Be Sober

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Be Sober

by Brent Goodge

At Mount Sinai, a select group of leaders were given an utterly amazing privilege. “Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel” (Exodus 24:9, 10). Wow! But just a few months later, tragedy struck. Nadab and Abihu got drunk. They became intoxicated and decided to serve in the tabernacle with unholy fire in their censers. Coming before the Lord with strange fire cost Nadab and Abihu their lives.

Speaking to the priestly family after the death of the two brothers, God instructed Aaron and his remaining sons to avoid alcohol when serving in the tabernacle, on pain of death, “that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Leviticus 10:9, 10).

Around a thousand years later, King Belshazzar of Babylon saw the hand of God writing on the wall during an idolatrous party. The partygoers had blasphemously used the holy vessels of God’s house to drink the wine of Babylon. When called to interpret the writing on the wall, Daniel reprimanded the king. “You have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” (Daniel 5:23). King Belshazzar died that very night.

Solomon wrote, “It is not for kings, oh Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes intoxicating drink, lest they drink and forget the law” (Proverbs 31:4, 5).

The men of Israel were to wear a thread of blue on the hem of their sleeves and of their robes so that when they reached out their hand or watched their steps, they would see the blue thread and remember the law of God. They were reminded to evaluate if their plans and actions were in accordance with His will, guarding them from spiritual harlotry (Numbers 15:39, 40).

Through His precious blood, Christ has made us “kings and priests” unto God (Revelation 1:6). Revelation tells us that spiritual harlotry in the last days will seek to have the world drunk with the spiritual wine of Babylon (Revelation 17:2). Those intoxicated will be unable to distinguish the

holy from the unholy, and they will forget the law of God. The wine of Babylon is not fit for God’s kings and priests.

Have you ever noticed that the harlot of Babylon is dressed in sanctuary colors? She wears purple and scarlet and is decked with gold (Revelation 17:4). But she is missing blue and white, representing the law of God and the clean and holy righteousness of Jesus Christ (Revelation 7:14). Isn’t it interesting that Revelation identifies the kings and priests of God as those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus? (Revelation 14:12).

“Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

About The Author Brent Goodge lives in Whitfield County and prays God’s people will practice temperance in all things.

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