Today's question is about depression, and it comes to us from an anonymous listener.

Pastor John about a year ago is going through one of the lowest times of depression in my

entire life.

During this time, I was reading scripture, it came across Proverbs 31, verses 6 and 7,

which say, this, give a strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to him whose life

is bitter.

Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his trouble no more.

That seems like exactly what I didn't need.

Does this passage teach us to use alcohol in numbing the pain of depression?

Let's read these verses, Proverbs 31, 6 and 7, in context.

So here's verses 4 through 9, and they're very short.

It is not for kings, Olemual, so this is Lemual's mother, you know that early in the

context, this is Lemual's mother teaching him about how to be a king.

It is not for kings, Olemual.

It is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink

and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted, give strong

drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.

Let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge, righteousness, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

So there's the context.

On both sides of the verse about giving drink to the one who is perishing, the stress

...