I want to talk to you about something that might be hitting close to home: the struggle with alcohol. It can lead us down some pretty rough paths, hurting ourselves and those around us. It's important to really think about the ripple effect our choices have, you know? We have to own our actions.
If you're finding yourself in situations where alcohol is taking control, please know there's support out there. Don't hesitate to reach out and get the help you need to stay safe and healthy.
From my perspective, alcoholism, like any addiction, is a form of idolatry. Anything we turn to instead of God to fill that deep need in our hearts becomes an idol, and ultimately, a spiritual chain.
I want to share something that can truly set you free from this struggle. It's the power of Christ's blood. I believe it's strong enough to cleanse you, detoxify you, and make you a new person. There's real freedom waiting for you.
Nor ganavim (thieves) nor kamtzanim (misers) nor shikkorim (drunkards) nor megadefim (revilers) nor the ones doing hona'ah (swindling)--none of these will inherit the Malchut Hashem.
And do not become a shikker with schnapps, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh, [VAYIKRA 10:9; MISHLE 20:1; YESHAYAH 28:7]
Awake, ye shikkorim (drunkards), and weep; and wail, all ye drinkers of yayin, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
For the drunkard and the zolel (glutton) shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe with rags.
Be shomer in zililut da’as (sober-mindedness). Your adversary Hasatan [Samma'el], prowls around like a roaring arye (lion), seeking whom to swallow.
Or do you not have da'as that the resha'im (unrighteous ones) will not inherit the Malchut Hashem? Do not be deceived! Neither zannayim (fornicators) nor ovdei elilim (idolaters) nor mena'afim (adulterers) nor effeminate call boys nor homosexuals [IYOV 13:9; VAYIKRA 18:20; DEVARIM 22:22; VAYIKRA 18:22]Nor ganavim (thieves) nor kamtzanim (misers) nor shikkorim (drunkards) nor megadefim (revilers) nor the ones doing hona'ah (swindling)--none of these will inherit the Malchut Hashem.
It is a fine thing not to eat meat nor drink wine nor anything by which your Ach b'Moshiach stumbles.
If we make vidduy (confession of sin) of chattoteinu (our sins), he is ne'eman (faithful) and tzaddik to grant selicha (forgiveness) of chattoteinu (our sins) and give us tohorah (purification, cleansing) from kol avon. [DEVARIM 32:4; TEHILLIM 32:5; 51:2; MISHLE 28:13; MICHOH 7:18-20]
Stare not thou into the yayin when it is red, when it sparkles in the kos (cup), when it goeth down smoothly.
They grope in the choshech without ohr, and He maketh them to stagger like a shikkor (drunken man).
It is not for melachim, O Lemuel, it is not for melachim to drink yayin; nor for rulers to crave strong drink;
The yayin is a mocker, strong drink a brawler; and whosoever is seduced to be led astray thereby is not wise.
Now the ma'asei habasar are manifest, dehainu (being:) zenut (fornication), tum'ah (impurity), zimmah (licentiousness),Avodah zarah (idolatry), kashefanut (sorcery, witchcraft), eivot (enmities), merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), rogez (anger), anochiyut (selfishness), machalokot (dissensions), kitot (sects),Tzarut ayin (envyings), shichrut (drunkenness), holelut (carousing) and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, as I said previously, that the ones practicing such things will not receive the nachalah (inheritance) of the Malchut Hashem.
Hoy unto them that rise up early in the boker, that they may chase after shekhar (strong drink); that continue until night, till yayin inflame them!And the kinnor, and the nevel, the tambourine, and flute, and yayin, are in their mishtehim; but they regard not the Po'al Hashem (the work of Hashem), neither consider the ma'aseh of His hands.
Be not among yayin gluttons; among gluttonous eaters of basar,For the drunkard and the zolel (glutton) shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe with rags.
Who hath oy (woe)? Who hath sorrow? Who hath strifes? Who hath complaint? Who hath needless wounds? Who hath bloodshot eynayim?They that tarry long at the yayin, they that turn in to sample mixed wine.Stare not thou into the yayin when it is red, when it sparkles in the kos (cup), when it goeth down smoothly.At the acharit (latter end, future) it biteth like a nachash, and stingeth with venomous poisons like a viper.Thine eynayim shall behold zarot (strange women), and thine lev shall utter perverse things.Indeed, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the lev yam (heart of the sea), or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not hurt; they have beaten me, and I felt it not. Mosai (when) shall I awake? I will seek yet another drink.
For you have already spent sufficient time (time already gone by) in the Olam Hazeh participating in the ta'avot (lusts) of the Goyim, walking in darchei zimah (the ways of licentiousness), ta'avot (lusts), shichrut (drunkenness), orgiastic drinking mesibot (parties), and unlawful avodas elilim (idolatry).
Messianic Shammashim similarly must be respectable men of derech eretz, not double-tongued, the Shammash not a shikkor (drunkard) indulging in much wine, not a lover of dishonest gain,
It is not for melachim, O Lemuel, it is not for melachim to drink yayin; nor for rulers to crave strong drink;Lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice of the bnei oni (all the oppressed afflicted people).
[9] For in the yad Hashem there is a kos, and the yayin is foaming; full of mixture; and He poureth out of the same; but the dregs thereof, all rishei aretz (wicked of the earth) shall drain them down, and drink them [Lk 22:42].
And be shomer regarding yourselves lest your levavot (hearts) may be burdened with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of the Olam HaZeh and Yom HaHu (That Day) may come upon you PITOM (suddenly, MALACHI 3:1).
Let us conduct ourselves decently as in HaYom (The Day), not in carousing and shichrut (drunkenness), not in zenut (fornication) and debauchery and zimmah (licentiousness), not in merivah (strife) and quarreling and anochiyut (selfishness) and kinah (jealousy).But put on Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu and make no provision for the basar (old fallen nature), to satisfy its ta'avot (lusts).
But, now I wrote to you not to mix with any “Ach b'Moshiach” who is a zannay (fornicator) or a kamtzan (miser) or an oved elilim (idolater) or a megadef (reviler) or a shikkor (drunkard) or a shoded (robber); with such a man do not sit at tish (table), do not share betzi'at halechem (breaking of bread).
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and yayin unto those that be of bitter nefesh.Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his amal (misery) no more.
Tzarut ayin (envyings), shichrut (drunkenness), holelut (carousing) and things like these, of which I tell you beforehand, as I said previously, that the ones practicing such things will not receive the nachalah (inheritance) of the Malchut Hashem.
For the ones sleeping sleep balailah, and the ones indulging in shichrut (drunkenness) indulge in shichrut balailah.
Blessed art thou, O eretz, when thy melech is a nobleman, and thy sarim (princes) eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
The mishle (proverbs) of Sh'lomo. A ben chacham maketh glad an av, but a ben kesil is the grief of his em.
Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos runneth over.
He who loveth musar loveth da'as, but he that hateth tokhakhat (reproof, correction) is ba'ar (a boorish, ignorant person).
and that slave begins to beat his fellow avadim (slaves), and he eats and drinks with the ones getting drunk,
But if that eved says in his lev, Adoni delays to come to me, and if that eved begins to beat the avadim (servants) and the shfakhot (maid servants), and to gluttonize and get down in his schnapps,HaAdon of that eved will come on a day which he does not expect and at an hour of which he does not have da’as, and will cut him in pieces and assign him the portion of the Apikoros with the koferim (unbelievers).
For the Malchut Hashem is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of tzedek (righteousness, DANIEL 9:24), shalom (peace) and simcha b'Ruach Hakodesh.
For each one rushes ahead with his own seudah (meal). One is hungerik (hungry), one has passed out in his schnapps.
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the ben adam, in whom there is no teshuah (salvation).
I searched in mine lev to draw my basar on with yayin, my mind guiding me with chochmah; and to lay hold on sichlut (folly), till I might see what was tov for bnei haAdam, which they should do under Shomayim all the few days of their life.
Chaverim, I say “Chazak (Be Strong)!” to you as aliens and exiles (1:1,17), exhorting you to abstain from fleshly ta'avot (lusts) which make milchamah (war) against the neshamah.
Hoy (woe, doom) to the ateret ge'ut (crown of pride), to the shikkorei Ephrayim (drunkards of Ephrayim), whose glorious beauty is a fading tzitz (flower), which are on the rosh of the verdant gey (valley) of them that are overcome with yayin!Hinei, Adonoi hath one, chazak and strong, which as a tempest of barad (hail) and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty mayim overflowing, shall cast them down to ha'aretz with the yad.The ateret ge'ut (crown of pride), the shikkorei Ephrayim, shall be trodden under foot;
Whether, therefore, you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things to the kavod (glory) of Hashem. [ZECHARYAH 14:21]
(22) The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his lev; his devarim were softer than shemen, yet they were drawn swords.
He who keepeth torah is a ben meiven, but he that is a companion of zolelim (gluttons) shameth aviv.
Stop allowing yourself to be conformed to the Olam Hazeh, but be transformed by your hitkhadshut (regeneration, renewal) of your mind, so that you may ascertain what is the ratzon Hashem (the will of G-d), what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of G-d.
No longer drink only mayim, but use a little yayin because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
Folly is simchah to him that is destitute of lev [of discernment], but an ish tevunah walketh uprightly.
The ohev simchah (lover of pleasure) shall be an ish machsor (man of poverty, want, shortage); he that loveth yayin and shemen shall not be rich.
Do you not have da'as that the ones running on a race course all indeed run, but it is only one who receives the prize? So run that you may obtain the prize.And everyone competing in the [Olympic] games in all things exercises shlitah atzmi: those ones, therefore, that they may obtain a perishable wreath; but we, an imperishable.Therefore, I run not as one without a goal that is kovua (fixed, set). I box as not beating the air.But I do more than merely spar with my basar; I pommel it and keep it under strict subjection, so that after I am the maggid to others, I myself will not become declared ineligible.
And he will be gadol before Hashem, and he will not drink yayin or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Ruach Hakodesh from the womb of his Em (mother), [BAMIDBAR 6:3; VAYIKRA 10:9; SHOFETIM 13:4; YIRMEYAH 1:5]
And also that kol haAdam should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his amal. This is a gift of Elohim.
Let your chassidus (piety) and sobriety be known to kol Bnei Adam; Moshiach Adoneinu is near.
Therefore, put to death your evarim (members) in the Olam Hazeh: zenut (fornication), debauchery, sensuality, zimmah (licentiousness), and chamdanut (covetousness), which is avodah zarah (idolatry).
The derech of a fool is yashar (right) in his own eynayim, but he that payeth heed unto etzah is chacham (wise).
Achim B'Moshiach, if indeed a man is overtaken in some averah, you ones with ruchniyus restore such a one in a spirit of anavah (meekness), watching out for yourself lest also you come under nisayon (temptation).
He that is slow to anger is better than the gibbor; and he that ruleth his ruach than he that captures a city.
Let not my lev incline to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.
And I say to you, I will by no means drink from now on of this pri hagefen (fruit of the vine) until that Day when I drink it with you chadash (new) in the Malchut Avi.
I appeal to you, therefore, Achim b'Moshiach, through the rachamei Hashem (mercies of G-d), to present your geviyah (BERESHIS 47:18), all of your being as a korban chai (living sacrifice), kadosh (holy) and acceptable to Hashem (BERESHIS 8:21), which is your spiritual avodas kodesh service.
Do you not have da'as that you are a Heikhal Hashem and the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem dwells in you?
(13) Thy nederim are upon me, O Elohim; I will render todot (thank offerings) unto Thee.(14) For Thou hast delivered my nefesh from mavet (death). Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from stumblimg, that I may walk before Elohim in the Ohr HaChayyim (the light of the living)?
The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] came eating and drinking, and they say, Hinei! A zolel (glutton) and a shikkor (drunkard), a friend of mochesim (tax collectors) and choteim (sinners). Yet, Chochmah (Wisdom) is vindicated by her maasim.
The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13-14] has come eating and drinking, and you say, Hinei, a man who is a zolel (glutton) and a shikkor (drunkard), a re’a (friend) of mochesim and chote’im.
When thou sittest to dine with a moshel (ruler), consider diligently what is before thee,And put a sakin (knife) to thy throat, if thou be a ba'al nefesh (man given to gluttony).Be not desirous of his delicacies, for they are lechem kezavim (deceitful food).
For the basar desires against the Ruach HaKodesh, and the Ruach HaKodesh desires against the basar--for these oppose each other--with the result that the things you wish you cannot do (Ro chp 7).
Come ye, say they, I will get yayin, and we will fill ourselves with shekhar (strong drink); and makhar (tomorrow) shall be like this day, and gadol yeter me'od (and even much better).
But in the man who doubts, there is found in him a dvar ashmah (a thing of guilt, condemnation) if he eats, because it is not of emunah. And whatever is not of emunah is averah (sin).
The rasha borroweth, and repayeth not; but the tzaddik showeth chonen (generosity), and giveth.
Not meaning to completely disassociate from the zannayim of the Olam Hazeh or those guilty of chamdanut (greed) and the ones practicing hona'ah (swindling) or those guilty of avodah zarah (idol worship), als (since) in that case you would have to exit the Olam Hazeh.
He who loveth chochmah rejoiceth aviv, but he that keepeth company with zonot squanders his hon (substance, wealth).
We, the strong, ought to support the weaknesses of those without chizzuk (1:11-12), and not to please ourselves.Let each of us please his re'a with a view to what is beneficial, for upbuilding.
(24) But Thou, O Elohim, shalt bring them down into the pit of shachat; anshei damim umirmah (bloody and deceitful men) shall not live out half their yamim; but I will trust in Thee.
Hast thou found devash? Eat only as much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it out.
Now the ma'asei habasar are manifest, dehainu (being:) zenut (fornication), tum'ah (impurity), zimmah (licentiousness),
He who stoppeth his ozen at the cry of the dal (poor), he also shall cry out himself, but shall not be heard.
As Bnei Mishma'at (Children of Obedience 1:2), not conforming yourselves to your former ta'avot (lusts), when you lacked da'as (personal, saving knowledge),
“All things are lawful”? But not all things are beneficial; “All things are lawful”? But not all things edify [6:12].
But they also have gone astray through yayin, and through strong drink are out of the way; the kohen and the navi have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up with yayin, they are out of the way through strong drink; they go astray from the vision, they stumble in rendering decisions.
For the way of thinking of the basar is mavet (death), whereas the way of thinking of the Ruach Hakodesh is Chayyim and Shalom.
But I do more than merely spar with my basar; I pommel it and keep it under strict subjection, so that after I am the maggid to others, I myself will not become declared ineligible.
As he clothed himself with kelalah as with his garment, so let it come into his inward parts like mayim, and like shemen into his atzmot.
It is as sport to a kesil to do zimmah (evil design), but an ish tevunah (man of understanding) hath chochmah.
They shall not drink yayin with a shir (song); shekhar (liquor, strong drink) shall be bitter to them that drink it.
Hear thou, beni (my son), and be chacham, and guide thine lev straight on the derech.Be not among yayin gluttons; among gluttonous eaters of basar,For the drunkard and the zolel (glutton) shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe with rags.
Let them be put to shame and brought to confusion together that gloat at mine ra'ah (disaster, distress); let them be clothed with boshet (shame) and kelimah (dishonor, disgrace) that exalt themselves against me.
And I will say to my neshamah, Neshamah, you have an ample store of goods for many years to come. Take your ease, LEEKHOL, VLISHTOT, VLISHMOACH (to eat, to drink, and to be merry (KOHELET 8:15)