Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want ( lack ) a man to stand before me forever .” [ Jer 35:19 ] True Christians may be considered as their genuine successors .”
[ Clarke ‟ s Comm . v4 , p 348-9 ]
The life of Jesus comes to light in the story of the sons of Jonadab : “ The foxes have holes , and the birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head .”
[ Mat 8:20 ] Men of renown were separated unto God to do a mighty work and nothing was to stand in their way .
There is indication that Jesus took the Nazarene vow . Not from birth but through circumstances leading up to His death on the cross . It was prophesied from days of old and Matthew may not have fully understood this prophecy when he wrote , “ And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth : that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets , He shall be called a Nazarene .” [ Mat 2:23 ] To take a Nazarene vow was to take a vow of separation unto God . The disciples could not come to grips with the imminent first death of Jesus . How could they understand Jesus ‟