Proverbs 23:33-35 (ESV)
33 Your eyes will see strange things,
and your heart utter perverse things.
34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea,
like one who lies on the top of a mast.
35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt;
they beat me, but I did not feel it.
When shall I awake?
I must have another drink.”
The father continues his warning in Saying 19 about the dangers associated with drinking alcohol, explaining to his son what will happen if he becomes controlled by wine.Upon intoxication, the son will see and perceive in a way that is inconsistent with reality, even speaking things that simply aren’t true.When one becomes inebriated, things turn upside down. Right becomes wrong, and wrong seems right. The drunk begins to wobble and lose his balance as if he were being tossed around like a ship on the sea. The drunk then declares that even though he was beaten, it didn’t hurt. Instead of protecting himself, he becomes the town punching bag. Although not all who drink end up physically abused, they are often emotionally or financially beaten, allowing themselves to be exploited by those who take advantage of their intoxicated state. They spend more, say more, and support more than they ever would without the wine. Surprisingly, they return to the bottle again and again.