xxviii. 1-4. _Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards
of Ephraim, &c._[1]
Ephraim one of the most important of the tribes. It occupied some of
the richest land, about the middle of Palestine. When the ten tribes
formed a separate kingdom, Ephraim was the principal tribe in it.
Hence the new kingdom was sometimes called Ephraim. Its capital
Samaria, here called "the crown of pride." It was a position of great
natural strength. Its situation exceedingly beautiful. The sides of
the hill on which it was built sloped down to rich valleys, covered
with beautiful flowers and fruit-bearing trees. "Glorious beauty."
"Fat valleys." No wonder the people were proud of it. When this
prophecy was written, it was at the height of its pride. But it was
doomed. The glorious beauty was a fading flower. The crown of pride
was to be trodden under feet. Samaria was a delicious morsel for the
invader, plucked and eaten as soon as seen. Shalmanezer, with the
Assyrian host, invaded, overcame, carried the people away, never to
return. Unlike Judah in this respect. An unsolved problem to this
day, where are the ten tribes? do they still exist, or are they
entirely extinct?
It was because of sin. The story of Samaria's idolatry. To tamper
with idolatry was to renounce allegiance to Jehovah. But that was not
all. Serious moral obliquities came in the wake of idolatry. Among
these was intemperance. Had become a crying sin. Was helping to drag
the nation down to ruin. "Woe to the crown of pride," &c.
Here is a warning to England. England's crying sin is Samaria's
crying sin. God forbid that England should persist in it, so as to
bring on herself Samaria's doom! Mark--
I. ITS SINFULNESS. It was treated as sin in the case of Samaria. It
is still a sin, as well as a vice and a crime. Keep to the text in
pointing out its sinfulness. Drunkards described as "them that are
overcome with wine." Not a trifling thing to be overcome. The
drunkard allows a thing he loves to overcome him and rob him of that
for the safe keeping of which he is responsible to God. He is under
obligation to keep himself for God, and he betrays his trust. What is
overcome?
1. _Reason._ A great trust. Bound to use it to the best of our
ability; therefore to keep it in efficient working order so far as it
lies in our power. If you lent a man a tool, or a machine, you would
require him to keep it from injury. But strong drink contends with
and overcomes reason. You attach no importance to opinions expressed
or reasonings attempted by a drunken man. His reason has been
overcome by his own consent. He could not have been overcome if he
had refused to play with the enemy.
2. _Conscience._ Is not conscience a sacred trust? Sentry at the door
of character. Shall the sentry be drugged when the enemy is near?
Does not intemperance stupefy the conscience? Many a man who once
would have dreaded a sin more than a blow has become regardless of
sin, regardless of God. Not only does intoxication deaden the sense
of its own criminality; it lowers the moral tone as to everything
else. The moral nature becomes enfeebled. Any other temptation more
likely to succeed. By little and little comes over the soul a
tendency to make light of every kind of sin. Communion with God is
broken off. Prayer is dull and comfortless exercise when the
excitement of intemperance has become attractive. The religious
nature becomes dead or maudlin under the influence of drunkenness.
Alas! that men should undermine and disable their noblest faculty!
(H. E. I., 4498).
3. _Physical strength._ Are not our bodies also entrusted to us to
keep safely for the uses the Maker intends? If the suicide who takes
his own life by a single stroke rushes into the presence of his Judge
uncalled, must not the man who by negligence, folly, or vice,
shortens his life answer for it in the same way? But the drunkard
does this by being overcome with wine.
II. ITS PENALTY. There was a worm at the root of the glorious beauty,
and fruitfulness, and pride of Ephraim; and therefore it was a fading
flower. The worm was their sinfulness. The drunkard may say that he
is prosperous to-day; but the worm is at the root.
1. Look at the consequences to himself. The _deteriorated character,_
lowered tastes, lowered company of many a well-educated and splendid
young man, and many a beautiful promising boy. _The social
degradation._ "Trodden down." Avoided and despised by former
associates. _The ruined circumstances._ Gradually downwards, and
finally at the depth of poverty. _The Lost Eternity._ "No
inheritance." 2. Look at the consequences to his family. Wife
unhappy. Children uneducated and untrained. Home impoverished and
desolate. There is a skeleton in that house. 3. Look at the
consequences to society. Drunkards usually seek society. Their
example influences others.
How to cure? How to prevent? 1. _Legislation._ Can the legislature do
nothing more than it has done? What of Sunday closing? What of music
saloons? What of limitation of the hours? What of diminishing the
number of houses? What of abolition of the traffic? 2. _Abstinence._
Urge it on drunkards as their only chance of recovery. On the young
as their best security. On Christians as the most effective protest
and influential example. 3. _Religion._ Realise the sinfulness of
intemperance. Let the grace of God reign over thoughts, appetites,
habits.--_J. Rawlinson._