The Strand Study Bible

GENESIS

130

GENESIS

John R. Rice in the Rice Reference Bible notes: Christians are not to be anarchists. The government acts for God. That is true even when governments are imperfect and sometimes controlled by wicked men, because the powers are ordained of God. 3 Charles Ryrie agrees. In the Ryrie Study Bibl e, Ryrie notes: This does not say that only certain forms of government are ordained of God. God established and upholds the principle of government even though some governments do not fulfill His desires. 4 NOTE - In order to master this twentieth law (honor authority) , we are going to have to understand the power of submission (Phil 2:5-9 and I Pet 3:1). 21. Avoid alcohol, which leads to drunkenness and nudity - Gen 9:20-23 (Lev 18:6-18 and Deut 21:18-21 & 22:30) Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1345-1400), English poet ( The Canterbury Tales, Troilus and Criseyde, The Book of the Duchess, The House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls, and The Legend of Good Women ) and royal servant, the son of a London wine merchant, noted: Character and shame depart when wine comes in. 5 (See - Hos 4:11 and Isa 5:11-12) Sir Wilfred Grenfell (1865-1940), English physician, medical missionary, and author ( Off the Rocks, A Labrador Doctor, and the autobiographical Forty Years for Labrador ), notes: Alcohol has wrecked more lives, starved more children, and murdered more women than any other single factor. 6 (See - Isa 28:7-8) William Gladstone (1809-1898), British political leader, speechmaker, and author ( The Church in It’s Relation to the State ), notes: The ravages of drink are greater than those of war, pestilence and famine combined. 7 (See - Joel 1:5-6 and Prov 23:29-32) William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English poet, playwright, and actor, cried, Oh, thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil! 8 Hugh Pyle, in Liquid Devil (p. 16), notes: Isn’t it strange that while statistics show that ten thousand people are killed by intoxicating liquor while only one is killed by a mad dog, we shoot the dog and license the liquor! 9 A story is told of a woman who stood near the judge who was hearing a case against her drunken husband. The judge, touched by the pathetic look on the woman’s face, said to her, “Ma’m, I am sorry, but I will have to lock up your husband for drinking.” “Your honor,” she returned, “wouldn’t it be better for me and the children if you locked up the saloon and let my husband go to work?” Evangelist Billy Sunday (1862-1935), an ordained Presbyterian preacher (1903), who spent his life fighting the liquid devil, noted: There is no law, divine or human, that the saloon respects. The saloon is a liar. It promises good cheer and sends sorrow. 10 Billy Sunday went on to note in his famous “booze” sermon delivered in Boston: Whiskey and beer are all right in their place, but their place is in hell. 10 Despite the overwhelming acceptance of it, even amongst some believers, there is absolutely “nothing” good that comes from drinking alcohol. Nothing. NOTE - In order to master this twenty-first law (avoid alcohol) , we are going to have to abstain from alcohol completely ( Prov 23 :29- 31 - 34 ,35 & 31:6-7 and Hab 2:15 ), and acknowledge the evilness of it ( Prov 20:1 and Acts 2:15 ), despite the acceptance of it. NOTE – It is important that we learn to emphasize what God emphasizes. Long before God desired to govern a nation (Israel) with hundreds of written laws (Exo-Deut), He desired to govern mankind with twenty-one unwritten laws, written upon men’s hearts. Of the 613 laws found in the Scriptures 11 , these twenty-one would appear to be the most important. 3 Rice, John R. Rice Reference Bible . Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Pub. 1981. Print. 4 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible , Chicago, IL,: Moody Press. 1978. Print. 5 Sabin, Bruce M. “ Alcoholic Prohibition in southern Baptist Churches and its Iimplication on the Priesthood of Believers. ” Bruce M. Sabin . 17 Apr 2009. . 6 Pyle, Hugh. “ The Bible and the Bottle .” dividedbytruth.org. 14 Jan 2008 . 7 Gladstone, William. “ Is America Committing Suicide? ” books.google. 14 Jan 2008 . 8 WShakespeare, William. Othello . II.III.293. Print. 9 Pyle, Hugh. Liquid Devil! . Murfreesboro, TN: Sword of the Lord Pub. 1973. Print. 10 Sunday, Billy. “ The Curse of the Saloon ”. N.d. . 11 Willmington, Harold L. Willmington’s Guide to the Bible , Wheaton, IL,: Tyndale House Pub. Inc. n.d. Print. 1 Davidman, Joy. Smoke on the Mountain , Philadelphia, PA, The Westminister Press, 1953. Print. 2 Ellicott, Charles John. Ellicott’s Bible Commentary , Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1971. Print

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