Prov. 23:29-35, Joy vs. the sins of excess (2)

Let’s consider the OT and “joy vs. the sins of excess.”  In the OT “joy” is not the same as “sensual pleasure.”  It certainly involves a sense of pleasure, but it has a righteous and holy cause and it expresses itself properly.  Consider …

Psalm 5:11: But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You.

1 Samuel 2:1: And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD.  I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation."

Isaiah 65:19: I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

David put his trust in the LORD and thus found Him to be his defender; this caused great joy and joyfulness.  Hannah found her joy in the salvation of the LORD; she had been delivered from barrenness when Samuel was born, and she could barely contain herself.  God Himself will be overcome by His people when they are saved; His blessing will eliminate weeping and crying. 

But this was not always the case.  The OT if full of the sins of excess among God’s people.

·       Ex. 32:5-6: Idolatry was often associated with orgies and drunkenness.  Such was the case in the incident of the golden calf. 

·       1 Sam. 25:36-38: Nabal was known to be a drunk (according to his wife Abigail).  His excessive partying at the time of shearing the sheep almost got him killed by David; and likely contributed to the weakness of his heart that did kill him.

·       2 Sam. 13:28-29: Ammon, one of David’s sons, was killed while drunk, being too weak and silly to fight.

·       1 Ki. 20:16ff: Ben Hadad, the Syrian king, made a rash decision while drunk.  He was unable to think clearly.

·       Esther 1:10-11: King Ahasuerus, during a time of excessive feasting, called for his wife to come show off her beauty, likely in a way that would cause her shame.

·       Dan. 5:1-6: The Babylonian King Belshazzar partied the night away on the very night the Medes and Persians entered and took the city and his kingdom.

Today’s passage from Proverbs shows how drunkenness affects the senses (the eyes), the intellect, balance, one’s perspective of reality, and the ability to make good choices.  In order to produce and experience joy, the fruit of the Spirit, we must be willing to recognize that the sins of excess are just that: sins.  And the wages of sin is still death.