Wine And Alcoholic Beverages

Another consumable that God promised to bless when His people followed Him was their wine.

     Psalm 104:13-15a:

     He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

     He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may

     bring forth food out of the earth; and wine that maketh glad the heart of man...

Grapes were the first crop planted by Noah after the flood. (Genesis 9:20)  The passage above

says wine “maketh glad the heart of man.”   Interestingly, scientific research has shown that the

physical heart can benefit from moderate amounts (one to two glasses) of red wine in one’s diet,

because the phytochemicals, particularly resveratrol, in red grapes and berries help prevent heart disease and stroke.  They actually reduce the constriction of the blood vessels that may result after eating a fatty meal.  Almost every mention of a meal or feast of meat throughout the Old Testament included wine. Wine was given as a blessing from God. When Jacob blessed Isaac he said:

     Genesis 27:27-28:

     ...See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:

     therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of

     corn and wine:

There are three categories of alcoholic beverages spoken of in the Scripture: new wine, wine, and

strong drink. The new wine was the first wine of the season made from grapes. It was naturally

fermented and developed carbonation. Job describes this wine in an analogy.

     Job 32:19:

     Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

     Jesus uses the differences between the new wine and old wine to illustrate a point to the

     Pharisees.

     Luke 5:37-39:

     And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles,

     and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles;

     and both are preserved. No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for

     he saith, The old is better.

In Acts 2:13, the disciples were falsely accused of being drunk, “full of new wine,” when the

people heard them speaking in tongues. New wine had lower alcohol content than modern wines

and numerous health benefits. It was often mixed with water as a health tonic. It contained

lactic acid and beneficial lactobacilli bacteria which are proven to relieve intestinal problems and

promote overall well- being and stamina. Paul instructed Timothy to use some for that purpose.

     1 Timothy 5:23:

     Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often

     infirmities.